Meet Katelyn Duffy of Eat Gluten Free AZ in Chandler

Today we’d like to introduce you to Katelyn Duffy.

Katelyn, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
In 2007 I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease at the young age of 13. I had suffered from anemia for several years as a child and the doctors noticed I wasn’t growing as I should be. I wasn’t building muscle or gaining any weight. After several blood tests and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, they finally figured out I had Celiac Disease. The doctors predicted I might have had it since the age of six but it went undetected until I was 13. For people with Celiac Disease consuming gluten (the protein found in wheat, barley, rye) leads to severe damage to the lining of the small intestine which results in the inability to absorb proper nutrients in the body. When I was diagnosed it was back in the day before gluten-free diets were popular so not a lot of restaurants or grocery stores had gluten-free options. Since then I have discovered that I also have food intolerances to dairy, soy, eggs, and corn. Eating became REALLY hard and this is what led me to create a gluten-free + allergy friendly Instagram. Two months ago I created Eat Gluten Free AZ where I share several recipes, Celiac safe restaurants in Arizona, and Celiac restaurants I find through my travels.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I would say everything comes with its own set of challenges, but the biggest challenge is not eating all the desserts I make! Everything is so delicious it is hard not to eat the entire plate of cookies or all the choco-tacos in one sitting.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
Currently, my Instagram and eatglutenfreeaz.com are just hobbies of mine. Maybe one day it will turn into a business which would be great, but I do enjoy my full-time job as a software engineer. For now, I will continue to share my gluten, dairy, soy, egg, and corn-free recipes as well as local Celiac safe restaurants. I think the difference between my blog and the other gluten-free blogs is my attention to other food allergies. A lot of people can share a gluten-free recipe, but they don’t focus on eliminating the other potential problem ingredients. I love to share dessert recipes especially because desserts are the hardest to find pre-packaged in the store. When you have so many issues with food its not typical to feel left out when it comes to dessert. I also share lots of healthy dinner ideas and several Celiac meals you can order at local restaurants.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success = happiness for me. If you are happy and content with what you are doing in life then I would say you are successful! I truly enjoy cooking, baking, and sharing my creations with others. Nothing makes me happier than hearing one of my recipes has truly helped someone!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://eatglutenfreeaz.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatglutenfreeaz/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eatglutenfreeAZ/
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/eatglutenfreeaz/

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