What does it really mean to grow up gluten-free? Not just medically, but socially, emotionally, and relationally?
In this episode, we are joined by writer and longtime gluten-free advocate Elyn Joy, her daughter Edyth, and the host’s own daughter, Devyn, for an honest, multi-generational conversation about childhood, identity, and learning to advocate for yourself.
Together, they talk about the moments people don’t always see: navigating school events and birthday parties, dating and friendships, learning when to speak up (and when you didn’t), and how early food boundaries quietly shape confidence, self-trust, and adulthood.
Elyn reflects on the fear that comes with a diagnosis and the unexpected gifts that followed. Edyth and Devyn share what it was like to grow up gluten-free in different eras, how support (or lack of it) landed, and why living gluten-free is just one part of who they are, not the whole story.
This is a conversation about parenting without panic, raising capable humans, and trusting kids sooner than we think we should.
Pull up a chair. This one matters.
Elyn Joy’s books, The Gluten-Free Parent’s Survival Guide and The Gluten-Free Teen’s Survival Guide, created in collaboration with a team of celiac physicians at Colorado Children's Hospital. Her articles and interviews have appeared in Gluten-Free Living, Whole Foods Magazine, Allergic Living, and many GF sites and publications. Elyn has been a featured presenter at national celiac awareness events and offers advice on lifestyle and dietary challenges for parents and children. For more information and contact details, visit https://www.glutenfreeparent.com.
Edyth is a medical student at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, focusing on emergency medicine, global health, and medical education. She served as Clinical Research Coordinator at Massachusetts General Hospital's Center for Celiac Research and Treatment, where she supported studies and explored new research trials and findings. Edyth was heavily featured in The Gluten-Free Teen’s Survival Guide, offering her experiences and insights to teens facing a diagnosis with celiac disease.
