With hungry stomachs and anticipating taste receptors, most people do not think twice before eating an appetizing meal. But for Coppell High School AP Government teacher Eric Chastain, overlooking the components and ingredients in his meal could inflame his immune system.

“In 2010, I started feeling sick so I went to the gastroenterologist where they did a biopsy and determined that I had this condition that I had never heard of before,” Chastain said. “I ate whatever I wanted for 30 years of my life, and then when I turned 31, the doctors told me that I developed celiac disease.”

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system is hypersensitive to gluten, leading to inflammation in the small intestine and difficulty in digesting food. With no cure, Chastain must live with a gluten-free diet for the rest of his life. 

“When he was first diagnosed, the availability of gluten free ‘fun foods’ was very limited,” wife Skylar Chastain said. “Things like meat and vegetables are naturally gluten free, but it’s tough to suddenly never be able to order delivery pizza again.”

Adjusting to a new lifestyle was difficult, but he developed ways to work around his medical condition while still satisfying his tongue. 

“Back in 2010, there were not many restaurants and places that I could go to eat,” Mr. Chastain said. “There are more today, which is good, but it was difficult to adjust to the price of gluten-free items that are more expensive and the availability of anything gluten-free.”

Mr. Chastain and his wife utilize technology to ensure gluten-free meals.

“Because neither of us are cooks, we use a meal delivery service called Snap Kitchen to get some of our meals each week,” Mrs. Chastain said. “Their production facility is dedicated to gluten-free products so it’s a safe way to get some healthy meals without putting in the time to cook.”

Mr. Chastain’s colleagues notice his unique diet. IB economics teacher Ryan Lininger previously worked with Mr. Chastain, and has gained insight into his condition over the years. 

“I have observed Mr. Chastain in his daily lifestyle when eating lunch with him in and out of class,” Lininger said. “He must be very careful about what he eats, so when I was the department head at our previous school, I would try to get snacks that were gluten free.”

Despite having celiac disease, Mr. Chastain is not limited in the range of foods he consumes. 

“I can eat pretty much anything that I want, but it has to be special-made and gluten-free,” Mr. Chastain said. “There are some restaurants that do a good job because the big problem that people with celiac disease have is something called cross-contamination. So even if you make a gluten-free item, but you made it in the same area where you just made gluten food, that could set my immune system going.”

Mr. Chastain’s diet influenced his wife to eat gluten-free as well.

“We’ve had to be very careful with celebrations especially,” Mrs. Chastain said. “Our house is totally gluten free and we can control what comes in and avoid any cross-contamination issues, but in public and even family homes, we are relying on the dedication of people not always ‘in the know’ about how to prevent cross-contamination of allergens.”

Though having experience in navigating life with celiac disease, Mr. Chastain struggles to partake in certain gatherings with cultural foods. 

“Our society everywhere in the world revolves around food,” Mr. Chastain said. “When I want to go out to eat with friends and family, I can’t partake in a lot of that and there are things that I definitely miss. As somebody who is Mexican-American, I wish there were more Tex-Mex food that does a good job of being gluten-free.”

Mr. Chastain still finds himself missing some aspects of his prior life. 

“It affects me every once in a while, and I really wish I didn’t have this disease,” Mr. Chastain said. “It’s not as bad as some other food conditions that are really bad and severe, but it does affect my life and it still limits what I can do. If there were a cure tomorrow, I would be the first one to sign up for it.”

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