The SCD Diet, Working Full-Time and Maintaining Relationships With Rachel Straining

“Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to know that it’s only up from there.” In this chill-worthy episode, Rachel Straining, also known as the @noglutengirl on Instagram, explains her journey with Crohn’s disease - from being diagnosed in high school after thinking she had a terrible case of the flu that just wouldn’t go away, to a phase of denial in college that landed her in a flare, to the present day - working full time, fostering an amazing relationship with the “no gluten boyfriend” and being a source of inspiration, hope and real talk for the IBD community. We dive into accepting a diagnosis, balancing a full-time job with IBD and finding and keeping supportive relationships while going through hard times. You can follow Rachel’s journey on Instagram at @thenoglutengirl and thenotglutengirl.com.

Key quotes from this week’s episode:

“A diagnosis is validating for your symptoms and your feelings. And it gives you some clarity and direction.”“The second I began to own the fact that “hey yeah I have Crohn’s disease and I need to make these changes for myself and my health,” that’s when everything began to shift.”“Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to know that it’s only up from there.”