Our Mia Makes it into Medical School!
You know her from the very popular series, ‘Musings by Mia,’ written for The Celiac Scene from her twenty-something perspective. Mia is embarking on a new journey. She has been accepted into UBC’s Island Medical School. Starting in August, Mia will begin classes at the University of Victoria. With a lot of hard work, she hopes to become a gastroenterologist! Good luck to Mia!
Mia Kennedy was diagnosed with Celiac Disease when she was just 13 years old and since then, has become an avid gluten-free baker and cook.
She is a recent graduate of the University of Victoria where she majored in Microbiology. During her time there, she worked in a research lab that focused on gut health.
‘Musings by Mia’ became a collection of topics that she wished had been more discussed when she was first diagnosed with Celiac Disease as a teen. She explored topics from the perspective of a young adult with Celiac Disease, an informative glimpse into situations a typical young adult with Celiac Disease might face.
Her submissions to the Celiac Scene appear below.
Musings by Mia – Dating as a Celiac
- I would like to begin by thanking my wonderful partner for allowing me to use our relationship as an example in this article! My current partner and I met in class during our second year of University, and almost four years later we are still happily together! I will delve into how and when I brought up being Celiac with my partner, how I, as a Celiac, kiss my partner who isn’t Celiac, and lastly, how we go on ‘food dates’. Read more here …
- Listen to Mia’s interview on A Canadian Celiac Podcast!
Summer Fun for Twenty-Something Celiacs
- From beach days to backyard BBQs, the warm weather always seems to bring people together – which, without planning, can mean gatherings with lots of food a Celiac can’t eat. By following these tips I’ve discovered, I tend to eat even more than at non-Celiac at gatherings. (If you’re following these articles you will begin to realize how much I truly love food!) Read more here …
Staycations for Celiacs – Home-Made Pita Bread
- Our first ‘staycation’ meal is a delicious gluten free Greek-inspired meal. Below is a recipe for a gluten-free pita bread that completely wowed me with its resemblance to the gluten-containing version I so missed! To make it a true ‘staycation’ meal we made a Greek salad, some grilled chicken kebabs, and tzatziki (yogurt, olive oil, shredded and drained cucumber, mint and/or dill, and lemon juice). If you’re making this for many people, then roasted potatoes or rice as a side would also work nicely to bulk up the meal. Enjoy! Read more here …
Eating Gluten-Free at University
- How I meal-prepped, planned snacks for studying, and bought gluten-free groceries on a student budget. Based on my university experience, gluten-free food on campus is limited (if available at all). Besides offering a few naturally gluten-free options (such as fresh fruit, yogurt, chips, etc.) and food that teased my celiac-self by being ‘gluten-friendly’ and not ‘gluten-free’, my university campus was markedly lacking in food that I was able to eat. So, I adapted by bringing a lunch and some snacks with me to campus every day. While this did involve more planning, it ended up saving me money and was generally healthier than many of the campus-offered foods. Read more here …
Preparing for Gluten-Free Get-Togethers
- I think one of the hardest things as a young Celiac attending gathering (or any Celiac for that matter) is to find the balance of ensuring you get fed, while also not seeming ‘high-maintenance’ or inconveniencing the host. In my experience, most of my friends are eager to try their best to make sure I have food that is safe for me to eat yet have no idea how to do that! Read more here …
Staycations for Celiacs – Afternoon Tea
- Our second ‘staycation’ meal is a delicious gluten-free Afternoon Tea. Below is a recipe for gluten-free scones and clotted cream. To make it a true ‘staycation’ meal we recommend pairing with jam and a pot of tea. For the sake of tradition, the scone recipe is for plain vanilla scones, however, given the abundance of summer fruit available consider these scones blank slates! Read more here …
- Our third ‘staycation’ meal is a delicious gluten-free pastry tart called Pasteis de Nata, otherwise known as Portuguese Egg Tarts. These are perfect for anytime of the day, but I love it as a midmorning snack! You may have seen these delicious custard-filled tarts made with puff pastry on social media. Read more here …
- Although summer is over, we still want to explore the world of food from the comfort of home! My partner, a wonderful cook/baker, has been busy developing some tasty gluten free recipes that I am eager to share. This installment of the series is perfect for busy households – a delicious gluten-free pizza feast! Below is a recipe for gluten-free pizza crust. The thin-crust dough is soft and chewy, and my partner uses a cooking method that leaves the crust lightly charred with big air bubbles – as if it just came out of a wood fired oven! Read more here …
- This installment of the series is a Gluten-free Savory Galette loaded with local fall flavours! (A galette is a free-form version of a pie with the filling wrapped in pastry dough.) This galette is full of squash, mushrooms, onions, and fresh cheese! It is also very adjustable to whatever ingredients look best near you. You get rich creaminess from the roasted squash base, a fresh tang from the cheese, sweetness from the caramelized onions, and earthiness from the mushrooms. The galette is quick, easy, and absolutely delightful! Read more here …
- For so long I have looked on with eager eyes as my friends bought and devoured Pork Buns. Eager to try them myself, my partner was put to the task, and he did not disappoint! Although a bit tricky to make, the recipe yields 16 buns so they become a delicious quick meal for the next few days. Sit down, on-the-go, lunch, dinner, (breakfast?), these Gluten-free Pork Buns are a welcome alternative to traditional gluten-containing Pork Buns! Read more here …
