Thursday, October 17, 2013

Gluten Free in Afghanistan by Captain B. Donald Andrasik


Captain B. Donald Andrasik was in town for the Raleigh Gluten Free and Allergen Free Wellness Event in August and Chris and I were fortunate enough to meet him at a blogger dinner at Bella Monica the night before. Hands down, he had the most interesting stories at the table. I knew I wanted to hear him speak and read Gluten Free in Afghanistan.

The following morning I dragged Joe with me to the expo so he could meet Captain Ben and keep me company (i.e. carry my purchases). We found his table and the three of us chatted a few minutes. When I tried to buy his book he refused to let me pay, signed a copy and graciously gave it to Joe.

His speaking schedule and Joe's work schedule made it impossible to stay and listen but I hope we'll have another chance sometime soon.

Gluten Free in Afghanistan is a fast read and one I found both interesting and inspiring.  Captain Adrasik has celiac and had been gluten free for several years prior to enlisting in the National Guard. He writes an enlightening account of his time while deployed in Kandahar, Afghanistan for a year and how he managed the challenges of his diet while serving his country. You can't help but come away impressed.

Captain Andrasik is positive and proactive and I think this book would really interest just about anyone but would be especially good for young people just diagnosed or going off to college.  His upbeat and persistent attitude is one to emulate when learning to advocate for yourself. At the end of the book he shares tips his family has found helpful and a couple of family favorite recipes, too.

Check out his book and look up CPT B. Donald on Facebook.