In the early 2000s, it wasn’t trendy or cute to eat gluten free. Now, it’s like wearing a pink Sox hat to Fenway or postgame interview shaving cream pies in the face for the cats on the field. There is gluten free pasta, bread, frozen meals…getting the picture? The latest “healthy” marketing craze seems to be taking crap and making it gluten free. Yippee.

Kevin Burkhardt is allergic to gluten. For those of you unfamiliar with Kevin’s work, he’s one of the brightest stars in broadcasting. He’s also an exceptional teammate of mine at Fox Sports 1. I’ve witnessed his challenges first hand. I’d love to see his nutritional existence get easier.

Gluten is a substance present in cereal grains, especially wheat, which is responsible for the elastic texture of dough. A mixture of two proteins, it causes illness in people with celiac disease. It may negatively impact many more. From celiacdisease.about.com:

Dr. Fasano, director of the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research, published the first study looking at the molecular basis for gluten sensitivity and how it differs from celiac disease. He also participated in the research concluding that celiac disease incidence is one in every 133 people.

According to Dr. Fasano, gluten sensitivity potentially affects far more people than celiac disease. He estimates about 6% to 7% of the U.S. population may be gluten-sensitive, meaning some 20 million people in the United States alone could have the condition.

Now, back to my world.

The first time I worked with Kevin, we were on a pregame show together. During our morning meetings, food for the whole crew was ordered. I overheard a conversation in which Kevin very carefully articulated that he was going to need a different meal than the ones that were to be provided.

I asked him what happens when he ingests gluten.

“I can’t take a chance,” he said. “I’ll be done the whole day. Cramps, throwing up, and more.”

Kevin remembers eating during childhood being simpler, but he consistently encountered issues with his stomach.

“They called it irritable bowel syndrome, which is what they say when the doctor doesn’t know what’s going on. My stomach is so much better since my diagnosis.”

That diagnosis came in 2001. Since then, labeling has improved, and there is much greater awareness about the disease. These changes are rendering restaurants less intimidating spaces.

“Any chef worth his salt knows how to cook without gluten.”

The increased awareness of celiac and gluten allergies is a mixed bag. While eating out is easier, Kevin’s biggest hurdle is dealing with the challenges of processed foods.

“Whenever I see stuff like modified food starch or natural flavors, I have to be careful. Those foods can contain gluten. French fries are a risk too. If they were cooked in the same place as say, chicken tenders, I’m not safe because their breading may have gluten.”

Doesn’t sound like fun, does it?

However, after hashing it out in a quality conversation, the truth became abundantly clear. Just about everything I eat daily, Kevin can eat safely. Eggs, animal flesh, yams, coffee, fruit, veggies, almonds, avocados are all on his safe list. His is a diet of whole foods, essentially.

“I love sushi,” Kevin shared with a big smile.

I asked him if he meant just the fish.

“No, I eat the rice. And sushi rolls. Corn, potatoes, they’re all okay.”

Dude has plenty of freedom.

All this time, I’ve worn the pink hat. I’m embarrassed to say, I’m pretty much gluten free. Skip the processed foods, gluten free or not, and your body will display its gratitude.