To the average teenager, the center of their day is food. What you’re having for lunch, what you’re eating when you get home and where you’re going to eat this weekend are primary concerns. It’s a social and a physical commodity.

For sophomore Chris Foley, his options are severely limited.

Foley lives with Celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that causes his organs to stop properly functioning if he eats gluten, causing him to become very sick.

According to WebMD, Celiac disease is an immune reaction to gluten (which is found in wheat, barley and rye). It triggers an immune response in the small intestine, and over time prevents absorption of some nutrients due to damage of the small intestinal lining.

If Celiacs wasn’t enough to limit his dietary choices, Foley is also allergic to beef, pork, mustard, peas and several types of nuts.

“I eat a really restrictive diet… I eat a lot  of rice and chicken marinated in different ways,” Foley said.

Essentially, this leaves chicken, rice, fruits and vegetables as choices in Foley’s diet.

Despite these limitations, Foley is used to the challenges because he’s lived with Celiac disease his whole life.