You've Got Celiac Disease - Now What?

By far the most difficult stage of gluten-free living is the first stage - the weeks and months directly following the celiac diagnosis. The doctors tend not to be overly informative. Generally they say something to the effect of, "You have celiac disease and you need to go on a gluten-free diet. Here is a referral for a nutritionist. Good Luck. Next!" And you are left even more confused then you were when you got to his office.
Embarking on a gluten-free diet should be a slow process. It is an enormous life change and if you try to do it all at once you will end up confused and depressed. Purchasing a basic book like Peter Green's Celiac Disease: A hidden epidemic is probably the best first step. It will explain the disease to you in detail, and provide lists of the foods you need to avoid. A good second step would be to research local celiac organizations that will be helpful in providing you with lists of products, restaurants, and health food stores as well as support groups. These organizations also provide you with an instant celiac community to whom you can ask questions, or just air out your frustrations. Another wonderful source of information are the gluten-free blogs written by fellow gluten-free sufferers or parents and caretakers of gluten-free sufferers. Blogs like [JensGlutenFreeBlog] (http://www.jensglutenfreeblog.com/) will provide you with the latest medical research, stories that you can relate to, and some fantastic recipes for foods you never would have thought you would be able to enjoy again! The most important information you need to have at the outset is the list of foods that you need to avoid: wheat, rye, barley (malt), bulgur, couscous, spelt, kamut, semolina, triticale,and einkorn. The list looks intimidating but if you focus on what you can eat you will feel a lot better. Dairy products are generally okay, as are fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, and fish. In addition to this list the following grains are safe for celiacs: rice, corn, millet, teff,sorghum, wild rice, buckwheat, quinoa, and amaranth. Try to create meals out of the foods that are naturally gluten-free. You might decide to eat a yogurt or some cottage cheese for breakfast in place of your usual cheerios. Lunch could be fish and corn instead of pizza or noodles. And dinner might be meat or chicken with a vegetable and french fries on the side. Spend some time getting used to this new diet. While you are doing this visit a health food store or local supermarket and check out the gluten-free section. You'll find an assortment of gluten-free breads, crackers, cereals and other baked goods. It might take some experimenting to find what you like, but some of the products are really quite good. Learning to read labels is another important step in adapting to a gluten-free diet. In addition to the basic list of foods that you need to avoid you will have to become proficient at detecting hidden sources of gluten. Websites like Gluten Free Living, as well as many books on celiac disease provide detailed information regarding various ingredients. Print out these lists or bring your book with you to the supermarket and plan a morning when you can you can spend a significant amount of time going up and down the aisles. It might help to bring a paper and pen with you to jot down which products are safe. After a few trips to the store reading labels will become second nature and you will be familiar with which products are safe.
Gluten-free baking is undertaking that you should only attempt after you have grown somewhat accustomed to gluten-free food. There will be successes and failures (more failures than successes at first) but you will get the hang of it. There are some great gluten-free cookbooks on the market (I like Rebecca Reilly's Gluten-Free Baking) that explain the science behind baking without gluten. There are many flour alternatives to wheat, but there is no one perfect replacement that suits every recipe. Each food is different so be very patient with yourself - it might take a few tries before you get your favorite chocolate chip brownie recipe just right. Often gluten-free food has a slightly different texture and taste than you are used to, but your palate will adjust. Medications are something else that need to be checked out. If the inactive ingredients are not listed on your medications ask your pharmacist to check the Physicians' Desk Reference. While the "food starch" found is food is corn starch by law, the same rule does not apply to medications - so be vigilant. There is generally a customer service number listed on the medication; If he pharmacist can't help you, the manufacturer will. It is normal for the gluten-free lifestyle to be a bit overwhelming at first. Don't be surprised if you find yourself in tears over a half-baked white cake that just wouldn't hold together. And when you do you can drag yourself over to your computer and come to our site to read all about Julie's miserable kitchen mishaps. Sometimes laughter is the best medicine.