Happy Living on a Gluten-Free Diet

A gluten-free diet may make you worry about having to give up foods and activities that you love. If you have celiac disease, there is help available for happy living on a gluten-free diet.

Get Support: You're not alone. The Mayo Clinic estimates that about 1% of adults in the U.S. have celiac disease. Many more people follow gluten-free diets for additional health reasons so you can find many organizations that offer information and support for happy gluten-free living. Two prominent organizations are the National Organization for Celiac Awareness and the Gluten Intolerance Group. It might be best to connect with people in your own local area, but meanwhile you can get free webinars on various topics at NFCA. Both organizations provide lots of information including lists of gluten-free friendly restaurants and targeted resources for young people.

Plan Ahead: If you are cutting yourself off from social activities because it seems awkward to manage your celiac disease, you may wind up feeling depressed and isolated. Planning ahead can help you get through public situations more smoothly. Select restaurants that are gluten-free friendly or call ahead to confirm if they are hospitable about accommodating any special requests. If you're entertaining at home, take advantage of all the gluten-free alternatives on the market today for even beer and pizza. If you're away from home, there are some national chains you can count on to offer gluten-free options including PF Chang's and Wendy's.

Enjoy Non-Food Festivities: If social activities automatically make you think about eating, develop some entertainment options that don't require a menu. With so many people trying to manage their weight, your family and friends may appreciate your efforts even if they don't have celiac disease. Go to a piano recital or a play, and it may help you all break the habit of automatically eating during movies and TV shows.

Set the Tone: If you're comfortable discussing celiac disease or any other aspects of your gluten-free diet, you may be helping others in similar or comparable situations. However, if you don't want to talk about it, you should not feel compelled to do so. Health care providers and people close to you should know your needs, but you don't have to explain your lifestyle to people if you find their questions intrusive.

Don't give up happy living just because you stop eating grains. You can manage celiac disease and have a healthy and happy life on a gluten-free diet.