Have You Been Recently Diagnosed with Celiac Disease and Are Feeling Overwhelmed?

Maybe you first heard about celiac disease while searching the internet hoping to find the cause of your extreme discomfort, anything to make the symptoms stop, and you found yourself saying yes to every symptom on the list. Or maybe you went to your doctor, and by some stroke of luck they put two and two together and ordered you to have a blood test for celiac disease, and it came back confirming the diagnosis.

Perhaps you've suffered for years, your pain brushed off as stress or nerves, labeled IBS, no doctor able to tell you what was really wrong until you read about celiac disease and something clicked. However you've come to realize that gluten may be the cause of your suffering, the thought of never again being able to eat bread, pasta, cake, or cookies made with wheat flour will come as an overwhelming shock. Some people go through a period of denial, refusing to accept that they must follow a special diet for the rest of their lives. Others take the plunge and stop eating gluten, only to be lost at meal times, not knowing what to eat. Many newly diagnosed celiacs go through a period of depression, mourning for the loss of foods that were once a staple of their diet.

For a short period of time, living a gluten-free existence may seem overwhelming, frustrating, and even depressing. Luckily, the shock will wear off. There are a growing number of people around the world who are discovering a life without gluten. You aren't alone! Popular restaurants are creating gluten-free menus; grocery stores are filling their isles with gluten-free flours and foods. Support groups are gathering in states all over America. Most of all, the internet is increasingly gaining forums, blogs, informational pages, and email lists specifically for celiac sufferers and those who follow a gluten-free diet. A simple Google search will turn up page after page of information and links.

So, with that said, you've decided to eliminate gluten from your diet, and now it's time for lunch. What do you eat? That turkey sandwich is out of the question. Your soup was thickened with flour. Those snack crackers...those aren't gluten-free. Oh, no dessert either! While you agonize over what you could possibly eat, your stomach growls and your frustration builds.

Before you panic, let me reassure you that gluten-free eating is not a synonym for miserable eating. There is hope!

"Think outside the bun."

There are many things you cannot eat, but look at all the things you can eat! Fresh fruits and vegetables are gluten-free. Have a salad with grilled chicken breast for lunch. A quick Google search for gluten-free dressings will give you a comprehensive list of which brands to enjoy. Double check the ingredient label before putting the dressing on your salad, and you should have no issues.

Fresh meats are gluten-free. Rice, beans, tofu, polenta, nut butters, salsa, hummus, pesto, corn tortillas, potatoes, and many kinds of chips are all gluten-free. There is a never ending list of food that you can still enjoy right along with the rest of the human race! There are also an array of gluten-free flours and recipes so that those who enjoy cooking can experiment to re-create the gluten-filled foods they once enjoyed. Gluten-free flours can be found at many grocery stores, health food stores, and on Amazon.com.

Once you have stopped eating gluten, it can take time for your gut to heal. The pain across your abdomen, the gas and bloating, the elimination issues, those things will all take time to resolve themselves. Many people find that it can take anywhere from a week to six months before they begin to feel normal. It is easy to doubt if the gluten-free diet is helping, but it is very important to keeping eating gluten-free. While the gut is healing from the damage gluten caused to the small intestine, many people find they can suddenly no longer tolerate dairy. As frustrating as it is to eliminate yet another food group from your diet, most celiacs have to do this in order to fully heal. Often this new dairy intolerance is only temporary. Once the body is healed and all systems are functioning properly, dairy can be slowly reintroduced to see if any negative reactions occur.

Oats are another food newly diagnosed celiacs should avoid. Oat avenins are very similar to the properties of wheat that cause celiacs to suffer. Not everyone who is sickened by gluten will also react to oats, but while your body is healing it is best to be on the safe side and eliminate oats along with gluten. Like dairy, oats can also be reintroduced later, once the body is completely healed. Be sure to reintroduce oats and dairy at separate times so that if one causes a bad reaction in your gut, you can be certain of the culprit.

Cross-Contamination

Though oats are a gluten-free food, they are often cross-contaminated with wheat. Oats are grown alongside wheat in many fields. The trucks used to harvest and haul oats are usually the same equipment used for wheat. Wheat and oats are also often processed alongside each other in factories, further increasing the odds that gluten will be present in your oats. Though conventional oats may be unsafe for those of us avoiding gluten, there are some oats that have been grown and packaged with special care. A Google search will turn up brands of oats that proclaim themselves gluten-free. Gluten-free oats can usually be found in the grocery store along side the gluten-free flours and foods. They will be clearly labeled gluten-free. Corn is another product often cross-contaminated. Check the brands of corn tortillas and corn chips you purchase to see if the company has an allergen statement. Bulk bins in health food stores are one more place to avoid due to contamination issues. Employees often switch the bins without washing them well. The bin you get your rice or beans from could have housed wheat flour, or a customer may have switched the bin scoops without thinking.

One unfortunate reality for celiac patients is the fact that gluten is a sticky substance. Gluten sticks to pots and pans. The crumbs scatter all over a surface and easily stick to fingers or fall into gluten-free food. When this happens, you will know it. The familiar ache in your belly will reappear shortly after eating a contaminated food. This is what is referred to as being "glutened." Despite doing your best to avoid gluten in all forms, everyone will occasionally up glutened by accident at some point. When this happens, there is nothing to do but to wait it out.

If possible, it is easiest to remove all gluten-containing foods from your home and then scrub down all cabinets, counters, handles, and other surfaces in the kitchen that might contain crumbs from gluten containing foods. This will drastically reduce your chances of being glutened. Your pots and pans should also be replaced. Teflon has crevices in which gluten can stick, surviving even the toughest scrubbing. That gluten can then bind to your food when cooking. The same can happen with plastic spatulas, other non-stick pans, and cast iron. Stainless steel is debated to be safe because it isn't a porous surface, it is up to you whether you want to take the risk or not. If you are upset at the thought of losing a collection of cast iron cookware, re-seasoning the cast iron should remove all traces of gluten.

Be aware that gluten could also be lurking other places in your home. Your stick of butter and your jars of peanut butter and jam most likely have bread crumbs in them from double dipping with a knife. Wash your pot holders well. Clean out the crumbs from the silverware drawer. If your entire kitchen will become gluten-free, get rid of your toaster! Gluten can also be found in the glue on envelopes, don't lick them anymore. Check your shampoo and beauty products for gluten--it's easy to get those things on your hands and then put your fingers in your mouth or transfer the gluten to the food you're eating. Take precautions to wash your hands well after touching pet food, most of it contains gluten. Though it may seem excessive, one speck of gluten has the same immune system reaction in your gut that you would get from eating a piece of bread. There's no point in avoiding gluten containing foods only to continue to be sick from accidentally ingesting crumbs from around your house! Gluten is everywhere, but once you get the hang of the gluten-free lifestyle it's second nature to keep an eye out for things that may contaminate you.

For some of us, feeling normal is a new experience, having suffered from gluten intolerance for most of our lives. A lot of celiac sufferers find that once they stop eating gluten many other mysterious ailments also resolve themselves. Allergy symptoms lessen. Skin conditions clear up. Random aches and pains disappear. Suddenly you are filled with energy and a clear head, a fog has lifted. Occasionally the temptation to eat a gluten-filled treat will come along, more often in the first few months of your new diet, but when it does remind yourself of the way gluten made you suffer for so many years. Is one taste of bread really worth agonizing stomach pain and wasting an unpleasant day in the bathroom? Anyone who has suffered for years on end can easily answer that question. The gluten-free diet is hard in the beginning, but as soon as you being to see results you'll realize that it is well worth the effort.

Online resources: Recipes, Support, and Information
The following is a short list of gluten-free blogs and resources you might find helpful when beginning your gluten-free journey.

Blogs:
Karina's Kitchen: Recipes From A Gluten-Free Goddess
Gluten-Free Girl
Gluten Free [Cooking School]
Book of Yum
(Be sure to check the side bars on the blogs for more gluten-free bloggers and links to informational sites.)

Forums:
Glutenfree.com forums
Gluten-Free Celiac Disease Forum

More Information:
Do I have Celiac?
Celiac Disease
Glutenfree.com