How to Feel Normal with Celiac Disease

There are several life changing things that you can be diagnosed with. Celiac disease is one of these. It may sound like it is a huge thing with medications and a life long struggle with being a frail person attached to an IV, but there are some worse things that you could have. In reality, Celiac disease can be very simple and healthy. As long as you stay optimistic and watch what you eat, you can lead a very normal and active life. There are no limits to what you can do or accomplish with Celiac, there is just a limit to what you can ingest. There are some medications that you can take to aid you with this problem, but once you get stabilized and steady in your new lifestyle, the damage will begin to reverse, your body will heal, and you can begin to lead a very normal life. The only thing that you will forever be required to watch is your diet. You will need to be gluten free for the rest of your days. While this sounds more difficult than climbing Everest, it is actually quite simple.

The first thing that you will need to do is understand what you can and cannot eat. It is a lot easier to know what you can not have. This is a short list. You can not have gluten. This only naturally occurs in wheat, rye, barley, and some oats. As long as you stay away from these things, or anything that is cooked on the same surface as these, you are fine. This will limit you, especially when it comes to desserts. The biggest problem with this is that many people will use bread crumbs as a filler. There are also a lot of additives and preservatives that are made with wheat. All of these will be off limits. Many medications will also use these. Wheat flour is used in a lot of tablets and capsules as a filler. For the most part, you will need to use liquid medications or ones that are labeled as gluten free. Your food bill may increase, but there are some alternatives. For the most part, you will need to buy all of your flours and starches from organic or natural food stores. These often cater to people with food sensitivities and will have a much larger variety of foods that you can eat. Once you know what to look for though, you can start to use a regular grocery store. You can also use a regular grocery store for a majority of your foods prior to this point. All of your meat (as long as it is not ground), vegetables, and fruits can all be purchased at your local store. It is when you start to get into the cans and starches that you need to be very wary. Potatoes, rice, beans, and corn are all safe to make flour from, but some of these will add wheat flour as a filler. You will need to pay close attention to the ingredients on these.

There are many people that believe they are stuck eating in for the rest of their lives when they are diagnosed with Celiac. This is not true. You will need to be very cautious, but you can still go out when you feel like it. If you stick to places that cook fresh foods in their natural state, you can be very safe. You will need to be very careful with Asian food since they will often cook noodles on the same surface as your food. This will contaminate your dishes. They will need to clean the area first, and you can never be fully certain that they have. You will need to stay away from any fried foods as well. These are often cooked in the same oil as the breaded items which will add gluten to your food. Places like Black Angus or other steakhouses, Benihana's or other Japanese, or any of the more classy places out there will often be very cautious towards your diet. Places like Extreme Pizza have also begun to cater specifically to gluten sensitive people. They have recently become a gluten free place and you can eat pizza, pasta, and sandwiches with no fear of contamination. These types of places are on the rise, and if you keep an eye out you can find them. If you talk to some of these places and voice your problem, you can often find that they will begin to cater to you and others with a gluten sensitivity. Many of the restaurant owners are oblivious to the problem. If you also mention that there are very few places that cater to you and it will increase their sales while also lowering operating costs (some potato and rice flours can be cheaper than wheat), they may make a move to help. One other thing that you can do is explain your problem to the server and make sure they prepare your food in a way that you can eat it. You will need to be watchful in this though. There are many people that do not understand food sensitivity and they will just pluck certain things from your plate and serve you contaminated food anyways.

Once you find a few places that you know you can trust, become a regular there. This is safe and will ensure that you will not get harmed from your meals. This also works in reverse. If you know a place is not gluten free, do not eat there. One example of this is Subway. We have a couple food sensitivities in our family and no matter how many times we try Subway, they just do not care about it. They do not change gloves, properly clean the containers, or even keep the ingredients separated properly. You can often find green peppers in the pickles or tomatoes that taste like onions due to the lack of cleaning. This is one place that you can never eat. Quizno's is better at the separation of ingredients, but they do not use gluten free flours yet. If you stick to their salads or noodle free soups, you should be okay.

There are a few extra things that you will need to watch for, like blue cheese and some butters, but once you get in the habit of leading a gluten free life, it is actually very simple. This lifestyle will also require you to eat fresher and healthier foods since cans and breads are off limits. You will find yourself eating some fresh vegetables and raw fruits more often. Not only is this better for your Celiac, it is also healthier for your lifestyle. By staying away from ground meats, canned foods, and breads, you can lead a normal life. It may take a couple months to get in the full habit of staying gluten free, but once you do, it is simple and you won't feel like a freak anymore. There are more and more food sensitivities out there now. You are not alone, nor should you feel any different. If you do mess up and eat some gluten, don't worry. Talk to your doctor, but most importantly, get back on track and try to steer clear of it next time. No matter where you live, you are not alone. With all of the food sensitivities that are emerging, there are more of us "freaks" than there are normal people. I guess that makes us normal and them the oddballs.

Sources:

Celiac Disease

List of gluten Free Foods