An Article I wrote about CD/Gluten Intolerance

A gluten free diet is the primary treatment for Celiac Disease/Gluten Intolerance, and can be very effective if followed correctly.

I must start by explaining what gluten is. Gluten is the substance that makes food particles bind together, and creates a chewy texture, like found in fresh baked bread. Gluten is found in wheat, barley, rye, triticale, spelt, kamut, wheat germ, wheat bran, graham flour, gluten flour, durum flour, wheat starch, bulgar, farina, wheat based semolina, emmer ,faro , and einkorn. Oats are an acceptable grain to consume, as long as they are certified gluten free.

The premise of the Gluten Free diet is simple: avoid all consumption of gluten, your body’s autoimmune response stops. Simply put, avoid the poison, and avoid the problems.

If you have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease/Gluten Intolerance, gluten is now a poison to your body, and you need to avoid it. The problem is…. it seems to be in everything, and it tastes sooo   good!

Have hope! There are a few simple rules you can follow to ensure a smooth transition from your old diet, to your new gluten free diet.

Rule #

1. Read the ingredient list on everything you put in your mouth!!! Everything!

2. Never assume your neighbors rice casserole is gluten free because she says there’s no wheat in it.

3. Call manufacturers and ask for gluten free product lists. (They usually send recipes and coupons alsoJ)

4. Call in advance, and speak to managers at restaurants, airlines and hotels related to your special dietary needs (they will almost always accommodate you).

5. Get your friends and family involved, they can learn with you. (Two heads are always better than one!)

6. Stock your pantry, refrigerator, car, desk and purse with gluten free foods and snacks.

7. Be prepared, things come up…traveling, traffic jams, late nights at work, church pot lucks. Know what your plan B is.

8 .A little bit of gluten is just as bad for you as a lot of gluten. NO CHEATING!

9. Probably the most important… Change is your new best friend, embrace him!

There is good news, though! You can have your cake and eat it too….Gluten Free, that is! With all of the new, delicious gluten free foods you can order online, and buy in limited supply at most national food store chains, you can eat cake, pizza, brownies, bread, and even pasta again, yes, I said pasta!

With a little imagination, you can adapt almost every one of you favorite recipes to be gluten free, and not even taste the difference. I promise, you will fool even your wheat eating guests!

The easiest way I found to adapt to the Gluten free diet, is to change the entire way you look at food, and eating.

We eat to nourish our bodies, so we will have the proper nutrients we need to live an active, productive life… or do we here in America (Would you like fries with that?)

If you stick to the gluten free diet, you will find how much healthier it is from the typical American diet. Not only are you treating your disease without prescription drugs, or surgery, you will also discover the many other health benefits of the Gluten Free Lifestyle!

This truly is a life change you should welcome. I will be here to help make the transition as smooth as possible. With yummy recipes, baking tips, advice on eating out, foods to travel with, and how to deal with the gluten free diet, in a world that simply doesn’t understand. It will take commitment on your part, but you can do this. Together, we will educate ourselves, and the world around us about Celiac disease/Gluten Intolerance, and the gluten free diet.