Guest Post: Gluten Free Eating Tips For Those With Celiac Disease

Those who suffer from celiac disease understand very specifically the problems that come along with eating gluten. Celiac is a very specific disease that causes upset in the digestive system when the intestines try to process foods containing gluten. Symptoms of celiac disease include severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, nutritional deficiency, and vitamin deficiency. Over time, the result of celiac disease can lead to organ damage if you continue to eat a diet high in gluten.

The disease can’t be cured at this time, but it can be properly managed. The most important tool you have to managing your condition is your diet. Simple dietary changes can guarantee you do not suffer the symptoms of the disease.

Thankfully, numerous restaurants and food manufacturers have recognized the need to offer gluten free foods. Because of this, you have access to more meals, and better tasting foods, than you once would have been able to choose. However, you still need to be smart about the choices you make so that you can avoid the impact of gluten on your body. Here are tips you can use to keep your diet gluten free and tasteful.

Know Your Grains

A gluten free diet can be especially confusing if you are new to it. There are certain grains considered perfectly safe and others that you can’t have.  Your first step to eating a healthy diet will include knowing your grains. It could be helpful to post a safe and unsafe list on your refrigerator.

Safe Grains

You can have the following grains without worry. With the exception of oats, which is still under controversy, these grains are completely gluten free and safe.

• Buckwheat
• Millet
• Corn
• Quinoa
• Sorghum
• Amaranth
• Oats (as mentioned, under controversy)

Unsafe Grains

The grains below do contain gluten, and they should never be included in your diet if you have celiac disease. Very specifically, you must avoid anything that contains wheat or is wheat based. Unsafe grains include:

• Wheat
• Barley
• Rye
• Triticale
• Wheat Starch

Look for Gluten Free Baking Options

Many people think that cutting gluten from their diet means cutting out anything they would enjoy. However, as mentioned, numerous food manufacturers are recognizing the need for specialty foods and are producing tasty meals you can enjoy. These include baking mixes. These mixes use different types of gluten free flour, so you will need to try a few different options to determine which tastes best for you.

Many grocery stores include a specific aisle dedicated to these foods. However, if you have trouble finding options at your regular market, consider visiting a health foods store.

Foods to Be Careful Of Eating

Trying to lead a normal life while dealing with celiac disease can be quite difficult. Obviously, you want to eat normal foods, but there are numerous foods that may or may not contain gluten. The list below includes foods that you should be careful of. Make sure to read the label before consuming them.

• Bread
• Cake
• Cereal
• Beer
• French Fries
• Pasta
• Salad Dressing
• Candy
• Sauce
• Snack Foods
• Soup
• Sauced Vegetables

In order to ensure you are living a completely gluten free life, you will need to carefully read labels before you purchase anything in the grocery store. If you are eating in a restaurant, then you may need to avoid these foods or request a gluten free menu before ordering.

Celiac disease can be completely controlled with diet. You don’t have to suffer from the digestive upset if you choose to eat a diet free of gluten. The tips above can be very helpful in guiding you to the best dietary choices without having to give up your favorite foods.

Valerie Johnston is a health and fitness writer located in East Texas. With ambitions of one day running a marathon, writing for Healthline.com ensures she keeps up-to-date on all of the latest health and fitness news.

The above post contains information on maintaining a gluten free diet.  The information provided in the post is the opinion of the writer, and is not meant to replace the advice of a doctor. 

Guest Post: The Gluten-free Diet in Social Settings

I want to thank Wendy Rose from www.CandyHeartsBlog.com for this guest post.  She agreed to share some tips on how her family manages to go gluten-free in social situations without missing out on all the fun!  Please check out her fabulous blog for more great posts on everything gluten-free!

Wendy Rose has been a Registered Nurse for 16 years.  After spending most of her career at the bedside in the Emergency Room, the Post Anesthesia Care Unit, and Labor & Delivery, she currently works from home as a Pediatric Telephone Triage Nurse.

Wendy’s oldest daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in 2005, at the age of 24 months and Celiac Disease in 2008, at the age of 5 years.  Wendy herself was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2009.  Balancing the demands of her daughter’s blood sugar management while maintaining a gluten-free lifestyle; on top of her role as wife and mother; in addition to maintaining her nursing career can be a challenge at times.  She documents her family’s journey at www.CandyHeartsBlog.com.

Wendy and her husband, Jason, have been married for 10 years.  They have three daughters, ages 7, 5, and 3.  Wendy also has a 13 year old step-daughter who does not live in their area, but visits once a year.  The family resides in the Sonoran Desert with their rescue dog, Ivy.

Managing a gluten-free diet in social settings can be intimidating.  With a little time and preparation, however, it doesn't have to be.

When my daughter was diagnosed with Celiac in 2008, I was pretty sure we were doomed.  We were already dealing with her diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes a few years earlier, and I just didn't have the confidence that I would be able to rise to the (gluten-free) occasion.  Fortunately, I was able to connect with some gluten-free veterans right away, and they were incredibly instrumental in helping to get us on track.  I, myself, was diagnosed with Celiac in 9/09.  By then, however, I had tackled the gluten-free challenge and was ready to win at this game.

 

Below you'll find a list of common social situations, along with tips for managing them.  Keep in mind that this is how we do things.  My daughter had a repeat endoscopy 6 months after eating completely gluten-free, and the biopsy result revealed "No Evidence of Celiac."  For both of us, repeated labwork continues to confirm that we have been able to maintain normalcy since returning to acceptable levels.  These accommodations obviously work for us, but you will have to use your own discretion before implementing them into your routine.  So, there's your disclaimer...now on with the show!

  

Classroom and Birthday Parties: I make a batch of gluten free cupcakes using the modified GF Betty Crocker recipe found in THIS blog post.  After they've cooled completely, I frost, decorate, and freeze them overnight in a single layer before putting them into freezer bags the next day.  Then I keep half in the freezer at home and send the other half to be stored in a freezer at school.  Whenever you need a cupcake, you just pull one out and it'll be thawed in about 15 minutes!

 

 

Whenever it's our turn to provide a class snack, I tend to send something in the Fruit Roll Up category.  Not only are these snacks easy for the teacher to pass out, but they come nicely prepackaged with the carbohydrate amount listed (necessary for the management of her blood sugar), AND they're gluten free (BONUS!) 

For birthdays at pizza joints, I bring along our own pizza.  At one of the most popular places in our area, I actually bring an uncooked pizza on a cookie sheet lined with foil, they run it through the oven, and then I slice it using our very own handy dandy pizza cutter.  It works.  And it's always fun!

 

 

Potlucks:  I generally bring the same kid-friendly dishes whenever we participate in a potluck...baked macaroni and cheese using THIS recipe (minus the breadcrumbs and usingJules Gluten Free instead of regular flour) along with a pan of Coconut Chocolate Nirvana Bars(HELLO DELICIOUS!!).  Our family's favorite pastas include Schar and Quinoa, but I'm sure any gluten-free pasta would work well.  By bringing both a main dish and a dessert, I am able to relax knowing that my daughter will enjoy the party with some of her favorite foods!  On a side note, I NEVER have leftovers to bring home.  Everyone raves over these dishes...it's a win-win!  Who needs gluten?

I also try to arrive a little early for potluck-style gatherings, and bring along some GF corn chipsand/or a box of GF crackers or Nut Thins.  I tend to start perusing the various dips and whatnot before the line forms and, unashamedly, scoop out some of the the dips I deem to be GF so I can set them aside before the rest of the party begins contaminating them with gluten containing crackers and such.

 

 

Sleepovers:  We don't have much experience with sleepovers away from home.  The bottom line is that sending Type 1 Diabetes to a sleepover is hard!  There's all that carb counting and insulin dosing...not to mention at least 1 (though usually 2 - 3) finger pricks during the night, plus it's imperative that someone understand how to respond to each blood glucose reading.  Type 1 Diabetes just makes it so complicated.  For this reason, we're usually the ones hosting a sleepover.  

Anything I offer at the party will be gluten free.  Whether it's popcorn with a movie, gluten-free sugar cookies to decorate, or gluten-free waffles for breakfast.  No one ever complains, and there's never any awkwardness because this IS our normal.  

 

Speaking of those sugar cookies, I also wanted to mention that I keep some of that dough on hand in the freezer. You never know when you'll need a sugar cookie, especially around holidays.  It seems that cookie decorating is a popular holiday activity.  I bought a big tub of cookie cutters for every occasion...need a heart shape for Valentine's day?  DONE!  Pumpkin?  Christmas tree?  Kissing Hand, perhaps?  Done, done, and done!  Just pull off a chunk from the freezer, cut out the shape you need, bake and move on.

 

 

Anyway, my daughter has participated in 2 sleepovers away from home.  The first was at a neighbor's house, and the second was with a friend who is also raising a daughter with both Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac Disease.  For obvious reasons, I didn't worry much about the latter, but I did spend a little time strategically planning for the first one.  Fortunately, our neighbor is incredibly accommodating and understanding of the special dietary issues we face.  I sent over a few gluten-free snacks (though she was already prepared with some of her own!) along with a frozen gluten-free waffle AND our gluten-free toaster for breakfast.  What?  Doesn't everyone bring their own toaster to a sleepover?

No matter what social situation you're headed to, gluten shouldn't stop you.  By creatively preparing ahead of time, you're sure to make some awesome memories while enjoying your favorite foods!  Who says you can't have your cake and eat it too?