Just last week I was in the health market section of my local grocery store where I met a woman who appeared to be overwhelmed and lost as she stared at the shelves with the gluten free products. As I was taking something off the shelf to put in my cart, she turned to me and asked if I was gluten free. I told her that I am and asked if I could help her. We ended up having a lengthy conversation as she told me how she is in process of trying to get a definitive diagnosis, which she believes will end up being Celiac Disease. She told me that she doesn't even know where to begin in knowing what is gluten free and what contains gluten. As we spoke and I gave her as much information as I could, I couldn't help but be reminded of myself immediately following my diagnosis. I felt exactly the same way that she is feeling right now.
Inspired by this conversation with the lady in the store, I am going back to the gluten free basics. Anyone who has been living gluten free for any length of time will pretty much know all of this. Tonight's post is aimed more at anyone newly diagnosed with Celiac Disease or who has non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity or any other health issue that may benefit from eliminating gluten from your life.
To learn what it means to be gluten free, you must first begin by understanding just what exactly gluten is and where it can be found. Gluten is a protein found in certain grains such as wheat, rye and barley. When someone who has Celiac Disease consumes foods or beverages that contain gluten, their immune system reacts to the gluten by damaging the villi in the small intestines. When the villi are damaged the body cannot properly absorb the nutrients it needs and, left undiagnosed and untreated, over time, this can cause many major health issues.
One of the things I've learned over the years is that gluten can hide in places you'd never imagine. I always look at the ingredients in any product before I buy it. If there are ingredients that I don't recognize I take out my cell phone and use a free app that I downloaded several years ago called, Is This Gluten Free? This app works in conjunction with a bar code scanner app. You can scan the bar code of any product and it will take you to a database to let you know if the product contains gluten or not. There are times when a product simply isn't in the database. Best practice to get into - if in doubt, leave it out. Don't get it until you can learn more about it. Your health is too important to take unnecessary risks if you don't know if a product contains gluten or not. If you have Celiac Disease the ONLY treatment option available is to be 100% gluten free! There is no cheating on this "diet". That is one reason I hate referring to it as a diet. It isn't just a diet, it is your lifestyle now.
Many products are labeled as being "wheat free". Wheat free doesn't mean that the product is gluten free, as wheat isn't the only grain containing gluten. The biggest thing I wish I'd have been advised to do when I was first diagnosed is meet with a dietitian. That would have been so incredibly helpful! I highly recommend that to anyone newly diagnosed. Meet with a dietitian that understands Celiac Disease and what it means to be gluten free.
There are so many misconceptions about being gluten free. I'm here to dispel some of those now. A gluten free diet is NOT a weight loss diet. In fact, as you heal your gut and begin to properly absorb nutrients, you may actually gain weight! It is NOT a trendy celebrity fad diet! Well, okay, for too many it is - but they are people who have no actual idea of the reality of being gluten free. For those of us living with Celiac and other gluten-related health issues, it is NOT a fad - it is our life! All gluten free food does NOT taste like cardboard. There are many very tasty gluten free foods and you can make many regular recipes into gluten free recipes by substituting a few ingredients.
Something extremely important to remember about eating gluten free, especially when you are newly diagnosed, is that you need to find gluten free foods that will be gentle on your damaged gut. Foods that will promote healing and not exacerbate the problem. Don't go crazy trying to find replacement foods for all of the gluten-filled foods you now have to give up. The more processed the food, the more ingredients and preservatives and sodium and sugar that even gluten free foods have, the worse the product is for you. It may taste good, but, like any other "normal" processed foods, it is not good or healthy for you. There are many gluten free foods that aren't any healthier than regular foods even though they are labeled as gluten free. The best way to aid in healing your gut is to stick to naturally gluten free foods as much as possible, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh meats (again, the less processed, the better - be aware that many meats contain fillers and seasonings, some of which may be derived from gluten). I buy a lot of organic foods, as often as I can. I've cut out most refined sugars (I do have a sweet tooth, so I will have a candy bar now and then and have a bottle of soda, too - I'm working on cutting those out for good - slowly, but surely). I mostly use organic coconut palm sugar. I love the flavor and it is not as sweet as refined sugar. There are many sweeteners that are healthier and great tasting. Using honey, coconut palm sugar, 100% pure maple syrup, unsweetened applesauce as substitutes for sugar in a recipe can make it taste just as good, if not better, than using refined sugar.
A rotation diet can be helpful in healing your gut and showing you what other foods you may have sensitivities or intolerance to, as well. For more about this check out this post at unboundwellness.com. To help promote healing in your intestines you want to go easy on too many high fiber foods. While fiber is good for you, because the villi in your intestines are damaged and need time to heal, too much fiber can be rough on your system.
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Remember, even though everything can seem frightening and overwhelming in the beginning, you WILL learn and you WILL adjust to your "new normal". Give yourself time. Find a support group - online or in person - or both! Just being able to communicate with others who are going through something similar who can understand your fears, frustrations and experiences makes this road a bit easier and less lonely to travel down. Find a dietitian who is knowledgeable about Celiac Disease and the realities of being gluten free. This is someone who can help you sort out what is safe and what to avoid. And - be gentle with yourself. This isn't something that you are going to learn overnight. You will get through this and maybe next time it will be your turn to help guide someone in the grocery store aisle into this new world of living without gluten.
For more resources on living with Celiac Disease and being gluten free check out the following links:
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