New to gluten-free?

So, you've just gotten out of the GP's surgery with the diagnosis you've needed for months: you have coeliac disease. Finally! A reason for your constant sickness! A way forward is now in sight! But wait... What is coeliac disease? What is gluten? Where is gluten found and how on earth do I avoid it?

If you'll excuse me for being technical for a moment, coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease where the body's own immune system begins to attack the small intestine in reaction to the presence of gluten ingested in the diet. This autoimmune attack causes a range of abdominal symptoms including bloating, pain and a characteristic loose, fatty stool, and can also cause a skin rash called dermatitis herpetiformis. Coeliac disease is often misdiagnosed for a long time before a specific blood test, and often a bioposy, confirms the diagnosis. This is through the presence of coeliac antibodies and the flattened villi which are a histological giveaway of coeliac, respectively. Be aware also that coeliac disease is not the only reason of which people may require to avoid gluten - gluten intolerance is common, without being coeliac, and a more rare condition is an allergy to wheat.

So what now? As a coeliac, the question I hear you ask now is: is there a cure? Unfortunately, there is not currently a cure for this disease. Although several drugs are currently in the early stages of trial for the treatment of coeliac, the only way to eliminate the symptoms that have plagued your life, whether you're a coeliac or gluten intolerant, is to cut gluten from the diet completely. Seems easy, doesn't it? Until you realise just how commonly used gluten-containing ingredients are. Gluten is found in the grains wheat, barley and rye. Gluten-containing ingredients are also used as a bulking agent in some cheaper brands.

What sorts of foods contain these grains? Bread, bread rolls, cake, biscuits, wraps, some cereals, crackers, Doritoes, to name but a few of the obvious ones. But other things contain gluten, things you may not realise, such as the cheapest brands of cream cheese, curry powder, malt vinegar and soy sauce. This means you have to take precaution when looking at buying ready meals, pasta sauces, currys etc. It may seem that your life is now constantly checking labels, and heaven forbid if you can ever eat out again! 

However, all is not lost! In this blog I'll be telling you how to avoid getting glutened and how to survive eating out as a coeliac, as well as sharing recipes and reviewing some gluten free brands. There is life after coeliac!