I've struggled with allergies these past few lives and trying to avoid them has been a struggle especially milk. In the last few weeks, I've learned that not everyone can eat a normal diet and that I wasn't alone. Braden is allergic to milk the same way I am but, My really close friends can not have gluten. That is why I decided to create this post to show other families they are not alone. I did not realize that gluten was in almost everything we eat and that changing that to fit his sister's needs seems to be a struggle but, she seems to make a work with a breeze. Being diagnosed yourself with your child with Celiac Disease you know that a gluten-free diet can feel overwhelming at first but, I'm here to help. There is plenty of food choices available to you and many new options becoming available to the market all the time. The only treatment for celiac disease is to adhere to a strict gluten-free diet. The downfall of this is that can be very pricy even though it is necessary.
What Is A Gluten-Free Diet?
A Gluten-free diet means you are eliminating gluten from your diet altogether. Gliadin and Glutelin are the combinations that create the protein of Gluten. These proteins make up the structure of the dough or the glue that would hold the product together that you can find in flour. Gliadin and glutelin are found in grains including wheat, barley, and rye. Having celiac disease, this protein in your diet turns toxic and damaging to the intestines. It is critical to read the ingredient list on all food labels as frequently made of the grains that include gluten are used as flavoring agents and are added to many processed foods.
What are the symptoms of Celiac Disease?
The classic symptom of celiac disease is diarrhea. Other symptoms can include bad stomach pains, constantly running to the bathroom even without eating, and brain fog. You also may observe a rash and irritable, itchy skin.
How Can You Be Tested For Celiac Disease?
1. Blood Test Screening 2. A small intestine biopsy (via an endoscopy) to confirm a Celiac Diagnosis. 3. Genetic Testing
How To Identify If Certain Foods Have Gluten?
Many products that are gluten-free have a symbol to look for right in front of the package. If not, look at the ingredients located on the package. At the bottom of each Nutrition Facts, it says contains. You want to make sure that it does not contain wheat.
What To Eat While You Are Out And About?
You may find it a little stressful trying to find something to eat while you're out of the house. You can download the app to see all the nutritional facts for that restaurant's menu. Some questions you can ask are if they use the same fryer for both chicken and fries. If not and they use it only for the fries then the fries are okay to eat. I have found that Wendy's offers salad, grilled chicken without a bun, and a grilled asiago ranch club.
Favorite Gluten-Free Choices
Nowadays there are tons of GF choices. You can find meals that are ready to cook that are GF. It's always fun to try new recipes. Pinterest is a great site to find a lot of different recipes.
Is There Support Or Someone I Can Talk To?
Changing your entire way of life to Celiac Disease may be completely overwhelming but, you are not alone. Many families out there struggle with it every day. Groups on Facebook are happening everywhere now. You can search for celiac disease and tons will pop up either near you or around the world. It's always nice to have someone to talk to that are going through the same thing.
Embrace GF Lives
In my Etsy shop, we have a "Life is better without Gluten" sticker you can purchase for $3.50 and free shipping. Each sticker will also include an additional random sticker from my shop. Don't be afraid to show off your GF life, embrace because that is what makes up who you are!
*** Britt's Creative Crafts were not paid to write this article in any way. I wanted to share this with all of you to make your life a little easier. Thank you, Christina and Alivia for helping me with this article. ***