Tips for living healthy with Celiac

utes09

My cousin thinks she may have celiac disease and asked me what she could do to continue to eat healthy but not have wheat due to the gluten. She's mainly concerned with planning a healthy lifestyle and would like to know what brands are good when buying stuff.

Thanks for any input!

UpEarly

My dad has celiac disease, and my siblings and I have all been tested. The first thing your cousin needs to do is see a gastroenterologist and get a clinical diagnosis - both bloodwork and a biopsy done through an endoscopic exam. It's best to find out for sure, rather than to treat oneself without a proper diagnosis.

If she does turn out to have celiac disease, there are tons of options! It's so much easier to eat gluten free these days.

Irene8509

There's also a website www.celiac.com which might have some information of foods to eat or avoid. Hope this helps...

RavenImp

I eat alot of green leafies. And also there are tons and tons of breads, pastas ect ect ect that are gluten free. And it can still be healthy, like everything else it's about moderation. The pasta that I use is actually made of flax which is very good for you. I have even found a healthy breakfast bar and snack bars. So it can be done. You just have to look a bit harder and sadly it is more expensive.

1234lbsgone

Gluten is also in rye, barley, and sometimes oats as well as wheat. That sounds like alot, but it really isn't that hard to go gluten free.... .well once you get past the initial shock of it.

Tell your cousin to check out "Gluten Free for Dummies" from the library. It was my bible at first. I read ALOT of books, and this one is truely the best.

Next experiment with the gluten free stuff at the grocery store. Cereals, mixes, breads, bagels, muffins, soups, pastas.... they make it all.

Try naturally gluten free grains like millet, quinoa, and rice.

Also, as previously mentioned, see a gastroenterologist. The ONLY way to diagnose celiac disease is with a biopsy of the small bowel. If you go gluten free FIRST, the diagnosis will be invalid. I know this because I started the diet first and refused to refeed myself gluten after I felt better, so I do not have a diffinitive diagnosis. Neither does my daughter. But feeling better is good enough for us. Many doctors also don't agree on the diagnosis or protocol. It's best to look for someone who specializes in the disease or you just wind up going though a bunch of tests and never getting a decent answer. Been there.

reeldancer

Udi's is the best bread I have found.

Maple Grove pancake mix

Asian rice pasta