Celiac disease is a serious disorder where the ingestion of gluten leads to the damage of the small intestines and prevents absorption of nutrients. You may have heard of it or not. According to cbsnews.com, celiac disease affects approximately two million Americans and makes them intolerant to gluten mostly found in wheat, rye and barley. It can be a bit hard to live with. Once diagnosed, you need to change your life in a way that accommodates your illness. Here are a couple of things that you can try:
1. Diet
You need to change what you eat. Since you cannot eat foods that have any gluten products, you need to find other alternatives. In this age of the internet, there are very many recipes available to you. The change might feel a bit strange but after a while, you will adapt. In order to make your food more enjoyable, you can consider using spices. If you are the only one with the illness in the family, discuss whether you can completely change everybody’s diet or just yours. This will motivate you to eat better and also reduce the hustle of meal preparation.
2. Know product
This disease can be very serious since the presence of gluten prevents the absorption of nutrients. Eating gluten products would be bad. This would lead to numerous doctors’ visits that could have been avoided. Make sure to read the product label before purchasing it. Make sure that whatever you use in the kitchen does not have any gluten in it. If you are cooking differently for the other family members, avoid mixing pots. After preparing their meals, wash the pots before making yours. Eliminating gluten from your diet might help your condition.
3. Alternatives
Just because you can’t eat gluten doesn’t mean you can’t make a variety of meals. In fact, once you find alternatives, you can make whatever gluten free bites you want. When it comes to flours, you can use substitutes that are gluten-free such as almond flour, soy flour and potato flour. You can also enjoy gluten free cereals. You can also enjoy some pasta and bread made just for you. This is because of the growing trend of gluten free diets among many people. Many believe it’s a healthier option. If it doesn’t have an alternative gluten-free option, don’t use it.
4. Watch out for symptoms
Celiac disease could affect you or your child. Depending on who the victim is, you need to be able to recognize the signs and symptoms. For children, the symptoms are mostly associated with the digestive tract. They include cramps, vomiting, diarrhea and pale feces. In adults, the symptoms to watch out for include arthritis, anemia, osteoporosis, itchy rashes and even migraines. Knowing how your symptoms show can help you know immediately that you have eaten something wrong. In that case, you can visit the doctor soon enough to get your medication. Therefore, be observant and speak up if anything changes.
