How to Live Gluten-Free or with Celiac Disease

If you have Celiac disease or gluten intolerance, you've found out how hard it is to adjust your diet. However, it is not impossible and you can eat quite well. According to Celiac Sprue Association, for people with Celiac disease, "eating certain types of protein fractions, commonly called gluten, set off an autoimmune response that causes damage to the small intestine. This, in turn, causes the small intestine to lose the ability to absorb the nutrients found in food, leading to malnutrition and a variety of other complications." Educating yourself on foods, manufacturers and restaurants that are or serve gluten-free products is a lifelong endeavor.

Instructions

• 1

  Eat raw gluten-free products.

  Read the labels of everything you plan to use to make a meal or snack. It's not only in wheat, rye and barley flours that you have to watch for gluten. Gluten-free foods exposed to gluten by cross-contamination, whether it be in the field or processing plant, could also put you at risk.

• 2

  Don't buy anything until you make that phone call to verify it's gluten-free.

  Call companies and ask if their products are gluten-free. Most list their phone numbers on the label. If the number is not available, you can obtain the information via the Internet.

• 3

  A shopping list is a must while living gluten-free.

  Buy a small spiral notebook. As you acquire the information, make a list of gluten-free products to make your next shopping experience easier.

• 4

  Some restaurants have gluten-free menus.

  Dining out and eating gluten-free aren't mutually exclusive. Awareness of gluten intolerance is getting greater all the time. Ask your server for a gluten-free menu. As you find restaurants with gluten-free offerings, your dining experience becomes more enjoyable.