Living With Celiac Disease
by Laura Weaver
I have the chronic illness diagnosed as Celiac Disease. It
is a digestive disorder in which the body no longer produces
the enzymes needed to break down glutens in foods.
Glutens are the protein parts of grains which are found in
almost EVERYTHING that is processed: wheat, oats, barley, etc.
It is also disguised in processed foods and listed on label
ingredients as "modified food starch", "hydrolyzed protein", or
"maltodextrin". Not only is Celiac Disease uncomfortable and
unpleasant, but a sudden outbreak causes symptoms which are
uncontrollable, often resulting in dangerous complications.
Symptoms last for days, making the patient weak, dehydrated,
and disoriented. Muscle cramps develop in the extremities and
heart palpitations may occur. The body rejects all food and
water, holding nothing. I.V. fluids are often required to
replenish those which are lost. As symptoms start to subside
after several days, easily digested foods can slowly be
reintroduced. It can take more than a week to be able to eat a
normal gluten-free diet again.
Glutens are found in wheat, barley, and rye. There are also
glutens in oats, quinoa, and buckwheat, but some people who
have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease are able to digest
these. Glutens are also abundant in most processed foods, so
understanding what you read in the labels is essential to
staying healthy. It is a great help to take a class with a
dietician to learn about this. Dieticians can tell you terms
like "modified food starch" probably contains gluten, but just
"starch" does not.
Celiac Disease symptoms can be controlled by following a
strict diet, eliminating all glutens. This is often more
difficult to do than it seems. In addition to consulting a
dietician, changes in the preparation of foods is essential.
Watching the diet at home is relatively easy because it is
controllable, but eating in restaurants or even at other
peoples' homes can present problems. Even if the foods served
are considered gluten-free, the preparation involved may be
questionable. Cross-contamination, although not done on
purpose, is often as innocent as using the same utensil to stir
or serve foods which contain glutens and those that are
considered gluten-free. Think of minute crumbs being
transferred to safe foods via these utensils. Also, if the
kitchen/environment is not gluten-free, there may be problems,
as well: flour particles floating in the air may land on
gluten-free foods.
Shopping for gluten-free foods not only involves reading
ingredient lists, but the process of actually finding such
foods. Health food stores are the best place to find them.
Sometimes grocery stores have a limited supply of a few
gluten-free items. Occasionally, requesting specific foods when
speaking with the store manager gets results, but
unfortunately, gluten-free foods are very expensive, so are not
ordered on a regular basis. Ordering directly from the
gluten-free company is a possibility, but ordering a case or
more at a time is required by the company and shipping costs
more than the item itself; i.e. the $6.99 loaf of rice bread
becomes $15.00 per loaf. Then, there is also the problem of
storing large supplies. Eating out is a luxury we often forgo
because of the risk involved. It is difficult to control what
actually happens behind the closed doors of the kitchen.
Eating with friends at our numerous Pot Luck diners,
however, is another matter. We cherish our time with our
friends and it always seems to involve eating. In order to stay
healthy, I have to be diligent in preparing and taking my own
personal foods to such functions. I have learned to be first in
line in serving myself so no other foods are accidentally
dropped into what I can eat or so that no other utensils are
used in my "safe" food. Luckily our friends understand and
accept this situation. In fact, when it's time for us to eat,
they simply say "Laura, let's get started".
What a relief it is to have our friends be so understanding
and supportive!
Laura Weaver suggests the gift of a beautiful
fruit basket for your loved ones who have Celiac
Disease.
|