Living with a Gluten Free Diet
The struggles of living on a gluten-free diet can prove to be overwhelming for many individuals who suffer from Celiac disease. Those who are diagnosed with Celiac disease need to work with their loved ones to educate themselves on what they can and can't eat, as well as the consequences they can expect if they do consume something that contains any gluten. Celiac disease is a lot more complicated than most people realize.
Celiac disease is a disorder that affects the small intestines of people of all ages. When those that have Celiac eat gluten, it can cause fatigue, constipation and diarrhea, which will force them to make frequent visits to their gastroenterologist. Although the side effects are enough to make anyone miserable, it's still incredibly difficult to avoid eating some foods that contain gluten.
There are so many common foods that contain gluten that most people wouldn't even think twice before eating. People with Celiac disease, however, have such restricted diets that they can't eat things like bread, cereal, crackers, biscuits and rolls, pasta, licorice, baked goods or beer without suffering the side effects. For a lot of people, Celiac would completely remove some of the staples of their individual diets. This forces people to become creative and original with their what they eat. There are ways to get around Celiac, though. With some imagination and clever cooking, it'll be like you're not even missing out on anything.
Although some of the most common foods need to be stricken from the diets of the people who suffer from Celiac, there are plenty of other great foods that can still be a main part of their diet. If you're on a gluten free diet, you can still start your day out with a breakfast cereal. You can have rice and corn Chex, as well as strawberry, chocolate or cinnamon Chex. Almost all Chex cereals are healthy for you. Eating your cereal in the morning will give you the energy that you need throughout the day.
Lunch has proven to be the trickiest meal of the day, since it usually involves a lot of bread. If you're bringing a lunch from home, you can pack fresh fruits and vegetables. Make a salad and bring an apple or banana. They're healthy for you, won't cause you to get sick and will fill you up. If you're trying to go out to eat with your friends, you'll need to call ahead and make sure that the restaurant you're planning on visiting has a gluten free menu available. If they don't, try going to another place. For dinner, you can prepare any kind of meat or seafood (as long as it's not fake seafood), along with mixed vegetables, rice or potatoes. You can throw a salad or some fruit in there, as well. While that may seem simple and like it will be too similar night in and night out, you can change the meat and seafood you use, as well as the seasonings you put on your meat, vegetables and rice, which should give you plenty of variety.
Celiac isn't easy to deal with, but you can still enjoy good food without consuming gluten. If you or a loved one has recently discovered that you have Celiacs, educate yourself on what you can and can't eat, and learn some new recipes that will make your life easier.
