About Celiac Disease

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that affects people who are genetically predisposed to it. When a person with celiac disease consumes gluten their immune system attacks the small intestine causing damage. When the small intestine is damaged it affects nutrient absorption and can cause over 200 symptoms. This can make it very difficult to diagnose. Celiac disease can begin at any point in a persons life however people who have a first degree relative who has celiac disease have a 1 in 10 chance of developing it themselves. It is estimated that 1% of the world’s population has celiac disease however that number could be much higher as there are so many symptoms it can take many years to be diagnosed.

Living with Celiac disease

There are no cures for celiac disease and it is not something that you can grow out of. The only way to manage celiac disease is to adhere to a strict gluten free diet, this means avoiding any food that contains wheat, barley, rye, oats and triticale. People who live with celiac must read every food label and have to be extremely careful about what they consume. Even one crumb from a gluten containing food can make someone with celiac disease very ill. It is very overwhelming when first diagnosed because gluten can be in many foods. Sometimes manufacturers will change their recipes and add gluten to a product that was previously gluten free so checking ingredient labels can feel like a full time job.

Food is such a large part of peoples lives. We need it to survive and to thrive but it also has a large emotional component to it. We eat to celebrate, we eat for comfort, we eat as part of connecting with others. When you are no longer able to share food with others it can feel lonely and depressing. One solution we have found is to bring our own food to parties and family gatherings. Sometimes we’ll even bring enough to share (but of course are always mindful of cross contamination!)