15 Coeliacs Share Their Tips For Gluten Free Newbiesfeatured

by Jenni on May 17, 2015
Posted in Gluten Free, Health

Hearing the news that you’ve got a life-changing disease can be tough for anyone. For those diagnosed with coeliac disease, it’s not unusual to feel scared, isolated and angry all at the same time. Coming to terms with a new diet can be difficult, but it’s important to remember that you’re not alone, and while this may be new to you, there are plenty of others in the same boat that are doing just fine on their gluten free diet. I recently shared some of my top survival tips for newly diagnosed coeliacs. But now, I’ve decided to go a step further and find out what other advice other coeliacs have to offer for newbies.

1. Know your stuff

First thing’s first, you need to figure out which aspects of your diet you’re going to have to change and which parts are okay as they are. As a general rule, meat, fish, vegetables and fruit, are okay. There are exceptions though. For example, burgers and sausages may have gluten in them, but also may not. It all depends on the brand and the way they are made. For this reason, it’s vital that you get in the habit of checking the packaging before you buy foods that you haven’t checked before.

Olivia A who tweets at @CoeliacExplorer says: “No.1 tip - don’t assume free from section is your only option. Loads of things are naturally gluten free!”

Join Coeliac UK

The Coeliac UK Food and Drink Directory can prove to be a great resource for coeliacs keen to know exactly what they can and can’t eat. The directory is regularly updated to cater for changing recipes and packaging labels. To gain full access to the directory, you need to become a member of Coeliac UK. Coeliac UK membership fees are as follows: Individual membership: £24 Concessionary: £12 Household: £30

Get free bread and pasta on prescription

It’s also worth noting that if you’ve been formerly diagnosed with coeliac disease by your doctor, you should be entitled to gluten free bread and pasta on prescription. This can be a great way of reducing the cost of your gluten free essentials, as instead of buying them from the supermarket, you can pick them up from the chemist. I’ve written a blog about getting gluten free bread on prescription, which you may find helpful.

2. Focus on what you can eat, not what you can’t

After hearing that you can no longer eat gluten, it can be tempting to wallow in self pity and mourn the loss of Pukka Pies and Big Macs, but this approach is just going to leave you feeling worse. When I took to Twitter to ask fellow coeliacs what they’d say to a new coeliac if they had the chance, a tip that repeatedly cropped up was the importance of reminding yourself of the positves rather than dwelling on the negatives.

It’s easy to look through the window of Greggs and die a little inside because you can’t eat a single thing. But by taking the time to learn what you can eat, you’ll soon learn that it’s not all doom and gloom. Happy Little Cake is a prime example of all the fantastic treats you can enjoy as a coeliac.

3. Join the coeliac community

The majority of people who I spoke to agreed that one of the best things new coeliacs can do is join the Facebook and Twitter coeliac communities.

Nathan Drewett @IdeologyLite is just one of many who reiterated this point. He tweeted: “Beyond the obvious things like joining Coeliac UK etc, I’d probably suggest joining the coeliac community on social media. I’ve found the coeliac community to be very helpful and supportive. You can get answers to questions at short notice.”

Following a coeliac disease diagnosis, it’s easy to feel alone. You’ll probably go through most of your day to day life without meeting anyone else that has the same condition. However, through social media you can find fellow coeliacs that love nothing more than sharing delicious tips, recipes and even symptom horror stories. A simple search on Twitter for the hashtags #coeliac and #glutenfree will help unearth tons of future coeliac friends who will be more than happy to welcome you with open arms. Don’t forget to search for groups on Facebook too. Facebook can be particularly useful if you feel restricted by Twitter’s 140 character limit per tweet.

Kim McGowan, founder of Gluten Free Gathering, adds: “It feels like the end of the world, and it’s just the beginning. Good health, new friends to make, and it’s such a good time to be gluten free.”

4. Stand up for yourself

Richard Gottfried, who blogs at The Ham and Egger Files, says: “When dining out don’t be afraid to ask questions about the ingredients, preparation and cooking of the food. And don’t be embarrassed about walking away if it doesn’t meet your needs.” Richard makes a great point. I’m sure many coeliacs old and new will have had times in restaurants where they’ve just thought “oh sod it, I guess I’ll just have to eat gluten today.” I bet many of us have wanted to avoid causing a fuss and would rather just eat the gluten and be done with it. Don’t make this mistake. There really is no point in feeling ill over it. The good news is, the vast majority of restaurants are aware just how damaging gluten can be to coeliacs and as a result their table staff should be able to point out which dishes are suitable for you. Don’t forget to take the time to explain coeliac disease to your friends and family. The sooner they understand, they sooner they can help you. If, however, your friends try to persuade you to eat gluten when it suits them, stand up for yourself and make it clear that this is a serious condition that is here to stay. You deserve their support.

5. Embrace your healthy new lifestyle

It can be hard to find the positives after receiving such a serious diagnosis, but try to remember that it’s not the end of the world. Not only are there plenty of gorgeous gluten free foods you can eat, you may find yourself eating a wider variety of foods than before. You’ll also almost certainly feel better and healthier once your new diet has kicked in and your body has started to repair itself.

Here’s some sound advice from @DavidJ_GF: “Don’t get hooked on replacing normal foods. Just leads to expensive disappointment & can drag you down. Yeah we all hanker for old staples & find the odd oasis here & there. But ultimately it just isn’t going to be the same. So set out enjoying new finds & dishes. Actually makes you relearn what a good meal is.” And Nathan Drewett agrees:

6. Be happy

Remind yourself how great your life is. If you’ve been plagued with sickness, tummy troubles, bad skin, and fatigue, think how great you life is going to be now that you know exactly what has been making you feel ill. When it comes to being happy while living gluten free, there is no one quite like @TheHappyCoeliac:

 

Don’t let coeliac disease stop you from living your life: @itsgottobegf says: “Always be prepared and don’t stop travelling”

7. Helping young coeliacs

If it’s your child that has been diagnosed with coeliac disease, things might seem that little bit harder. While it’s not unusual for adults with the disease to feel sad, angry, and isolated, for a child, being unable to eat the same things as everyone else, and feeling like the odd one out can be even more upsetting. However, it’s worth remembering that there are thousands of happy and healthy children across the world who are living a healthier lifestyle following their coeliac diagnosis. Things may be difficult, but it’s not the end of the world either. Blogger and author of ‘Can I Eat It?‘, Katie Hardie, created the video below to share her experience of raising a little boy with coeliac disease.

If you’ve got any top tips for newly diagnosed coeliacs, or you’ve only just found out that you’ve got to go gluten free for the sake of your health, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. You can also tweet me @CantSwingACat. You never know, your tip might find its way into this blog post!

Photo Credits:

Gluten Free Cranberry Muffins. Sarah R. Creative Commons

Gluten Free Sign. Whatsername? Creative Commons

Heart Shaped Cookies. Alana’s Pantry. Creative Commons

Gluten Free Pizza. Keith McDuffee. Creative Commons

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