Gluten, found in bread, is not a friend to those with coeliac disease
Last month, Eve & Faye, the girls behind the Sugar Spun Sisters blog, revealed their tips on the art of thrifting and how you can bag yourself a second hand bargain. This time, they have got their sights on Coeliac Awareness Week (May 13th – 19th) and explain a little bit more about what coeliac disease actually is.
As this month signals the annual Coeliac Awareness Week (yay! Go fellow gluten haters!), we thought it would be high time to actually tell you all, if you don't already know, what exactly coeliac disease is and how it affects people.
We're going to get a bit science-y on you now - get ready. Coeliac disease (pronounced see-liac!) is an autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system reacts to gluten found in food, making the body attack itself. Damage to the gut lining occurs when gluten is eaten and there is no cure or medication for the condition; the only treatment is a strict gluten-free diet for life. Yeah, you can imagine how irritating it is being called "faddy", can't you?
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye and is found in every day convenience food like bread, pasta, pizza, biscuits and cakes. It is also often used in dressings and condiments like soy sauce, gravy and sauce that comes pre-prepared in jars. Some meat products, like burgers and sausages are also unsuitable for people with coeliac disease due to the breadcrumbs and/or wheat flour used to bind or coat them. Sufferers also have to avoid barley, meaning most beer is out of the question (apart from Estrella!) and even some standard oats are usually contaminated - so we have to be extra vigilant if we fancy some porridge! (And Goldilocks thought she had it bad?)
People with coeliac disease often get categorised with people who are wheat and gluten intolerant and, while allergies and intolerances are just as important as any other kind of dietary requirement, eating wheat or gluten doesn’t actually cause damage to the gut of a person who is intolerant to it in the same way that it does to someone with coeliac disease. Put simply; people with a wheat intolerance can't eat bread. Someone with coeliac disease can't even use your toaster.
Without a completely gluten-free diet, coeliac disease can lead to other conditions such as deficiencies in some nutrients, osteoporosis, small bowel cancer and can also cause infertility problems.
BUT it's not all doom and gloom. In fact, it's paved the way for us to be experimental with our food and put together some foolproof recipes that both coeliacs and normal folk (you swines) can love. Absolutely nothing is off the menu, you can still eat all of your favourite things, you just have to make the odd substitution here and there. And, what's even better, is that you can put together gluten free meals without having to spend half an hour crying in the Free From aisle. There's gluten free awesomeness everywhere - you've just got to look for it.
So, for Coeliac Awareness Week, we're going to dish out (excuse the pun) some of our favourite meals for you to try for yourself. And some of our favourite snacks too. Because believe it or not, there is life after coeliac disease, it just doesn't have any gluten in it!
Tagged in Nutrition Diet Gluten Free