A lot of people may be confused or curious as to why some people go on a gluten-free diet. The reason is simple: they have conditions that make them gluten intolerant. This is the case with people who are afflicted with coeliac disease. Take note that intolerance is different from an allergy. While allergy causes an immune system reaction that affects numerous organs in the body, intolerance is less serious and is limited to digestive problems. This article is going to help you understand what coeliac disease is and its connection with gluten. It will also help you examine if […]
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Coeliac sprue or gluten intolerance is a condition that affects many people. This involves an allergic reaction or sensitivity that occurs when gluten is consumed. The immune system overreacts and then results in intestinal distress that damages the body. The symptoms can be relieved but no cure is known up to present. Diagnosing this disease right away is important to prevent it from worsening or causing other adverse reactions. If left untreated, coeliac sprue may cause permanent damage to the intestine and result in malnutrition. The effect is noticeable in varying severity and degrees. Some people with this disease do […]
Coeliac disease is one of the health issues that occur to individuals who suffer gluten intolerance. Gluten is a protein present in wheat and other similar substances like barley. This health problem is similar to allergies that can cause inflammation. However, the inflammation caused by gluten intolerance can damage the villi and small intestine. As of now, the only treatment prescribed for this disease is to go on a gluten-free diet. This disease involves various manifestations and implications. It is important to consult a doctor as soon as possible. Early detection of coeliac is necessary in order to address the […]
Growing up as a child one of my weekly highlights was my Mum’s roast dinner on a Sunday. Especially the gravy that she used to make, so when I grew up and left home this was one thing I made sure I knew how to make so I could carry on enjoying the taste. It was made with flour, Bisto Powder, yeast extract, an Oxo cube and meat juices. When Stephen was diagnosed with Coeliac disease it was apparent that this lovely recipe for gravy could no longer be made and many of the ingredients were not gluten-free. We researched […]
Valentine’s day, a time of love and romance, when lovers the world over can enjoy a carefree evening of gazing into the eyes of each other over a romantic meal. That is unless you are a coeliac in which case part of your evening can be spent staring at a menu trying to detect what elements of a meal may contain gluten. Fortunately, since 13th December 2014 restaurants are legally obliged to provide allergy information on food sold unpackaged (the EU Food Information for Consumers Regulation 1169/2011), however, that has only helped partly. Now instead of trying to use our […]
Eating out is definitely the hardest part of being a coeliac. Whenever we go out for a meal or decide to have lunch out somewhere new I dread it. I can sometimes feel the panic rise up in me before we leave the house, especially if we are going out with others. I don’t worry about whether or not I will find something on the menu (there’s always the classic steak and chips – as long as I emphasise no battered onion rings or mushrooms), but I do worry about making the table seem like a group of complainers. I’ve […]
After I was diagnosed as a coeliac in 2005 I quickly stopped missing the convenience (and tastiness) of fast food. Don’t get me wrong I was never an enormous purchaser of takeaways; MacDonald’s was nice but often left me feeling hungry half an hour later, and I always felt pizzas’ left me feeling bloated and stuffed more than the stuffed crust. Nicola and I would have the occasional Chinese or Indian takeaway (I loved Peshwari naan). However, the one thing I really missed was fish and chips. On holiday I was (and still am) really jealous when I see Nicola […]
Purchasing gluten-free breadcrumbs can be difficult and expensive. I experimented with making my own and found this recipe to work best. Stephen gets some white rolls on which he finds are very stodgy to eat. Now I turn them into breadcrumbs and use them in various other recipes. Ingredients One loaf of gluten-free bread or gluten-free rolls Method Break the bread or rolls into a liquidiser and liquidise until coarse Ensure not to put too many in at a time as the liquidiser will jam Spread the breadcrumbs out on to a baking sheet. Bake in a hot oven for […]
Coeliac disease diagnoses have tripled among children in the UK over the last 20 years but those from poorer families are only half as likely to be diagnosed, new research shows. The research from the University of Nottingham, published in the medical journal Archives of Disease in Childhood, shows that around 1 per cent of children have blood markers for the disorder and that the diagnosis rate between 2008 and 2012 was 75 per cent higher than it was between 1993 and 1997. The researchers used a UK database called The Health Improvement Network (THIN), a representative database of anonymised […]
This blog brings to the forefront of the mind a matter which many Coeliac’s must think about every time they eat out. How much do chef’s and waiters/waitresses actually know about cross-contamination of gluten and other allergens? The answer is probably – not much! You can’t blame the staff in situations like this, you have the blame the management for failing to understand the implications to the customers who have an allergy. In my recent blog, “No Cookie For You,” I briefly mention how the practice of consciously considering gluten is different than passively knowing facts about gluten consumption and […]