If you or a loved one is diagnosed with celiac disease the
best approach to control it is a family one. The entire family needs to be
involved in the changes required so that you can achieve the optimal result for
the person who must be on a gluten free diet.
I am not suggesting that everyone needs to go on the gluten
free diet, but that all the family is educated about the disease and the consequences
for the celiac if a 100% gluten free diet is not maintained. All family members
must but into the new systems that need to be put into place in the family
kitchen to ensure it becomes a gluten free friendly environment, with no chance
of cross contamination from a careless action in the kitchen.
Celiac disease is a serious digestive order that can run
from one generation to another. The disease causes severe damage to the small
intestines as a reaction to gliadin or a gluten protein, and results to
inflammation and flattening of the lining of the small intestines. The person
with Celiac disease is unable to absorb gluten, which is a group of protein
common in wheat, rye, oats and barley.
There is no cure, hence, celiac disease imposes a gluten free
diet for those who are affected for the rest of their lives. The home is the
best place to start addressing the needs of the celiac. A family approach to
knowing the disease and understanding how it affects everyday life will provide
the battle gears for coping. This is especially helpful for the celiac, who needs
all the support and guidance they can get.
A family that eats together heals together. This can be a
reasonable motto for families afflicted with the history of Celiac disease.
Several measures can already be taken if these families consider carefully
their eating habits. One step is taking into heart what food to buy, grow,
store, prepare or eat at any time of the day. By this, it is not just about
ensuring that food is gluten free but also ensuring that the needed nutrients
are sourced from other food groups.
The family can also seek help from dietitian for the
information on gluten free foods. This includes help on how to read labels that
may not specify gluten but contains it nonetheless. An example is hydrolyzed
vegetable protein that may be sourced from wheat. Familiarization with these
gluten free foods may be hard at first, but with the aid of a food diary and
the collective memory of the family members, it will soon be easy.
Remember also that it is not just about knowing what to
avoid, but rather knowing what to eat. For example, fruits are very much
encouraged since these reduce other stressors to the digestive system, such as
constipation. Further, in planning what meals to prepare and what other food to
stock in the kitchen, the family can treat this as an opportunity to monitor
and ensure balanced nutrition and sufficient calorie intake.
When my daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease I
converted my kitchen into a gluten free safe zone. All the basic ingredients in
the cupboard were gluten free varieties – soy sauce, stocks, icing sugar,
vinegar, ice cream, cocoa, thickeners etc.
That meant when anyone was cooking a meal, accidental contamination with
gluten was avoided.
If I was making pasta – the pasta sauce was gluten free and
then I had 2 pots for the pasta. One for the gluten free pasta to go with the
sauce and the other for the ordinary pasta for everyone else. At Xmas I stuff the turkey with gluten free
stuffing and make gravy with gluten free flour. I have two toasters located on different
benches – one bench for gluten free bread and the other for ordinary bread –
remember cross contamination is a real problem for the celiac so crumbs from
bread are a huge risk and must be kept separated. As far as butter and spreads
go – I had one set for my celiac daughter marked with a big RED X and another
set for everyone else. Everyone was taught not to double dip and introduce contaminating
crumbs to the ones marked with the X.
It is important for the family to plan meals ahead. Children
and teens should be part of the whole process of learning about gluten free
food. To engage their interest and to ensure that they like what they eat,
children and teens may be entrusted with the responsibility of choosing what
gluten free meals to prepare. In this way, they would be able to prepare for
food they can either eat at home or have as packed lunch or snacks.
But in cases when they have to buy food outside the home, knowledge
about gluten free food is essential so they are able to discriminate which foods
to buy. Most celiacs say that they biggest challenge they have is to eat out safely.
For young children with celiac disease, their parents can
also talk to teachers about the food requirements of their children. Remember
play-dough is also a problem for the celiac child and a gluten free variety
needs to be sourced for them. I think it is easier and safer to have all the
play-dough gluten free if a celiac child is playing. If a celiac child is
attending a party or having a play date talk to the parents of their children’s
friends, and explain the child’s dietary needs.
In the end, a realistic talk among family members is the
best approach. Each member, especially the children and teens, needs to know
the consequences of eating meals with gluten.
A 100% gluten free diet is essential to keep the celiac healthy and well.
Another important thing to remember is that celiac disease
can run in families and if one member has been diagnosed then the entire family
should be tested. It is a fact that around 80% of people with celiac disease do
not know they have it, so there could be someone in the family sitting on a
time bomb, so it is better to identify them and get them started on a gluten
free diet as well. However it is important not to start on a gluten free diet
until diagnosis has been completed because this can lead to a falsely negative
test.
