I often wondered why I was the one in the family to develop coeliac disease, which I’d never heard of before diagnosis. Then it came to light one of my uncles was coeliac, and this can apparently run in families, one of my son’s was diagnosed a few years ago.
Being coeliac simply means that the body attacks itself, when gluten is consumed through food or some drinks that contain wheat, rye or barley. Gluten is a protein. There are two main proteins in wheat gluten:
- Gliadin which triggers the immune reaction when gluten enters the body.
- Glutenin gives dough a springy texture.
Now when I do my shopping and spot something new, I scrutinise the ingredients to see if they have any gluten enemies within that would trigger a reaction! It is something I have become a dab hand at, reading labels, and that is a job itself because the writing is so minute you need a detective spy glass to read them.
I shy away from eating out because I am very sensitive to gluten. Some coeliacs are more tolerant than others, but unfortunately I am not one of them, and my son is the same. It’s not because gluten free is not on the menu now in many restaurants etc, it is the fact of how and where the food is prepared. Just a few crumbs of ordinary foods creeping on to the gluten free food can cause an issue. So, I prefer not to take the risk.
Family gatherings I have to say are much better because gluten free is always available and I know the food has been prepared on a surface away from food with gluten. My eldest sister is a wonderful cook and does the most amazing cheese cakes, the latter being my favourite dessert that I could eat until it comes out of my ears!
I get very excited when something new arrives on the gluten free shelves in the supermarket. The first thing I look for is the fat content, then the sugar. And, if it is okay I almost buy a bottle of champagne and a straw to go with it! I mean who would get so OTT over a biscuit or small cake bar, well I do!
Anyone with coeliac will know of course that these gluten free foods are more expensive than ordinary ones and the quantities are much smaller, which I feel is unfair really, and can never understand why this is. I know these foods are processed in gluten free environments but I still do not see why that justifies the cost, and it would not be so bad if the quantities were bigger. For example one of the big supermarkets’ own brand of gravy grans at 500g is £1.60 but the same supermarket sells their own brand of gluten free gravy grans 170g at £1.50, a big difference in the amount and price. This is much the same for most gluten free products. If you are on a tight budget it can add a lot of money to your shopping.
There are some good sides to being coeliac for example:
- You become an expert label reader
- You discover foods you’d never tried before
- Your family spoils you at their family gatherings
Being gluten free today is far better than say twenty odd years ago when gluten free foods were limited and restaurants did not cater for coeliacs like they do today.
If you’ve been recently diagnosed don’t despair it is not all bad news and it is something you come to accept and eventually learn to cope with. Everyone is different and handles the newness of being gluten free in their own way.
There you go folks if new to coeliac take a look at this website in the UK for more information.
Now for a cup of tea and a jaffa cake or maybe two. I love them because they are moorish and very low fat… I need to engage my self discipline with jaffa cakes or the packet will be empty by the end of the day!
