My 30 year old daughter may have celiacs disease--they will confirm with blood work and she has already had a scope and biopsy of the area. She has lost weight, fatigued, dizzy, bloating and very nauseous all the time. Has anyone else had to deal with this and the whole gluten free diet. She just had a baby 10 months ago and I am worried about her lack of vitamins. Any advice would be helpful.
A worried mom.
There is a gluten free store in Ellisville on Manchester Road, South Side. I can't remember the name of it. The zip code would be 63021.
Although I have seen miraculous healing of many conditions, if your daughter truly has celiacs, that is not something one catches or develops due to unhealthy living patterns. It is hereditary, genetic. It means the body does not have the genetic code for producing the enzymes for digesting gluten. So, if it is truly celiacs, your daughter will simply need to adjust her diet. She should be able to live a very healthy gluten-free life.
Gluten free diets are actually becoming increasingly popular. The American diet has far too much bread in it, and, we have created so many hybrids of wheat that we no longer grow the wheat our great grandmothers ate. We have actually created a new type of gluten that our bodies simply are not genetically prepared to digest. Also, the over-use of antibiotics has caused many people to develop a systemic candida problem, which also requires a gluten-free diet.
There is a bakery in Chesterfield that specializes in Gluten-free products. There is an Italian Restaurant at Big Bend and Dougherty Ferry Roads that serves a gluten-free pizza and offers rice pasta alternatives on their menu. And, contrary to popular belief, your daughter should not have to give up oatmeal entirely. You can buy gluten-free oatmeal at Whole Foods. I grind those oats down for making meatloaf, breading, and even making gravy on occasion.
So, it does take a bit to re-learn and she will want to learn to keep some alternative food with her when going to someone's home for a meal, but it sure beats something like diabetes!
I know it is difficult to not worry, but if your daughter lives in an urban area where there are better stores and specialized bakeries, she should be able to manage and feel great!
Just to clarify: are you worried about her lack of vitamins now, or when and if she is to start a gluten-free diet?
Gluten is in just about all processed food, but most people would benefit from a gluten free diet. It is essentialy used as a filler, it does not add nutrients to the food it is in. Your daughter will most likely be ingesting many more vitamins by eating natural foods that do not contain gluten.
Gluten free living isn't easy, however the choices now are amazing. Hyvee has a huge section of gluten free stuff as well as most higher end resturants. It is a matter of taste and getting used to the items. The payoff though is feeling sooooo much better!! Tell her good luck!
K.
Hi N.,
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Hi N.,
I believe all the organs in the body can be healed as long as they are still IN the body and they are not considered dead....Celiacs is more common than it used to be and I don't believe that it is because gluten is more common. I believe that the synthetic chemicals in our diets have broken down our immunities to the point that gluten is now dangerous for some.
Dodging processed (even NICE restaurants have processed foods) and fast foods is the best start. Getting nutrition from fruits and vegetables is easy. No gluten there. An absorbable multivitamin/mineral complex will help as well.
Avoiding gluten is not the end of the world and if she eats right and gets her nutrition, her symptoms, maybe even her diagnosis, will go away. My mom was smart enough NOT to have my colon removed when the doctors told her that was the only way to cure my Ulcerative Colitis at age 11....after years of suffering, I took control, changed my diet, got healthy and my UC is gone. She'll be fine. I became a research junkie for my own good...your daughter can too.
God bless,
M.
Many members of my extended family have Celiac and it is very manageable. They are all more healthy now that the diagnosis is made and they can control their diets.
I haven't had to deal with celiac but we are gluten free (because it is better for you) and it isn't that hard at all - stores are listening and providing gluten free options. My kids and I feel so much better when we are gluten free. Lot's of resources out there. I know there is even a celiac website.
For gluten free eating, I visit www.everydaypaleo.com and www.thepaleodiet.com and a few other places that are escaping me right now. Email me if you want more.
Once she has been gluten free for 30 days - I promise you she will feel so much better! Plus it gets easier because once you've been gluten free and then you eat something with gluten in it - you notice it! (bloating, symptoms of whatever ailment you have coming back - many people go gluten free for eczema).
**added after reading another response. Regarding the vitamins - same question - are you worried she will get less vitamins going gluten free? She won't, she'll get more vitamins. We take fish oil and vit D. We eat veggies and fruits and lean meats/fish. The brighter the color of the fruit/veggie the better.
Best wishes,
M.
Hi N.,
Although it's so stressful when you're trying to figure out what's going on, it sounds like your daughter will soon have some definitive answers. That will help by giving her (and you) knowledge about how to stay healthy. If you're concerned about her diet, she could meet with a dietitian to find out how to achieve a balanced diet with her new restrictions. If you're looking for some easy, gluten-free recipes, I write a blog with a dietitian and all of our recipes are not only gluten-free, but also free of all common allergens. The address is www.welcomingkitchen.com. Good luck to you and your daughter!
my husband and both of my children have celiac disease. Yes, its a PITA, but once you learn how to manage it, it really isnt too bad. the hard part is just finding your food alternatives, and it can get pretty expensive.
as far as vitamins, yes, that can get risky too. lots of people with celiac disease can end up anemic (that is how my daughter found out) or can have some vitamin deficiency. DO NOT go buy some vitamins at walmart or the drug store! most of those use wheat or malt fillers, which will just make the matters worse. I buy all of our vitamins online because they are gluten free and it helps a LOT. you are welcome to message me for those details if you want.
also, be prepared, that celiac disease is a genetic disorder. So it is possible that your grand child may also have it. Do you, her father, or any other relatives have it?
like i said, feel free to message me. i would be happy to share any vitamin info or any of our recipes.
My niece has Celiac, it's very manageable with care and planning. There are a ton of resources on the web, do a little research there. If you are looking for recipes I highly recommend this blog - it's all crockpot meals (easy for new moms) and all are gluten free.
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/
It's easily managed. My nephew does not have cellars but he oes have. Life threatening wheat allergy and therefore has a gluten free diet and my sister has found that even walmart is starting to carry gluten free products. She will not be missing any nutrients once she starts a gluten free diet. I am a little confused at what you are worried about.
A good book to start with is Celiac for Dummies. There are tons of websites also. Elana's pantry has great recipes. I use mostly almond flour for baking. It is loaded with nutrients. As for vitamins, when I was diagnosed with Celiac I was told to take additional calcium, vitamin K and D. Even with the additional vitamin D I am now vitamin D deficient and I am on a mega dose of vitamin D 2x a week. Many of the gluten free foods and flours are not vitamin fortified so you do have to be careful of the vitamins that you do not get easily in fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy and meats. I never have eaten a lot of processed foods but you will be surprised where gluten will show up like soy sauce, salad dressing etc. Many stores and resturants will have a list of gluten free food on their websites which is really helpful when first starting out. Also many people with celiac also have a problem with dairy. Some are able to tolerate dairy better after being gluten free and their body has healed. I did not find going gluten free that hard but for my sister who ate a lot of processed foods it was a lot harder. By the way the best bread I found is Udi's. That is a hard part of gluten free, sometimes you just want a good sandwich!!!
