Learning you have celiac disease can be very overwhelming, particularly as the “cure” is not one or two pills, but a very strict gluten-free diet.

The first question is what exactly is celiac disease?

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease in which your immune system attacks your intestines when gluten is ingested.

The second question, what is gluten?

Gluten is a protein that is found in foods or flours such as wheat, barley, rye, malts and triticale (to name a few).

That is the beginning of your adventure into the world of celiac disease. The next question, where do I start?

This last question is probably the most important one of all. There are so many things to know about celiac disease and eating a gluten-free diet. If nothing else, the most important thing to realize is that it is going to take a lot of time and patience to have a good understanding of what this means.

Make a list of foods that you can eat:

A good way to start trying to piece this new puzzle together is to make a list of all of the foods that are gluten-free. These are the foods that you can eat. Any and all fresh fruits and vegetables are gluten-free, so start with those. What are some of your favourites? Write them down. Rice is also gluten-free and also the most advertised, but rest assured, this isn’t the only gluten-free grain on the market! Remember, we are just starting out. If your list isn’t very long and doesn’t look very appetizing, don’t worry. It is only the beginning. Now post this list in a spot that you can refer to it regularly and add any new items, a place such as your fridge or taped to the inside of a cupboard door.

Make a list of foods that you can’t eat:

You will also want to make a list of foods that contain gluten. This list may be much longer than the list that you have just made of foods that you can eat, but don’t worry. This is because wheat and gluten have many different names.

Research:

The internet is a wonderful resource for finding out some common sources of gluten. If you are unsure of all of the different sources, start there. You may even be able to find some lists that have already been created for beginners.

Read the ingredients:

Now that you have the beginnings of your gluten-free list, go through your fridge and cupboards. Carefully read through all of the ingredients listed on your packaged foods, such as soups, sauces, mixes. Refer to your list of sources of gluten. If there are any ingredients that you are not sure about, write them down so that you can look them up later.

Sort your gluten-free goods and your non gluten-free goods:

Keep all of your gluten-free packaged goods together and find a place to store your goods that contain gluten. This will make it easier and save you time in the future if you are in a hurry and need to make something quickly. This will help you avoid accidently making a mistake with your gluten-free diet.

These are only the first steps to learning about celiac disease and a gluten-free diet, but they are a good place to start.

Ideas of what to do with gluten-containing packaged goods: • Make them up for those in your household who are not gluten-free • Give them to friends or family • Donate them to the Food Bank