I found out I was a coeliac last summer. I had been sick for so long (about six years) and no one knew what the cause was. I had had serious surgery on my stomach, my gall bladder removed, various scans and tests and still, I was getting serious ill after EVERY meal. There was no exception. I was violently ill after every meal.
I am much better now after a year of trying to be gluten free - don't get me wrong I still mess up and eat things without realising it but for the most part - I am healthy! The one thing that has surprised me since I changed my diet is how interested people are in it. I kept getting asked what is coeliac disease, what is my diet like, what can't I eat? Do they have it? So I decided to answer a few questions about coeliac disease...the questions come from an interview with an honest to god coeliac on Refinery 29 and then I decided to throw in a few bits of information about what coeliac disease is for you as well.
It's better to be informed!
Gluten-free since: 2011
Are you completely gluten-free?
- As much as possible. I am still learning what I can and can't eat. I was caught out recently with seafood sticks as I didn't realise that imitation crab is full of wheat! Which meant that I had to find something new to pop into my sushi! (I eat sushi six nights a week)
What made you decide to go gluten-free?
- Being diagnosed with coeliac disease after a long hard battle. I had serious surgery, scans, operations, thought I was lactose intolerant, soy intolerant, yeast intolerant and had IBS - all of which I actually do have - but I was still getting sick and we finally realised I was a coeliac.
Take us through a typical day of meals for you on a gluten-free diet.
- I don't do breakfast. I never have done. I know that's incredibly bad but I just cant face food in the morning and prefer my coffee! Lunch is usually an egg or a gluten free sandwhich - which I toast because the bread is awful!! Dinner is usually sushi - you do have to be careful with sushi and coeliac disease because you cant eat a lot of the sauces and batters - so I make it myself at home.
What's the hardest thing about being gluten-free?
- Drinking and food. I miss a big nasty plate full of chips - I cant eat them because sometimes wheat is sprinkled on frozen chips to stop them from sticking in the bag. I also miss having a nice breakfast because in Ireland - its all about the pudding (gluten in the skin), sausages (same), toast and pastries. Which sucks.
What do you like about being gluten-free?
I LOVE the fact that I have lost all my gluten weight! I mean the bloating that someone has when they are eating something they are intolerant or just plain allergic to. I dropped from a size 14 to a siz 10-12 from avoiding eating wheat, lactose and sugar in large doses. I also love that I am no longer being sick after meals and I feel healthier.
Have you noticed a difference in your health or the way you feel since going gluten-free?
Dramatic. I have stopped feeling so sick after meals.
What gluten food do you miss the most?
Pizza, Garlic bread, spongey cake, decent bread, all types of sushi and seafood sticks!
What kind of advice would you offer to anyone who is considering gluten- free?
Just be careful. Read all ingrediants. You will spend about a year finding out what you can and cant eat. I know its a pain in the arse trying to read all the labels and discovering what is in everything but it does make a difference and you learn fast. There are some really unusual foods with gluten in them. Oh and always google a menu before you eat out!
What are some of your favorite gluten-free brands/foods?
DS foods - their pizza bases are nice to make your own pizza, Tesco make lovely toast bread and do a great microwave curry, Kelkin do great rice cakes, Keogh's crisps are all gluten free and tasty, Thorntons chocolate are gluten free and divine and Befree make great bread - even if it doesn't toast well at all!
Where are some of your favorite places to eat gluten-free?
One of the best places to eat is in Galway - the Cellar bar. It's standard pub grub but I love how much effort they go to for you. The coeliac options are clearly marked on a menu and you don't need to ask - which is nice, I wont eat somewhere where the options are not marked because often the staff don't have a clue and its not fair - but they will also modify existing dishes if possible for you - those are also marked with MC. Which is brilliant. All dishes are around a tenner and they don't charge you more for the coeliac options. Excellent!
Can you offer some advice about eating out at restaurants when you are gluten-free?
I will not eat in a place that doesn't mark out the options for coeliacs. I get so annoyed when I see vegetarian options clearly marked - vegetarianism doesn't cause mad sickness - it's a moral and ethical choice. Both should be clearly marked on the menu. I try to leave if it is not marked because often the staff don't have a clue about coeliac disease and think your being picky about it. I have had places that do not cater AT ALL to my disease and couldn't care less either - if I can't eat then my family wont either.
So what is coeliac disease?
Coeliac disease is an auto immune disease. Basically on our small intestine - we have a series of small hairs called villi. These villi on a normal intestine trap nutrients from food and pull them into the blood stream. If the person is coeliac, then these villi are damaged and lie flat on the small intestine blocking the flow of nutrients into the blood stream. This means that the person cannot absorb nutrients and becomes quite sick. The only way to avoid repeatedly damaging the body further is by avoiding anything wheat, grain, barley related.
You can find more information on coeliac disease from here
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