What You Need to Know About Celiac

What is Celiac Disease?

Celiac disease is known to be an autoimmune disorder. It is known to occur when an individual with this disease eats food containing gluten, the body then identifies gluten as a foreign invader and it triggers an immune response in the small intestine. As time passes, this reaction of the immune leads to damage of the small intestine lining and also prevents in the absorption of the essential nutrients leading to malabsorption. This damage to the intestine can lead to other medical concerns such as anemia, diarrhea, fatigue or tiredness, loss of weight and issues of bloating. If this condition is not treated on a timely manner, then it can lead to serious health complications.

Individuals suffering from celiac disease would experience a series of negative reactions to the compounds which are found in gluten which also includes gliadin that leads to an increase in the release of cytokine chemicals which are known to bring about a rise in inflammation as well as the autoimmune reactions. Few of the symptoms of celiac disease would include, constipation, diarrhea, pain in the joints, issues related to behavior, and bloating. When the immune system of the body tries to overreact to the gluten contained in the food, it tends to damage tiny hair like projections known as villi. These are known to line up the small intestine and also help with the nutrient absorption hence out here the biggest concern is malabsorption.

Tips on how to proceed post the diagnosis of Celiac:

• You can seek out to the top specialist as well as nutritionist to learn more about celiac disease. A good nutritionist can help you plan your diet based on the disease so as to avoid any food which contains traces of gluten. They can also help to answer any of your food question. Those who suffer from celiac disease are also known to be prone to other medical condition such as lactose intolerance or any other auto-immune conditions. A doctor who is specialized in this field would be able to work closely with you after ascertaining your condition and help to lower the risk of these conditions. One of the biggest threat associated with this disease is that if celiac is left untreated then it can cause long term health effects which can include malnutrition delays in development growth, immunity is lowered and other forms of psychiatric medical conditions.  Currently celiac has no cure hence it is considered to be chronic condition in nature. One of the best way to manage the symptoms of this disease and to also avoid any kind of future health issues is to go in for a strict gluten free food. Along with this diet an individual should also take steps to improve their overall immunity functioning by preventing any kind of nutrient deficiencies, try and reduce the amount of stress and ensure that one gets enough of sleep so that the body has time for repair and get energized.

• This is the time which can be utilized to learn about food items and go in for simple, filled with nutrition and unprocessed food items. Many of the homemade foods are free from gluten and you can also buy some gluten free prepared food items such as soups, pizza and pasta. If you have these foods in hand it would help you to not feel deprived and also you can avoid cheating on the food. The main focus of a celiac diet should be to include more of those food items which are anti-inflammatory, those foods which have healing properties so as to repair the gastrointestinal tract or the digestive tract of the individual and also to heal any kind of nutrient deficiency. Such food would include raw dairy items, fresh fruits and veggies, probiotic foods, seeds, and nuts. One of the main thing an individual has to do when diagnosed with celiac is to avoid all of those products which contain gluten such as wheat, barley or rye. So in short avoid those items which contain any of these three. Gluten is known to make up to 80 percent of the protein which is present in these three types of grains. Ensure to reach the label while purchasing any packaged or processed food item. There are also certain non-food items which contain gluten and those are toothpaste, makeup, lip balm, playdough, laundry detergents, mouthwash, soaps, and shampoo.

• There is a lot of cooperation required from your family to ensure that the gluten free food as well as utensils be maintained separately. You can look for organizing your cabinets in such a way wherein it would make you aware about which one is gluten food and which ones are free from gluten. You can also use plastic bins to segregate items so that you do not mix up. You can always prefer to cook at home since it is said to be the best method to control the exposure to gluten but keep in mind while cooking or prepping up the ingredients try not to cross-contaminate with those food items which have gluten. Contamination is known to happen through sharing of the utensils or while sharing a cooking environment hence it is always better to be cautious.

• You just need to relax and ensure that you take care of yourself rather than getting hyped about the diagnosis. Remember it is only a life sentence and not a death sentence. Take charge of yourself and make the correct decisions so that you can live a normal life free from stress. Instead of thinking of celiac disease as a medical problem with so many limitations which can make eating even harder you can view it as an opportunity for exploring new food items as well as learn new interesting recipes. There are multiple websites which can provide you simple and easy method of cooking gluten free food items so that you adhere to the celiac disease diet.