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Celiac diet
Celiac disease is a condition in which the body is not able to metabolize cereals, specifically a protein present in cereals that is known as gluten. A celiac diet is the kind of diet recommended to a patient suffering from celiac disease. This diet is also commonly referred to as gluten-free diet. A gluten-free diet, or a celiac diet, is essentially one that does not contain any kind of cereals or cereal products. This can be an extremely difficult diet to maintain since the removal of cereals from the diet can cause a complete change in your eating habits, and it may take your digestive system some getting used to.
Although a celiac diet is essential for all those who suffer from this disease, it is recommended that the diet should not be consumed without first consulting with a doctor. The transition from a regular diet to a gluten-free diet can be very frustrating, especially because you have to be very careful about what you are eating. You can practically say goodbye to most of the processed foods and the experience of dining out.
The introduction of a celiac diet is made under the supervision of a medical practitioner. Since there are potential health risks involved when you make any kind of drastic changes to your diet, it is best to attempt the diet only after a celiac diagnosis, at the instruction of a dietician or nutritionist. Your doctor will encourage you to consume a gluten-free diet when you are undergoing any kind of testing for the disease.
Celiac symptoms, such as drastic weight loss and diarrhea, usually begin to subside as you phase to the gluten free diet. You will need to develop an attitude of acceptance when it comes to this kind of eating; regretting what you are giving up will only lead to disappointment and depression. You will also have be careful when you eat, evaluating everything before actually eating it.
This will also take some getting used to, especially if you are accustomed to simply eating whatever you feel like. It is also important to make sure that no cross contamination occurs when you prepare your food. For example, when you share cooking equipment to prepare foods that do contain gluten, there is a chance of contamination, which can then become dangerous for your health. Get a celiac food list from your doctor, and keep it separate from other foods so that there is no chance of cross contamination. Some of things you will have to give up include cereals and grains like rye, wheat and barley.
Celiac Disease Symptoms And Treatment
Celiac disease is a disease of the digestive system which causes an interruption in the normal absorption and assimilation processes of the digestive machinery of the body. The disease leads to an auto immune response to gluten, which is a kind of protein found in wheat and barley.
When celiac disease afflicted individuals consume gluten, as a result of the auto immune response, the vili (small hair like appendages) of the small intestine get destroyed, which leads to a disruption of the entire absorption process. As such, no matter how much you eat, you will become malnourished and enervated. Your body will be deprived of nutrition and this will ultimately affect all your physiological processes.
Some of the major symptoms of celiac disease are:
- The most common symptoms of celiac disease are constipation, bloating and stomach pain. Other symptoms could be vomiting and diarrhea (with foul smelling stool).
- Celiac disease also causes iron deficiency and thereby causes anemia and low RBC count in the blood.
- Another symptom of celiac disease is arthritis.
- Other symptoms of celiac disease are ulcers and sores in mouth, infertility or miscarriage, depression and osteoporosis.
- Women may suffer from irregular menstrual phases.
- You should follow an appropriate and well balanced diet to cure celiac disease. The diet for celiac disease is more of an elimination of a lot of foods than the inclusion of certain foods. Some of the diet tips to naturally treat celiac disease are:
- First and foremost, you are recommended not to consume gluten even in minimal amounts. As such, you must avoid gluten rich foods like wheat, rye, oats and barley.
- You must not consume bread and other baked products.
- Refrain from eating processed or canned foods.
- You must also not consume jellies, some soups, soya sauce, and candies.
- Do not consume carbonated drinks.
- You must also cut down on the consumption of high fat content and processed sugars.
- Some of the foods that you must include in your diet are:
- You must include a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet for averting the deficiency of nutrients caused by celiac diseases. You may consume these foods as juices and soups.
- You must include protein rich foods like legumes and pulses in your diet.
- Do remember to consult your dietitian for advice on the specifics of a diet for celiac disease.
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