So You Have Celiac. Now What? (Part 1)

These are real flour substitutes from my own pantry...Don't do this to yourself!

1 – Don’t panic

2 – Don’t run to the store and buy every gluten-free “replacement” food you can find

3 – Don’t panic

4 – Don’t go on the internet and join every forum and research everything until you are tired, angry and exhausted and angry

5 – Don’t be angry.  Or be angry and get over it

6 – Don’t feel like you need to become the all-knowing-authority, author a book, start a business, or be the gluten police for every person you know that you think may have a gluten intolerance

7 – Stop panicking

8 – Don’t throw out everything in your house, buy all new appliances, stop going out with your friends, or add a new gluten-free kitchen onto your kitchen (I actually know people who have done this)

9 – Breathe

10 – Don’t go onto Amazon or to the bookstore and buy every cookbook, how-to book, celebrity “this is how to live with celiac” book

And….

Don’t panic

You will be fine.  In fact, you will probably feel better in 1-3 weeks than you have felt in a long time.  In a few months, you won’t be thinking about every single thing you put in your mouth (well, you won’t be freaking out about it)…and in a year, this will all be so easy you won’t even know why you were so worried.

It is possible to live a gluten free life without buying all the expensive packaged goods that are now filling up the grocery store aisles (and are almost as bad for you as the gluten-filled products).

It is possible to go to restaurants, parties, and functions without causing a scene, announcing to the world you are “different”, or worse “special” and everyone must make accommodations for you (or your child).  If you are doing that, by the way, with my most sincere understanding, you are probably annoying everyone around you.  So stop.

It is possible just to be gluten free, happy, and healthy – all while appearing “normal”.

I’ll show you how.  But for now.  Calm down.

Here are some things you can eat in the meantime:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Meat
• Dairy – although, depending on where your system is, your doctor may have you off of dairy for a while.  Plain dairy…not processed cheese spray…plain milk, plain cheddar (or other type), etc.
• Spices (not mixes, for now.  Most are actually fine, but for now, just use individual spices)
• Oils (for cooking)
• Okay…and soda.  And tequila.  But not beer.  No, really, beer has gluten in it.

Basically, stay away from things that come in a package or are processed.  But you can have a steak and a baked potato.  Salmon and salad.  Fruit and cheese.  Grilled veggies.

Stay basic.  If you really need more information than your doctor has given you, I like this website:

http://www.csaceliacs.info/

(I am not affiliated with CSA in any way, and they have no idea who I am.  Also, I am not affiliated with Bob’s Red Mill or Pamela’s in any way…I just had them in my pantry!)

I’ll be back very soon for Part 2.