Coeliac disease is caused by the body being over sensitive to gluten - a protein found in many common foods.
Gluten causes an inflammation of the small intestine that makes it unable to absorb nutrients when we eat our food. If this condition is not dealt with it can lead to unpleasant symptoms and poor health.
Coeliac disease is a life-long condition diagnosed by a small bowel diopsy. When gluten is removed from your diet, the intestine will return to normal.
For more personalised advice, specific to your needs, see your GP or an Accredited Practising Dietitian.
What can you do?
• Avoid Foods Containing Gluten: Gluten is a type of protein that is naturally found in the following grains: wheat, rye, barley, triticale and oats.
• Scones, pizza, pies, biscuits, cakes, breads, breaksfast cereals and pasta.
• Wheat flour breadcrumbs, gravies, puddings, mayonnaise, soups and commercial thickened sauces.
• Many commercial sweets which contain grains.
• Malt that is in breakfast cereals and cereal beverages such as malted milk powders.
• Ale, some chocolate drinks, some brands of coffee substitutes and beer.
• Cornflour is often made from wheat rather than corn.
Read food labels carefully
Labelling regulations mean that food manufacturers must declare the presence of major allergens, like gluten, you should also use food labels to avoid all foods containing the following ingredients:
• Wheat, wheat flour, wheat bran, wheat germ, enriched wheat flour, wheat starch and breadcrumbs.
• Semolina, cous cous, spelt, durum, bulgur, rye flour, rye, triticale flakes and triticale.
• Barley, barley flour, barley flakes, oats, oat flour, oat bran and rolled oates.
• Cereal flour, bran, cornflour (made from wheat) some types of hydrolysed vegetables protein, plain vegetable protein and hydrolysed plant protein (often found in stock cubes and textured vegetable protein.
• Malt, malt extract, malted milk, malt vinegar, soy sauce (containing wheat)
Choose gluten-free foods
• Corn, corn-based breakfast cereals, (Malt-free), maize meal or polenta, unflavoured popcorn, taco shells, unflavoured corn chips, cornflour (made from corn/maize).
• Rice, rice flour, rice breakfast cereals (malt-free), infant rice cereal, rice bran, plain, plain rice noodles, plain rice cakes, plain rice crackers.
• Sago (very rich in starch), tapioca (also called cassava), arrowroot (starch product), wild rice.
• Buchwheat (can be used in he same way as cereal grains), millet (a grain widely used in India).
• Potato flour - which has greater thickening power than most cereals.
• Soya flour, yellow split pea flour, chick pea flour.
• Gluten-free bread and bread mixes, gluten-free flour, gluten-free baking powder, gluten free breakfast cereals and pasta, gluten-free biscuit mixes and gluten-free cake mixes.
For more information:
Contact the Coeliac Society in your state or visit the website www.coleiac.org.au
Remember:
Nutrition is very important for treating coeliac disease, but time for rest is also important. Your body needs this time to rejuvenate and heal body tissues, so for a good restful sleep … also:
• Avoid caffeine after dinner
• Enjoy some moderate physical activity
• Drink clear fluids throughout the daytime
• Try some soothing music to help unwind
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