What tips would you give a Coeliac newbie?

[FionaGFG]

E.g. Parent..., teenager..., Uni student.... What are your top tips ref. GF diet, shopping, beauty products, work events, music, festivals, flights?

[Coeliac_Copper]

in a nutshell:

always be prepared, never leave eating out to chance!!

[FionaGFG Administrator]

So true...how about also:

> read every label on food and drink...if in doubt leave it out!

Gluten can hide itself under a number of different terms; flour, spelt, stock etc. It can seem like learning a new language at first. Thankfully the new 2012 food labelling makes looking for 'allergens' a lot easier yet it pays to be vigilant. Don't assume crisps, ketchup, risotto stock etc is all gluten free.

> Clear out your cupboards when you are diagnosed...

remove anything in the fridge, freezer, cupboard that contains gluten and give away to friends and family to avoid wastage. Or if you're a family, dedicate sections in the kitchen for you only so that there is less risk of cross contamination. Try to cook gluten free eg replace flour in sauces with cornflour so there's less cooking for the 'special' diet and less chance of caving in and having gluten or ingesting it by mistake.

[InVivo]

My advice would be, to read everything you can lay your hands on and reach out to other coeliacs via social networking sites and blogs.

We all remember what it was like in the beginning and I don't know anyone who wouldn't try and help a newbie.

Don't be shy. We've all, in the beginning, eaten things or gotten ourselves in situations where we take risks, because we don't want to draw attention to ourselves as being different or 'a pain' / fussy / difficult. I'm at 7 years GF now, and trust me, you do get over that. So the sooner the better.

Carry something around with you if you're in doubt, especially in the beginning. I take nuts or seeds and a protein bar or an apple. I used to carry boiled eggs in my handbag, until I found out I can't eat eggs anymore. Gave my friends hysterics to have me whip an egg out of my bag in the middle of a shopping trip, but I never got stuck.

My other advice is, that your doctor and health team might actually not know all that much about CD, and it's up to you to take responsibility for your own health now that you have a diagnosis. This, I think, might actually be the hardest part.

[FionaGFG Administrator]

Great stuff.

Plus don't assume that all the Free From stuff is in the Free From aisle? I've seen GF soy sauce for £3+ in such aisles yet GF soy sauce also lurks for £1ish in the 'normal' aisles. So it pays to read every label in detail in the early days...