cider is nice

just diagnosed with coeliac a few days a go, not happy, feeling rather sad actually, but will persevere and end up without this bloated tum feeling better for eating better and have the wonderful support of my loving wife. aiming for a half full glass.

[AmeliaIvy]

I got diagnosed 3 months ago. It gets easier as it goes with knowing what you can and cannot eat! Plus, I thought my food life was over but the cookies from Asda are the bomb!

[Hidden]

prescription for gluten free food? how does that work.

[Hidden]

Hi there, oh boy just diagnosed, well we've all been there so know what you're going through. At first all you're aware of what you can not eat but with time that all changes as you will start to look at food completely differently and at all the foods that are naturally gluten free from other countries/cultures.

Now you asked about food on prescription, all you have to do is go to your GP's and they will give you a prescription for e.g. 6 loaves of gf bread and 6 packs of gf pasta and you take the script to the chemist who gets it for you. If you are going to get prescriptions regularly then it's worth getting a certificate for one years prescriptions, here's a link:

nhsbsa.nhs.uk/1127.aspx

Some of the prescription co's will probably send you free samples:

glutafin.co.uk/just-diagnosed/

There are lots of choices in the free from aisles and freezer sections so you want to check them out.

Many of us prefer a gluten diet based on fresh natural gluten free foods prepared from scratch but not everyone has this lifestyle choice with work and family etc.

Lastly my advice is to take things one day and one meal at a time at first and in next to no time it will be second nature, you're also in good company on here so if you have any queries/questions then you ask away.

And good luck and it's important to stick to the diet with no ifs or buts and you will reap the benefits.

[TheGob]

Best way to go, and the best of luck to you on your new life path. Remember that some suffer from depression after Coeliac Disease, so if you are feeling unable to cope see your GP for some gentle help. You WILL get through this, you WILL probably start eating far more healthily than you have ever done before. See it as a push to eat well and experiment in the kitchen.

Remember that your wife, who sounds wonderful, needs to also change her lifestyle a little too. She will need to remember hygiene and consideration about things like spreads, jams, toasters, and such, ensuring if she uses them and you will after, to make sure there is no contamination from her use. In my home we just have completely different shelves and separate foodstuffs. Two spreads in the fridge, my own jams etc. Foil on the grill whenever my wife uses it, that sort of thing. Give yourself at least 6 months to start feeling better and up to two years of healing before you are fully GF, assuming there are no 'accidents'.

Again, you WILL make it through! If I did you CAN!

[MrsPepperpot]

Go simple with foods that are definitely naturally GF, with the simplest of seasoning eg salt, lemon juice's. Remember that you are healing your gut. Once you are improving start eating more complex commercial foods.

Cider, the sugar from apples can be hard on a sore gut and increase bloating.

There is interest in how our gut affects how we feel. I missed it but last week Jeremy Vine spoke to someone on his show, Radio 2 lunchtime. Should be on iplayer, must listen myself.

Take care.

[Ali_r]

If you want to know more about gut health there are a couple of really good gut info blog sites - gutcritters.com , coolinginflammation.blogspot.com and chriskresser.com

There is increasing research coming out about gut "leakiness" and all sorts of nasty consequences. Be grateful that you have been diagnosed before anything worse could have happened.

Incidentally beware of things like gin and vodka which are often made from wheat starch... There is a now a company which makes gin from apples. Yay!

[Ali_r]

Just as a follow up to kitchen hygiene. We have a his and hers section. The problem will come in friends houses where they will simply not understand the issue of contamination. Restaurants and pubs, no problem. Friends = nightmare! ! You have to be really firm and that will not make you popular. ..

[Penel]

Hi Toeknee

To all the good advice you have received I would add two further suggestions:

Consider taking a good probiotic to help repair your guts, and perhaps discuss with your wife the idea of having a gluten free household. My husband went gf with me, so there is no worry about cross contamination. He gets his gluten 'fix' when we are out.

Good luck. I hope your health improves soon.

[judburke]

It's hard at first but it does get better. I am 5 months CD and already feel better. I have good days where I forget I am GF as it becomes routine at home. Eating out can become a challenge but I have to say whenever I eat in an Italian restaurant I no longer have the bloated exhaustion which feels marvellous. I now look at foods I used to enjoy as "poison"'which helps keep me from being tempted.

Good luck with getting used to it - you will feel so much better soon

[FFNick]

Be aware that each person's diet is unique. Recognising when you feel ill from gluten is paramount. This allows you to work out what you can and cannot tolerate. After exclusion for several months, reactive foods become obvious.

Two that took ages to spot were blended cooking oils and burnt sugar (aka caramel). Where does the fructose come from and the oil blend may contain something?

[Tiggykanga]

Its a life changing diagnosis and in the beginning I had no idea how I would cope! I walked around supermarkets looking at ingredients and trying not to cry when I realised I could no longer eat yet another something I had previously enjoyed!! However 3 years on life is much brighter.

I have been through the prescription route - trying everything to see if it was enjoyable (in most cases not for me although I still occasionally get supplies of Juvela Fibre Mix and Tagliatelle and sometimes Gnocchi -none of which can be sourced on regular shop shelves though probably available online somewhere with resultant carriage fees making them even more expensive).

I have also been through the supermarket & High Street shops Free From route, found what was edible for my taste buds and generally stick to them (but trying something new when it appears). I recently discovered Schar Seeded Sourdough & Quinoa sliced (Co-op) and the best ready made bread I have tried to date but supplies are erratic - a manufacturing issue I think. I have used DS Frozen white rolls (Morrisons) since discovering them a couple of years ago - a passable substitute for a "normal" crusty roll after a few minutes in the oven!

It is very important to double check the ingredients list - even in GF food ingredients that some, but not all, Coeliac sufferers are "sensitive" to (ie wheat codex, oats & corn amongst others - whilst I tolerate the first and last, I cannot eat any oats, not even GF ones (my porridge is the Sainsbury Rice based one).

The very best thing that CD has done for me is to change my way of buying and preparing food - there is more naturally GF food around than not. We learn to do everything the old fashioned way with fresh ingredients from scratch

I found the best source of information on CD is not the medical folks who are supposed to know (Doctors, Dieticians etc) - they have the basics but the Coeliac Community is fantastic because we share our experiences, medical, shopping, diet etc etc. Best of all we know how it feels!

My main message for you is, as daunting as your diagnosis it seems right now there is a light at the end of the tunnel AND most importantly there are lots of places like this, FB groups etc to join and ask whenever you want help.

[dollymixtures2]

I'm not a coeliac but tried going g/f for a year its not that hard, there are plenty of g/f foods out there Asda Sainsburys good health food shops and on line sites are very helpful good luck!