MyFoodMyHealth Diet for Celiac Disease (Celiac Sprue)
MyFoodMyHealth Can Help You Control Celiac Disease Symptoms with Proper Diet and Meal Planning
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Diet for Celiac Disease
If you have celiac disease you are gluten intolerant. Even the small amount of gluten found in less than a teaspoon of birthday cake may still cause damage to the villi of the small intestine. This means you should have a gluten-free diet, avoiding wheat, barley, rye, and other gluten-containing foods. There is a lot of hidden gluten in the supermarket. Read labels carefully and thoroughly. The following words on labels may mean that a grain containing gluten has been used:
Stabilizer
Starch
Emulsifier
Hydrolyzed plant protein
Color additives may contain gluten. Even the caramel color in Scotch Whiskey may contain gluten. Check with the manufacturer.
The Lowdown on Oats: Oats do not contain gluten, however in many cases they are processed at the same mills and transported on the same grain elevators, which handle wheat, barley and rye. This results in sufficient contamination to produce a gluten reaction. In your health food store or online there are companies providing non-contaminated oats - look for these.
The official Celiac Sprue Association's take on oats is that for some, even gluten-free oats, are not "safe", as some may be sensitive to another protein in oats-so, at least for newly diagnosed celiac who are severely compromised, even gluten-free oats are not recommended (please see official CSA statement about oats).
Foods to Avoid if You Have Celiac Disease
Wheat (including semolina, spelt, kamut, einkorn, durum and faro)
Rye
Barley
Triticale
Oat bran
Wheat germ
Bran
Graham, gluten, or durum flour
Farina
Malt or malt flavoring (can be made from barley)
Malt vinegar (made from barley)
Breading, Coating mixes, Panko
Broth, soup bases
Brown rice syrup
Candy - ex: licorice, some chocolates
Croutons
Flour or cereal products
Imitation bacon
Imitation seafood
Marinades
Pastas
Processed luncheon meats
Sauces, gravies
Self-basting poultry
Soy sauce or soy sauce solids
(Seitan and Shoyu)
Stuffing, dressing
Teriyaki sauce
Thickeners (Roux)
Communion wafers
Matzos
Play-doh® - It contains wheat ingredients. This may pose a problem if hands are put on or in the mouth while playing with Play-doh or are not washed after use. (check the label for wheat ingredients in Play-doh and other childrens' molding material)
Bulgar
Couscous
Semolina
Beer
Great Foods to Eat if You Have Celiac Disease
You don't need to feel food deprived when you eliminate gluten from your diet. There is a bounty of tasty, healthy whole foods you can eat to help manage celiac disease symptoms. These include:
Amaranth
Arrowroot
Balsamic vinegar
Beans
Braggs amino acids
Breads, cereals, crackers, and pasta made of corn, rice, potato, soy, arrowroot, tapioca, sago, flax, and hominy
Buckwheat
Corn
Cornmeal (polenta and tortillas)
Garfava
Hominy
Millet
Montina®
Nut Flours
Popcorn
Potato
Quinoa
Rice
Sorghum
Soy
Tamari
Tapioca
Tef
Wild rice
What is Celiac Disease?
Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disease. In people with celiac disease, gluten, the main protein in wheat, barley and rye, acts as a foreign antigen, triggering an immune response that damages the lining of the small intestine. This results in mal-absorption of fat, calcium, iron, foliate, and other nutrients.
Symptoms of Celiac Disease
Multi-system disorder which primarily targets the small intestine
Inability to properly absorb vitamins, minerals and other nutrients
May cause unexplained infertility and express as fatigue, peripheral neuropathies, migraines, osteoporosis, dermatitis, depression, lactose intolerance, fat intolerance, and more.
Most people with the disease show no symptoms of celiac disease. It can remain dormant in your system for years.
Gluten initiates an inflammatory process by reacting with intestinal immune cells. The gluten in gluten-containing products cannot be absorbed through the skin.
Diagnosis of Celiac Disease
Celiac disease affects 1 in 100 people. 97 percent of sufferers are undiagnosed.*
Celiac disease may cluster with other autoimmune diseases, particularly Diabetes I. (Eight to ten percent of diabetics are thought to have celiac.*)
Celiac disease may be misdiagnosed as IBS, colitis or Crohn's disease.
You can be gluten intolerant or gluten sensitive and NOT have celiac disease.
An endoscopy is the gold standard for diagnosing celiac disease.
Sources: Celiac Disease, A Hidden Epidemic, by Peter H.R. Green and Rory Jones
Risk Factors for Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is commonly found in Caucasians of Northern European descent. Celiac disease is hereditary and cannot be outgrown. If you have it, chances are a parent or other relative also has the disease.
Ingredients to Watch for On Your Food Labels
If you have celiac disease in order to make informed buying decisions you must be well aware of ingredients that may contain gluten or its derivatives. When in doubt, consult your pharmacists or call the 1-800 number of the manufacturer to find out if gluten or a derivative has been used.
Ingredient
Safe
Unsafe
Caramel Color
This is made from corn. It is safe in a celiac diet.
Citric Acid
This is made from corn. It is safe in a celiac diet.
Dextrin
Producers in the United States claim to use corn, so domestically produced dextrin should be safe in a celiac diet.
Imported dextrin could be made from wheat. If so, it might not be gluten-free. Check your food label.
Flavors (artificial and natural)
Barley malt, which is sometimes used as a flavoring, and flavoring used in meat products may contain gluten. If so, it should be listed clearly on the label. In rare instances, barley malt is used as a flavoring but not identified on the label.
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) or Hydrolyzed plant protein (HPP) -
Usually processors use “hydrolyzed soy protein”, which is safe in a celiac diet.
In rare instances, processors neglect to identify the “vegetable” in HVP. This could be wheat. Wheat is unsafe.
Malt
If made from corn it is safe in a celiac diet.
Malt is usually made from barley. Malt extract, malt flavoring, malt syrup, and malt flour are also made from barley. None of these ingredients are safe.
Maltodextrin
Wheat may sometimes be used in imported products. If so, it will be listed on the food label as “maltodextrin (wheat)” or “wheat maltodextrin.” This is unsafe.
Mono and Diglycerides
Fats are naturally gluten-free.
Seasonings
Seasonings may contain anything. Be careful with seasonings.
Soy sauce
Use Tamari instead of soy sauce.
Many soy sauces are fermented from wheat, which is unsafe. Check with the processor for information.
Spices
Pure spices are gluten-free and should be safe in a celiac diet.
Starch
Starch is always cornstarch. Cornstarch is safe in a celiac diet.
Modified food starch
Modified food starch listed on a food label could be wheat starch. This is unsafe.
Sweeteners
Sweeteners can be unsafe. Read the labels for the use of gluten.
Malt Vinegar
Contains malt. This is unsafe.
Distilled Vinegar
Distilled vinegar is gluten-free. It is safe in a celiac diet.
Bakers and brewers yeast
Brewers yeast is not gluten-free unless found in a dietary food supplement. Brewers yeast found in dietary supplements is gluten free.
How MyFoodMyHealth Can Help You Manage Celiac Disease
Our customized online meal planner helps you manage celiac disease by eating delicious, whole foods. It takes into consideration the health conditions of everyone in your household, allowing you to serve wonderful meals that meet everyone's nutritional needs
MyFoodMyHealth automatically generates a shopping list for you based on your conditions, making shopping easy.
Videos, cooking tips, recipes and an extensive glossary provide “the basics” you need to cook flavorful and nutritious meals.
