Living a Gluten Free Life

Celiac disease, which mainly affects the lower intestine, which prohibits a person from digesting gluten properly. In short, celiac disease is a condition which results in the body's immune system attacking gluten, as though it were a virus. In turn, this immune system response causes a person to not getting enough energy from their food, which results in a lack of vitamins and minerals (malabsorption).

Some of the symptoms of celiac disease include:

- Abdominal discomfort, including reoccurring bloating

- Weight loss

- Chronic diarrhea

- An overall tired feeling

- Body and muscles aches

- Mental stresses, such as anxiety and depression, mood & behavior changes.

Gluten is mainly categorized as wheat, barley, and rye. These three ingredients are in many foods, which may make it hard to find gluten free foods. One must read their food labels carefully and be vigilant about what they eat.

Living a gluten-free lifestyle is challenging. Some safe options include:

- Natural and unprocessed foods, such as beans, seeds and nuts

- Fruits and vegetables

- Fresh eggs, meat fish and poultry

- Many dairy products

There are many gluten-free flours, starches and grains for food preparation:

- Rice

- Corn and corn meal

- Hominy

- Quinoa

- Soy

- Flax

- Buckwheat

- Millet

- Arrowroot

Sadly, there is no medication, the only treatment is to completely eliminate gluten from the diet.