Redefining Your Health By Using Food As Medicine
I think this is probably the most common complaint I get when seeing clients with celiac disease. Often, individuals jump to thinking they need some complex supplement, an exclusion diet trial to discover food sensitivities, or specialized lab testing. But, it often comes down to a few basic pillars of nutritional health and lab parameters. Let’s discuss them below.
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I’m back with the GF halloween list for 2019. I can’t believe October is here and halloween will be here in no time.
Like I mentioned last year, please DO NOT rely solely on this list. It is imperative that you read labels for the most up to date information on whether the product is gluten free or not.
This list of gluten free candy below was determined by me going into the grocery store and reading the ingredient lists. Stores visited included Walmart, Costco, Save on Foods, and Nature’s Fare.
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Eating out is the most difficult part of living with celiac disease. Once you have been diagnosed with this chronic illness, eating out is forever changed. It will never be the same as it once was. This is an, unfortunate, stark reality check for those living with celiac. It sounds harsh, I know. But, it is true. There is no spontaneity with eating out anymore.
But, this doesn’t mean that you can’t eat out. You just need to change your expectations and learn a new way to dine out. It can still be enjoyable (if you let it) but it will take effort to ensure it’s as safe as it can be.
The question to ask yourself is this “Are you going to let this bring you down or are you going to rise to the challenge?”
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The new Canadian Food Guide was released and it is quite a drastic change from the old 2007 edition. Overall, it’s a very welcomed step in the right direction.
The first thing to emphasize is that this a population health guide. It’s a guide that states a general pattern of healthy eating that is consistent with a reduced risk of chronic disease. It is not meant to provide specific nutrition advice for individual circumstances. More on that below.
One of my favorite reasons I like this guide is it promotes HOW to eat vs WHAT to eat. Many people have the knowledge of what is healthy, but have a hard time putting that knowledge into action. And the “how to eat,” outlines some very actionable and important steps to consider when eating food.
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Being diagnosed with celiac disease can be very overwhelming. Firstly, as unfortunate as it is, there is not much support out there when your doctor hands you the diagnosis of celiac disease. Many of my clients have told me that they were informed to ‘google’ the diet and were then shown the door.
I remember when I was diagnosed, my doctor said “well you’re a dietitian so this should be easy for you.”
Yes, that was it.
I definitely feel I had a leg up than others, for sure. But, it was still very difficult for me. The first year I learned so much more than the basic gluten free diet. From reading labels correctly, to correcting nutrient deficiencies, to navigating social situations, the learning curve is steep. And, of course, when you live a disease everyday, you see things through a different lens.
It is not as simple as ‘googling’ the gluten free diet. And, in fact, I would say it is much more dangerous to google the information as there is a lot of inaccurate information on the internet, especially when it comes to gluten free and celiac disease.
So, if you have just been diagnosed, take these 3 steps to get your health back on track:
Just as there are doctors that specialize in gastrointestinal disorders (gastroenterologists), there are dietitians that specialize in certain areas as well. And, when it comes to celiac disease, it’s very important that you use a dietitian with this expertise.
Registered Dietitians with expertise in the gluten free diet are the nutrition professionals you want to turn to in the case of celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity or wheat allergy. Not only have they taken a 5 year degree program to become registered as a dietitian in their particular province, they also have additional expertise in the gluten free diet helping to get you on the right track right away.
Avoid spending unnecessary dollars on a bunch of supplements, unnecessary and inaccurate ‘food intolerance’ tests, unnecessary microbiome assessments and wisely invest your health dollars, simply, in a dietitian.
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