I've never been a huge fan of anything overly fashionable or faddish. As a teenager, if something was popular or trendy I generally wouldn't be seen within a ten mile radius. For me, being uncool was the epitome of cool. Had anyone uttered the words 'paleo diet' to me ten years ago it would have been met with a sneer of disgust and brushed to one side along with other things that irked me, like Ugg boots and fake tan.
 
But I have grown and learnt a lot since then (although nothing will ever convince me to embrace ugg boots or fake tan). As strange as it may sound, I consider my coeliac disease a blessing in that I have been fortunate enough to witness first hand just what a profound effect diet can have on your health and wellbeing. In fact, it's become a passion, a hobby and an obsession and one that I feel compelled to share. Only yesterday I overhead 3 ladies - at a guess in their 50's, discussing their diets on the train. One mentioned that she was anaemic. They were all declaring their contempt for vegetables, the pleasure they get from that peculiar gremlin goo of a sauce you get with your Chinese takeaway (one of them keeps this to pour over vegetables to 'make them edible') and the fact that you should eat whatever you like and abandon the veg in favour of a multi vitamin. If I hadn't been about to step off the train at that point I would have erupted in fury and proudly defended the merits of eating your veggies. More than anything, i'm astounded that people today are still that uneducated about the impact of their food choices. 
 
Why do I rave about the Paleo diet?
 
In simple terms - it just makes sense. The premise to me seems so logical, it makes me wonder how on earth we ever digressed so drastically from that way of eating in the first place. It makes you completely re-assess what real food actually is.
 
Paleo is not a prefix to be applied a fashionable fad diet, nor is it a quick fix for weight loss. It is a way of life that follows a set of principles for both diet and lifestyle, providing a long term solution for optimum health. The paleo way of life promotes the concept that we should be eliminating all sources of processed and unnatural foods from our diets and reverting  back to the basics. It is the return to natural, unprocessed, whole foods that nourish the body instead of harming it.

Contrary to popular belief, this 'caveman' diet isn't a whole lot of hard work. Nor is it purely carnivorous - far from it. Vegetables are a key player and you should aim to eat as big a variety as possible. The diet simply requires a common sense approach, and a bit of knowledge about making the right food choices. There is nothing obscure about it. There is no need to swathe yourself in fur and club a saber tooth tiger over the head to feed your family.
 
So where did it all go wrong?

Our bodies are actually very clever. They know exactly what they require to function optimally and have adapted to flourish when fed whole foods naturally bursting with essential nutrients. Foods such as meat, fish, vegetables and eggs that are so nutrient dense, provide us with all the fuel our bodies need to thrive.
 
With the introduction of agriculture 10,000 years ago our entire food landscape and everything we knew about it changed. Now I know 10,000 years seems like a hell of a long time ago, but in evolutionary terms, this is a tiny drop in a very big ocean. Our bodies have had to adapt quickly over this time from a diet rich in nourishing, real foods to one that is heavily manipulated, highly processed, sugar laden, and gluten heavy. We have become reliant on getting our calories from a predominantly grain based, manufactured diet - pasta, bread, corn etc. Quite simply, our bodies have not evolved as fast as we would like them to, in order to keep up with our change in eating habits.
 
Incidentally, since the introduction of modern agricultural practices, processed foods and heavily manipulated wheat, the world has seen a dramatic increase in cases of chronic diseases. Type 2 Diabetes, Autoimmune conditions (such as coeliac disease), cardiovascular disease, hormonal imbalance, and not to mention a global pandemic of obesity. These are all conditions resulting from a world that has lost touch of its roots and a basic understanding of how to feed the body.
 
The key principles of the paleo diet are:
 
Eat whole, nutrient dense produce. This includes all unprocessed meats (organic and grass fed where possible), all fish and seafood (wild caught where possible), Eggs (be wary with autoimmune conditions) and an abundance of vegetables (organic when possible).
 
Eat fruits, nuts and seeds in moderation (be cautious if you struggle with FODMAPs or have an autoimmune condition)
 
Eat generous amounts of healthy fats. Coconut oil, avocado, olive oil, clarified butter or ghee. Lard and duck fat are also great provided the come from high quality sources.
 
Eliminate all grains and sources of gluten. ALL OF THEM. Even the ones dressed up as super foods.
 
Eliminate all legumes.
 
Eliminate all refined and added sugar. Honey and good quality maple syrup are ok in moderation as a sweetener. Again be mindful if you struggle with FODMAPs.


Grey areas

As with all diets, paleo has its variations and grey areas. There are certain foods that come up time and again and are subject to debate such as rice, dairy and white potatos. I think whether you choose to include these or not can only be based on what your body needs individually.  If you have an autoimmune condition it is likely that you will want to avoid these particular foods, at least initially.

Whats the point?

The foods that you are encouraged to consume more of are naturally packed with essential nutrients, vital for good health. The foods you are encouraged to eliminate contribute to digestive health problems and chronic inflammation. They provide the body with less nutrients, are difficult to digest, exacerbating existing health complaints and create new ones. 
 
 By embracing a whole foods paleo diet you are naturally increasing the nutrient density in your foods and at the same time eliminating toxic, processed and highly inflammatory foods that contribute to chronic disease. It really is as simple as that.
 
As a result of these changes people often notice improved sleep, reduced allergies and food intolerances, stable weight, clear skin, more energy, and a  dramatic reduction in chronic autoimmune symptoms. I am testament to all of those. It helps to reduce chronic inflammation associated with multiple diseases, supports the immune system, improves liver function and helps to balance the hormones. What's not to love? 
 
And the most exciting part is that you don't need to count a single calorie.

DISCLAIMER:  The information on this blog is purely based on my own thoughts, views and opinions. I am telling these stories to share my experiences with you. The information does not constitute medical advice of any kind and is not intended to substitute the advice of a medical professional.  You should consult with a registered GP for guidance on any health related issues and not make any medical decisions based on the information contained within this site. I have no medical training, I am quite simply a coeliac with a story to share.

After my diagnosis in Christmas 2013, and my brief flirtation with gluten free products, I was on a mission to reclaim my health and my sanity. I started researching and reading day and night. If food got me into this mess and had the power to create so many symptoms, then surely it could help me out of it too.

 Super foods were big news and I went hell for leather on them. Goji berries, flax seed, raw cacao, chia seeds, coconut oil, maca powder, quinoa, pumpkin seeds - if David Wolfe wrote about it, I ate it. I was sold on their nutritional properties and all the touted benefits that came with them. Anti – inflammatory, anti-oxidant, hormone balancing, digestion soothing and all the rest. I watched ‘Food Matters', an awe inspiring documentary about the health and food industry so many times I was quoting it in my sleep. By the way, if you haven’t seen it – you absolutely need to. I started to detox and cleanse my body with fruit and vegetable juices and eliminated all refined sugar from my diet, replacing it with agave syrup.

I had a bit more energy, I lost weight, I felt…ok. On a standard day I would have gluten free oats or chia pudding for breakfast with almond milk, coconut oil, raw cacao powder, pumpkin seeds and a mountain of berries. For lunch I would have quinoa and salad with olives. Dinner would be all manner of veggies and pulses with chicken or fish and loaded with garlic for its multiple medicinal properties. I was doing EVERYTHING that the health foodies in all the shiny magazines were doing.  But I didn’t feel like they did. My hair was still falling out, my eyes were still swollen and purple. I still had shooting pain down my legs and my moods and hormones were very erratic. I wasn’t sleeping well and I had moments of feeling very low. I would get so upset at the slightest thing with very little rational reason. I was trying to manage my stress with yoga, but would abandon the yoga mat because the peace and stillness would aggravate me even more.

I persevered and kept consuming the foods in vast quantities and juicing everything in sight. I knew healing would take time so I was prepared for the slog.
I carried on this way for a year and a half. Yes, I undoubtedly felt better off the gluten. I was less tired, less anxious and felt  better in myself overall. But too many niggling symptoms still remained and I couldn’t understand why a year of juicing beetroot and half-arsed yoga hadn’t taken this away. 

 I decided I needed help. I found a nutritionist and we began working through a mammoth questionnaire relating to all aspects of my health. We talked through my symptoms, emotions, past traumas, stressors and their impact on my health. Sometimes its not until you are asked to specifically note these things down or round up your life events in a few paragraphs that the obvious just smacks you in the face. I had experienced everything on the list of stressors in a very short space of time. Combine that with a body under attack from itself and it was never going to end well. We talked about the steps I would need to take to get back on track and I was warned that the body might take as many years to heal as it had done to damage itself. But I was more than up for the challenge and raring to go.

 Firstly, I was going to need to make adaptations to my diet. Based on the digestive symptoms I was still presenting, a low FODMAP diet was recommended. This would explain why for me, a super foods diet was not the right approach. I was clearly struggling with FODMAPs and in my juicing hysteria, I was inadvertently drinking myself into tummy ache. Not to mention the world of pain all those garlic cloves were causing.

 The protocol I was to follow was to:
 
Remove – all food irritations and intolerances
Repair – The damage to my digestive system
Replace- The necessary enzymes and acid
Re-inoculate – My gut with probiotics
Re-introduce – Foods that I have eliminated
 
When you look at the protocol it makes perfect sense. And once you get the right diet for your needs – this protocol is the foundation to any digestive healing program.
 
I immediately cut all moderate and high FODMAPs. Now I know people often and understandably find elimination diets difficult to adhere to. No one willingly wants to give up the cookie dough ice cream. But I will always commit, 100%, to the letter. No cheating, no exceptions. I put this down to a lifetime of health anxiety and the overwhelming desire to take back control of my health. 

 So the FODMAPs were kicked to the curb. To assist in the protocol I was given an array of supplements. Supplements to soothe and heal, to balance gut bacteria, to support my intolerances to food and to break down and assimilate much needed nutrients. 

 For the first few weeks I was blissfully content and positive I was on the mend. Creating meals was difficult but I was convinced it was worth the effort. After all, this was a 6-week protocol, and then I could start re-introducing FODMAPs.
 
But I found it increasingly hard to know what to eat and my ‘allowed’ list seemed to be ever shrinking. My diet started to revolve around some low FODMAP staples – eggs, potato’s, rice, tomato’s, peppers, fish, meat and root veg. I had very little to no red meat on the basis that I had been brought up understanding the dangers too much consumption posed to your health.

 When the 6-week mark came around I began to make my food re-introductions. I sampled the tiniest amount of avocado to test my reaction and within half an hour I looked close to giving birth. I was so disappointed not to mention uncomfortably gassy. I waited impatiently for a few days for the symptoms to subside before attempting some sweet potato. The same reaction. I left the FODMAPs alone and I carried on with the supplements. I carried on feeling less than average but I persevered. A few weeks later I almost exploded with excitement when I discovered a recipe for a gluten free pizza base made from cauliflower. As it had been a few weeks since my last failed introductions, I thought id try again and whip up a pizza complete with a small sample of un-pasteurised mozzarella. I say ‘whip up’- it took hours. Have you ever tried to get all the liquid out of a minced cauliflower? Don’t bother. A half soggy, half burnt pizza later and my gut were expanding and my old lactose triggered head pain was back.
 
I had totally plateaued. In fact with the cocktail of supplements I’d been on, the elimination of the best part of my diet and the inability to reintroduce them, I felt thoroughly defeated and lost. My nutritionist suggested that given my digestion was in a bad way it would simply take some more time. So I started again. I scrapped the FODMAPs, ordered more supplements and pushed on. The problem was that I didn’t really have any recipes and I was becoming fearful of food and my reactions to them. Instead of cooking up a balanced FODMAP storm every day, I was merely eating a selection of low FODMAP ingredients - an abundance of eggs, potato’s and tomato’s in a variety of ways. My symptoms were getting worse again and I was losing weight. A lot of weight. The issue was I didn’t have a great deal spare to be losing in the first place and my days became panic stricken with trying to get enough calories. I would eat  mouthfuls of coconut oil just to try and desperately bump up my intake. I became obsessive and started tracking the calories in everything I ate and made myself stressed when it wasn't enough. People started to comment on my weight and I began to feel uncomfortable in myself, but I vehemently defended my diet in my misguided belief it was right for me. It wasn't until I looked back on photos of myself months later that I realised just how gaunt I was.  Over the course of the next year I tirelessly pursued a low FODMAP diet of a few select vegetables, eggs and meat, just waiting to get better. I lost two stone in weight and I lost my periods. My hair fell out more and my hormones took me from euphoric highs to crashing lows. I discussed my concerns about my weight and losing my periods with my nutritionist but she felt they were unrelated and dismissed them. This alarmed me and I felt she had not only been irresponsible, but also put my health in danger. The one thing that did start to improve in this time was my digestive symptoms. In the absence of the FODMAPs my bowels were more regular, I had little to no bloating and abdominal pains were becoming less intense and frequent.

 But enough was enough and something had to give. I couldn't continue to lose more weight and I needed to find hormonal balance. I knew the FODMAP diet was helping me but it wasn't ticking all the boxes. My digestion was improving in many ways but all my other symptoms remained or were exacerbated by my new limited diet. I felt like I was missing the bigger picture somehow so I continued to look elsewhere for answers to heal my entire body.

For me,  I have learnt that a low FODMAP diet is a very valuable tool when suffering with digestive issues as a result of food intolerances and IBS. However I didn’t have the correct resources or support I needed at the time to use the diet to my advantage. I cannot stress enough how important it is to find recipes for balanced low FODMAP meals to ensure you are still meeting your individual needs. I have since found the missing part of my dietary puzzle, which I will share with you in my next post, and how I have successfully incorporated and adapted my low FODMAP diet into this with great success.  I am also  pleased to say another year on and I can happily eat avocado and sweet potato without having to unbutton my jeans.

Before I move on to post about the next phase of my healing, I want to introduce you to the world of FODMAPs. Because I will inevitably mention them A LOT. If you suffer from any type of digestive distress, or have ever been diagnosed with IBS, then you may find huge relief in your symptoms from following a low FODMAP diet. This may also be worth considering if you have coeliac disease but still do not feel 100% even after removing gluten.

 So what is this funny little acronym all about? FODMAPs are short chain carbohydrates (sugars) that are not readily absorbed by the small intestine. So it stands to reason that if you have any level of damage to your digestion, you are even more likely to struggle with these chaps.

 What does it stand for?

 Fermentable

Oligosaccharides

Dissaccharides

Monosaccharides

and

Polyols

 Where are these found in my diet?

 The most common dietary sources include fructose (when present in higher quantities than glucose), lactose, fructans, polyols and galacto-oligosaccarides -  thankfully referred to as GOS. These are all found in varying quantities in both natural and artificial foods.

 What are the symptoms of FODMAP intolerance?
 
Abdominal pain

Excessive gas

Bloating

Diarrhoea

Constipation

Nausea

Mood swings

Irritability

 Why do they make my tummy sad?

 There are two main reasons why these sugars are so problematic. They either begin to ferment in the gut (oooh that's attractive) and this kicks off the production of excessive gas, or they draw excess water to the large bowel causing irregular bowel movements. The by products of these two actions can trigger a whole world of digestive ugly, many of the symptoms mimicking that of IBS. Although FODMAPs aren't identified as being the root cause of IBS, they sure as hell exacerbate it, so following a low FODMAP diet is proving more and more popular in managing this common condition. The diet itself was actually developed by the clever people down under at Monash University, Australia to help improve and eliminate symptoms of IBS. It's even starting to catch on in the UK. The diet recommendations are being rolled out through the NHS, and your GP should be able to recommend you a dietician to help you make any necessary dietary changes.

 The removal of FODMAPs has had a profound effect on my digestion and eliminated a fair few symptoms. Oddly, for me at least, I have noticed I react differently to different FODMAPs. With polyols such as cauliflower, I get very bloated and gassy. Fructans such as garlic and onions, are not my friends in any way shape or form. They give me bloating and gas and affect my mood horribly. They even make me feel very low.  Interestingly wheat is a fructan. Lactose gives me sharp head and tummy pains.

Which foods contain FODMAPs?

 If you start searching online you will be inundated with conflicting resources on which foods contain fodmaps. But as a starting point I have listed below a few of those that are well documented and widely accepted as being high sources of fodmaps:

 High fodmap foods:

 

Garlic                        Pears                         Milk                     Legumes            Wheat           Pistachios       Honey

Onions                      Apples                      Yoghurt               Pulses                Rye                 Cashews

Beetroot                  Watermelon            Cheese

Cabbage                   Peaches                    Ice Cream

Leeks                         Plums                       Custard

Asparagus                Dried fruit

Celery                       Nectarines

 

 BUT, its not all doom and gloom. These lovelies are a few examples that are naturally low in FODMAPs, and you can eat to your hearts content:

 

Low fodmap foods:

 

Carrot                       Blueberries                                                       Shellfish                           Almonds

White potato          Bananas                                                            Poultry              Pumpkin seeds

Cucumber               Grapes                                                                Pork

Tomato                    Oranges                                                              Fish

Fresh herbs             Lemon                                                                Beef

Courgette                All melon other than watermelon      Lamb

Lettuce                    Strawberries                                                     Turkey

Swede                      Raspberries

Parsnips

Kale

 

So you can still have a good old roast dinner - just avoid the sprouts and cabbage. For everyone's sake.

 There are many more foods that fall into these categories and many foods that sit somewhere in the middle too, such as avocados. These contain a moderate amount of FODMAPs but may be ok for some in small portions. The Monash University actually have an app which details many types of food products and lets you know whether it is a source of FODMAPs or not. I have the Monash app and have found it invaluable in helping me select foods that wont leave me doubled over on the bathroom floor.

 At present, although a low FODMAP diet has proved highly successful for many and in some cases eliminated years of symptoms, it has not been trialled on a long term basis. Therefore the recommendation is to eliminate FODMAPs from your diet for a given time period, and then begin to re-introduce them slowly one at a time. I eliminated all moderate and high FODMAP foods from my diet for a period of 6 weeks. When I slowly began reintroducing them I was still experiences digestive problems. It has taken me almost a year to reintroduce some successfully, but my reactions to them are getting better and better all the time. Its worth being patient and not rushing introductions until you are ready, so you don't undo all the hard work you have done in healing.

 As with all major dietary changes it is advisable that you are under the guidance of an expert before implementing any changes yourself. It is always vital to maintain a healthy balanced diet in which you are meeting all your nutritional needs. Eliminating foods is a great way of establishing what aggravates you and any specific intolerances you may have, but approach with caution and under the supervision of a professional!

DISCLAIMER: The information on this blog is purely based on my own thoughts, views and opinions. I am telling these stories to share my experiences with you. The information does not constitute medical advice of any kind and is not intended to substitute the advice of a medical professional. You should consult with a registered GP for guidance on any health related issues and not make any medical decisions based on the information contained within this site. I have no medical training, I am quite simply a coeliac with a story to share.

 Following my diagnosis I had to attend a few different appointments to set me up in my new life as a fully fledged coeliac. In the UK there is a standard procedure you go through and you will be assigned a coeliac specialist at your local hospital who will monitor you annually to check you aren't accidentally eating doughnuts on a regular basis. As part of this process you will likely see a dietician who works alongside your consultant and either one of these will provide you with some literature on the basics of coeliac disease, some dietary recommendations and a suggestion to join the coeliac society. I embraced this with open arms and signed up straight away. The coeliac society sent me an up to date and thorough guidebook detailing what supermarket products were safe to eat and also restaurants that have been approved and trained by the coeliac society. It also helps guide you through ingredients labels so you can identify what to avoid. My GP also gave me the option of ordering gluten free products on prescription. They were going to give me FREE FOOD. I felt thrilled to have a health condition that provided me with complementary pizza bases. I went to town on requesting samples of gluten free staples so I could take my pick of the best. I was ecstatic when one company sent me an entire hamper to try. But if gluten wasn’t going to kill me, then this was going to give it a damn good go. Aside from it all closely resembling what I can only imagine is akin to the taste of damp cardboard, the list of ingredients used in an attempt to replicate the real thing was shocking. If it takes 27 ingredients, many of which were just numbers, to produce a 'loaf of bread' I was going to pass. I imagine the nutritional value wasn't far off what I'd get from making a sandwich out of play-doh. But at least that smells nice. I politely declined the prescription food and turned to the coeliac guidebook. The vast majority of the book focusses on heavily processed, pre packaged food, snacks and confectionary. Something just wasn’t adding up for me. How could you be diagnosed with an inflammatory digestive disease and this be followed up by promoting the consumption of more toxic, inflammatory, nutritionally barren food? I ditched the handbook and the instructions on how to read food labels. At this point, my thoughts were, if it has more than three ingredients and takes a manual to tell me if its safe or not, is it worth eating? And moreover if I can't pronounce an ingredient, I sure as hell don't want to eat it. 

At the point of diagnosis you will also be made aware of any nutritional deficiencies that may have affected you as a result of your condition. For me I was well on my way to iron deficiency anaemia and had a face worthy of being cast as a member of the Cullen family. The insides of my eyelids had no colour, it contributed to my hair loss and constant fatigue. I was prescribed iron supplements by the hospital which I immediately began taking. It is well documented that iron supplements can cause constipation and, oh my, they did just that. But they also gave me unbearable stomach cramps and abdominal pain. I rang my consultant to check if this was 'normal' and she informed me that iron supplements can be very irritating and abrasive on the digestive tract. Excellent. I'd just been diagnosed with severely damaged digestion and given medication to inflame it further. I was less than one week into taking them and I was doubled over in pain. I metaphorically drop kicked this recommendation clean out the window alongside the gluten free cardboard bread and the handbook on which gluten free toxic food I should be eating. I knew I had to get my iron levels up though and red meat wasn’t an option. My digestion was so bad that even small portions left me constipated for days on end. I started searching for gentle natural alternatives and somebody recommended floravital. A gluten and lactose free concoction of floral and herbal juice, naturally high in iron. I wont lie to you - its not the most appealing taste in the world, but it worked. I had no side effects and no pain. I got through several bottles of the stuff over the course of about a month and returned for my repeat bloods – my iron levels were back into normal range. 

Post  diagnosis, the approach you take on your own individual health journeys will vary greatly, depending on the severity of the damage done and how long you have suffered. If you are lucky enough to have had your condition diagnosed in the early stages, you will likely feel a remarkable and notable improvement by going gluten free alone, but you will still need to be mindful of what you eat and try to reduce inflammation and rebuild your digestion. You are not going to do this with gluten free foods. Upon diagnosis you will likely want to ransack the gluten free aisles of your supermarket purely for the novelty factor of being able to eat a Jaffa cake again. Gluten free does not mean healthy by any means. Packaged food, gluten free or not, requiring a manual to navigate the ingredients will never form the basis of a healthy diet. 

If like me you have suffered for a considerable amount of time before diagnosis, your digestive tract will feel like its gone 5 rounds with Conor Mcgregor. You will need to take the healing process that bit further and will need to pay close attention to your body. In many cases you will have developed other intolerances and sensitivities, and although the removal of gluten will brighten your world immeasurably, you will still need a lot of fine tuning to get you back to your best.  

One of the hardest steps post diagnosis will be the adjustment to your new diet and the discovery of what else you may not tolerate. Food and autoimmune disease are closely linked and you may start to notice particular triggers. Needless to say, the supermarket becomes a very daunting place. You need to re-think the entire process and why you are shopping for food in the first place. You will no longer be mindlessly roaming the aisles and chucking in food without giving it a second thought. You are shopping to nourish and heal your body. You will feel frustrated, overwhelmed and at times reduced to tears. I've sobbed into many convenience store shelves when I cannot find a single snack to eat. I once walked around London crying into a pot of hummus while sulkily nibbling on a carrot stick.  I could not find anything else to eat at all that day and I was terrified every restaurant would poison me. 

If you feel as lost and overwhelmed as I did – I promise you it gets so much easier. I can now even look back and laugh at carrot gate. I say laugh, I mean mildly chuckle. But I know now how to avoid these desperate situations and not panic when I leave the house. 
 
These are my top tips to help you start navigating your new diet after diagnosis: 

Plan ahead
You absolutely have to. Always. Do not rock up at the supermarket unprepared because you will get stressed. Make a list before you go of everything you need for the week ahead, and shop from that list only. 

Know your supermarket and its aisles
Don’t waste time looking and lusting over what you can't have. Head straight for what you need, tick it off your list. Done. 

Be selective
You don’t need much, if anything that is labelled gluten free. Limit it to the occasional treat or essentials. Do not base your shop around this. Base your shop around fresh produce that is naturally gluten free. Next time you are in your local supermarket I urge you to take a step back and look at the gluten free products. Would you be buying those things if they weren't gluten free or do they appeal because you can eat them now? They may not contain gluten but they are laden with so many artificial ingredients they will only cause more harm than good long term. 

Meal plan
I cannot stress the importance of this enough. It not only eliminates food waste but it saves you time and money. Know exactly what you are going to have everyday and how you can utilise the same ingredients to make different meals. 

Know your snacks
This has been a real struggle for me due to all the intolerances I have developed. Snacks become vital on days out and trips to unknown locations, if you don’t know when and where you will be able to eat. If you can tolerate them fruit and nuts make easy portable snacks or for a protein boost try some paleo jerky or pork scratchings with no added ingredients. Plane journeys are another one. If you are going long haul you are going to be limited as to what you can eat in flight, so make sure you take something in your hand luggage. 

Batch cook
If you have the time cook up double portions of your weekly meals. Cooking from scratch is time consuming, so making large quantities can be a life saver. You can use leftovers for lunches, extra dinners or stashed in the freezer. 

Learn to cook
Before my diagnosis my cooking skills extended to popping to the chilled section of the local 24/7, picking up a carbonara and garlic bread, piercing the packet and sticking it in the microwave. Looking back I can't believe I ever thought that was ok. It says a lot about how lazy we are as a society and how little we value ourselves to consider that nutrition. I wont lie learning to cook wasn't fun. It made me furious. But that was only because I didn’t know what I was doing and didn’t have the right resources to support me. Now I cant imagine it any other way and the thought of a ready meal horrifies me. Plus If you cook everything yourself you are eliminating the possibility of getting glutened. 

Recipes
Find your go –to recipes. Have things that you become familiar with that you can throw together after work. Don’t try something new every night. Start by just familiarising yourself with a few meals that you can perfect. 

Get support
 This is so important. People don’t realise how much of a change this is and how important it is to get right. You need support from people to understand not only your dietary requirements, especially if you are sharing a kitchen, but also emotionally. The transition is not easy and your body and mind chemistry will change as your diet changes. There may be some emotional moments during the withdrawal phase as you transition from the standard westernised diet to a more nutrient dense one. I am incredibly lucky in that my husband supports me 100% He has even gone gluten free with me. We eat all the same meals and he has embraced the lifestyle changes I have made and noticed massive benefits to his own health. I never have to worry about cross contamination at home. If you share a household with others who eat gluten you need to keep everything totally separate. You need your own butter/spreads, chopping boards, cleaning cloths, trays etc. Just be very cautious. Label things so people know what belongs to you.

Eating out 
Don’t be afraid to be explicit in your requirements. When I was first diagnosed I felt like an inconvenience in restaurants and nervously told them I couldn’t eat gluten. I cannot begin to tell you how many issues I've had in restaurants, so now I am abundantly clear about what I can and can't eat. You'll be surprised some restaurants can be so accommodating they will literally cook you anything you ask for! 

Finally, listen to your body. In the early stages you will likely start identifying other food intolerances, autoimmune triggers and aggravations. You may have got so used to being ill that you don’t realise what normal feels like. Once you remove the thick dark cloud that is gluten you will start to notice other food irritations more easily. If something doesn’t feel right it probably isn't. Eat it in moderation or not at all for the time being while you adjust. Just because it doesn’t contain gluten, it doesn’t mean it wont be upsetting your sensitive tum as you heal. 


DISCLAIMER: The information on this blog is purely based on my own thoughts, views and opinions. I am telling these stories to share my experiences with you. The information does not constitute medical advice of any kind and is not intended to substitute the advice of a medical professional. You should consult with a registered GP for guidance on any health related issues and not make any medical decisions based on the information contained within this site. I have no medical training, I am quite simply a coeliac with a story to share.
 

If you have stumbled across my page then you probably have a vague idea already, and are most likely here looking for inspiration to further your healing. My aim is to write a series of descriptive and informative posts focusing on the various components that have contributed to my own recovery from damaged digestion, but I will kick things off with an overview of why some of us need to give gluten a wide berth.


What is gluten?

First off the word gluten is derived from the Latin word meaning ‘glue’. That in itself should have been a neon warning sign complete with flashing lights that this stuff isn’t that digestible. It’s not like I’d choose to bind my cakes with copydex. In fact, as a child I was always making and creating works of art at home with my mum. When the pva ran dry, we would make our own glue from flour and water. Granted, this was somewhat lumpy and didn’t give my final artworks the finesse I craved at 5 years old, but it served its purpose. If some simple flour and water can stick some loo roll tubes to empty egg cartons, what is it doing to your gut?


I find that there is a great misconception amongst the general public about what gluten actually is. Gluten itself is a term used for the proteins that are found in all varieties of wheat, rye and barley. In my experience, most people think that if you are a coeliac or gluten intolerant it simply means you can't eat bread. I've lost count of the amount of times people have acknowledged my condition and that I can't eat bread, the proceeded to offer me a cake or pastry. My grandfather for one is a tireless biscuit pusher. It happens everywhere I go and it doesn’t matter how many times I explain the condition, people seem to struggle with the concept and the severity of the reaction. I find that if I tell people I am a coeliac following an autoimmune adaptation of the paleo diet with low fodmaps thrown in, they cease the harassment out of sheer confusion and fear of poisoning me.


Unfortunately due to the nature of the protein, and the magical transformative properties it possesses, it seemingly makes an appearance in many of the staples we take for granted in the western world. Gluten helps to create the elastic, maleable dough that gives us a warm crusty loaf of bread, a moist victoria sponge cake, the base of your takeaway pizza and Grandmas Yorkshire puddings in your Sunday roast. As if giving up these luxuries wasn’t enough, it nonsensically manages to worm its way into everything else too. Its in the sausages in your Saturday morning fry up, the sushi you buy for lunch when you are avoiding bread, the branded supermarket chips you’re craving because you’ve cut so many sources of carbs. Its even in the packet of pre cooked chicken you were going to put in your salad. Its verging on the ludicrous. I ask myself why its in so many foods all the time. I can only attribute this to the tastes (or lack of) that we have developed in our culture today. We want everything lighter, crispier, fluffier, bigger. But we are manipulating our food to the point that it doesn’t resemble food anymore. The nutritional value has been stripped away so we are left with something that looks fabulous in an instagram post but leaves us feeling like we have swallowed a brick. We are paying the ultimate price in the name of greed – our health. This is exactly the case with wheat. The wheat we are consuming today is not the same as the wheat consumed by our great grandparents. Way back when, wheat was a softer much more digestible variety. Over time this has been hybridised and replaced by a firmer, tougher variety. This 'new' wheat has great baking properties and as such we have adopted it throughout our diet for the appearance it gives to food. We haven't stopped to think about the fact that it is not all that digestible. As a result of farming methods and the various processes our 'food' now goes through before it reaches our plate, the prevalence of coeliac disease and various other digestive conditions are on the increase.


Coeliac disease is not interchangeable with gluten intolerance or gluten sensitivity. It is an autoimmune response to the protein. All autoimmune diseases are born of a confused immune response from the body which leads it to attack its own tissue. In coeliac disease, when gluten is ingested, the immune system starts waging all out war against your own digestive system, damaging your gut in the process. The lining of your small intestine is lined with thousands of tiny 'vili' these are finger like protrusions (creepy) that are responsible for nutrient absorption. Under the sustained attack of the immune system , these guys get hit the hardest. They eventually get worn down and flattened in the process. Squished vili means poor nutrient absorption - and nobody wants that. As a result of this malabsorption, It is not at all uncommon for coeliacs to be iron and B12 deficient. The more deficient and malnourished the body becomes as a result, the more knock on effects there are to other areas of your health. Everything from bone thinning to infertility.

It is estimated that 1 in 100 people in the UK have coeliac disease, however only 24% are actually diagnosed. Considering the long term affects of coeliac damage, it is alarming that so many continue to live their lives totally oblivious. And as mentioned previously the average diagnosis takes 13 years from the onset of symptoms - I am testimony to this! I can only attribute the lengthy diagnosis period to the fact that the disease can manifest itself in so many seemingly vague symptoms, and also that our medical system does not pay enough attention to the importance of our diet as a foundation for health.


The list of symptoms is endless and will vary from person to person, with some experiencing constant digestive distress and others developing all manner of symptoms that affect anything but their digestion.

Some of the common symptoms (but by no means exhaustive) :

Bloating
Gas
Diarrhoea
Constipation
Tiredness
Weight loss
Brain fog
Hair loss
Anaemia
Skin rashes
Anxiety
​Depression
Abdominal discomfort
Numbness in hands and feet
Oedema (fluid build up in hands, feet, arms and legs)
Malnutrition

How do we manage Coeliac disease?

At the most basic and simple level you MUST remove every last trace of gluten from your diet, always and forever. Full stop. Cutting down or having the occasional treat just isn't even an option. It is not an exaggeration to say that even the tiniest speck of flour will throw your immune system into a furious frenzy. Managing coeliac disease is ultimately a multi-faceted and time consuming process. It is much much more than the removal of gluten. You need the time and the tools to repair and rebuild your digestion and reduce the chronic inflammation throughout. You need to correct nutritional imbalances and get your body to the stage that it is absorbing nutrients from your food again. You need to feed and nourish your body to give back all that it has been missing. All these steps take time and patience, but I assure you it is worth the effort!



DISCLAIMER: The information on this blog is purely based on my own thoughts, views and opinions. I am telling these stories to share my experiences with you. The information does not constitute medical advice of any kind and is not intended to substitute the advice of a medical professional. You should consult with a registered GP for guidance on any health related issues and not make any medical decisions based on the information contained within this site. I have no medical training, I am quite simply a coeliac with a story to share.