Celiac Disease and How the Whole Family Can Help

Celiac disease is a hereditary digestive disorder that causes severe damage to the small intestines as a reaction to gluten. The villi in the intestine can become inflamed and severely damaged causing stomach pain and other digestive problems.

Gluten is found in wheat, rye, oats and barley and those with celiac disease cannot absorb the gluten protein. The only treatment available for celiac disease is a diet completely free of gluten.

The problem is that gluten is very difficult to avoid, in fact it is the second most consumed ingredient, only sugar is consumed more than gluten. When you are on a strict gluten free diet you must read all ingredients on packaging and learn what all ingredients consist of. Some additives and preservatives are listed as numbers and some of these do contain gluten, so this is something that you will need to learn.

Over time you do learn what foods you can eat and which ones to avoid and although this diet is very difficult to begin with, you soon adjust to your new eating habits.

Being such a difficult diet to follow, it is helpful if the family as a whole can assist by changing their diet also. Although other family members may not need to avoid gluten completely, they can help by being willing to eat gluten free meals. This can make it much easier by only needing to cook one meal for the whole family, rather than cooking a gluten free meal for one person and a gluten meal for everyone else.

If a child suffers from celiac disease it can be particularly difficult when they see others eating foods that they cannot have. So it is best to have foods that contain gluten limited in the home. Children will need a lot of support and guidance when living with this disease and they need help with learning what they can and cannot eat.

A great way to help your child learn what foods they can eat is to involve them in cooking and food preparation. Taking them grocery shopping and having them help you read the labels will also teach them what to look for.

Eating habits really need to be re-assessed in the home once a family member has been diagnosed with celiac disease. As well as not being able to eat gluten, a person still needs to ensure that they are receiving the required nutrients from other food groups.

Then there are times when you will eat out at a restaurant or even at a friend’s house. Times like these will need to be planned ahead. If you are eating at a restaurant you will want to call ahead and make sure that the restaurant does serve some gluten free dishes. If you are eating out at a friend’s house you will need to make them aware of your dietary needs and offer to assist them if they find it difficult to meet those needs.

You will need to speak to the child’s teachers so that they are not given any food containing gluten at school. You might also want to talk to the parents of your child’s friends, especially if they are having a sleep over or staying for dinner.

It is necessary to talk to all family members so that they are all aware of the dietary requirements, whether it is a child or an adult with the disease. All family members need to know the consequences of eating meals that contain gluten so that they understand how important it is to avoid. 

Tags: celiac disease, gluten