The only way to save your small intestine and your body from further damage due to gluten enteropathy or celiac disease is to get rid of gluten from your diet. This is easier said than done. However, this is a small price to pay for a health, happy and long life. Most of us try to treat a disease with the help of pills, antibiotics and other external remedies. We hate changing our lifestyle to prevent or cure the illness.
However, gluten intolerance or celiac disease leaves us no choice as no amount of pills and tonics is going to cure this disease. The only way to escape the harmful effects of this disease is to change your lifestyle and get rid of gluten forever. Many of us start with great enthusiasm and take many steps to consume a gluten free diet. However, the most difficult part is not starting on a gluten free diet but staying on a gluten free diet.
Applying ad hoc measures like purchasing gluten free food products from the supermarket may work well for a short while. However, sooner or later, your increased food budget will pinch your pocket and you may contemplate getting back to your old lifestyle despite the serious risks involved in the same.
You will have to rethink your lifestyle and start from the very scratch to ensure you not just start well but maintain the gluten free diet. The first thing you should do is to make a conscious effort to allocate a portion of your kitchen to gluten free foods. The effect of this move is more psychological than anything else. The idea is to be constantly reminded that you should avoid gluten in your diet.
Making space in the same kitchen will ensure you do not feel like an outcast who should be treated with care and caution. Rather, such a move will help you understand that you simply have different needs. They need not be viewed in terms of being inferior to other needs.
Merely making cosmetic changes to your kitchen will not suffice. This should a prelude to a total change in mindset. You should jealously guard your gluten free foods from other foodstuffs that contain gluten. The last thing we want is for your gluten free diet to be contaminated. If possible, try switching your entire family to a gluten free diet for a short period. This will help the person suffering from the disease to overcome any negative thoughts of being left out of the family.
You can also use your inability to consume foodstuffs that contain gluten to convert it into a healthy diet program. Make it a point to eat healthy and stay fit. Exercise regularly, hit the gym and build up those muscles. Rather than treating the gluten free diet as a punishment, try thinking of it as the key to improving the fitness and health of your family.
Try to be as goal oriented as possible when preparing your gluten free diet. Get used to the idea that your life will no longer contain gluten. Try to experiment with different gluten free foodstuffs to come up with new dishes. Avoid having common pans and utensils in the initial period. Once you get used to maintaining your gluten free diet, you can proceed to use common utensils. Further, you should store the utensils separately or ensure they can easily be identified as gluten free utensils.
It is okay to rely on manufactured and processed gluten free foods once in a while. However, the only way you are going to stick to a gluten free diet for the rest of your life is by preparing such dishes at home.
If life without grains seems to be very desolate, opt for Buckwheat, Millet, Sorghum, Montina etc as they are free of gluten. These grains do not cost a lot more than wheat, barley and rye. You will find it easier to stick to this diet once you get used to the changed taste of your food.
Make it a point to reduce eating to a chore for a short period. Prepare your menu in advance or try making food for a few days well in advance and storing it in the freezer. Make sure you never end up eating food rich in gluten simply because you could not bring yourself to cook separate gluten free dishes.
You may be surprised to know that gluten free cakes, cookies, doughnuts and bagels can be made without any difficulty. This can help you overcome the feeling that you have to eat dishes similar to sawdust for the rest of your life.
Finally, make it a point to go online and find others who are facing the same problem as you are facing. If you are the only one in your family having the celiac disease, then external support can make a huge difference in sticking to your diet.
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