Having celiac disease is very limiting in terms of what you can and can't eat. Fortunately, it isn't the end of the world either. By following the celiac disease diet and nutrition tips in this article, you will be able to have a healthy, nutritious, and balanced diet, while also enjoying what you eat.
Key Celiac Disease Diet and Nutrition Tips:
1.) Make sure you have small, regular meals, with emphasis on carbohydrates. These include things like potatoes, rice, yams, teff, quinoa, millet (and other gluten free grains), gluten free pasta, and gluten free breads. In so doing, you will get plenty of energy, and also lots of fiber, B vitamins, iron, and calcium.
2.) Always consume at least five portions of vegetables and fruits every day. One of the most important celiac disease diet and nutrition tips for you to remember is that all fruits and vegetables are naturally gluten free, so you can have as many as you want.
3.) Cut down on the quantity of fat that you eat, avoiding saturated fats in particular. Animal fat is saturated fat, so cut down on full fat dairy products, fatty cuts of meat, butter, and other such animal products.
4.) Cut down on the amount of sugar you eat. Remember that sugar is found as an additive in a lot of things, including fizzy drinks, cakes, biscuits, and sweets.
5.) Fiber is your friend, but a lot of fiber also contain gluten. Not so with gluten free multigrain and fiber breads, brown rice, pulses like lentils, beans, and peas, seeds, nuts, vegetables, fruits, and potato skins.
6.) Don't eat too much salt. Most foods with lots of salt are processed foods, which are bad for you anyway. Unfortunately, snacks and ready meals are likely to be offered on the table. If you find something has very little flavor, add some spices to it instead of salt.
7.) Don't drink too much alcoholic beverages. You should stick to no more than 14 units per week, spread out over at least three days. Do not drink alcohol at all if you are trying to conceive or if you are pregnant.
Supplementation:
When you receive a celiac diagnosis, it will usually mean that you have significant damage to your gut's lining as you will have already eaten foods with gluten for some time. As a result, you may find it difficult to properly absorb nutrients while you heal. This can lead to nutritional deficiencies, including iron deficiency anemia.
By sticking to a gluten free diet, your gut will start to heal and this means that you can properly absorb nutrients again as well. It is possible that you get prescribed specific supplements by your physician. Make sure you speak to your doctor to get proper advice, because he or she will review whether you have any deficiencies. Do make sure, of course, that your overall diet is balanced and nutritious, so that you don't have any deficiencies.
Quite a lot of research is currently ongoing into whether or not people with celiac are able to get sufficient B vitamins, iron, and calcium in their diet. To date, it has been found that this is not a concern.