Managing the Stress of Getting “Glutened”
Getting “glutened” is an unofficial (and non-medical) term for consuming gluten without realizing it until it is too late. After being so careful about avoiding gluten, getting glutened in an unexpected way can be especially stressful. Feeling emotionally stressed can also compound the physical reactions you might have when gluten gets into your system. According Read More
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Staying Safely Gluten-Free: At Home and Beyond
May 3rd, 5 pm PST/ 8 pm EST You know the sources of gluten, are familiar with gluten-free alternatives and are feeling good. What else do you need to know for optimal health? How can you avoid even tiny amounts of gluten? What do you do when gluten accidentally gets into that “gluten-free” food you’re Read More
Gluten-Free Irish Cuisine
When exploring international cuisines, Ireland may not be on your radar until St. Patty’s Day, but if you are avoiding gluten, you could find some dishes to enjoy year-round that are typically gluten-free. Many traditional Irish dishes feature meat and potatoes. The meat tends to be lamb or mutton, and hearty, root vegetables like carrots, Read More
Renowned Expert Weighs in on Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity
We held a virtual event on January 18, 2022, with Dr. Stefano Guandalini, Professor Emeritus, Founder and Director Emeritus of the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center and former Chief of the Section of Pediatric Gastroenterology of the University of Chicago. Dr. Guandalini answered some of the attendee questions we didn’t get to that evening. Read More
Disordered Eating and Gluten-Related Disorders
If you have been diagnosed with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), the only treatment is a medically restricted diet. You must pay more attention to what you eat — or don’t eat — and stick to eating gluten-free. For some, paying close attention to food in this way can lead to disordered eating Read More
Setting Healthy Boundaries When You’re Living Gluten-Free
As you transition to living gluten-free, your day-to-day interactions around food can be stressful. Many people aren’t familiar with gluten-related issues and disorders. Some may think going gluten-free is a fad rather than a medical necessity. How can you successfully navigate the different reactions and attitudes toward your gluten-free requirements? We’ve got some tips Read More
What You Need to Know About Gluten Sensitivity
If you’ve ruled out celiac disease but eliminating gluten from your diet seems to alleviate your symptoms, you may have gluten sensitivity. Gluten sensitivity, also referred to as non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) or non-celiac wheat sensitivity (NCWS), is a condition when ingesting gluten leads to intestinal or other reactions. If excluding gluten from your diet relieves symptoms, and eating gluten causes symptoms to return, you could be diagnosed with gluten sensitivity simply through a process Read More
Experts Weigh in Regarding Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity
Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) held a panel event in the Fall of 2021, “Getting a Celiac Disease or Gluten Sensitivity Diagnosis,” that provided valuable information on seeking a gluten-related disorder diagnosis. Since there wasn’t enough time to address all the questions raised by attendees, we’ve compiled some additional answers here. Watch the full panel discussion. Read More
Does Your Family Health History Determine Celiac Disease?
How important is your family’s health history in diagnosing or ruling out celiac disease? Believe it or not, approximately 35% of the general population has the genes that predispose a person to celiac disease, but only 1% of the general population develop the autoimmune disorder. Celiac disease is considered a hereditary autoimmune disorder. However, experts say that while having a family history of celiac disease makes you Read More
The Tools to Replace in Your Gluten-Free Kitchen
WOODEN UTENSILS Wood can be tricky to thoroughly clean. Wood fibers could harbor gluten particles and enter your food with the next stir. CUTTING BOARDS Be cautious with cutting boards. If they are pitted or scratched, gluten could settle into crevices. It’s better not to risk using your former bread board for your new gluten-free Read More
The Connection Between Gluten Intolerance and Reproductive Health
When you think of the effects of celiac disease, digestive system, namely the intestines, probably come to mind. Yet symptoms of celiac disease, can present in many different ways, including your reproductive health. For example, if you have undiagnosed and/or untreated celiac disease, you may be more likely to experience infertility. While research is limited and results of studies are mixed, here’s why and how gluten intolerance could impact fertility. Gluten intake in individuals with celiac disease may impact reproductive health in two Read More
Gluten and Your Muscles, Joints, and Skin
If you are experiencing unexplained joint or muscle pain, bone issues, or even a rash on your body — and some other factors are in place — these issues could be related to gluten intolerance.
VIRTUAL EVENT 10/19: How Do You Get a Celiac Disease or Gluten Sensitivity Diagnosis?
What might lead you to consider that you have a gluten intolerance? And if you suspect that, what happens next? Should you start eating gluten-free? That’s what we’ll be discussing – in detail – on Tuesday, October 19 at 5:00 pm PT/8:00 pm ET with three experts who will explain what happens once you start looking into the possibility of a diagnosis.
Gluten and Your Mental Health
A common way of thinking of gluten-related disorders – whether celiac disease or gluten sensitivity – is that the main symptoms are related to the digestive system – the intestines, the stomach, even the mouth. Gluten sensitivity and celiac disease can affect other parts of your body as well, including your brain. There are two main ways gluten can affect your brain and mental well-being: In people with gluten-related disorders, gluten can cause Read More
3 Steps to a Celiac Disease Diagnosis
You’ve been experiencing some discomfort, pain, or simply feel unwell. You go to the doctor to try to find out what’s wrong. At what point should the topic of celiac disease and getting tested come up? If it does, what happens next?
Eat Your Vegetables: Nutrients You’re Missing When Gluten-Free
Published June, 2021 Cutting out wheat, rye, and barley – and products derived from those grains – is the way people with celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) eat gluten-free. Sticking to a gluten-free diet helps heal intestinal damage caused by celiac disease, specifically, and improves health. NCGS does not cause intestinal damage but is also treated with a gluten-free diet. Eliminating gluten-containing grains and grain-based products from your diet, however, can reduce intake of some key nutrients. How can Read More
Self-Advocating: From Diagnosis to Living with Celiac Disease
Published May, 2021 Each step of your celiac disease journey comes with different sets of challenges – not just physical, but emotional ones as well. One part of living with celiac disease or a non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) is standing up, or advocating, for yourself. Standing up for yourself takes many different forms. Being your own advocate can be a major part of dealing with healthcare providers. You may find you also have to self-advocate when interacting with Read More
Building Your Healthcare Team
Published May, 2021 The purpose of this article is to explain the different types of expertise that may be beneficial when taking a comprehensive approach to treating a person diagnosed with celiac disease. GIG acknowledges that not everyone has access to all of these options, and some have access to very few of them. This is an important point to note and a conversation we will Read More
Celiac Disease: Barriers to Diagnosis
Published April, 2021 If getting your celiac disease diagnosis is taking (or took) a long time, you are not alone. The journey to diagnosis can take a while for individuals with celiac disease. We spoke to some experts who treat celiac disease patients to better understand some of the barriers that can interfere with a prompt diagnosis. Patient Confusion/Attitudes When you’re not feeling well, Read More
Dealing with the Stress of a Celiac Disease Diagnosis
Published April, 2021 Are you feeling stressed out? If so, you’re not alone. Many things in life can create stress, and when we are stressed, our brains release hormones like cortisol into our bloodstream. While you can usually adapt to “short term” stress, long term stress – like what you might experience when you have a chronic Read More
4-Week Vegan and Gluten-Free Meal Plan
Are you gluten-free and vegan, too? Meal planning around multiple dietary restrictions can be challenging. This Gluten-Free Vegan Meal Plan is filled with delicious options to make it easier to shop and prepare healthy meals. If you are glutenfree and looking to make your diet more plant-based, this meal plan can be a great resource Read More
Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2020
Published September 29, 2020 GIG Research Update The 2020 Digestive Disease Week (DDW) conference was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, but there was still much to be learned from abstracts that had already been submitted and accepted. Following are summaries of selected abstracts related to celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. Probiotics for celiac disease Read More
Eating Out: 7 Tips For Staying Gluten-Free
Download the Printable Version of this Educational Bulletin Published December, 2021 Tips for Dining Away from Home Staying gluten-free when dining out can be a source of anxiety. Many restaurants have “gluten-free” offerings, but how can you be sure that procedures are being followed to avoid cross-contact and that all ingredients used are truly Read More
Medications and the Gluten-Free Diet
Download the Printable Version of this Educational Bulletin Published October 17, 2019 Staying gluten-free involves more than just dietary changes.While use of gluten as an ingredient in medications is uncommon, medications must also be evaluated for their gluten content. Many pharmaceuticals have an additional filler called an excipient, used to make a particular dosage Read More
Guide to a Safe, Gluten-Free Hospital Stay
Download the Printable Version of this Educational Bulletin Published April, 2022 Full version of this article is in the print pdf. Being admitted to the hospital can be a stressful experience, especially if you have an autoimmune disorder like celiac disease. Whether you are there for a day-surgery or for a longer stay, hospital Read More
Healthy Weight Gain in Celiac Disease
Download the Printable Version of this Educational Bulletin Published August, 2021 The term “weight management” generally brings to mind the issue of how to lose weight, or at least how to prevent gain. But sometimes there are health-related reasons to gain weight, and one scenario where this may be the case is in celiac Read More
Pregnancy and Celiac Disease
Download the Printable Version of this Educational Bulletin Published October 17, 2019 Pregnancy and celiac disease both call for extra considerations when it comes to nutrition. What if you fall into both categories? Do some of the needs overlap, and are there special nutritional issues that arise for pregnant women who have celiac disease? Read More
Diabetes and Celiac Disease
Download the Printable Version of this Educational Bulletin Published July, 2020 What is celiac disease? An autoimmune disease which is the result of an immune system response to the ingestion of gluten (a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley) in susceptible individuals. This response to gluten damages the small intestine, leading to malabsorption of Read More
Celiac Disease & Thyroid Conditions
Download the Printable Version of this Educational Bulletin Published October 17, 2019 Celiac disease and thyroid disease: the connection Researchers have found autoimmune thyroid diseases to be more common in people with celiac disease than in the general population. Similarly, individuals who have autoimmune thryoid disease are more likely to develop celiac disease compared Read More
Celiac Disease and Anemia
Download the Printable Version of this Educational Bulletin Published February 24, 2022 What is Anemia? Anemia results from a decrease in the size or number of red blood cells, or in the amount of hemoglobin, which is the red pigment in red blood cells. Think of red blood cells as ships that deliver oxygen Read More
Weight Management and the Gluten-Free Diet
Download the Printable Version of this Educational Bulletin Published October 17, 2019 Individuals with undiagnosed or untreated celiac disease may experience unintended weight loss over time due to malabsorption of nutrients caused by damage to the intestine. However, when a gluten-free diet is begun and the intestine heals, lost weight is sometimes re-gained and Read More
Women and Gluten-Related Disorders
Published October 1, 2021 Some symptoms of gluten-related disorders (celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity) are also more likely to exist in women than men in general. Therefore, if you are a woman and have any of these conditions or symptoms it’s important to consider both gluten-related disorders, as well as non-gluten related issues Read More