Effectively managing celiac disease goes beyond sticking to a gluten-free diet, especially if you live in a home with gluten-munching family members. It takes vigilance to avoid accidental ingestion and the dreaded symptoms of being “glutened”. Smart shopping and deep cleaning can help, but how else can you manage celiac disease on a daily basis and maintain a social life? Below, we explore some strategies that help.
Essential Daily Practices for Managing Celiac Disease
Adhering to a strict gluten-free diet is the goal. But in practice it has many layers. From cross contamination at home to finding a restaurant that understands, staying informed and educated is the best way to pick up new tips and find ways to simplify your kitchen.
Avoiding Cross Contamination at Home
Have celiac disease but live with gluten gluttons? You can still stay healthy with some careful planning around the kitchen. In an ideal world your whole kitchen would be gluten free, but the likelihood of everyone giving up toast and PB&Js might be quite low.
To protect your gluten free preparation as much as possible:
Clean as you go: Immediately deal with crumbs so they can’t create a gluten accident later.
Prepare gluten in certain areas: Restricting bread, flour, and other gluten dishes to certain areas helps you to zero-in on areas that need extra cleaning.
Invest in different colored utensils: Accidentally stirring dishes with the same utensils is one of the most common ways to “get glutened”. Invest in a new set of utensils in a different color to train your brain over time to use the right ones.
Creating a Gluten-Free Kitchen or Area
Working in a gluten-free space dramatically reduces the chances of a glutening. And you can create safe spaces in your kitchen, even if you share it with family. Extra tools can be a great place to start and are an often overlooked source of contamination. If you have celiac disease, consider investing in:
A dedicated gluten-free toaster: Crumbs are the enemy of the celiac. Using a dedicated toaster keeps your gluten-free bread free from visible and invisible contamination.
Separate Cookware and Utensils: Designated pots, pans, and utensils reduce the risk of accidental contamination.
Colanders: Gluten is very sticky and can get stuck in colander holes. A dedicated gluten-free colander removes the worry about lingering gluten.
Storage Containers: Specific containers for gluten-free foods prevent accidentally reusing a gluten-containing tub.
Labels and Markers: Clearly label gluten-free items avoid mix-ups.
Boost Cleaning Practices to Maintain a Gluten-Free Environment
Despite buying the right foods, gluten can show up everywhere in a shared kitchen. Countertops, towels, appliances and cookware can hide crumbs in plain sight. To keep your gluten free cooking truly gluten free:
Clean your surfaces thoroughly as you cook
Look out for gluten traps like the oven or microwave interior
Use separate sponges and rags for washing gluten free cookware
Deep clean your kitchen regularly. Don’t wait for spring cleaning
How to Shop for Gluten-Free Products
Good celiac practice begins at the grocery store. And it can take much longer to shop. Take the time to inspect the food you buy and see the extra time as taking vital care of your body. While you shop, consider the following:
Checking labels: When shopping for gluten-free products, labels are your best friend. Opt for certified gluten-free foods for added confidence.
Avoid empty calories: Many gluten free substitutes products are extremely high in calories and have little nutritional value. As most gluten free is not enriched with vitamins and minerals, gluten free flour-packed can prevent you from getting the right nutrition.
Re-reading labels everytime: Brands change their ingredients more often than you think. You can be caught out by a missing gluten free label on a product that had one for the longest time.
Check upcoming sales: Gluten free shopping can be even more expensive than usual. When you get to know your gluten free brands, check for upcoming sales regularly. You can save a lot of money with buy-one, get-one offers or discount rack prices.
Consider more whole foods: Prepackaged foods can cost a lot of money, with gluten free varieties setting you back even more. Make your own freezer meals and consider value-packed one pot dinners filled with whole foods.
Communicating and Educating Your Loved Ones About Celiac Disease
After all of your efforts in the kitchen, there can still be some bad news. When you carefully store and prepare your gluten free food at home, it means nothing if family members are spreading crumbs and stealing your gluten free utensils.
Help people at home understand the importance of your systems. And resist the temptation to try and manage it all yourself. If the people around you love to cook, make sure they know how to read labels correctly and help them learn how to double-check instead of making assumptions.
Managing Celiac Disease Away From Home
No matter how good your system is at home, we all find ourselves eating out in the world sometimes. Snacking, visiting restaurants, and even attending parties can feel stressful when you need to eat.
Fortunately, some simple strategies can keep you safe and remove any awkwardness from living your best social life.
How Can You Identify Gluten-Free Friendly Restaurants?
There are some restaurants that take celiac disease seriously and offer gluten-friendly options for diners. Be mindful that gluten-friendly does not mean gluten-free, and they can offer no guarantees about cross contamination.
Some gluten-friendly restaurants will offer:
A dedicated menu with gluten-friendly dishes
Separate fryers for french fries and other fried foods
Kitchen areas dedicated to gluten free preparation
Standard operating procedures for staff to change utensils, gloves, or cookware
How to Order Gluten-Free Meals in a Restaurant?
For celiac disease patients with extreme sensitivity to cross contamination, there are no guarantees when eating out. But for people who can enjoy gluten free friendly foods in restaurants with some accommodations, communicate clearly with the staff:
Specify your dietary needs to make sure the restaurant can accommodate you
Ask questions about the kitchen. For example whether the fryer is also used for gluten containing foods.
Request clean equipment for preparing your meal
How Effective Are Online Reviews for Gluten-Free Restaurants?
Online reviews provide firsthand accounts from restaurant visitors where people can describe their experience with staff knowledge and accommodations. But reviews are still written by strangers, and you should always
Stay Gluten-Free at Social Events
Staying gluten free at parties and social events can feel awkward at first. But people-pleasing is not worth getting glutened again. To enjoy your community without feeling hangry all night:
Communicate Dietary Needs: Inform the host about your gluten-free diet.
Bring Your Own Food: Prepare and bring dishes you know are safe.
Research the Menu: If the event is at a restaurant, look up the menu beforehand and consult with the staff about gluten-free options.
Eat before you go: Eating a meal before the event can avoid hunger and reduce the temptation of unsafe foods. It also
Check Labels: At events with packaged foods, don’t hesitate to read labels to confirm they’re safe.
The Snacking Strategy for Living with Celiac Disease
If you leave the house for a few hours or more, it’s always a good idea to carry some snacks. Hunger or delays can come out of nowhere and if you have celiac disease, grabbing a snack from a random place isn’t always feasible.
Some great shelf stable gluten free snacks to carry include:
Trail mix and nuts
Gluten free beef jerky
Granola and nutritious protein bars
Delicious single packs of cookies or other treats
What are The Risks of Long-Term Gluten Exposure with Celiac Disease?
Long-term gluten exposure in someone with celiac disease can lead to severe health complications, including:
Intestinal Damage: Persistent damage to the intestinal lining and relentless damage caused by gluten can impair nutrient absorption and lead to malnutrition and permanent intestinal damage.
Increased Risk of Certain Cancers: Inflammation from prolonged exposure to gluten can raise the risk of gastrointestinal cancers in untreated celiac patients.
Other Autoimmune Disorders: Patients with untreated celiac disease are more likely to develop other autoimmune conditions.
Osteoporosis: Poor calcium and vitamin D absorption increases the risk of bone density loss and fractures.
Fertility Problems: Infertility and miscarriage are more common due to nutritional deficiencies and hormonal imbalances.
Lactose Intolerance: Damage to the intestinal wall can lead to temporary or permanent lactose intolerance.
Daily Strategies Can Manage Celiac, So You Don’t Have To
Success at anything often comes down to one thing. You fall to the level of your systems. If you have no shopping plan, the kitchen is a crumb fest, and going out feels like too much trouble, you need a better celiac strategy.
Fortunately smart shopping, simple investments, planning ahead and new house rules can drastically reduce your risk of a glutening. Implement just a few of these strategies to protect your health and enjoy food again.
