Facts on a Celiac Diet

1. Gluten's the Enemy

If you have Celiac Disease, you need to rid your diet of all products that contain gluten. Gluten, found in wheat products, contain amino acids that prove harmful to people diagnosed with Celiac Disease. The person can't digest the gluten properly and will develop a systemic reaction after eating something that contains the ingredient. You'll experience bloating, abdominal pain, gas, diarrhea and fatigue until you start following a Celiac Diet.

2. Read Every Label

After you receive a diagnosis from a doctor confirming your Celiac Disease, he'll have you change your diet right away. To follow a Celiac Diet and avoid gluten products, you'll have to learn how to read food labels. Since gluten is rarely listed on a food label, you need to look for the grains and flours that contain gluten instead. Beware of products that contain bulgur, barley, bran, wheat, rye, graham, oats, or starch. A food item marked with one of these ingredients will contain gluten.

3. Elimination is the Key

To follow a Celiac diet, you must first get rid of any gluten containing products you eat on a regular basis. Keep a list of all food items that you know aggravate your symptoms and remember not to eat them. Breads and cereals are not the only foods that contain gluten. Less obvious gluten-containing foods include frozen French fries, soy sauce and malt vinegar. If in doubt, eliminate a food from your diet for a few days and then try it again to see if it causes symptoms. If you have problems figuring out the foods to avoid on a Celiac diet, ask your doctor to recommend a nutritionist to work with you.

4. Locate Gluten-Free Alternatives

When you're following a Celiac diet, you should replace your old favorites with gluten-free foods. Go down the aisles of the grocery store and find foods that you can enjoy without gluten. For breads, look for products made from rice flour, potato and arrowroot instead of wheat. On a Celiac diet, you can enjoy cereals that contain corn meal, rice and potato-based ingredients.

5. Work Around Other Food Sensitivities

With Celiac disease, you may have food sensitivities or allergies other than gluten. Many patients are unable to consume dairy, nuts, shellfish and other common allergens without developing symptoms. If you have a sensitivity to any of these food items, you'll have to eliminate them along with the gluten from your Celiac diet.