In this Article

• How does digestion work?
• What is celiac disease?
• What are the symptoms of celiac disease?
• What are the dietary restrictions for celiac disease?
• Foods containing gluten
• Are there any dietary deficiencies associated with celiac disease?
• What foods are safe to consume with celiac disease?
• Gluten-free foods
• What are resources for a gluten-free diet?
• Celiac Disease: Gluten Free Diet Glossary
• Celiac Disease: Gluten Free Diet Index

Gluten-free foods

It's a good idea to get into the habit of keeping a food record. You can use the record to make sure that you are reaching your required nutrients and avoiding gluten containing foods.

These are the foods that are SAFE to consume:

• Amaranth
  
  
• Arrowroot
  
  
• Buckwheat
  
  
• Cassava
  
  
• Corn
  
  
• Flax
  
  
• Garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
  
  
• Indian rice grass
  
  
• Job's tears
  
  
• Legumes
  
  
• Millet
  
  
• Nut flours
  
  
• Potatoes
  
  
• Quinoa
  
  
• Rice
  
  
• Sago
  
  
• Seeds
  
  
• Soy
  
  
• Sorghum
  
  
• Tapioca
  
  
• Teff
  
  
• Wild rice
  
  
• Yucca

The other foods that you are able to eat are:

Meats

• Plan meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, and eggs
  
  
• Dry peas and beans, nuts, peanut butter, and soybeans
  
  
• Tofu

Fruit

• Fruit
  
  
• Fruit juice

Vegetables

• Fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables

Dairy

• Milk
  
  
• Plain yogurt
  
  
• Cottage cheese
  
  
• Cheese

Beverages

• Pure instant or ground coffee
  
  
• Tea
  
  
• Carbonated beverages
  
  
• Alcohol - wine, vodka, gin, rum

Fats

• Butter
  
  
• Margarine
  
  
• Vegetable oils
  
  
• Lard
  
  
• Shortening

Miscellaneous

• Sugar
  
  
• Honey
  
  
• Jelly
  
  
• Jam
  
  
• Olives
  
  
• Black pepper

There is a way to convert recipes that contain gluten into gluten-free recipes. You will need to experiment with the ingredient substitution, length of time, and temperature used for baking. Here are some substitutions that you can make in your recipes:

For 1 tablespoon of wheat flour, substitute one of these:

• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
  
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons potato starch
  
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons arrowroot starch
  
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons rice flour
  
  
• 2 teaspoons quick-cooking tapioca

For 1 cup of wheat flour, substitute one of these:

• 3/4 cup plain cornmeal, coarse
  
  
• 1 cup plain cornmeal, fine
  
  
• 5/8 cup potato flour
  
  
• 3/4 cup rice flour

A panel convened by the National Institutes of Health assessed all of the available scientific evidence on celiac disease and identified six elements essential to treating celiac disease once it is diagnosed:

C: Consultation with a skilled registered dietitian

E: Education about the disease

L: Lifelong adherence to a gluten-free diet

I: Identification and treatment of nutritional deficiencies

A: Access to an advocacy group

C: Continuous long-term follow-up.

You are going to need time, patience, persistence, and support with making these changes. These changes will affect you and everyone in your life, but it will get easier as you all get used to it. You are not alone in this so reach out to those who know what you are going through. The important thing to remember is that your body needs this diet to function correctly.

Suggested Reading by Our Doctors

• Muscle Cramps - Get information on muscle cramps causes (vitamin deficiency, drugs, lactic acid, dehydration, low calcium, potassium or magnesium), treatment and prevention.
• Constipation - Read details about constipation and the different treatments available for constipation including laxatives, dietary fiber, enemas, suppositories, drugs, and surgery.
• Intestinal Gas - Learn about intestinal gas (belching, bloating, flatulence) including causes, how it is evaluated, and how excessive intestinal gas is treated

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