Starting out on any new journey is challenging, no matter what it is that you are attempting to do. Forming positive habits takes time, but when it comes to something like receiving a coeliac diagnosis and changing your diet and lifestyle to a gluten free diet, the time is now to make a change. Having access to gluten free products and recipes, through a prescription service (for those that qualify), is one of the best ways to find support and ensure that you have all the right types of ingredients and products to help you along the way as you begin life gluten free.
In order for the effects of gluten on your body to be removed, you must immediately remove gluten from your diet, once you have a diagnosis of coeliac disease. There isn’t a halfway house when it comes to removing gluten from your diet, you can’t think to yourself that you’ll just have a little, or you’ll cut down, as the impact on your body will remain. This is a big change for some people, so learning about gluten free diets and what types of ingredients and foods you can have as part of your new way of cooking and eating is the first port of call.
How to find gluten free products
Supermarkets do now stock many different types of gluten free products, and the types and quantities of ingredients and products continue to grow each year. It is as simple as just getting out there and looking for gluten free ingredients and products, but if this is your first time looking for them it can be daunting to head out there and to know exactly what you are looking for.
There are some tips that you can put in place though, including:
Head to the free-from aisle at your local supermarket – this is the best place to start but be aware that in most supermarkets this will be a ‘free-from’ aisle and not specifically and solely a gluten free aisle. Make sure to check products and ingredient lists thoroughly to ensure that what you are looking at is gluten free and not just a ‘dairy-free’ or ‘egg-free’ product for instance.
Naturally gluten free ingredients – there are loads of ingredients that are naturally gluten free, so learning about these and what you can and can’t include in a new gluten free diet is an important step. Always check the label to see the ingredients list (some products might say ‘may contain traces of gluten’, so it is important to be wary of this) and start to understand what is naturally gluten free anyway, such as meat, nuts, fruit, and vegetables.
Check when eating out at restaurants – when you are recently diagnosed coeliac you might think that it is hard for you to eat out at cafés and restaurants. Whilst it is challenging to do so, you don’t have to miss out on a treat every now and then. Always check menus ahead of time and ask your server in a restaurant what gluten free items are on their menu. You’ll find that most eateries will clearly mark gluten free items in the same way that vegetarian and vegan options are clearly listed.
Gluten free products on prescription
For patients that have been diagnosed as coeliac by a medical professional, they might be entitled to a gluten free prescription. It is always worth checking with your doctor and finding out what it is you are entitled to. A gluten free prescription helps you to have immediate access to certain gluten free products and ingredients, from gluten free bread, pizza bases, flour, pasta, crackers, and cereal, to name just a few. This is a great way for patients beginning a new gluten free diet to adhere to a new regime and new habit. Even though in the past few years it has become easier to find gluten free products in the supermarket, it isn’t always straightforward, especially to people who are recently diagnosed and not used to formulating a diet and meal plan that only utilises gluten free ingredients.
For those that qualify for a gluten free prescription, you will have access to some gluten free products and ingredients that you can use as staple parts of your new gluten free diet. It takes time to for a new habit, but when it comes to becoming gluten free, after suffering with symptoms of coeliac disease and being diagnosed by a medical professional, it is important that you start as you mean to go on. When you know about certain products and ingredients that are gluten free, you can begin to build your new diet and habits around these, with confidence.