GlutenWatchers

Hi, I am Anjali, the founder of this site and a year-long celiac:)

Now that you have a celiac diagnosis, you are likely to have a lot of questions about your condition. Your doctor may, apart from telling you not to consume any gluten, have also referred you to a nutritionist. A dietitian/ nutritionist can be vital to your journey to a gluten-free life, so make the most of such advice, if you have it.

We are here to help you clear a path through the deluge of information you will need to navigate to return yourself to a healthy state.

[Disclaimer: None of the information presented on this site must be taken as a replacement for medical advice. GlutenWatchers presents general information only, & you are advised to consult with your doctor in all matters relating to your disease.]

First off, as a celiac who was diagnosed in her forties, I can tell you that the diagnosis is a blessing. Why? Well, first, because finally you know what is causing the severe abdominal distress & lack of energy that you have been experiencing. Such knowledge is power, my friend! Secondly, thank your stars it is celiac: a disease that does not need surgery nor expensive medication; and most importantly, YOU are in charge now, as long as you control what you put into your body, you are likely to heal rapidly.

Having said that, living gluten-free day-to-day is quite a challenge. Today, thanks to a good amount of awareness of the disease, a wide variety of gluten free products are available here in the US: we have created a store on this site where you can safely order gluten-free products from Amazon. You will see from the collections on our Buy Gluten-Free pages that celiacs need not miss out on anything at all: there are breads, crackers, pizzas, pastas, cookies, brownies, & everything you could want. These are great conveniences to have around, during the work-week or while traveling.

If you like to cook, check out our Recipes section for delicious, healthy, mostly vegetarian dishes to make for yourself & your family. Here’s a little secret: as you cook your gluten-free meals day after day, you will discover a deep respect for food & your body & its magnificent healing powers, if we treat it right.

This section of GlutenWatchers will bring to you resources, information & advice that will help you get started on this life-long journey. Check out all the other posts so that you are armed with all you need to know.

Before I sign off though, I would like to leave you with some ideas for gluten-free living that I have had to learn the hard way:

Read all labels on the food you consume very carefully. Even if a package or product does not have wheat listed as an ingredient, there are a ton of hidden sources of gluten (such as soy sauce, vitamins, mouthwash, for example) & there are also several grains aside from wheat that contain gluten. Check out our Gluten-Free List of Safe Products from time to time to eat safely.

Take nothing for granted! Let me share my example with you. I love spicy foods, & cook most of my meals myself to make certain that I am indeed eating gluten free. Imagine my surprise when, on my next testing at 6 months, my gastroenterologist informs me that my blood test shows that I am still ingesting some gluten. I mentally run through all my key ingredients & know that most of what I am eating is unquestionably safe; except for my spices! Like most Indians, I buy my spices in large packages from the Indian store & it never occurred to me to check if these were gluten-free. So now I check the plastic pack in which they come, & there it is: while the spices themselves do not contain any gluten, the pack informs me that the spices may have been ground in a mill that also grinds wheat products! Bottom line, I now make my own spices too.

Beware of cross-contamination. This is a huge problem since initially you are likely to think that a small bread crumb in the butter bowl is not such a big deal. Trust me it is, your body will react vehemently to the smallest amount of gluten, since the celiac body is built to treat all gluten as a foreign & dangerous invader. And believe me when I say that the slightest ingestion may set you back a few days to a few weeks. So make sure the kitchen is clear of contaminants, & that you are keeping your food & utensils away from the rest of the non-celiac family’s.
Cross-contamination can be a big issue when you are eating out too. You may know that say a dish of rice & beans is gluten-free & may think that it will do no harm to order it. However, if the restaurant is not a gluten-free one or the item is not specifically labelled gluten-free, you are taking a risk here: there are innumerable chances for cross-contamination in the kitchen, & most restaurants are too ignorant of the risks to a celiac from the slightest ingestion of gluten.
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