Gluten-Free Gab: Celiacs and Insensitivites

Written by Danielle Paananen on 03 July 2013

Danielle Paananen is a homemaker; wife and Mom of 2 energetic boys ,and entrepreneur from Manitouwadge, Ontario. When she realized her eldest son would benefit from a gluten-free diet but couldn’t find the foods he needed in Manitouwadge, or surrounding communities. she rolled up her sleeves and got to work creating new recipes and converting old favourites; it wasn’t long before she realized there were many other people who would appreciate having gluten-free options to purchase in the Manitouwadge area. She currently works from home though she hopes to someday relocate to Manitouwadge’s downtown core. Paananen’s new column “Details by Danielle” will be published every other week on OntarioNewsNorth.com, don’t hesitate to leave your questions, comments or topic requests for Danielle below, she looks forward to hearing from readers!

Danielle Paananen, Owner/Baker, Gluten-Free Manitouwadge

This week, I thought I would talk about some of the reasons why one would go gluten free in the first place. Before I get into recipes and tips and tricks, I wanted to give some understanding about why many people are required to go on this diet, and why some go gluten free by choice.

The most common reason that a person would need to go on a gluten free diet is called a Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity, which affects an estimated 12% of the general population! Unfortunately, many of these cases go undiagnosed, and even when they are diagnosed, many doctors simply disregard these findings, even though a strict gluten free diet could be a huge benefit for them! So, what a gluten sensitivity is, is when eating foods that contain gluten causes your body to have an immune response, and attack the proteins. Those suffering from a gluten sensitivity would see symptoms anywhere between hours and a couple of days after ingesting glutinous foods. Some of these symptoms include joint pain, numbness in the legs, arms or fingers, headaches and having a “foggy mind”.

Another common reason why one may need to go on this diet is Celiac Disease, an autoimmune disease which can cause damage to the small intestine. This damage causes an inability to absorb nutrients, causing malnutrition, severe vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and it also opens the door for other disorders, such as neurological disorders, some cancers, and other autoimmune disorders. Celiac disease affects as many as 1 in 133 people, and can be quite difficult to diagnose. Many people may not realize what they’re bodies are trying to tell them, and just put up with many of the symptoms, because they may be tolerable, and they might not see it as a problem until it progresses and gets much worse. Once it progresses, it can result in hospitalization or even death.

Celiac disease can affect anybody regardless of age, gender or race. Some of the symptoms of celiac disease are: bloating, gas and/or abdominal pain, fatigue, irritability or behaviour changes, and itchy skin rashes. Also, your risk also increases if a 1st or 2nd generation family member has been diagnosed, or if you have another illness or condition such as iron deficiency/anemia, depression, type 1 diabetes, and thyroid disease.

So, what are some of the treatments for both gluten sensitivity and celiac disease? Unfortunately, there are absolutely NO pharmaceutical treatments for either one. The one and only treatment is a strict gluten free diet. I’m talking not even a crumb of “real” bread. As little as 20 parts per million can send somebody with a serious case of celiac disease to the hospital in serious condition.

Now, what about those who choose to be gluten free, simply as a matter of personal preference? For some, it is the fact that humans don’t actually completely digest wheat, as well as the fact that wheat is quickly converted to sugar in the body, and raises insulin levels. Not to mention the fact that wheat is so processed (“refined wheat”) that they need to add nutrients to it, because they have all been removed during the refining process.

Others who go on a gluten free diet just feel better in general. Those little stomach problems (excess gas, diarrhea, constipation) and the fatigue that never seems to let up, regardless of how much you sleep, seems to disappear. That seemingly impossible acne problem has cleared up. They have more energy, and just seem happier. These are all things that I have experienced being on a gluten free diet, and you really start to notice the effects gluten has on your body once you’ve gotten it out of you system… and especially when you eat something with gluten in it after being gluten free. You really start to see the havoc it can play on your body, and your mind too!

For my family, however, it was none of these above reasons that we are now a gluten-free household. In mid-August of 2012, we decided to try our oldest son, who was four at the time, on a gluten and dairy free diet. I had been back and forth on my decision about this diet since he was diagnosed with autism in November of 2011. There was a lot of controversy when it came to what has been labelled in the autism community as the “Autism Diet”. Most doctors will tell you it’s unnecessary, and that there’s no medical reasoning behind it. Then you talk to other parents with kids on the autism spectrum, and we see an incredibly high success rate! Eventually, I just decided that we would try the diet (i mean, it’s just food, right?!) and, worst-case scenario, it doesn’t work and he can go back on a ‘regular’ diet. Within weeks of being gluten and dairy free, we saw huge improvements in him! A formerly non-verbal child was starting to babble, we saw a reduction in his tantrums, his sensitivities to sound, touch and texture wasn’t as intense, and his irrational fears and rituals were lessening. The difference was absolutely incredible! Today, almost a year later, we have a child who uses about 100+ words, he reads and writes, he plays with other children (something he would not really do before either) and he can now feed himself with a fork and spoon (something he had great difficulty with before due to deficiencies in his motor skills).

So, as you can see, there are several reasons to try a gluten free diet that may be a greater benefit than most may realize. Anybody who suspects they may have a sensitivity to gluten, or celiac disease, feel free to take a look at this checklist and see if you may benefit from talking to your doctor about getting the blood test done. The website for this is http://www.celiaccentral.org/Celiac-Disease/Symptoms-Checklist/138/

As always, share your questions, comments, ideas for my column below or if you would like advice on how to get started, contact me at www.facebook.com/GlutenFreeManitouwadge (“Like” Gluten-Free Wadge on Facebook to hear about special offers, new products and more — It’s also a great place to connect with others who are eating gluten-free or who had a loved one with special dietary needs, a little ecouragement can go a long way.