Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder. Your body cannot tolerate gluten, the protein found in wheat, rye, oats and barley. Nor can you tolerate any gluten by-product, such as mono-sodium glutamate (MSG).
Symptoms of celiac disease or gluten intolerance include stomach cramps, skin rash, headaches, vomiting, and diarrhea or constipation. You may also suffer from bone loss, loss of muscle mass and short stature. The symptoms derive from your inability to draw nutrients into your body from the foods you eat because ingesting gluten has damaged your intestines.
The only treatment for celiac disease is to adhere to a gluten free diet for life.
A gluten free diet means you cannot eat breads or baked goods made with flours derived from wheat, rye or barley. You cannot eat oats or foods containing oats. It means you can't eat cereal or cereal bars, crackers or pasta. It means you cannot eat any packaged goods containing a gluten by-product. These include certain brands of ketchup, sauces such as soy sauce, and foods containing preservatives and artificial food coloring.
To control celiac disease, the bulk of your diet should consist of fresh fruits and vegetables and high protein foods such as lean red meat and eggs. You should eat fish three times a week or more.
For breads and baked goods, eat only those that have been made from gluten free flours. Some of these are rice flour, tapioca flour, potato flour and bean flour.
Take multivitamins, making sure to select a product that is gluten free. Include flax oil or fish oil in your nutritional supplements, again being certain to use only those that are manufactured without products containing gluten.
Reading the labels of all foods and nutritional supplements is important to controlling celiac disease. Manufacturers are required to follow strict standards of manufacturing and packaging if they claim their products are gluten free. Nonetheless, familiarize yourself with the additives and by-products that contain gluten to avoid accidentally ingesting it. A comprehensive list of foods and additives to avoid can be found at celiac.com.
Avoiding gluten in foods and eating properly may take a little practice, but it can be accomplished. What may be more difficult is avoiding cross contamination.
Any surface on which you prepare your food must be absolutely free of any gluten-based flours, as need be any utensils or dishes you use. And depending on your sensitivity level, you may not be able to be in a room in which such flours are being used.
For example: Suppose your spouse makes a sandwich using store bought wheat bread. He doesn't wipe down the countertop afterwards. If you begin to prepare your foods on that surface without it being cleaned, there is the risk of cross contamination.
A grain on the countertop is a boulder in your gut, smashing your intestinal villi and causing you to suffer. But strictly adhering to a gluten-free diet will allow your intestines to heal, and you can become symptom free.