May is Celiac Awareness Month

Some might think of celiac disease is eating gluten-free because their body can’t handle gluten, yes, but they may not realize the harmful consequences behind the disease. 
When undiagnosed, it’s a battle to figure out what is causing a multitude of problems, but once they discover the issue, it comes as a relief, as there’s a reason for the recurring symptoms. 
 
I have three children with celiac disease, and I, being gluten-sensitive ( although one doctor says it’s very likely I’m celiac), he warns me to follow a celiac diet or I could be faced with health issues down the road. According to celiac.org, those left untreated, the disease can lead to serious health problems such as cancer. 
https://celiac.org/about-celiac-disease/what-is-celiac-disease/
 
 
So, what is celiac disease?
It’s an autoimmune disease where the symptoms are triggered by gluten resulting in inflammation and damage to the small intestine. The result is a reduced absorption of iron, calcium, Vitamins A, D, E, K and folate. In my son’s case, he also was low on zinc resulting in extreme cracked lips that weren’t cured by prescriptions, lip balms or Vaseline. 
 
Did you know 1 in 100-200 people in North America have celiac disease, but many are undiagnosed? – https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/reports-publications/food-safety/celiac-disease-gluten-connection.html
 
Celiac disease symptoms can be different for some people. While I have one child who experiences severe stomach pains, another gets skin rashes and headaches. Of course there are other symptoms that present themselves from the disease, there are many!
 
https://www.celiac.ca/gluten-related-disorders/celiac-disease/
 
Living with Celiac Disease can be stressful when socializing because one is always worried if their food will be contaminated by gluten. it’s a constant concern of cross contamination when dining out. A kitchen needs to be clean without gluten particles getting into gluten-free food which means, no sharing ovens with gluten and nothing can touch for fear of one gluten particle can inflame the small intestine. It might sound crazy to some that just a particle of wheat, barley, rye, spelt or Kamut can cause damage to a celiac person’s small intestine, but according to nationalceliac.org, it takes just a crumb, or 10 mg. 
 
https://nationalceliac.org/celiac-disease-questions/can-a-small-amount-of-gluten-make-somebody-sick/?srsltid=AfmBOopf50unZwzkedgkZlYtJWFC19megjkPajBCXsw6mSWxKBuJlAAK
 
Celiac disease isn’t just about being gluten-free, it’s a major health concern and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. If Health Canada reports that over 400,000 people are living with celiac in Canada, it’s something to spread awareness about. 
 
https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/news/2022/05/message-from-the-minister-of-health--food-allergy-and-celiac-awareness-months.html  

**This post is my opinion and have gathered additional information from the links provided.