This book was written by a nurse who has celiac disease. It has two co-authors who wrote some of the chapters: Mary Kay Sharrett, a dietician who ran a support group for celiac patients at a children’s hospital, and Steve Plogsted who is a pharmacist specializing in helping patients avoid gluten in medications. Like other books I’ve read about celiac disease and/or gluten intolerance, this starts out by defining the condition, describing how a diagnosis is obtained, and outlining how to successfully live gluten-free. How to change your eating habits, read labels more carefully, source gluten-free foods, maintain a gluten-free kitchen (whether living solo or sharing space with others), deal with eating out and social events, how to help your children stick to a gluten-free diet if needed, and so on.
A lot of this is familiar information to me by now. Things that were new to me: the entire chapter on a skin affliction linked to celiac disease, dermatitis herpetiformis. The explanation of why gluten intolerant people often also have lactose intolerance (me included). Ideas on what to consume after an accidental exposure, to help your body recover faster. New recipes are always appreciated, I will be copying some of these down and trying them out! Some of the tips on keeping kitchen areas free of contamination were helpful to me (though I’m not going to stick a huge sign over my dedicated cutting board, I think that would be too much for my family). I also appreciated that this book discussed the presence of gluten in medications (though it sounds like the risk level is very minimal), and dealt extensively with the emotional upheaval of dealing with celiac disease. Both from having an undiagnosed malady for most of your life (and maybe the discouragement of everyone around you thinking you’re a hypochondriac), and then the shock of a diagnosis, how overwhelming it feels to need to change everything, how isolating and frustrating to have to avoid something so ubiquitous- the social aspects. There are a lot of personal stories in this book- from children, teens and adults. From people who knew they were celiac from a young age, to those who found out after decades of struggle with their health. I appreciated those stories. Some of them I really could relate to, others described an experience very different from my own- whether in the symptoms experienced or the interactions with people around them- but all of them I learned something from.
Borrowed from the public library.
