Celiac Awareness Day?

I’ve taken the intro of this post from a blog at What’s UP, Canada’s Family Magazine site (aka my day job).

Whats UP Health Editor Glen Herbert wrote, Today (September 13th) is Celiac Awareness Day, and celiac disease happens to be one of the most commonly talked-about diseases in this day and age. In fact, it is estimated that one in 133 people have celiac disease and an estimated two million people remain unaware that they are affected by it. You can check out the rest of the article here.

But WTF is Celiac…I mean what does it really mean and how does it make you feel? I hear people all the time say they are allergic to Gluten; I’ve even read somewhere that all humans have some kind of intolerance. So today is the day to get to the bottom of it.

Celiac disease is a medical condition in which the absorptive surface of the small intestine is damaged by gluten. It causes our bodies to not absorb nutrients: protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.

Common symptoms are anemia, chronic diarrhea, weight loss, fatigue, cramps and bloating, irritability. If you have any combination of these you should probably go to a Dr. and get screened. As these symptoms don’t sound very pleasant.

Does this mean bread is off limits?  I see all kinds of recipes for gluten free products online and in-stores.  So if you do have Celiac Disease  you not relegated to a bread free life, just a gluten free one.

I’m not a Dr. nor do I claim to be, so please gather more information if you think you may have sensitivity to gluten or Celiac disease. There is a ton of information floating around the web today about it.

Here are a few sources:

Canadian Celiac Association
National Foundation of Celiac Awareness