Newly Diagnosed

Sun, surf, boats & bikinis, my hometown of Port Macquarie is simply fantastic. My childhood friend Bronwyn still lives there & just like old times we spent our day’s horse riding, wakeboarding, surfing, swimming, playing backyard cricket and catching up about our various adventures over the last few years.

Bronwyn’s mother has recently been diagnosed with Coeliac Disease. It is a big change at first so we spent lots of time talking about ways to help her adjust to her new Gluten Free lifestyle. Here are a few tips ~

Altering your favourite recipes: These days there are so many great substitute products out there that no longer need to miss out. Readily available in local supermarkets are Gluten Free bread, pasta and flour mixes. In most cases you are able to substitute these right into your recipe without any other adjustments.

Changing to Gluten Free brands: Often you simply need to just select a different brand of product to make your meal Gluten Free. The best example of this is Beef, Chicken or Vegetable Stock. So many times I have not been able to eat a meal, just because of a few teaspoons of stock . So when I find a Gluten Free brand I just let my friends & family know so that next time they are shopping they know which one to choose. By changing a few key brands in her kitchen pantry Bronnie was able to cook as she normally would without having to worry about her Mum getting sick.

Cross Contamination: This is something that is often overlooked and many people do not realize the importance. I once heard someone say ‘would you put a piece of bread on a chopping board where you have just chopped raw meat?’ It is the same with Gluten; you cannot stir the pot of Gluten Free pasta with the same spoon as the regular pasta. The BBQ is another great example; the Gluten Free sausages cannot be cooked or put on the same plate as the non-gluten free sausages. You should be especially careful here with marinates, always have your Gluten Free foods on a separate plate & use separate utensils.

It is amazing what a difference family and friends can make in smoothing out the transition to a Gluten Free lifestyle. It is not just about changing over to Gluten free foods, it is about everyday Gluten Free Living and how to make sure your Gluten Free needs don’t become a disability. It’s great when family & friends take the time to learn about your Gluten free requirements. They don’t want to go to the effort of making you a dinner only to find it makes you sick, so take the time in the beginning to educate everyone and as time goes on you will forget what all the worry was about.

Enjoy!