The Greater New Haven Celiac Group

Gluten-Free Diet Information

If your physician has confirmed a diagnosis of celiac disease or dermatitis herpetiformis, you will need to quickly transition to a strict gluten-free diet. The physician will usually recommend making an appointment with a registered dietitian (RD) knowledgeable with the gluten-free diet and celiac disease. A RD is a licensed health care professional, specializing in food and nutrition, who will assess your specific needs, help you learn to read labels and give you valuable information about the GF diet & lifestyle. Following your diagnosis by a physician and your appointment with a RD, you will be responsible for being compliant with the GF diet and managing your celiac disease. Follow-up with your physician as directed. And if you live in Connecticut, join the Greater New Haven Celiac Group. (link to our PDF Registration form). The help, social interaction and information exchanged is invaluable. Also consider joining and supporting the National Support Groups. These groups help all of us by providing informative websites (many of which we have links to throughout our site), educational materials, seminars, and meetings. Many support a network of local chapters.

The gluten-free diet is the only treatment available for celiac disease (CD) and dermatitis herpetiformis (DH). A gluten-free diet means not eating foods that contain wheat (including spelt, triticale, and kamut), barley, rye and possibly oats. (A Note About Oats PDF). The foods and products made from these grains are also not allowed. Beginning a gluten-free diet may seem challenging at first, but the benefits are worth the change and effort! First and foremost a gluten-free (GF) diet will allow the damaged villi in the intestines to begin healing. While every individual will have a different experience, most newly diagnosed celiacs begin to feel better within days or weeks of going GF.

So what can can you eat? Plain meat, fish, poultry, rice, potatoes, fruits and vegetables are naturally gluten-free and a good start. (Gluten-Free Diet Basics PDF) While regular pasta, breads, cereal, pizza, beer (yes, made from barley), breaded foods, cakes and cereals and processed food contain gluten and cannot be consumed, there are many gluten-free substitutes readily available to satisfy any palate. Learn what foods are safe to eat. For example, potato, rice, soy, amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat (yes, its GF despite its name), chestnut flour and bean flour can be used instead of wheat flour.

Addition Gluten-free Diet Resources:

Gluten-Free Diet/Diet Basics-CSA: http://www.csaceliacs.org/gluten_choices.php

Gluten-Free Diet Self Management-CSA: http://www.csaceliacs.org/dh_steps.php

Learning to live life Gluten-Free - CSA: http://www.csaceliacs.org/celiac_treatment.php#GF

The 3 links by CSA/USA, Inc. listed above, offer information about Gluten-Free Diet Basics, Lifestyle and Diet Self Management. The GNHCG is a subunit and Chapter #75 of CSA/USA, Inc.

Diet instructions (GIG) http://www.gluten.net/downloads/print/GIG%20Diet%20Instruction.pdf

Quick Start Diet Guide (CDF & GIG): http://www.celiac.org/downloads/CDF-Quickstart2008-small.pdf

Read food labels
Always read the food label on any prepared, canned and packaged food to ensure that no gluten has been added before purchasing any product. The Food Allergen and Consumer Protection Act of 2006 (FALCPA), has made label reading for allergens, including wheat a little easier. All ingredients and additives in foods monitored by FDA must include allergen labeling for the top 8 allergens (wheat, eggs, dairy, soy, tree-nuts, peanuts, fish and shell fish). Some foods that may appear acceptable may contain gluten. Wheat-free does not necessarily mean gluten-free! The product may still contain rye, barley or spelt ingredients that contain gluten. What's more, a manufacturer may change a product's ingredients at any time. A food that was once gluten-free, no longer may be. Hidden sources of gluten include additives such as modified food starch, preservatives, stabilizers, thickeners, and texture enhancers in foods.Unless you read the label every time you shop, you won't know this. It might take some time to master label terminology. You should become familiar with the terms over time. Use Safe GF Ingredients List on your new diet but avoid the items on the Unsafe Food Ingredient List all the time!

Call the manufacturer
If you can't tell by reading and interpreting the label if a food contains gluten, don't eat it until you check with the product's manufacturer. There are gluten-free shopper's guides available for purchase that can save you time at the market, although it may not be as current as the information obtained from a quick cell phone call to the manufacturer while in the grocery store. Most products have a toll-free number readily available on their packaging.

Gluten-free products are more abundant and readily available.

Where to Shop
The regular grocery list of "naturally gluten-free" plain meats, fish, rice, potatoes, fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables can still be purchased at your favorite grocery store whether it is a big box store like Costco right down to your local organic market. This doesn't need to change. Shop where you are comfortable and study labels. You will be surprised to find many of your favorite foods are gluten-free. It will take a little extra time at first. Bring your allowable and forbidden ingredient lists with you for label reading!

The gluten-free food industry has exploded during the last few years. The demand is way up for GF items and the manufacturers have responded!

There are hundreds of GF items and these are better tasting, on more grocery shelves and more widely available than ever before. These GF items can be purchased in several ways. Health food and natural food stores usually have gluten-free sections of frozen foods, breads and bakery items. A dry goods section will have various GF flours, baked good mixes, cereals, snacks and all the essentials for a well rounded diet. PDF List of Natural Food Stores in CT GF foods are available at regular grocery stores in CT: Big Y, Shoprite, Stop & Shop, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods to name a few. Again, you will need to become familiar with their placement throughout the store. Some outlets have a natural food section or even a gluten-free section. Another option for buying GF is online. Some of the merchants include www.glutenfreemall.com, www.glutenfree.com and www.glutensolutions.com. You can also go directly to the manufacturer if you wish.

In the Kitchen
Learning to prevent cross-contamination is the key to maintaining a gluten-free diet. Cross contamination is a process by which a gluten-free product comes in contact with something that is not gluten-free.

Here are a few helpful hints:

Separate gluten-free products from other items in your pantry - have a gluten-free shelf if space allows
Have separate containers, clearly marked GF for pantry, refrigerated and freezer items
Use squeeze bottles for condiments like mustard, ketchup, mayo or keep separate containers for yourself and mark these GF
Keep a separate cutting board for GF items
Have your own toaster to avoid "wheat" crumb contamination
Always thoroughly wash and scrub pots & utensils before cooking GF foods or keep a separate set for GF use only

Learn more about Gluten and Cross Contamination:
http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/cookingglutenfree/a/crosscontaminat.htm

"How To" tips for a gluten-free kitchen: http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/theglutenfreediet/ht/GFsafetyathome.htm

Enlist the Help of Family Members
This is not just your disease. If you have family members living in the same house, they need to be involved. Educate your family about the gluten-free diet and how to prevent cross contamination in the kitchen. Simple things like not sharing utensils, being mindful of containers marked GF, thoroughly washing counters and cooking items, will all help to keep you safe and gluten-free.

Gluten-Free Diet Information If your physician has confirmed a diagnosis of celiac disease or dermatitis herpetiformis, you will need to quickly transition to a strict gluten-free diet. The physician will usually recommend making an appointment with a registered dietitian (RD) knowledgeable with the gluten-free diet and celiac disease. A RD is a licensed health care professional, specializing in food and nutrition, who will assess your specific needs, help you learn to read labels and give you valuable information about the GF diet & lifestyle. Following your diagnosis by a physician and your appointment with a RD, you will be responsible for being compliant with the GF diet and managing your celiac disease. Follow-up with your physician as directed. *And if you live in Connecticut, join the Greater New Haven Celiac Group.* (link to our PDF Registration form). The help, social interaction and information exchanged is invaluable. Also consider joining and supporting the National Support Groups. These groups help all of us by providing informative websites (many of which we have links to throughout our site), educational materials, seminars, and meetings. Many support a network of local chapters. The gluten-free diet is the only treatment available for celiac disease (CD) and dermatitis herpetiformis (DH). A gluten-free diet means not eating foods that contain wheat (including spelt, triticale, and kamut), barley, rye and possibly oats. (A Note About Oats PDF). The foods and products made from these grains are also not allowed. Beginning a gluten-free diet may seem challenging at first, but the benefits are worth the change and effort! First and foremost a gluten-free (GF) diet will allow the damaged villi in the intestines to begin healing. While every individual will have a different experience, most newly diagnosed celiacs begin to feel better within days or weeks of going GF. So what can can you eat? Plain meat, fish, poultry, rice, potatoes, fruits and vegetables are naturally gluten-free and a good start. (Gluten-Free Diet Basics PDF) While regular pasta, breads, cereal, pizza, beer (yes, made from barley), breaded foods, cakes and cereals and processed food contain gluten and cannot be consumed, there are many gluten-free substitutes readily available to satisfy any palate. Learn what foods are safe to eat. For example, potato, rice, soy, amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat (yes, its GF despite its name), chestnut flour and bean flour can be used instead of wheat flour. *Addition Gluten-free Diet Resources:* Gluten-Free Diet/Diet Basics-CSA: http://www.csaceliacs.org/gluten_choices.php Gluten-Free Diet Self Management-CSA: http://www.csaceliacs.org/dh_steps.php Learning to live life Gluten-Free - CSA: http://www.csaceliacs.org/celiac_treatment.php#GF The 3 links by CSA/USA, Inc. listed above, offer information about Gluten-Free Diet Basics, Lifestyle and Diet Self Management. The GNHCG is a subunit and Chapter #75 of CSA/USA, Inc. Diet instructions (GIG) http://www.gluten.net/downloads/print/GIG%20Diet%20Instruction.pdf Quick Start Diet Guide (CDF & GIG): http://www.celiac.org/downloads/CDF-Quickstart2008-small.pdf Read food labels *Always read the food label* on any prepared, canned and packaged food to ensure that *no gluten* has been added before purchasing any product. The Food Allergen and Consumer Protection Act of 2006 (FALCPA), has made label reading for allergens, including wheat a little easier. All ingredients and additives in foods monitored by FDA must include allergen labeling for the top 8 allergens (wheat, eggs, dairy, soy, tree-nuts, peanuts, fish and shell fish). Some foods that may appear acceptable may contain gluten. Wheat-free does not necessarily mean gluten-free! The product may still contain rye, barley or spelt ingredients that contain gluten. What's more, a manufacturer may change a product's ingredients at any time. A food that was once gluten-free, no longer may be. Hidden sources of gluten include additives such as modified food starch, preservatives, stabilizers, thickeners, and texture enhancers in foods.Unless you read the label every time you shop, you won't know this. It might take some time to master label terminology. You should become familiar with the terms over time. Use Safe GF Ingredients List on your new diet but avoid the items on the Unsafe Food Ingredient List all the time! Call the manufacturer If you can't tell by reading and interpreting the label if a food contains gluten, don't eat it until you check with the product's manufacturer. There are gluten-free shopper's guides available for purchase that can save you time at the market, although it may not be as current as the information obtained from a quick cell phone call to the manufacturer while in the grocery store. Most products have a toll-free number readily available on their packaging. Gluten-free products are more abundant and readily available. Where to Shop The regular grocery list of "naturally gluten-free" plain meats, fish, rice, potatoes, fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables can still be purchased at your favorite grocery store whether it is a big box store like Costco right down to your local organic market. This doesn't need to change. Shop where you are comfortable and study labels. You will be surprised to find many of your favorite foods are gluten-free. It will take a little extra time at first. Bring your allowable and forbidden ingredient lists with you for label reading! The gluten-free food industry has exploded during the last few years. The demand is way up for GF items and the manufacturers have responded! There are hundreds of GF items and these are better tasting, on more grocery shelves and more widely available than ever before. These GF items can be purchased in several ways. Health food and natural food stores usually have gluten-free sections of frozen foods, breads and bakery items. A dry goods section will have various GF flours, baked good mixes, cereals, snacks and all the essentials for a well rounded diet. PDF List of Natural Food Stores in CT GF foods are available at regular grocery stores in CT: Big Y, Shoprite, Stop & Shop, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods to name a few. Again, you will need to become familiar with their placement throughout the store. Some outlets have a natural food section or even a gluten-free section. Another option for buying GF is online. Some of the merchants include www.glutenfreemall.com, www.glutenfree.com and www.glutensolutions.com. You can also go directly to the manufacturer if you wish. In the Kitchen Learning to prevent cross-contamination is the key to maintaining a gluten-free diet. Cross contamination is a process by which a gluten-free product comes in contact with something that is not gluten-free. Here are a few helpful hints: Separate gluten-free products from other items in your pantry - have a gluten-free shelf if space allows Have separate containers, clearly marked GF for pantry, refrigerated and freezer items Use squeeze bottles for condiments like mustard, ketchup, mayo or keep separate containers for yourself and mark these GF Keep a separate cutting board for GF items Have your own toaster to avoid "wheat" crumb contamination Always thoroughly wash and scrub pots & utensils before cooking GF foods or keep a separate set for GF use only Learn more about Gluten and Cross Contamination: http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/cookingglutenfree/a/crosscontaminat.htm "How To" tips for a gluten-free kitchen: http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/theglutenfreediet/ht/GFsafetyathome.htm Enlist the Help of Family Members This is not just your disease. If you have family members living in the same house, they need to be involved. Educate your family about the gluten-free diet and how to prevent cross contamination in the kitchen. Simple things like not sharing utensils, being mindful of containers marked GF, thoroughly washing counters and cooking items, will all help to keep you safe and gluten-free.		The Gluten-Free Lifestyle Gluten-free tips. Links to Additional Celiac Disease Information Need more information? Start here. Become a Member Joining is easy. Just follow this link to our downloadable form.
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