May is Celiac Awareness Month
Celiac Disease Symptoms – Courtesy of Gluten Dude
May is celiac disease awareness month. Did you know that 1 in 133 people have Celiac disease? I am often asked why so many people are being diagnosed with Celiac disease or have developed an intolerance to gluten in the last few years. I really don’t know.
Although there is a genetic component, leading researchers are looking at environmental triggers as well. I do know that doctor’s are better at diagnosing lately since the Dr. Fasano research transitioned from Italy to America.
Like all autoimmune diseases, it has a recipe with two ingredients, so that’s not unique. You have to have genes plural so that you are genetically predisposed, and then you have to be exposed to an environmental trigger that is mismanaged by the immune system because of this genetic makeup.
I do have the celiac disease markers. But before I knew that, I will say that removing gluten from my diet changed my life.
And we then transitioned into eating cleaner overall. We went from eating out, ordering in, having pizzas delivered to cooking. And we went from cooking a lot of gooey goodness to using spices for flavor.
I may miss a real pizza every now and then but I’m very grateful for my health and my brain function returning to normal. Plus we are finding ways to make pizzas with all the new products on the market, especially from Schär.
I am grateful for the lessons learned and our healthier diet. Even though it takes a lot of work and planning – it’s better than the alternative every single time!
So I write up my gluten free weekly menu plan each week and try to keep from getting sick. I have a wonderful, supportive husband who enjoys cooking together and eating well. So it’s actually fun (most of the time)!