I have celiac disease, an autoimmune intestinal DISORDER. It is not really a disease, and no, it's not contagious, it is genetic. It's most common in Northern Europeans, so I can probably blame it on my German ancestry. I will have it for the rest of my life, and it will never get any better. If I ingest gluten, my immune system attacks my small intestine. Gluten is the protein in wheat (including durum, semolina, spelt, kamut, einkorn, and faro), rye, barley, and triticale.
I can't eat foods containing wheat, rye, barley, triticale or most oats (due to contamination). That means no bread, pizza, pasta, flour tortillas, crackers, hamburger and hot dog buns, beer, breaded & fried foods, crepes, waffles, pancakes, pastries, cookies, brownies, cake, pie, most chips, etc. etc. the list goes on and on. Gluten can be found in almost everything, even things like vitamins and licorice. But as long as I avoid gluten I'm perfectly healthy and normal. It could definitely be worse. There are gluten-free substitutes for most of the items listed above, and some taste better than the ones made with gluten :)
I've never been officially diagnosed as a Celiac, it's not worth being sick again! They have to physically see the damage that gluten is doing to your intestines, or see the antibodies in your blood that are produced by your reaction to gluten.
I probably inherited it from my mother's side, many relatives on that side have had intestinal problems.
I started getting sick when I was 8 and I got sicker and sicker until I went gluten-free during my 2nd semester of college.
DON"T feel sorry for me. I was sick for years without knowing why, and now I am HEALTHY!!! :)...well trying....So be happy for me!
Rebecca...I know where you are coming from. My now 7 year old daughter also lives with celiac disorder. She was sick from the time she started eating table foods until about a year ago. Needless to say, it is a change that requires much practice and patience. I really appreciate you sharing recipes as I am always looking for new things for her to try. I also use alot of regular recipes and substitue gluten-free all purpose flour mixtures. IT works great!!!
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