Choose the Right Food if You Have Celiac Disease..!!

It is an autoimmune disorder, also called celiac sprue and gluten intolerance, this occurs when the body treats gluten protein, found in wheat, as foreign body. This disorder can damage the villi, millions of fluttering hair like structure that line the intestinal tract and helps in absorption of nutrients into the blood stream. Without healthy villi the person becomes malnourished, no matter how much food one eats. The disease symptoms can be diarrhoea, weight loss, abdominal pain, anorexia, irritability, and lactose intolerance and can lead to severe deficiencies. It is a genetic disease, can run in families. Sometimes the disease is triggered after surgery, pregnancy, childbirth, viral infection or severe emotional stress. The best way to check the increment in risk would be the early introduction of gluten into the weaning diet in infants or during breast feeding. It is believed that breast milk might have a protective effect on the risk of developing celiac if the gluten is introduced at that time. The only available treatment is to avoid foods containing wheat.

Food Allowed in Celiac Disease:-

• All fruits and vegetables and pulse also.
• Rice, poha, sago, arrowroot, sago, bajra, maize, jowar, ragi, singarha atta, besan and it’s products like kadhi, pakora, ladoo, cheela, etc.
• Milk and milk products-curd, paneer, flavoured milk, yogurt, homemade ice creams, kheer, phirni, sago kheer, moong dal halwa, ghiya burfi
• All types of dry fruit
• Aloo cutlets(homemade), rice idli, dosa, vada, arrowroot tikki, popcorns, roasted channa, dishes prepared with besan
• Can take jowar, besan, maize roti.
• Oil, ghee, butter
• Juice, soup, chaach, lassi, lemon water, tea and coffee
• Nutritional supplements which are gluten free but high in protein ( to be consumed under guidance)
  Freshly cooked chicken, fish, eggs

Foods to be avoided in Celiac Disease:-

• Cereals and it’s products which are made up of wheat flour, suji, Dalia, maida such as wheat flakes, white and brown bread, pasta, macaroni, noodles, bhatura, bhujiya, shakar para, namakpara, seviyan, golgappe, suji idli (also known as rava idli), patty, burger, naan, tandoori roti, biscuits, pizza, mathi, papad
• All packaged foods and especially soups, frozen snacks, french fries.
• Sauces, processed cheese, candies
• Cakes, pastries, chocolate, cocoa powder, custard powder
• All biscuits ( gluten free, arrowroot biscuits), rusk, patty, fan, wafers
• Beverages like barley water, complan, horlicks, boost, bournvita, bottled milkshakes
  Processed meats like sausages, hams, kebabs.

It is advisable to read all labels in case of packaged and processed foods.