How to Accept a Diagnosis of Celiac Disease

Finding out that you have celiac disease can be hard. Even if you were horribly sick, there are days where you will miss being able to eat normally. Here are some tips to help deal with the diagnosis:

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Grieve-- you are going to miss your gluten filled food. You are going to miss take out and beer and pizza. Your life is going to change and it is okay to be sad. However, try not to focus on what you can't have. Grieving is okay, but don't allow your life to be about what you can't eat anymore.

2. Find alternatives-- if you are missing pizza there are great frozen pizzas. Similarly, there are amazing rice pastas and gluten free beer, plus most ice creams are gluten free. When you are going through cravings it is important not to cheat or eat gluten filled food. You will get sick and the cravings will be worse.

3. Find some great take out places-- there will be some days where you are too tired to cook and you will want some great takeout options. You are most likely to cheat when you are exhausted, so finding places that are safe are key.

4. Build a support network-- make sure your friends understand that this is not an optional disease for you. You cannot cheat on this diet and it is helpful to have people who will support you and not peer pressure you into cheating.

5. Get outside support if needed-- there are plenty of online support groups and many cities have support groups. These can be helpful in the transition to your new lifestyle.

[jenbeth]

on 8/31/2009 Great advice for those dealing with Celiac, thanks.