You’re sitting at a restaurant with your best friends, they’re talking about the sandwiches, burgers, and mozzarella sticks they’re planning on getting and you’re reluctantly looking at the salads like you just lost your earbuds. This seems like something a person on a diet would do, reluctantly giving everything you love up to be healthier…. try doing that every day for the past five years. Welcome to the world of having Celiac’s Disease, an autoimmune disease that can tear up your digestive system and makes your body goes crazy.
According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, one in 100 people—about 1 percent — have celiac disease, an inherited autoimmune disease that causes damage to the small intestine when gluten is ingested. For those who don’t know what gluten is, here’s a way to simplify it. Gluten is a general name for the proteins found in wheat, barley, and rye. These three grains are some of the most prominent ingredients in everyday foods such as, bread, pizza, and even Chinese food. If one with Celiac’s would ingest, say, a piece of pizza…. a very small piece deteriorates the lining of the large intestine and the villi or the tiny finger-shaped tissue that lines the organ. When a food containing gluten goes through the digestive system, the villi flattens which allows the lining to become exposed and as the gluten passes though, it slowly damages it.
Now, this all seems super scary when it comes to give up everything you grew up on; Oreos, Pop-Tarts, Casey’s Pizza…. you feel like there’s nothing that you can eat but fear not. The gluten-free department is bursting at the seams are more and more people are dealing with Celiac’s and other gluten sensitivities. Many grocery stores like Target and Hy-Vee provide a section for people with Celiac’s and other dietary issues filled with gluten free cookies, donuts, pastas, and more. There are different brands and many types to choose from, but one thing seems to scare a lot of people just joining the gluten free community…. the price. Living gluten free is not cheap, while a box of Kraft macaroni n’ cheese is 99 cents, a box of gluten free macaroni may be about $3. Many worry about how their new diet will affect their budget, but if push comes to shove and you’re seeking assistance, call your doctor for suggestions or look up affordable gluten free brands.
As a student, school lunch may not be the highlight of your day but having dietary restrictions may put an even bigger damper on the day. Many schools don’t serve food that would be considered gluten free or there’s a high risk of cross-contamination. Many students bring lunches from home, go out to find something else, or just deal with it. But the nurses at East were able to give a little insight on the process of when a child comes in with a food allergy.
“The process of providing kids with the food they need all starts with a note from their doctor stating that they do have this dietary issue and then we send all the paperwork to the nutrition office and then they will provide the lunching staff with all the materials they need to provide so they kid can a have a full lunch”, school nurse Amy Cherry said. She handles all the paper work to make sure that each and every student is getting the proper care they need.
For those who are new to eating gluten free and feel like your life is over because you can never go out again without getting sick. You can eat the burger, bun and all, with only a few modifications. HyVee offers burgers with a gluten free bun at their famous Market Grille, Spaghetti Works offers all you can eat gluten free pasta and provides you with special sauces along with an all you can eat salad bar. The possibilities are endless, there is also an app that you can download called “Find Me Gluten Free” for when you don’t know what to eat. Just plug in the nearest zip code (for example, 50317) and the nearest restaurants will pop up with directions, ratings, etc.
It seems hard when you’re the one who can eat it but it’s harder when you’re one making sure you don’t end up in the hospital. There are so many ways to react when your body ingests gluten that it’s hard to interpret what it’ll be until it starts to happen. Many symptoms include indigestion, nausea, rash, and severe abdominal pain, to name a few. Everybody reacts differently and sadly the only way to fight against it when you accidentally ingest it is to just let it pass.