Ep 115 April 2020 Roundup

April 1, 2020 /

Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –

Ellen and I go over highlights of the articles she has brought to our attention over the past month regarding celiac disease and the gluten free diet.  We chat about some of the coping methods we are using to get through this time of stay home orders, as well as some food solutions which might be helpful to those unable to buy their gluten free staples at local grocery stores.

Here are links to the articles Ellen and I spoke about from www.theceliacscene.com

•   Coronavirus! Are Celiacs at Greater Risk?

•   Banana Diet Prescribed to Celiacs Came at a Cost Later in Life
•   Road to 2020 Olympics Leads to a Diagnosis of Celiac Disease
•   People with Type 1 Diabetes Vulnerable to Additional Autoimmune Diseases
•   Myth Busted – Modern Wheat Not to Blame
•   It’s Not Just in Your Head – CD Affects the Brain
•   Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO) Rebrands Logo

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Facebook – @acanadianceliacpodcast

Twitter – CeliacPodcastCA

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com

My Thoughts –

I’ve been fortunate to have been the first connection many newly diagnosed have with the Canadian Celiac Association.  As President of my local chapter, and having operated a gluten free bakery, many were pointed in my direction once their doctor gave them the diagnosis.

I am always fascinated with the stories they’ve told about how they came to find out they were celiac.  As research shows, and my experience told me, it was often many years, and different paths of diagnosis that eventually let them to the blood tests and biopsy.  We all know, these years were not easy.  When we look back, so much of our lives were disrupted; from our work lives, our social lives, our family lives, our ability to care for others, and most of all our ability to care for ourselves was negatively impacted by our not knowing what was wrong.

I did, after speaking to many newly diagnosed see an encouraging pattern.  People who were relatively healthy (otherwise) and pushed themselves physically, either through a casual, planned, or strenuous exercise routine, were often ahead of the curve in determining something was wrong.  This was born out in the article about the Australian athlete who knew something was wrong when she was not able to meet or better her recent performance.

This makes sense to me, and I saw it play out many times when meeting with the newly diagnosed.  All too often, we make excuses for some physical, or even mental short-coming, that may actually, be a sign of something more complex going on.  I am the first one to realize that I was not “on top” of my decreasing physical and mental abilities before my diagnosis.

Often, when we do notice something wrong, besides the gastro complaints we may have coped with for years, we see our physician and complain about a specific symptom.  Sometimes, this leads to a prescription to “treat” or tone down the ailment, but in hindsight we realize it was all part of the same, big ball of wax called celiac disease, and we can easily get lost in its many symptoms.

This is just a rant on my part, but it’s also another good reason to empower those of us with celiac disease to always strive to be healthy, both physically and mentally.  Imagine, if we could identify a vitamin deficiency in our diets because we noticed our vision wasn’t as good as it recently was, or we were bruising more easily than we were used to.  Our body does give use messages, but as celiacs we are often weary to listen.  Over the past few years, I have tried hard to work on my physical and mental health.  Developing my sill to listen to my body and its marvelous abilities is the next step.  I think we can all learn something from our Olympic athletes, even if it’s got nothing to do with jumping higher or running faster.