Wednesday, May 2, 2012

May is National Celiac Awareness Month!


May designated National Celiac Awareness Month, a great time to spread the word about a condition that is highly underdiagnosed.  One in 133 people are affected by the disease yet approximately 97% (both children and adults) are not diagnosed.  It is a multi-system, multi-symptom disorder that is activated by eating gluten (the protein found in wheat, rye and barley).  The symptoms vary from diarrhea to constipation to migraines to growth issues, to skin conditions and many others.  The only treatment for Celiac Disease is a strict gluten free diet which can be highly nutritious and delicious with the proper instruction.  If you suspect that you or a loved one has Celiac Disease, contact your doctor as there are health consequences of going undiagnosed (even if you do not have symptoms).  Go to the Celiac Disease Foundation website for additional information www.celiac.org

See my upcoming posts for information on nutritious gluten free grains and recipes.