SHOUTING about coeliac disease!
You may have noticed it's the annual Shine a Light on Coeliac Disease week. (Coeliac UK are fab at making this happen.)
But I'm wondering if it should be SHOUT about coeliac disease instead, because it's clear some people just aren't getting the message.
We still have to fight for:
the abolition of CROSS-CONTACT! Eateries need to understand that "gluten-free" means suitable for coeliacs. It's NOT okay to share fryers with gluten-containing products (like battered cod), use the same kitchen to make food where normal flour is used (and therefore spreads onto the products made without gluten) or use tongs to handle gluten-containing cakes before moving onto the gluten-free ones. AARRRGHHH!
people to realise it's NOT A CHOICE. This isn't some special diet we're trying out to lose weight or buddy up with a famous celebrity.
It's NOT AN ALLERGY. Coeliac disease is a serious auto-immune disease. While we don't need to carry epipens, we do need to be mindful of the long-term effects of being coeliac (like greater risk of osteoporosis and other nasties).
that there are HIDEOUS SIDE-EFFECTS of eating gluten. Many of us end up on the loo for hours with diarrhoea or in bed for days. It's NOT ok to risk it for a biscuit. Don't think if we don't know the gluten's in the food that we won't notice. Our bodies (and our loos) will know all about it!
EARLIER DIAGNOSIS. The average length of time to be diagnosed is 13 years. THIRTEEN! That's a heck of a long time for people to suffer. We need blood tests for coeliac disease to be taken earlier for a range of symptoms including brain fog, fatigue, bloating, diarrhoea, mouth ulcers, IBS-like symptoms and more.
What else would you like to shout about as a coeliac? What do you wish would change?
