Coeliac Awareness week (13th May-19th May) aims to raise awareness of Coeliac disease; ‘a lifelong autoimmune disease caused by a reaction to gluten’ (Coeliac UK, 2019). Coeliac disease affects 1 in 100 people within the UK and is only treated by following a gluten free diet.

Therefore, we asked gluten free bloggers for their best tip for anyone who’s following a gluten free diet or has been recently diagnosed with Coeliac Disease.

 1. ALICE - KNOW THAT YOU'RE NOT ALONE!

Gluten Free Alice“Make sure you aren’t alone with the transition of being diagnosed, it may be by joining a Coeliac Facebook group, following a gluten free blogger on Instagram, taking a trip to the Allergy & Free From show to speak to Coeliac friendly brands or getting tips from a friend or family member that may also be diagnosed. It can be very daunting at first so make sure you have the right support around to make the transition a bit easier.”

@glutenfreealice
www.glutenfreealice.com

 

 

 2. FRANKIE - MAKE SURE YOU LABEL YOUR SEPERATE CONDIMENTS!

Gluten Free Frankie"Since being diagnosed coeliac, I always make sure I have my own labelled butter and spreads such as, jam to avoid cross contamination with crumbs." 

@glutenfree_frankie
glutenfreefrankie.wordpress.com

 

 

 

 

 

3. SOPHIE –  TAKE TRANSLATION CARDS ON HOLIDAY.

Sophie"When traveling abroad, I’ve always found that using gluten free translation cards are extremely helpful, and make eating out an enjoyable occasion rather than one of worry. It’s understandably hard to try and convey dietary requirements to restaurant staff who speak another language, so having a translation card which describes your needs will make sure nothing is lost in translation between table and kitchen staff."

@oatsodelicious

www.oatsodelicious.com

 

               

 

 4. LORILEY - CARRY SNACKS!

Loriley Sesh"I'm a big ‘snacker’, and there's nothing like going hungry if you can't find something gluten free to tide you over. I always have a gluten free cereal bar or pack of crackers in my bag, should I need it."

@lorileysesh 
gfsesh.com

 

 

 

 

 

5. BECKY - ALWAYS ASK ABOUT CROSS CONTAMINATION WHEN EATING OUT!

Becky Excell"It may sound strange but just because a restaurant offers 'gluten free' food that doesn’t necessarily mean that there won’t be cross contamination in the kitchen. A gluten free menu sadly isn’t a guarantee of no cross contamination either. You might also come across ‘gluten free’ cake which is placed very close to (or even touching) cakes containing gluten. Also, be wary of restaurants and cafes that may use the same utensils for gluten free and ‘gluten full’ products (e.g. using the same knife to cut a slice of cake).  If you’re not sure, then don’t risk it!"

@beckyexcell
glutenfreecuppatea.co.uk 
youtube.com/beckyexcell

 

 6. BETH - KEEP AN OPEN MINDSET!

Beth HeddleI regularly eat out at new restaurants, some of which I am aware cannot provide an amazing array of gluten free food. Instead of taking this negatively, I order what I can and keep positive - it’s one meal…one meal that you’re spending with an amazing set of people, and if the food isn’t that great or the selection is poor, it’s only one night. You can have a second dinner when you get home! I am aware that it’s sad not to have the luxury of eating whatever we want at restaurants like everyone else, but it’s a lifestyle that can’t be changed and therefore making the best of every situation will make your relationship with eating out so much happier.”

Beth_heddle
bethheddle.com

 

7. LUCY – KEEP A FOOD & SYMPTOM DIARY.

Gluten Free Lucy
"A food and symptom diary will monitor your body's reactions to the food and drink that you consume and how they make you feel. This will help you to keep track of what your body is telling you. Gluten may not be the only thing that is contributing to your symptoms. Water intake, stress and other food can all contribute to an unhappy tummy. It's also nice to see how your body is improving from the elimination of gluten. Keep track of your body to ensure that you have a happy gut, because a happy tummy means a happier you!"

@glutenfree_lucy

 

 

 8. SARAH - ALWAYS BE PREPARED!

Copper Confetti Sarah

"I always check if a restaurant I’m going to can provide gluten free food before I go but if I’m heading somewhere else, whether that be to a party, family get-together or BBQ this can be slightly tricky! To try to avoid awkwardness or embarrassment, if I’m not sure what to expect food-wise when I go out, I’ll pop a couple of slices of bread or a bread roll or two (and yes, it does tend to be Warburtons!) in my handbag to take with me! So even if the place I’m headed isn’t fully prepared for a gluten free guest, there’ll be something available that I can stick on my bread or roll, and I won’t have to go hungry! This little trick has saved me on so many occasions and I’ve had some very grateful hosts!"

 @copperconfetti
copperconfetti.com/wordpress

 

 

 9. LUCY - MAKE THE MOST OF SOCIAL MEDIA.

Nutrition By Lucy"My top tip would be to follow people on any kind of social media including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram etc. There are hundreds of people (who are all lovely and friendly) that use their social media to share tips, finds and advice. Personally, I found that it helped me so much as I was able to talk to like-minded people who are in the same boat, as it can be really daunting when you make a massive change to your diet on your own."

@nutritionbylucyy
www.nutritionbylucy.co.uk

 

  

 10. ALICE – ALWAYS CHECK THE INGREDIENTS!

Alice Low FODMAP Inspiration

"Make sure you always check ingredients, it’s surprising how many products actually contain traces of gluten (and other FODMAPS)!"

@lowfodmapinspiration
www.lowfodmapinspiration.com