If your child has just been diagnosed with celiac disease(CD), you may be experiencing mixed feelings. On one hand, no one likes to hear that his or her child has any kind of medical condition. However, you may be relieved to finally have the answer to your child’s past medical problems. You may also feel better knowing that celiac disease is a treatable disorder, that intestinal damage from celiac disease is reversible, and that therapy does not involve shots, pills, therapy or surgery. You may also feel confused, overwhelmed or unsure about how to start the healing process.
After getting nutritional advice, some parents head straight to the grocery store to stock up on gluten free (GF) products for their child. They may spend hours in the grocery store, but leave with only a small bag of groceries and no idea of what to serve for dinner. They may experience the so called “Celiac Meltdown”!
The purpose of this booklet is to help prevent newly diagnosed celiac patients and their families from experiencing “Celiac Meltdown. This booklet is a starter guide that will help you through the initial days of the gluten-free lifestyle and is designed to help you and your family manage the emotional stress that you may be feeling right now.
The most important first step is to work with your physician and a knowledgeable registered dietitian (RD) who will re-view the gluten-free diet and any other specific nutritional needs of your child. The registered dietitian will be able to help you contact local support groups and direct you to reliable web sites.
CONTENTS
Introduction
What can the celiac patient eat?
How do I start
Gluten-Free Shopping List
Life goes on!
Once the diet has started
Resources
