The nutritional Needs on the gluten free diet should be looked at carefully
With Celiac Disease, the only treatment is to switch to a completely gluten free diet. Although people may feel better within days, it takes a long time for the small intestine to heal properly and absorb all the nutrition it needs right away. Once the healing begins and the villi start to do their work, nutrients and calories start to be absorbed. This is when you will have to watch your calorie intake as you may start to see some weight gain. But few, if any gluten-free products are enriched or fortified with any extra vitamins and minerals the way conventional grain products are. So it is important when shopping for foods that the nutritional information is looked at closely as well as the list of ingredients.
Speak to a registered dietitian who specializes in Celiac disease to help you with the gluten-free diet. They will help you find the foods that have the most nutrition and fibre that is needed to help you get started. Talk to your doctor to see if you need any extra supplementation.
Join a local celiac support group – they will have been through this already and may have many tips for you as well as some welcome advice.
Make sure to have follow up testing regularly to check for any vitamin deficiencies. As we mentioned above, gluten free products are not enriched or fortified with folate, so this is a level that should be checked regularly,
This article: Nine Nutrients You May Need To Boost If You’re Gluten-Free, is an excellent source to look for information.
Sources:
Canadian Celiac Association, http://www.celiac.ca/, web, Oct. 2013
*Disclosure – although I have been compensated to write this post, all opinions stated are my own.
Thanks for the link to the article!