Yes, life has been changed for ever... but that’s okay

Thankfully most Clarins lipsticksare gluten-free

AND so I’m back... but not for long. I wish I had tales to tell of glutenfree food adventures in foreign lands but I’ve been off with a sinus infection.

That was f ol l owed by a week’s holiday spent putting my house in order — sorting out the kids’ clothes, claiming back medical expenses, pumping up the tyres on my forgotten bike, pairing socks.

Being coeliac isn’t dominating my life any more. I’ve got used to the diet and cooking for myself. Taki ng t he extra time to prepare meals for work i s now second nature. I’m assertive a nd confident when ordering out and avoiding crosscontamination in my house. I don’t eat the fat and sugar-filled gluten-free goodies just because they’re there, in t he same way I wouldn’t have eaten a bun in every café I was in before I was diagnosed.

I also don’t cling to every miracle cure that pops up every now and then. Now I consider myself relatively lucky to have an accessible miracle cure already — the gluten-free diet.

There have also been many positives to being diagnosed: the first and most obvious is simply having a diagnosis after years of grinding stomach problems and many other associated conditions. As predicted by doctors, it’s taken a year, but gradually so much of my general health has improved that I’m happy to be gluten-free for ever.

I’m now part of a growing community of people who for various reasons are GF too, and have enjoyed some delicious meals along the way. That’s why this will be my last column. I’m fine and I don’t want to be defined by coeliac disease any more.

The day I was diagnosed I ended up in the bread aisle of my supermarket quietly crying because it all felt so enormous and strange. If I could go back in time, here’s what I would tell myself...

1. Find credible sources of information (Coeliac Society of Ireland is a great starting point). There are many blog- gers, foodies, nutritionists, waiters and dogs in the street who will offer you advice and poo poo your natural caution. Ignore them. Even if it means being a little ‘extreme’ during the first few months, i t’s worth it not to experience a glutening.

2. Be selfish. You will get used to eating salad in Italians and the smell of chips you can’t have in cafés but until you do, ask friends and family if you can go somewhere less heartwrenching.

3. Buy your bread from Aldi and Lidl until you get used to the GF texture. It’s cheaper so at least you won’t feel deprived and ripped off at the same time.

4. Read the label of everything you put in your mouth. Unless it specifically states Gluten Free it ca n’ t be f ul l y trusted (coeliac friendly and no gluten containing ingredients don’t count). Lipsticks do count — thankfully most Clarins lipsticks are gluten free.

5. Cross- contamination is real and even a crumb of gluten can cause damage in your gut, even if you don’t get symptoms. Avoid it by comandeering a cupboard and splashing out on a cheap toaster, chopping board, Toastabags, indelible marker (for jars and tubs) and a pretty butter dish.

6. Be open to the full gamut of conditions associated with this disease, including osteoporosis, depression, fertility issues, joint pain and brain fog, and don’t shy away from addressing your concerns about them with your doctor.

7. Be gentle with yourself. Mistakes will happen.

8. Keep your r eceipts: remember you can claim tax back on your medical bills and some gluten-free foods.

9. Stuffing, gravy and even pudding will be on the menu thanks to the Marks & Spencer Christmas range. The shop is a seasonal lifesaver.

10. Accept that your relationship with food has been altered for ever. You will never be able to eat without thinking about what you’re popping in your mouth again but it will become second nature to you. Eventually you’ll say a cheery, ‘ no thanks’ when offered a gluten-riddled treat rather than a self-pitying, ‘I can’t... I’m a coeliac’. There really is a world of difference.