What advice would you give to a newly-diagnosed coeliac about how to get to grips with the gluten free diet?

1. Do not trust the GF food directory, it contains many items with gluten and non of the items are tested, raher they rely on the manufactuerers. 

2. Learn to read labels, especially hidden gluten sources like unspecified starch or maltodextrine etc.  Do not touch any product that contains wheat starch etc. EVEN if its labelled GF... (for now see below)

3. Get rid of any and all gluten in your kitchen, give anytihng ina tin or packet away to friends/relatives but whatever DO NOT keep any gluten in your kitchen else sooner or later someone will make a mistake.  Throw or give away your old toaster, pasta makers etc.  they cannot be cleaned and you will suffer from unexplained poisionings until you finally get rid of them

4. Start off by total exclusion of anything that may possibly contain gluten ... eat nothing from a tin/can/packet or anyfood you do not personally prepare  until you have established this level  and can tell immediately if you make a mistake. 

5. GF means GF...  your pets need to be GF too.  If you touch dog biscuits, dried catfood etc. you will eventually transfer it somewhere and it will end up in your mouth,

6. Everyone has different levels .. because of the delay in getting better you can't slowly reduce until you feel better but instead eliminate completely then bring it back...  I myself can have 1-2 pieces of CODEX wheat starch bread (i.e. 200ppm) occiasionally but anymore and it builds up...  others can it seems nibble a bit of bread or eat sausages etc.  The only way to find your level is by gradually increasing... 

7. start to keep a food diary.  when you do go too far it might be a day or more until you react.  I find I react faster the longer I have been 100% GF...  but everyone is different.  Once you get used to this you will find it easy but it is so hard to start off that most people only seem to recognise this later. 

Hi,

I found it difficult to begin with and would think about the things I couldn't have and did get a bit resentful about what others could eat that I couldn't have.

Then I joined a 6 week free course run by the NHS called the Expert Patient Programme , which I found very helpful.  It helped me and during the course of the programme I found my attitude changed both towards food and the consumers of gluten-laden food.

I started to think about what I could eat and not about what I couldn't eat and also not to blame others just because they didn't have Coeliac disease and could eat what they wanted.  I think there are worse things in life than having to follow a gluten-free diet and that helps me put everything else about gluten-free living into perspective.

Also I think it's important to try new foods, new ways of cooking and to experiment with the different flours and mixes.  There are some excellent products on the market and although they can be expensive I would encourage people to try them.

What advice would you give?

Janet Foster