Going gluten-free with celiac disease

CEDAR RAPIDS - At the end of her freshman year at Mount Mercy College, Tiffany Bevins became severely ill.

The 19-year-old from Belle Plaine was constipated, had frequent heartburn and was constantly tired and irritable.

She says she was so bloated, she looked pregnant at times.

After many doctor visits and tests, she was diagnosed in June with celiac disease, an autoimmune disease in which the lining of the small intestine is damaged from eating gluten and other proteins found in wheat, barley and rye.

“It knocks you out,” she says. “It was a really long road to diagnosis.”

Celiac disease is managed by following a gluten- and wheat-free diet. She can still consume dairy products and fruits and vegetables. There are substitutes for everything Bevins eliminates from her diet, but food preparation takes longer.

“It's difficult, but it's for the benefit of me,” she says.

The days of making easy macaroni and cheese from a box are gone for Kimberly Miers of Cedar Rapids.

“I miss the convenience foods,” says Miers.

Miers always knew something just wasn't right with her son, Tyler.

“We knew when we got him home from the hospital,” she says of Tyler, now 4 1/2. He had projectile vomiting, frequent diarrhea and was constantly screaming.

He was treated for acid reflux and took allergy medicines. Miers long suspected her son had celiac disease but he wasn't diagnosed until this year.

Since eliminating gluten from his diet, Tyler is a totally different little boy, his mother says. He now has his own cupboard with gluten-free items marked with stickers.

Bevins and Miers attended a meeting of Cedar Rapids Celiacs Connect, a support group which meets at 6:30 p.m. the second Monday of the month in the club room at Hy-Vee, 5050 Edgewood Rd.

Theresa Brandon, group chair, says within the last several years gluten-free products are more readily available because more people are being diagnosed with celiac disease.

“We can stick to a regular diet of meat, fruit and vegetables,” she says. It's the breads and pastas that get tricky.

Celiacs can use rice or corn flours in place of gluten, she says. However, since these lack nutrients, bean flours or sorghum should be added.

Brandon admits pasta made with rice or corn flour is bland and she probably wouldn't follow the gluten-free diet if she didn't have celiac disease.

“It is very starchy,” she says of the pasta. “When you boil it, you have use about three times as much water as normal pasta because it gums up too bad.”

The upcoming holiday season will pose even more challenges for celiacs as they attend dinners and parties outside their own home, Brandon says.

Celiacs need to be cautious of what they eat, even meat, as it can be injected with broth or stuffing.

Educating your friends and family is key, she says. If going to a restaurant, call ahead and ask about its gluten-free menu items.

“You don't want to cut out your social life,” she says.

Still, those who have made the diet changes say they are worth it.

Bevins recalls being sick often when she was younger and says she's probably had celiac disease her entire life.

“I feel 110 percent better,” she says. “I'm so happy now, it's amazing.”