May is Coeliac Awareness Month
Happy Coeliac Awareness Month to those who celebrate!
It might not seem like a big deal to you, but for 1 in every 100 people and their support networks, it’s kinda a big deal.
Coeliac disease is a serious condition in which the body’s immune system reacts to gluten by attacking its own tissues.
From digestive issues to fatigue and brain fog, the dizzying list of symptoms makes getting a diagnosis a wild goose chase.
I’m no expert, but as someone who knows a little bit about living with coeliac disease, I’ve got some insights to share.
Did you know?
- Half a million people are experiencing unexplained symptoms right now due to this disease with no clear answers.
- Out of the 1 in 100 people affected, only 36% are diagnosed (as many as 1 in 4 diagnosed coeliacs were previously misdiagnosed with IBS).
- Typically, it takes 13 years to get a diagnosis, and sometimes even longer. In my case, it took 20 years!
Are you a spontaneous kinda guy? Unlucky. As a coeliac, every day out, holiday, car journey or even grabbing a bite to eat is a meticulously strategised mission.
One-slip up, a moment of forgetfulness or laziness, can trigger months of misery.
Forget a browse of the menu. Dining out is an obstacle course. Pre-dinner prep involves a marathon of research: calling ahead, sifting through Google reviews with ‘gluten-free’ filters and decoding allergen matrices.
At the restaurant, you fire question after question about fryers and soy sauce, met largely by a wall of blank stares and discouraging shrugs from underpaid and indifferent waitstaff.
Smiling apologetically as you explain, for the hundredth time, your gluten-free diet is not a preference.
Living with coeliac disease is a tiresome balancing act of feeling ‘difficult,’ fear of accidental gluten exposure and some kind of normalcy.
Coeliac disease is more than just food swaps. Simply, going gf cannot quick-fix anything, medical and non-medical symptoms. (Trust me, 3 years to feel better again is no piece of cake, literally!)
Bust some myths!
- No matter how often it’s mistakenly likened to an allergy, coeliac disease is not an allergy!
- “Oh, come on, a crumb won’t hurt…” In fact, a crumb does hurt. A lot. Teeny tiny traces of gluten can cause intestinal damage and trigger months of sickness.
- “You’ll grow out of it…” Well, no. It’s a lifelong condition and while your gut health can improve with a gluten-free diet, reintroducing gluten will trigger the same reaction and damage again.
The gluten-free food market is worth $8 billion in 2024 and experts predict it’ll rise to $14 billion in just 10 years.
It’s not just coeliacs going against the grain – a survey of 1,500 non-coeliac athletes found over 40% go gluten-free, at least some of the time.
Is your vending machine following the wheaten track? Try something different. Imagine: satisfied customers, happy guts and a wider reach for your business!
Ready to chat all things gluten-free? Contact us at hello@doozy.life!
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