May- Coeliac awareness month

 We are coming to the end of May which is coeliac awareness month and as I am coeliac, I have decided to do a special post about it.

First of all, did you know that one in one hundred people are coeliac? And a lot of people don't even know about it because they have not been diagnosed. It is not counted as an allergy because it is actually a medical condition.

Since most people reading are likely to be in my family, you will be very familiar with the term but for those who are not, it is a severe reaction to gluten meaning it is extremely dangerous to consume any traces of it- even a crumb of it can lead to severe consequences and can do the same amount of damage as a glutenous loaf of bread.

Before I was diagnosed, I came into contact with gluten a lot and it sort of felt like my body was attacking itself in lots of different ways- in fact, that was exactly what happened. 

It can be very difficult sometimes because the food you eat can not be cross contaminated with any gluten. That means ovens, toasters, tins, or anything that has come into contact with gluten.

Luckily, as I have such a protective and supportive family, I have had a very positive experience with it. (Also thanking our trusty Pizza Express who are coeliac approved!)

But here's the thing: diabetic people and people with other health conditions are able to get their medicine and supplies on prescription yet people who are coeliac are forced to pay double, sometimes even triple the price on safe gluten free food in supermarkets. 

Basically, coeliac people- like me and my mum- are spending around 35% more money on our average weekly food shop just to survive, which is not fair!

Since it has been coeliac awareness month, we have been able to get a lot of gluten free items for half the price in Sainsburys (But not Waitrose- rude.) 

My aim is to make every month coeliac awareness month.