Triumphs follow gluten-free diet

• Article
• Comments ()
• Click-2-Listen
• Videos

By

Every time she eats in a restaurant, Shauna James Ahern could be taking a risk. Eating the most ordinary foods could result in searing abdominal cramps, stomach pain and overwhelming exhaustion.

Miss Ahern is one of tens of thousands of people in the United States diagnosed with celiac disease, an autoimmune disease that makes gluten, a protein found in wheat, the body's enemy. Along with celiac disease, some people have an allergy to wheat, which is one of the eight most common food allergies in the United States, and still more Americans are gluten intolerant.

For Miss Ahern and others with similar health concerns, many foods or beverages others take for granted — such as bread, pasta, many breakfast cereals and beer — can be dangerous.

At one time, people with celiac disease or a wheat avoidance condition would have had a limited diet. That's changing.

Because more Americans may have celiac disease than previously thought, more is known about managing a gluten-free life. People with celiac disease share their culinary triumphs. Nutrition and culinary experts are helping, as well, by offering advice on using alternative ingredients.

Taking a positive approach to food makes a big difference, says Miss Ahern, who lives in Seattle.

"Instead of longing for the food I had as a child, I'm looking for foods that are naturally gluten-free," says Miss Ahern, author of "Gluten-Free Girl" (Wiley) and creator of the popular blog by the same name (www.glutenfreegirl.com).

Her culinary high points have included risotto with black truffles in Umbria during her Italian honeymoon. "It was better than any pasta," she says. She has learned to love red quinoa and makes sorghum bread she "adores."

"I still love carbs; I eat better carbs," she says.

Miss Ahern educated herself on nutritious alternatives to wheat. However, eating a healthy wheat-free diet may be challenging for many.