Celiac Disease

Celiac disease is a genetically mediated auto-immune disorder characterized by an intolerance for specific protein peptides found in certain widely used grains. When a person with celiac disease ingests any of these grains, even in very small amounts, their immune system reacts to these protein fragments as though they were an invading organism, and attacks the villi lining the small intestine in a misguided defense strategy.

Living with Celiac Disease

Celiac disease is a genetic disorder. If a first order relative of yours (parent, child, sibling) has celiac disease, then you have a 20% chance of having it yourself. Steve has it. So does his his daughter. You can't catch celiac disease from anyone else.

Once you know that you have celiac disease there is one course of action open to you, it is the only way to manage this disorder.

In order to prevent triggering the self destructive immune response, persons with celiac disease must avoid certain grains for the rest of their lives. The offending grains are wheat, rye, and barley.

For a typical celiac, making a mistake and accidentally eating food that contains "gluten" usually results in intestinal distress, sometimes depression, often diarrhea, and over the long term it causes damage to the villi that line the small intestine. Left undetected, numerous nutritional deficiencies will begin to appear. Osteoporosis is another common result of celiac disease. Stomach cancer becomes more likely.

One of Steve's first websites was the sensible celiac (recently sold, new owner, very boring). It offers forums, news, some basic facts.

celiac shopping

Steve formerly operated a number of Amazon Associates stores that he had tailored to feature gluten free products, and things like GF cook books, and kitchen appliances too. These were rendered moot when Amazon and California Governor Jerry Brown had a falling out over new tax laws.

Gluten Free Diet

The gluten free (GF) diet requires total avoidance of any food product containing even a small trace of wheat, barley, or rye. This is harder than it sounds. Many foods contain ingredients which themselves contain gluten, for example soy sauce. It usually contains wheat.

More Websites

Steve had a few websites about celiac disease. They were wiped out in the great Amazon purge of California affiliates in June 2011. Years of hard work were rendered moot by one badly written tax law and the greed of Jeff Bezos. So it goes.