Coeliac disease is an intolerance to gluten, this protein is treated by your body as harmful, and causes your bowel to become irritated and inflamed. Gluten damages the lining of the small intestine, and can result in deficiencies of both minerals and nutrients, as they are absorbed through this part of the bowel. There is a hereditary basis to coeliac disease, and it is known to run in families.

Managing coeliac disease involves the complete avoidance of gluten in all its forms. This means avoiding gluten for life which may be difficult. You will need to adapt all meals, and be very careful when going out for meals in restaurants.

Sticking to a completely gluten free diet will require perseverance and encouragement. You may need to consult a dietitian to begin with, this will ensure that you do not miss out on necessary nutrients.

Most baked goods will contain gluten, as it is a protein that is found in wheat, barley, rye, and oats. Unfortunately this means that you will longer be able to eat cakes and pastries, biscuits, bread and pies. If you enjoy having a beer that will be scratched off the list too as barley is used in the brewing process.

Processed foods often use wheat flour as a binder or filler which means there is gluten present in these products. I have heard some people say that wheat starch is gluten-free as the protein is processed out of it, however it is not possible to remove it all and there are often traces left. Processed foods do not have to declare wheatflour as an ingredient when it is used in this way, so you should check with the manufacturer if you are unsure about its gluten-free status.

Meat, fish, cheese, fruit and vegetables are all foods that are naturally gluten-free. And although cross contamination may occur during processing, rice, beans and some cereals are also gluten-free.

There are gluten-free flours available to use as a substitute for wheat flour. Included in this category are rice flour potato flour, and maize flour. You can use a mixture of these flours instead of wheat flour for all your baking and cooking.

It is not usually possible to simply substitute one type of gluten-free flour for wheat flour, it is always better to use a blend of different flours. Some gluten-free flours have a distinctive flavour and texture which may work better in some recipes than others.