Helping you find peace within the chaos of a gluten-free lifestyle
Celiac disease management involve a gluten-free lifestyle but it’s not as simple as it sounds. Let’s talk about what celiac disease is, how to manage celiac disease, and the struggles that come with celiac disease management.
Celiac disease impacts many aspects of life, even still, you are more than celiac disease.
Gluten is in what feels like everything! Overhauling your lifestyle and living a completely new one overnight is bound to have an impact on mental health. And that’s what happens when you’re diagnosed with celiac disease. You get the diagnosis and are expected to live gluten-free 100% of the time from that point on, talk about overwhelming.
Basically, a gluten-free lifestyle is not a walk in the park. In fact, studies show that sticking to a gluten-free diet (or living gluten-free) can feel more burdensome than lifestyle treatments for other common conditions. A gluten-free lifestyle can be so burdensome that researchers found that non-adherence can be a serious problem in those diagnosed with celiac disease.
So you can see why there might be some mental health impacts stemming from just trying to manage a gluten-free lifestyle.
It can trigger feelings of:
Any restrictive diet can have a negative impact on mental health. Living gluten-free is not easy and takes up a lot of headspace, especially in the beginning. If you’re struggling with mental health impacts of living gluten-free, know that it gets less hard.
Since we know this lifestyle can have these impacts, we also know there are some things we can do to cope with them.
Finding and accessing support for your new lifestyle can be incredibly beneficial in easing celiac disease and mental health impacts. In fact, studies show that when people are supported they are more likely to have higher quality of life scores. This means that when people following a gluten-free lifestyle have solid support, they are more likely to feel less burdened. If they feel Less burdened, they are likely to stay gluten-free and enjoy their life more.
If you need help finding support, check out the blog post I wrote all about ways to find gluten-free lifestyle support.
We know that a gluten-free lifestyle can come with a wide array of mental health stressors. Stressors that can quickly empty our cups. We can’t pour from an empty cup which is why it’s so important that we are filling it so that we can better handle the stressors thrown our way. This is where self-care comes in. How do you fill your cup you ask? Self-care.
If you need some self-care inspiration check out this post or sign up for my email list below to get my FREE self-care routine workbook.
Journaling is a form of self-care that I thought deserved its own section. I wrote a whole blog post on celiac disease and journaling, featuring some celiac disease-focused journal prompts, for a reason. Why? Because journaling can be a powerful tool to help you cope. Definitely consider it if you’re struggling!
How have you been coping with the mental health impacts of a gluten-free lifestyle? Let me know in the comments. I’ve been trying to journal and make more space for self-care.
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Trying to find gluten-free beauty products? Want to know if people with celiac disease need to even use gluten-free beauty products? This post is for you! In this post, I will discuss everything from whether or not you should use gluten-free beauty products, how to identify gluten in beauty products, to my top gluten-free beauty product brands.
First things first, do people with celiac disease even need to use gluten-free beauty products? Let’s figure this out before I potentially waste your time on the rest of this information. Basically, when it comes to people with celiac disease, using gluten-free beauty products is a personal choice as gluten can not be absorbed through the skin.
However, if you are including dental products under the beauty product category, please make a special note that you need these products to be gluten-free. Meaning that you need to check to make sure your toothpaste, floss, mouthwash, and anything else going into your mouth is gluten-free.
Even though gluten can not be absorbed through the skin, many people with celiac disease, including myself, choose to use gluten-free beauty products. People choose to use gluten-free beauty products for a variety of reasons. Reasons like:
If you’re having trouble deciding what is the right choice for you, talk to your celiac specialized dietitian or doctor. They can help you figure out what is best for you.
So you’ve learned how to identify gluten on food labels but what about identifying it in ingredient lists for beauty products? It gets to be a little bit more difficult to identify gluten in beauty products than it is on food labels. It involves reading potentially even longer and more complicated ingredient lists that are often printed in unbearably small text.
Below is a list of ingredients to check for in beauty products:
| Wheat (Triticum Vulgare) | – Wheat Starch – Wheat gluten – Wheat protein – Hydrolyzed wheat protein – Steardimonium hydroxypropyl – Laurdimonium hydroxypropyl – Wheat germ oil – Dextrin palmitate (may be gluten-based) |
| Rye (Secale Cereale) | Avoid ingredients with “rye” or “secale cereale” in the name. |
| Barley (Hordeum Vulgare) | – Beta-glucan (can be from barley/oats) – Malt extract – Barley extract – Hordeum vulgare extract |
| Oats (Avena Sativa) | – Beta-glucan (can be from barley/oats) – Avena sativa extract – Sodium lauroyl oat amino acid |
Please note the above list is not to be used as an all in-inclusive list but as a starting point. If you’re unsure about an ingredient, research it.
I have an amazon list featuring all of my specific favorite products, if you want to check it out, click here. But my all-time favorite brands are:
My beauty routine is pretty minimal so I don’t use a lot of beauty products. Unfortunately, that means my list of products not as long as some other people but that’s just me.
Special oral health note, Crest and Colgate toothpaste should be gluten-free.
Hopefully, this post was helpful in helping you more easily understand the beauty world and where gluten stands in it. Of course, make sure to check all allergen labels and brand protocols to make sure it meets your needs before buying.
What are your go-to gluten-free beauty products (if you use them).
This post does contain affiliate links that will provide me with a commission if you purchase products from them at no cost to you.
There is often a lot of confusion on what the difference between celiac disease and gluten intolerance is. I’m frequently asked “I have the symptoms of both celiac and gluten intolerance – how do I know which one I have”. First, I want to say …
Ingredients:
1 can chickpeas
1/2 cup tahini
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup grass-fed beef collagen
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp paprika
Gluten Exposure Recovery Kits are incredibly helpful for managing being glutened. Being exposed to gluten (or being “glutened”) happens. Gluten exposure is a part of life when you are living gluten-free. Even the best of us get exposed. Rather than beat yourself up about it, give yourself grace, learn from your mistakes, and focus on recovery.
That really depends on the individual, their needs, and their reaction to gluten exposure. I wrote a blog post featuring my tips for recovering from gluten exposure here. I will say though, that a Gluten Exposure Recovery Kit can be incredibly helpful on top of those tips. Having a place to keep everything that you need to help stay comfortable and heal really changes the game.
A great way to start planning your gluten exposure recovery kit is by first listing the symptoms you struggle with when you’re glutened. Make note of the symptoms that are particularly tough for you to deal with and then brainstorm ways you can comfort yourself.
If you find yourself struggling with ideas on self-soothing specific symptoms, check out my post on coping with bloating and constipation for some inspiration.
Now that you’ve identified the symptoms you struggle with and how you might cope. Now it’s time to decide what to put in your Gluten Exposure Recovery Kit that supports your findings.
| Gluten Exposure Recovery Kit Item | Symptom it helps Alleviate and How |
| Squatty Potty | Sometimes your response to gluten exposure involves long trips to the bathroom. A squatty potty can help make those trips easier and more comfortable. |
| Babe Wipes | These go along with the long trips to the bathroom. The make the clean-up a little bit easier. |
| Electrolytes | Electrolytes are a must for Gluten Exposure Recovery Kits because often symptoms of gluten exposure involve water-loss. Think of diarrhea and vomiting. Electrolytes are good to have on hand to help make sure you’re staying hydrated. |
| Carminative Teas | Certain teas are known for their carminative effects, or their tummy calming effects. I personally keep the following teas on hand for gluten exposure recovery: – Ginger Tea – Peppermint Tea – Green Tea |
| L-Glutamine | L-Glutamine has been thought to help repair the gut. In a time where your body has been attacking itself, taking L-Glutamine is thought to help improve repairs. (always talk to your doctor before starting any new supplement to make sure it’s right for you!) |
| Heating Pad | To help soothe cramps and aches that might occur from gluten exposure. |
| Chicken Broth | Simple foods like rice and broth (make sure it’s gluten-free) can help soothe your upset stomach. |
| Full-Body Bath Robe | For maximum comfort, comfy clothes are a must! I like walking around in loose clothes that don’t put pressure on my stomach after gluten exposure. So naturally, robes are a go-to pick. |
If you’re looking to improve your self-care tactics for gluten exposure, I developed a Celiac Self-Care Planner to help you do just that!
What’s in your gluten exposure recovery kit? Let me know in the comments!
Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link.
