Celiac disease is a chronic, autoimmune health condition triggered by the ingestion of gluten. It affects approximately 1% of Canadians. Gluten is a protein found in certain grains, such as wheat and barley. When digested by a person with celiac disease, the immune system recognizes this protein as a danger and triggers an inflammatory immune reaction, which damages the cells of the intestine.<\/p>\n
Since gluten is the trigger, people living with celiac disease must avoid it for life. Following the gluten-free diet can be difficult, especially in the early stages of illness; gluten can hide in different foods and even in everyday products, such as lipstick!<\/p>\n
Meeting with a registered dietitian can help you implement the gluten-free diet, but also manage other concerns related to this disease, such as failure-to-thrive and rapid weight loss or gain, always ensuring that your nutritional needs are met, despite the dietary restrictions and nutrient malabsorption that the disease entails.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":30226,"parent":17205,"menu_order":4,"template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-18210","services","type-services","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n