Q What are the potential repercussions of eating gluten when living with coeliac disease? It can be devastating to be told you’ll never eat gluten again. Upon hearing this, most coeliacs go through the recognised 5 stages of grief: Denial Anger Bargaining Depression Acceptance The first four stages leave coeliacs vulnerable to eating gluten again. This could be: Pretending you don’t […]
Q Does gluten provide any nutrients I should seek elsewhere? Eliminating gluten from your diet puts you at risk of having fewer vitamins, minerals and fibre in your diet, including vitamin B and iron. To combat this, it’s important to get a wide variety of foods such as beans (natural, not baked beans), green leafy vegetables […]
Whether you are entertaining for a vegan, someone who is nut-free, a fussy eater or a teetotaller, Ali Walsh gives you the perfect advice for a stress-free Christmas… Whatever your house rules about food, it’s never quite as easy when you have guests, especially at Christmas time. Let’s face it, having an overcrowded house and […]
Q Is there a connection between coeliac disease and diabetes? When you’re diagnosed with coeliac disease it’s tempting to find out lots more about it. One of the first things you may discover is that it’s an auto immune disorder, which in turn leads you to research that as well. It’s then you may discover this […]
Q I feel left out at work when people bring cakes I can’t eat into the office. What should I do? There are so many ways to deal with this one. You could have a screaming fit every time another birthday cake appears that you can’t have. People would at least get the message. But you may […]
The UK has thankfully made big strides in the last two decades in terms of providing gluten-free options. But, asks Ali Walsh, are other countries still showing us the way forward? In 2001 I moved to Australia and was astonished by the range of gluten-free food available. They even knew the difference between gluten-free and […]
Q There are so many new gluten-free products on the market, but the prices don’t seem to be coming down. Why not? We all know gluten-free products are more costly than their gluten counterparts. This is for many reasons, including more expensive ingredients, the cost of research being done to produce better-tasting products, and maintaining […]
Q How do I bake gluten-free bread in a bread machine? Will a gluten-free bread mix work in my bread machine? It’ll all depend on the type of bread machine you have. Remember, normal bread requires much more rising and kneading than gluten-free bread so you’ll need a breadmaker with either a gluten-free option or a […]
Q I have coeliac disease and I have just had a baby. What are the chances of this being passed on? The chance of having a coeliac child if you or your partner has coeliac disease is around 1 in 10. Looking on the bright side, this means your child is 90% likely not to get […]
Q What are the merits of coconut flour in gluten-free baking? Ah, coconut flour! One of the most talked about foods of the last year. This merit on its own usually divides people into two camps: those who are desperate to try it and those who are naturally sceptical, claiming it’s another overpriced and popular […]