What is Celiac Disease?

Coeliac disease is an intolerance to gluten. People with this condition are therefore unable to eat foods which contain gluten.

What is gluten?

Gluten is a protein found in certain cereals such as wheat, rye, oats and barley. Gluten is found in flour, starch, bread, pasta, biscuits, cakes and most sweets, puddings, sauses, etc

What damage does gluten cause?

The walls of the intestine are lined with hairs called villi. Intestinal villi absorb nutrients from ingested food. When a person with coeliac disease ingests gluten, his/her villi flatten out and no longer perform their function. Nutrients in food are therefore lost. If people with coeliac disease ingest foods containing gluten, they will inevitably cause themselves serious harm, primarily to the intestine and secondarily to other organs.

What can I do?

The only treatment is a gluten-free diet. At first it will seem difficult to enjoy a complete and balanced diet without gluten, but in fact, providing you follow certain specific rules, it is really relatively simple.

Who is this site for?

Are you a Celiac going on holiday to Mallorca?, Living in Mallorca and just been diagnosed as a Celiac?, have Celiac friends?, well this is the site for you. My name is Debbie and I was diagnosed as a celiac in 2007. At first I found it quite difficult to find gluten free food but I was determined not to let this disease rule my life. I've designed this website in order to help other celiacs especially those wishing to visit Mallorca as this is where I live and therefore have first hand experience in where to buy products, what resturants to eat in and what to ask the waiters and chefs.

Please note that I am just one of you guys and not an Association, therefore I cannot be held responisble for any changes in products or resturants, etc. Remember always check lables and always check with the waiter or chef. I wish you luck and hope you find my site of some help.

So what's it like being a celiac???

Well to be honest it's a right pain in the ass. Yes life is more difficult but to be honest I was always a fussy eater. Now I just have an excuse. I guess you just have to learn to adapt. Nowadays it is much easier to find various different foods that actually taste nice. Yes it is a lot of trial and error. Some gluten free food does not taste good. But they are getting better. My biggest problem is that I have to shop in 5 different supermarkets in order to get everthing I want. I buy alot in bulk and have a gluten free section in my house which sometimes looks like a shop. Getting around the supermarkets is easier. Before I used to bring my book from the Association with me but now I know more or less what is or isn't gluten free and I always seem to buy the same things anyway.

Living in Mallorca revolves around eating out and eating in other peoples houses. Luckily I have a great bunch of friends who go out of their way to make sure everything is ok for me but sometimes poeple just don't understand or don't realise exactly what gluten is and in what foods. My advice is if you are going to someone's house then just be straight with them and tell them exactly what you can and can not have.

Eating in resturants is another story. But if you don't try you will never know. I am actually quite good in being adventurous when it comes to eating out. I will go and basically harrass the waiter or chef. If the chef dosn't know what gluten is then I will not eat there. However most chefs nowadays know what it is and will go out of their way to make sure everyting is ok for you. Generally I bring my own bread and dessert to the restauant and they never seem to have a problem with this.

I guess what I am trying to say is that being a celiac is not that difficult if you know how. Don't let it rule your life, go out there and be normal with a difference!