Getting diagnosed with coeliac disease can be hard to hear. If you’ve recently been given the news, you may be feeling upset, angry, scared, confused and even lonely.

When I was first diagnosed with coeliac in 2010 I felt all the above emotions, and it was certainly tough.

The good news is though, it aint all bad. While going gluten free may seem like an impossible task, before you know it you’ll be cooking delicious meals that both you and your friends can eat, and you’ll be force feeding your family members gluten free cake to prove how delicious it can be.

Nevertheless, it can be tricky in the beginning, so here are my top survival tips to help you get through the first few months:

Tell your friends

You may feel tempted to avoid telling people about your diagnosis, but this is a bad idea. The sooner you explain the situation to your friends and family, the better. If you don’t want to have to tell everyone individually each time you see them, send a mass text or email. You could even post a Facebook status to get the news out of the way.

No ifs or buts

Resist the temptation to have a little bit of gluten here or a little bit of gluten there, Look after yourself. Giving up lots of your favourite foods may feel impossible at first, but it will get easier. The sooner you get into good habits the better.

Stand by your guns

Your friends may try to tempt you into eating gluten when it suits them. Maybe they want you to go to a birthday party at a place that isn’t very gluten-free friendly, or maybe they want to halve the cost of a takeaway. No matter what they say, be firm and say no.

You’ll soon learn that if you do give in and eat gluten in front of others despite having told them about your illness, they’ll soon expect you to do it regularly and may get annoyed if you won’t eat it when it suits them.

Think of the long term

If you find yourself feeling tempted to eat some pesky gluten. Remind yourself of the impact it can have on your body. The long term health problems commonly associated with this disease are far worse than missing out on a Greggs sausage roll.

I worry so much that my fertility has already been affected, so every time I feel like ordering a pizza from a takeaway, this is something I try to remind myself of. Remember: No Big Mac is worth long term unhappiness.

Everyone will be an expert

When it comes to coeliac disease and eating gluten free, suddenly everyone’s an expert. You’ll be told “it’s just a phase” and “it’s all in your head”. Ignore these idiots. It’s unlikely that they’re trying to be nasty. Chances are the’re just plain ignorant and genuinely think they’re right. Someone recently told me that coeliac disease is a psychological problem. Trust me honey, there is nothing psychological about the after effects of a coeliac diseased human who has just eaten a pie. When I leave the bathroom after eating gluten, I’d give it 10 minutes if I were you.

Treat yourself

In the early days, you may feel extremely limited when it comes to finding treats to eat. You may also feel left out when everyone around you is eating brownies and cupcakes. To overcome any feelings of isolation and jealousy, I’d definitely recommend familiarising yourself with a few simple gluten-free cake recipes. Honestly, they can be delicious and you’re unlikely to notice the difference. Bake loads of cakes in bulk and stick them in the freezer so that whenever you’re faced with cravings, or you know you’re about to be surrounded by cake eaters, you can be prepared.

Gluten free can be healthy

Although gluten free cake is just as bad for the average person as a gluten filled cake, living the gluten free life can be healthy. Think about it. Not having the ability to eat gluten rules out a lot of the junk food that you’re likely to find in your average supermarket or takeaway. Instead, you’ll have to think carefully about what you’re eating and rather than reaching for the first ready meal you spot, you’ll be eating plenty of chicken, fish, potatoes, vegetables and fruit.

I’m aware this is probably not helping. If someone had said all this to me 5 years ago I would have screamed “I DON’T WANT TO BE HEALTHY! I JUST WANT TO EAT A MIGHTY MEATY PIZZA!!”

But you’ll soon notice an improvement in your gut, and your skin, and you’ll be filled with bags more energy than you have now.

Scope out the best restaurants

More and more restaurants are wising up to coeliac disease and as a result are offering a wider choice of gluten free foods than ever before. If you’re not sure where to start, I’d recommend paying La Tasca, Pizza Express, Nando’s, and Las Iguanas a visit. There are of course others, I just thought I’d mention chains that can be found virtually anywhere in the UK.

Get food on prescription – UK only

If you live in the UK and have been formerly diagnosed with coeliac disease by your doctor, you should be entitled to certain gluten free foods on prescription. I’ve written a blog post all about how you can significantly reduce the amount you spend on gluten free food by applying for a pre-payment prescription. I’d definitely recommend giving the Juvela range a try. Their gluten free soft white rolls are gorgeous.

You will feel better

It may not feel like it at first, but if you stick to your new gluten free diet you will start to notice a difference. When I was first diagnosed, I didn’t take it seriously at first because I wanted a fast result. It was only when I started to really stick to it that I eventually started to feel so much better. The constant bloating that I’d gotten so used to disappeared, and I stopped feeling sick after meals. I started to feel more energised and even less grumpy!

So if you don’t begin to feel better within the first few days or months of cutting out gluten, please don’t be disheartened. Take care of yourself and I hope you feel loads better soon.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Also, if you have other any tips for new coeliac sufferers, don’t forget to share them in the comments below.

Photo credits: Stéphanie Kilgast on Flickr