Growing up, she just thought that eating was supposed to hurt. Rachael Nixon is an Elementary School Teacher and Zurich native who has always had issues with her gastro-intestinal system. The culprit? Gluten.
It’s national celiac awareness month – a lesser known disease that affects approximately 1 in every 133 people, the disease makes it difficult to maintain a typical diet.
Nixon says that the disease is more than just an allergy,
Gluten is common protein in wheat, barley, rye, and oats.
If you have celiac disease, you need to be very careful about what you eat. One of the trickier things as opposed to a typical allergy is that someone with celiac’s disease is usually very sensitive to cross contamination.
She says that it’s extremely difficult to get an official diagnosis,
Once you secure an official diagnosis, there are programs put in place by the government to help relieve the financial strain of living with the disease, as gluten free options often come with a 200-400% markup.
For example, an average loaf of bread for most people would cost in the neighbourhood of $2-$3, her option is half the size, and up to $7.
Geography is also a challenge for her, says Nixon,
Nixon says that there’s a large community of celiacs online that help her find good options at the grocery store, and at restaurants. She is a Member of the Ontario Celiac Facebook page, and frequently uses an app called “Find Me Gluten Free” for eating out.
One of the things that have made the experience easier for her is that because the disease is passed down through families, she has experienced celiacs in her life that she can ask questions, and also offers that advice to those that are younger than her.
If you’d like to learn more about celiac disease, you can learn more from Celiac Canada at celiac.ca
Written by: B. Shakyaver
