My Coeliac Disease diagnosis came as a complete surprise as I was showing zero symptoms. According to Coeliac NZ apparently 4 out of 5 coeliacs are yet to be diagnosed which I still find a very interesting statistic. I was clearly one of them until last year. September 2021 marks the 1 year anniversary of living with this disease & being completely gluten free. Is it something to celebrate? Hell yes, it’s been quite a journey so far!!
How my life would have been different if I had been diagnosed years ago. I often think back to what I used to be able to eat without a split second of thought. Food labels that weren’t analysed, ordering what I fancied off the menu. Living & travelling around the world experiencing different cultures & cuisines. The spontanious: “Fancy a beer?” “Sure!” which happened often. Hmmmmmm beer……..The countless beer festivals I’ve attended, not to mention getting through university in the UK during the early 90s. Beer, chips & slices of (highly nutritious) white bread were part of a stable diet. How did I get through 46 years of life without a single hint that I had this disease?
Last year when a scan showed my bone density had taken a significant decline, my GP said they’d check for Coeliacs Disease to look for a secondary cause for the drop. I think I laughed & said, ok sure? Confident that it would come back as negative….. lets put the results into perspective:
A blood test used to detect Coelicac Disease is a Tissue Transglutaminase Anitbodies test (anti TTG IgA) & the level we’re aiming for is between 0-20. This meant nothing to me when I was initially diagnosed. Both my GP & dietician said my levels were off the chart & highest that either of them had seen before. But I took that in my stride, as I wasn’t showing any symptoms, I thought they’d maybe got it wrong & I clearly didn’t understand.
However now that I’m getting my bloods tested regularly my inital reading was indeed off the chart!!! To the untrained eye, these don’t mean much, but my initial result was 4680.1 !!! Nowhere near 20?? !! Surely that’s a typo?!
anti TTG IgA: 4680.1 CU ( 0.0 – 20.0 ) HH – September 2020
anti TTG IgA: 64.9 CU ( 0.0 – 20.0 ) HH – March 2021
anti TTG IgA: 53.7 CU ( 0.0 – 20.0 ) HH – July 2021
My levels are improving & coming down, but I still have a way to go. One thing’s for sure it’s a learning process, a journey, of which only time & experience will aid.
What have I learnt during this first year?
Understand: that not everyone gets it. People generally are trying to help with the knowledge they are equipped with. We can not expect everyone to understand how cautious we have to be. Unless you know someone with Coeliacs Disease (or any other dietary complications) & you can appreciate the severity of it if it goes wrong.
Accept: there will be times you will have to do without. That platter of food that’s at a gathering, a spontaneous lunch with work, that offer of a beer at a friend’s house. A piece of cake at a birthday celebration, an icecream on a stinking hot day. “No, I’m ok thanks”.
Appreciate: good food. Being gluten free doesn’t mean we have to miss out on good nutritious food. I tend to avoid GF substitutes & just go without, or use an alternative. GF bread is naff so I’ve given up trying to find one that doesn’t taste like cardboard. Seek out good healthy recipes & keep looking for new ones. Experiment!
Recipe for today – Chicken Kiev
What you’ll need:
2 x small skinless chicken breasts
2 x Tbsp GF flour
3 x eggs, beaten
1 x packet of Fogdog GF breadcrumbs (surprisingly delicious!!)
Oil for cooking.
50g of softened butter
3 x cloves of garlic, grated/crushed
2 x Tbsp of chopped fresh parsley
Pinch of salt & pepper
How to prepare (let’s get messy!)
To make the garlic butter, add the garlic & the chopped parsely to the softened butter, mix & pop into the fridge. Slice off the tenderloin of the chicken breast if it has one. If not slice off a small section off the side of the breast, this is used to seal the pocket you’re about to create. Cut a small slit in the thickest part of the breast creating a small cavity with a small sharp knife, be careful not to go through to the bottom (you’ll lose the butter in the cooking process). Stuff each breast with the butter & place the tenderloins back over the butter to cover the holes.
Next step is messy! Prepare a work station with a plate with the flour, a shallow bowl with the beaten eggs & a plate with the breadcrumbs.
Step one: coat a chicken breast in flour. Step two: dip the breast into the egg to coat. Step three: cover in bread crumbs. Repeat step two & three (eggs/breadcrumbs). Set aside & wash your hands. It’s easier to start this with clean hands! You will also make a mess of the bench top! Repeat the steps wth the second chicken breast. I find it worth while popping them covered into the fridge for 20-30mins, which seems to help the breadcrumbs set.
Next step is to brown the chicken breasts. I prefer to shallow fry them individually in a small frying pan. That way you get to spend time to brown them evenly on all sides. You’ll need enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan & you may need to add more oil for the second one. On a medium heat, heat up the oil & add one breast. Once browned on all side & repeat with the second breast.
Once the breasts are a lovely golden brown, place the chicken in a ceramic dish (not metal) into the oven. They will take about 40mins on 180deg C to cook.
I serve these with roast potatoes & crispy kale with steamed green beans.
I used small organic chicken breasts as they turn into a large portion once crumbed. They are very filling!
Enjoy!
I'm Not Awkward I'm a Coeliac 