<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Ann wrote:  I also have a questions I an not sure what celiac is please
explain.  I have read a lot on the different types of diabetes including
gestational, type 1 and 2.  I am still very new to this and I want to learn
as much as I can about this.  <snip>

It's hard to answer this without getting *technical*, but I'll try to
keep it as simple as possible.

Celaic Sprue~ The easy answer (but not technically correct) is an "allergy"
to wheat, rye, barley, and oats.  The only way to curb the disease is to not
ingest those items.

The truth is it's actually an auto-immune disorder, where the small intestine
reads the protein molecule gliadin (contained in wheat, rye, barley, and
oats), as a toxin and reacts in a number of different ways.  The common
presentation is severe abdominal cramping and diarrhea, a skin rash called
dermatitis herpitiformus (not sure I spelled that one right- commonly
referred to as "DH") and other nasty variations on the theme.  A person with
Celiac Sprue has a 90% higher risk of intestinal lymphoma (cancer), if they
continue to ingest gluten.

Besides the obvious things to omit there are long lists of "gluten
derived sub-ingredients", such as white vinegar, mono & diglycerides,
modified food starch etc which MAY contain gluten. As you can see, one
could read all the fine print on a food label, and still not KNOW if a
product is in fact gluten free or not.

The allowed "safe grains" are considered to be high glycemic index
foods- those high in carbohydrates, which tend to raise blood glucose
levels.

This list is a support group for those who are juggling the 2 diseases~
the need to maintain blood glucose levels, and eat a medically required
Celiac/ gluten free diet.

There is another list that is Celiac Sprue support alone.... without the
diabetic element, and there are other lists that are just for diabetics~
but this list was intended to be a *safe haven* for those who live with
both diseases (friends & family too!).

Hey! It's early here & the coffee is just now starting to take effect....
feel free to hash out something I botched or failed to mention
I was painting with broad strokes to give an overview~

Fran