Foreword

Living Gluten-Free For Dummies provides an excellent introduction to coeliac disease and the gluten-free diet, all of which can be quite overwhelming for the newly diagnosed (you are probably nodding as you read this!) Changing to a gluten-free diet dramatically alters your most social and daily activity — eating — so the information provided in this book is invaluable, and it’s easy to understand and put into practice. No matter your age or social situation, this book provides you with tips and ideas on how to stay gluten-free. Whether you’re newly diagnosed, an old hat at gluten-free, or a friend or family member of somebody who needs to be gluten-free, this book provides vital information and the assurance that you’re doing the right thing.

For the uninitiated, I cannot stress enough the importance of being medically diagnosed prior to commencing a gluten-free diet. With the advent of the internet and vast quantities of information available at the fingertips, it’s tempting to self-diagnose and commence a gluten-free diet without undergoing the appropriate medical investigations. However, a self-guided trial of the gluten free diet ‘to see if it works’ isn’t recommended. Any suspicion of coeliac disease must be confirmed through blood tests and a bowel biopsy while your diet still contains adequate levels of gluten to obtain accurate results. A self-diagnosed gluten-free trial may provide a reduction in symptoms, but other serious health conditions may go undetected.

Australia has the strictest standard for gluten-free products in the world and, therefore, an Australian edition of Living Gluten-Free For Dummies is crucial. The Codex Alimentarus, which is the international food standard, is based on the best available science and consultation with the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation) and WHO (World Health Organization). Codex defines gluten-free as having less than 20ppm gluten, and Europe and the United States have adopted this standard — as recently as January 2012 (Europe) and August 2013 (US), from a previous standard of less than 200 ppm. In 2012, Argentina introduced a gluten-free standard of less than 10 ppm. In contrast, since early 2000 Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) defines gluten-free as no detectable gluten — hence the need for country-specific information. Being aware of this difference is important, because information found on the internet from other countries in regard to coeliac disease, gluten-free products and recipes is based on different standards.

If ever in doubt, Coeliac Australia provides support to patients, health-care professionals and the food industry through membership of a state coeliac organisation. State offices are in Adelaide (servicing SA and NT), Brisbane, Melbourne (servicing VIC and TAS), Sydney (servicing NSW and ACT) and Perth.

I wish you well as you embark on your gluten-free journey. I know that Living Gluten-Free For Dummies will assist in a smooth and easy transition.

Annabel Mackenzie
BSc(Hons) Biochemistry, BSc (Med) Hons Nutrition & Dietetics,
M Nutrition, APD & AN
Coeliac Australia Technical & Endorsement Officer