For Health Professionals

These resources have been designed for health professionals who see people with Celiac Disease. They have been written by dietitians and physicians who specialize in treating people with Celiac Disease.

Diagnosis

• Diagnosis Flowchart
  Practice guidelines for diagnosing Celiac Disease from Toward Optimized Practice, a program of the Alberta Medical Association, Alberta Health & Wellness, Alberta’s Regional Health Authorities, and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta.

• Hidden And Dangerous Medical Fact Sheet
  A summary of Celiac Disease, Pathogenesis, Prevalence, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment, preparred by the Professional Advisory Board of the Canadian Celiac Association.

Counselling Resources

• Patient Handout (English)
  Patient Handout (French)
  Basic diet teaching for the gluten-free diet. This handout has been prepared in cooperation with Dietitians of Canada.

• Nutritional Assessment
  Guidelines on how to assess the newly diagnosed celiac patient

• Items to Teach
  A check-list of items that must be taught to all newly diagnosed celiac patients.

• Nutritional Complications
  Nutrition problems to watch for in the celiac population and ways to prevent and/or treat such problems

References

• NIH Consensus Statement
  This statement was created as a result of an evidence review and is based on presentations by experts, a systematic review of the medical literature provided by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and an extensive bibliography of Celiac Disease research papers, prepared by the National Library of Medicine. Scientific evidence was given precedence over clinical anecdotal experience. This statement is an independent report of the panel and is not a policy statement of the NIH or the Federal Government.

Article Series from Practical Gastroenterology

Knowledgeable dietitians who are adept in the complexities of the gluten free diet and translating it to meet different lifestyles, budgets, and concomitant disease processes contributed to this series from Practical Gastroenterology.

• The Gluten-Free Diet: An Update for Health Professionals
  This article reviews the specifics of the diet, including recommendations regarding the use of pure, uncontaminated oats. [Note: in this article, brewer’s yeast is incorrectly identified as GF. This was an error: baker’s yeast is GF, brewer’s yeast is not GF.]
  

• Whole Grains and the Gluten-Free Diet
  Educating patients on gluten-free whole grains and helping them to incorporate these foods can improve the nutrient profile and add fiber to a gluten-free diet.
  

• Gluten-Free Dining Out: Is it Safe?
  Dining out is one of life’s simple pleasures that most of us take for granted. However, for your patient with Celiac Disease, it can be an overwhelming task. The simple act of ordering off the menu becomes a complex challenge to achieve a safe, gluten-free meal.
  

• Heart Health and Celiac Disease
  Individualized assessment of cardiovascular risk, maintenance of gluten-free diet principles and appropriate addition of heart healthy diet recommendations are critical to successful nutrition intervention, often requiring consultation with a registered dietitian.
  

• Medications and Celiac Disease
  Patients who have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease (CD) or have a need to follow a gluten-free (GF) diet must be aware of potential sources of gluten. In the area of pharmaceuticals, potential sources of gluten contamination come primarily from the addition of the excipient (filler) ingredients added to the active drug in order to make a particular dosage form.
  

• Kids and the Gluten-Free Diet
  The gluten-free diet presents unique challenges for children with Celiac Disease and their families. Prior to diagnosis, children may be quite ill, suffering from poor growth and developmental delay. Upon accurate diagnosis and treatment, children usually improve quickly; however despite rapid improvement of symptoms, compliance with diet may be less than optimal, putting the child once again at risk for the complications of untreated Celiac Disease.
  

• Combining Diabetes and Gluten-Free Dietary Management Guidelines
  The association of Celiac Disease and type 1 diabetes is well documented in the literature. Type 1 diabetes, celiac and thyroid diseases are a triad of autoimmune conditions with a significant co-morbidity. However, very little is written about the management of Celiac Disease and type 1 diabetes and clear guidelines are not available.
  

• The Gluten-Free Diet: Can Your Patient Afford It?
  One of the most significant challenges patients face is the cost of certain components of the diet. Great tasting gluten-free alternatives are essential to help patients comply with the diet, but come at a much higher cost than their gluten containing counterparts. Helping patients manage the cost of the diet is as important as understanding the basic concepts of the GFD.
  

• The Gluten-Free Vegetarian
  A plant-based vegetarian diet may rely more heavily on grains to provide both macro- and micronutrients, so the elimination of wheat and other gluten-containing foods may seem especially restrictive. However, with thought and planning, a vegetarian gluten-free diet can be a healthful way to meet one’s nutrient needs.

• Management of Dialysis Patients with Celiac Disease
  Although rare, celiac and kidney disease have been reported in the same individual. This article reviews the renal dietary guidelines and provides suggestions on how to combine this with managing Celiac Disease.

Pocket Dictionary

The CCA is very proud of its most popular publication, the Pocket Dictionary – Acceptability of Foods and Food Ingredients in the Gluten-Free Diet. It provides easy information on the "Acceptability of Foods & Food Ingredients for the Gluten-Free Diet". This pocket-size dictionary is an easy-to-carry, complete resource to help you navigate the ingredient list of food products and quickly decide about their acceptability in the gluten-free diet. Thousands of people have used the first version of the dictionary to help understand ingredient labels while they shop.

Developed by a Registered Dietitian and peer-reviewed by members of the Professional Advisory Board of the Canadian Celiac Association, this dictionary is the result of extensive research into ingredient manufacturing practices and food labeling laws in the United States, Canada and Europe.

The revised 2nd edition of the Pocket Dictionary includes:

• More than 300 foods and food ingredients and over 300 food additives listed in alphabetical order for easy reference

• Food ingredients classified in three straightforward categories: 'ALLOWED', 'NOT ALLOWED' or '? CHECK'

• Many food ingredients found in a wide variety of ethnic products

• Simple to understand descriptions of each item

• Concerns about manufacturing practices, when required, alerting reader to any deviations or reasons for concern

This book can be ordered from the Canadian Celiac Association. Call 905-507-6208 or download a product order form.

Printable Brochures

These brochures, produced by the Canadian Celiac Association, have been reformatted so that they can be printed on a standard office laser or inkjet printer.

• Celiac Disease – What Is It?
  A summary of the symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and genetics of Celiac Disease.

• Go Gluten–Free
  A brief introduction to the gluten-free diet, including gluten-containing foods, hidden sources of gluten, and tips on reading labels.

• Celiac Disease – Myths & Facts
  Corrects many of the myths that exist about Celiac Disease, including diagnosis concerns and the gluten-free diet.

• Celiac Disease – Teacher's Information
  Describes Celiac Disease including its symptoms, diagnosis and treatment and offers tips for teachers who have students with Celiac Disease in their classrooms.

• Celiac Disease – Senior's Living with Celiac Disease
  Describes special nutrition, medication, exercise, and travel for seniors with Celiac Disease. Also includes tips for family and caregivers.

• Dermatitis Herpetiformis – A Skin Disorder
  An overview of Dermatitis Herpetiformis, a skin form of Celiac Disease. This brochure describes the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.