Gluten-Free... A Way of Life

Becki Swindell has to watch what she pulls out of her refrigerator, she has to be careful about every meal she prepares.

Becki has celiac disease, a chronic intolerance to a substance found in specific food grains called gluten.

The disease is hereditary, but Becky didn't even know she had a problem until early 2008.

"I would just get increasingly sick with GI symptoms, diarrhea, nausea," said Swindell.  "It was difficult for me to even leave the house."

A gastroenterologist finally diagnosed her with a blood test and a colonoscopy.

"I was upset only in the fact that, wow this totally changes how I eat, because if you look on the back of products that are in your pantry, everything has wheat in it."

And it's not just wheat, gluten is also found in rye, barley, and oats, so to avoid any setbacks she diligently scours every label.

"If a product you buy at the grocery store is manufactured in the United States it has to have wheat in bold letters in the labeling, so that makes it a lot easier."

But here's what makes it tougher, just the tiniest bit of gluten is enough to make her sick.

Long term exposure is even more dangerous.

"When you have celiac disease it predisposes you to colon cancer and certain forms of lymphoma, so that's a little motivator to eat gluten-free."

Many people have an intolerance to gluten and don't know it.

The symptoms are similar to irritable bowel syndrome.

About one in 133 people have celiac disease, perhaps that's why many restaurants are adding gluten-free menus.

At the market, safer, tastier eating options are now widely available.

Becki continues to stay vigilant, she really has no other choice.

"As good as that cupcake looks or that fried shrimp, it's not worth it."

There's the silver lining, because she's cut out many of the gluten-filled bad foods from her diet, Becki may be healthier than ever.

It makes having celiac disease a little easier to swallow.