Celiac Disease information

Finding information about Celiac disease and a gluten free diet is getting easier as more research is done and awareness grows. There are a lot of options for websites to gain Celiac disease information from. I've listed two I would recommend to those diagnosed with Celiac disease. 

• Websites
• Beyond Celiac (www.beyondceliac.org) is an organization that is working to promote early diagnosis of Celiac Disease and give resources to promote a healthy lifestyle for those diagnosed with Celiac Disease. They offer support and information:
• About Celiac Disease
• Living with Celiac Disease
• Gluten Free Food resources
• Recent Research
• Celiac Disease in the News and Media 
• Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF) (www.celiac.org) is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1990. They work to promote early diagnosis of Celiac Disease. They have also worked to build a network of physicians, dietitians, mental health professionals and researchers to stay up-to-date on the newest research done about Celiac Disease. Some things they offer:
• connections to local support groups for Celiac Disease
• Support on living gluten free with recipes and information on how to eat-out with Celiac disease. 
• Team Gluten-Free athletic events with opportunities to plan an event in your community if there isn't on already available.

Also smart phones and tablets open us up to be able to gain information from Apps that can be downloaded in your app store on your specific device. I've listed two apps that come highly recommended by users. I have used Yummly in the past and have loved the results! It is so nice to be able to customize the search to exactly what you want to eat or avoid. I'm sure there are a lot of great resources out there, these are just the tip of the iceberg to get you started. 

• Apps
• Gluten Free Food Finder allows you to scan the bar code of  the item you wish to purchase and it will tell if it contains gluten or not. 
• Yummly is a recipe app that can be very helpful in finding new recipes. Yummly allows you to customize what food you want to eat and what food you want to avoid. Once you do that it gives you recipes you can eat. You can also access Yummly online at www.yummly.com if you do not have a compatible device.  

Patient Portals

With any disease it is important to be a part of your health care. You have the right to make decisions and ask questions. Most physicians and hospitals have patient care portals where you may be able look at lab results, e-mail questions to your doctor, and some let you schedule appointments online through your health portal.

When signing up for your portal of choice it is important to make unique passwords and to not share those passwords with anyone. Your health information is protected and private.

Examples of these portals include:

• Intermountain Hosptials My Health at myhealth.intermountain.org
• to sign up for a my health account ask for a sign up sheet at your next doctors appointment. 
• Mountain Star Hospitals My Health one at myhealthone.net
• to sign up you need your medical record number which you'll need to ask for at you next doctors visit. 

There are lots of options and different companies that offer patient portals. If you visit doctors in onnected to different hospitals you may be required to sign up for different patient portals for each doctor. Just ask at your next appointment for information about the health portals they offer. 

Support

Life changing medical conditions are hard to adjust to. It can be extremely helpful in adjusting to a diagnosis of Celiac Disease to reach out to individuals and families living who are already living with it. Some other options for Celiac Disease support both in person and online include:

• As mentioned earlier the Celiac Disease Foundation offers a search engine to find a Celiac Disease support group in your area.
• Facebook offers a lot of different groups. By searching for "Celiac Disease" or "Celiac Disease Support Group" in the search engine I was able to discover a number of Facebook groups and pages dedicated to Celiac Support. There were also a number of support events being held all across the United States and even in Canada.
• Your local community center may have information about Celiac Support groups that meet locally that you could attend. 
• If there isn't a group that is near you or you don't feel like you could get the support you want from groups available it is always an option to organize your own Celiac Support group. With rates of Celiac Disease up to 1 per every 100, chances are there is someone who lives near you with a diagnosis of Celiac Disease. 

Accessing the Information

Much of what was discussed in this blog post requires access to the internet in order to get the information. There are some different options for internet access. You can have a data capable phone with a data plan that allows you access to the internet. Most likely you will want some way other than your phone to get on the internet. 

When purchasing an internet capable device it is important to look at the memory available on the device. Filling up a majority of the available memory can slow down the functioning of the computer or tablet. Terms to be aware of include RAM (Random Access Memory) and Hard Drive. RAM tells you how much information can be saved and randomly accessed on your device which can range from 4 GB on up. I would discuss what you are planning to use your computer for with a computer expert to get an opinion on how much memory you need to purchase to keep your computer or tablet running smoothly. 

Another option to add memory to your computer or tablet is to use Cloud Storage. Cloud storage means instead of storing a file directly on your computers hard drive you store it on the hard drive of the Cloud provider you've chosen and then you access it through the internet. There are lots of options for Cloud Storage available. 

Steps to the internet

1. buy an internet capable device such as a computer or a tablet
2. choose an internet provider such as Xfinity, Dish, Century Link ect. Most companies offer an incentive of a lower rate for a number of months when you first sign on but then the rate increases once the promotion ends. Make sure you know how long the promotion lasts and if you are required to sign a contract for service. 
3. Once the internet is installed and activated by the company you need to decide if you are going to access the internet by plugging your computer directly into the internet source or use it wirelessly. Wireless access is not difficult to set up. 
4. Wireless access: you will need to purchase or rent a router for your wireless access. Routers convert the internet signal from the cable line into a wireless signal that allows you to access it without plugging your device in to a jack. Most of the time routers come with a CD with instructions on how to set them up or paper instructions in the box. When setting up your wireless router it is important that you add a password to be able to access your wireless internet. This means that your neighbor or someone walking by can't log onto your internet and slow down your signal. Make your password unique and write it down in a safe spot so you don't forget it. 
5. Access your wireless signal and enjoy surfing the internet. 

Many computers and tablets come with an internet browser already downloaded on the device. Depending on the brand of computer you chose that could range from Internet Explorer to Safari. Once you have your internet set up and functioning you can decide if you like the internet browser that came pre-installed or download a new internet browser. The most common additional internet browsers include Google Chrome and Firefox. Websites may tell you which internet browser they prefer when you are using their site.