As mentioned in my story; an introduction; My name is Ashlee and I live in Australia.
I was diagnosed at the age of six in 1998, that gives me a fair few years experience in living life as a coeliac.
Unlike a lot of gluten free pages, I don’t always enjoy being healthy, where is the fun in that? I feel that I already have so many things to avoid in my food that I’m not going to add anything more. Besides, gluten free
does not equal weight loss, good eating or any better health other than no longer suffering from my own body tearing itself a part.
As I was growing up; being a coeliac was extremely hard. It is easier now with more products, help and awareness. There are those who still think that being a coeliac is a choice, those who won’t give a damn about cross contamination and those who will lump you with the fad gluten free dieters.
In terms of symptoms, I get quite a few; the itchy dermatitis herpetiformis, sever bloating (think nine months pregnant looking), hot and cold flushes, vomiting, constipation or diarrhoea. I can either sleep like the dead or not sleep at all. Stomach pains, tooth aches, mood swings. The lot.
I am no medical professional, I am not a dietitian.
I am a young woman, who suffers from coeliac disease, who is happy to share her experiences and knowledge to help others and who wants to find and inform everyone about the best gluten free products and coeliac friendly restaurants out there.
Ask me questions, read my reviews and share your experiences, I’d love to hear them.
Ashlee; The Aussie Coeliac.
Hey a friend just recommended me the page this is awesome, Very well done also those pita bread pockets i cant wait to try !!! Thanks for all the effort
Hi Ashlee,
I stumbled across your page when searching the Hahn Beer. Great page and great reviews. I really enjoy the GF Vegemite, but now we need to get Nestle on-board with a GF version of Milo.
Cheers,
Paul
I know, I check every once in a while for gluten free milo. You never know… I would love it if we finally got gluten free TimTams they were my favourite and Aldi is the only brand I’ve tried that can replicate it, in its own way. They are only special buys though so I’ve only had them that once and I would just love it if Arnott’s invested in gluten free products.
Hi Ashlee, Just discovered your site — great work. You may or may not have come across some great products from Daly Potato Co, a family operated Tasmanian company producing very delicious GF food. If not, you may wish to try & review. Coles & Woolworths (Sydney) are stocking their potato salad range which is scrumptious. Particularly the Dijon & Bacon potato salad. Thanks for the review on the noodles. I’ll be looking into that.
Kind regards, KP
Hi KP;
Thanks for reading. Yes I have reviewed the Daly Potato Co Salads. You can find my review on the Dairy, Meat and Chilled page under the Products tab.
– Ashlee
Hi
Thank you for maintaining your website. My husband isn’t coeliac but he has crohn’s disease and every time he has gluten or lactose ends up in hospital, so we have found your site useful for avoiding gluten.
I have a question for you. I bought some cake mixes on sale at Aldi with the brand name “Has No Gluten Free” and then the type of cake mix. However, I’ve never seen them again, which is a great pity as they were one of those rare products suitable for my husband and nice enough to serve everyone else. Do you know if they are sold anywhere else? If there is a factory somewhere I’d pay extra for a special order delivered to my home in Canberra.
Hi Christine;
The Aldi sale is unfortunately only an annual sale that happens during August. The products are only a limited release. I don’t know who produces the cake mixes but I know that some of the other companies only produce these products under the Aldi contract. Therefore they don’t produce them all year around. That doesn’t help much but from what I know working in food manufacturing unless the store contracts for it, the company won’t produce it 🙁
– Ashlee.
I’m the same they were really nice cake mixes. Since they don’t offer anything else similar they should stock those year round for when people have birthday parties or other occasions.
Hello, I am new to Celiac just like so many people. Having a really hard time adjusting because I am one of the unfortunate people who don’t like eating vegetables, fruit or salad. So it affects me in so many more ways than most. I would love some tips or tricks if you have any. Also, my main symptoms are extreme fatigue and brain fog. I know you are not a medical person but any tips to get threw that would also be much appreciated.
Hi Jenny;
Being diagnosed with Coeliac Disease can be tough but don’t worry having trouble is quite normal. Let’s start with the symptoms because although I am not a medical professional I do deal with chronic fatigue and brain fog. The good news is once you’ve been strictly gluten free you’ll start to feel better. The time frame can differ between people but between a few months to a year maybe two depending on how much internal damage you had your body should heal and you’ll have more energy. Of course any lapse in gluten free will trigger it to come back. While you are healing try to avoid irritant foods which can be hard (chilli is my favourite). I drink green tea to try and up my energy levels and take a probiotic to help stimulate healing. Drinking lots of water (if you can) will also help with the brain fog from my experience.
In regards to the food aspect, I’d recommend going through my reviews of products (I don’t review a lot of fruits and vegetables since they are naturally gluten free) there you’ll find a lot of different products that are gluten free that aren’t just vegetables and fruits. I always list where to find them too. I also have heaps of recipes to help there too like pies, pasta and sweets. You can also find my dining out guide and other resources under the resources tab that might help.
If you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to ask.
Welcome to the family.
-Ashlee
Do you know of anyone else who has had a severe gut reaction to the new improved Coles G/F breads (both soy linseed and white)?
I was diagnosed 15 years ago, so I rarely “have a gluten accident”, but my symptoms are identical to accidentally ingesting gluten. I eat simply and I don’t eat out at all, so I know exactly what I eat every day. The only point of difference this week has been that I started eating the Coles bread a week ago, because I haven’t been able to buy any Woolworths G/F bread at my local store for a few weeks now, and I got tired of paying so much for Abbotts G/F bread.
No I don’t know anyone who has a gluten reaction from the Coles bread. Do you have any cross-reactive allergies? I know that some people get gluten like symptoms from psyllium, legumes and other ingredients that are often found in gluten free breads. Perhaps one of these could be giving you trouble?
Hi, I’ve had CD for 15+ years. In response to Kris’ post of 25/8/18: You’re not alone: I also have gut issues with Soy-Lin GF bread: both Abbott’s & Bürgen. An issue to take up with a gastro specialising in CD.
Incidentally, Woolies in Sydney seem to stock an abundance of Soy-Lin in lieu of white bread! Weeks pass until white bread is minimally stocked. I find I have to travel 44kms to a larger store, on the right day, at the right time to get bread! 🙁
FYI: Woollies freeze ALL GF bread, so it’s NOT fresh. Freezing GF bread is a basic No-No. I haven’t come across one frozen GF loaf in Coles yet.
Hi KP;
Coles also freeze their bread as it arrives to store Frozen. I know because I always ask them to grab my bread out of the freezer in the back. Freezing gluten free bread does alter the quality a touch but is definitely not a no-no. You probably know how quickly gluten free bread can go off so freezing it or grabbing it from the freezer in the store helps us save money but not wasting food 🙂
– Ashlee.
I always keep my bread in the freezer since by the time I eat the loaf it would be long stale.
Not to mention I mostly buy my bread when it’s been reduced,
I’ve never had a problem 🙂
I love bürgen soy and linseed bread because it’s so soft, and I think it’s tastes pretty close to “regular” bread.
I did have a reaction to that bread, I remember complaining around the time I see you put that comment up.
I have just come across your blog after being diagnosed coeliac 2 months ago in my mid forties, and really appreciate your reviews of places to eat out. Eating at home has changed very little for me as I’ve never been much of a bread or baked treats lover and substitution of ingredients is quite easy for my tastes.
But the (misguided) thought of never being able to eat out again safely has been quite overwhelming and not in a good way. So seeing your regular reviews of venues and eateries is fantastic. I’m saving recommendations from your blog and other Facebook coeliac groups to help survive this new life.
Hi Sonia;
I am glad that my reviews can help a little bit. I can be overwhelming and even myself almost 20 years in still gets overwhelmed. Especially when some restaurants just don’t care. I am always of the mind frame that if you ask the right questions you will be able to determine what risk level there is and make an educated decision. It gets easier with time.
Ashlee.
Hi, I was wondering if you knew of a gluten-free starter culture for making sourdough bread, available here in Oz?
Hi Lian;
Unfortunately not. I am not interested in that side of the process and haven’t come across any in my research. I know that Black Ruby Bakeries created their own.
River Cottage Gluten Free recipe book has good sourdough starter and bread recipes
Hi Ashlee, I have been diagnosed with coeliac about a month ago so I’m eating no gluten an reading all labels but I still have all the symptoms that I started with, it is a bit annoying. How long does that last for.
Thanks val.
From my experience talking with people it can take anywhere up to a year to feel better. This is because your gut is damaged from the gluten proteins so until it is fully healed it can still be irritated. Some people who are diagnosed find that cutting back on other food irritants like lactose and chilli help their symptoms (this is usually only temporary).
The other thing to think about is any possible cross contamination sources that you may have missed. Having Coeliac Disease can seem very overwhelming so you may not have even though to check your spices for may contain statements, or buy yourself a new and separate toaster to avoid crumbs.
I hope this helps and welcome to the family Val.
– Ashlee.
Hi Ashlee,
I recently discovered you on Instagram and have been obsessed ever since. I am 21 years old & diagnosed with severe Coeliacs when i was 17 (i had similar issues to you plus a whole array of other things) it was an awful transition to GF food but finding blogs and like minded people like you have made it alot easier. I also love that you are like me & i dont believe in being SUPER healthy all the time, its important to have balance and enjoy what you love, as we already restricted as it is! Thank you so much for being so proactive with this Blog & Social Media!
Thank you Alexis;
You made me smile and chuckle. This week I was told I was going to die because I liked to eat my cookies and cream cupcakes, so your comment definitely resonates with me. I don’t know why people are so hung up on what others do with their lives. My mum always taught me everything in moderation and that’s how I live. I am so happy that my story has helped support you, that was my goal with The Aussie Coeliac. I hope that I can be of assistance with any questions that you might need answered or any recipes you need converted. It can be challenging and we will all have those days when we hate what our bodies have given us but it does get more comfortable and easier to handle. Thank you very much for subscribing last night! I can’t wait to share my subscriber gifts with everyone, they’re almost ready. Of course thank you also for reading, have a great weekend!
-Ashlee
Hi Ashlee,
Firstly thank you so much for this brilliant website – it truly is a valuable resource for those of us afflicted with coeliac disease, gluten sensitivity or other associated disorders.
I was diagnosed at age 64, and prior to diagnosis was a lover of all things wheaten, especially wholegrain sourdough bread, porridge, and others. I’ve been on a GF diet since March 2015, and am still very much on a learning curve, so your very informative website is a great find. Keep up the valuable work, and I will endeavour to contribute where I can.
Thank you for the comment and for reading the website Rod. It makes me happy knowing that I can help teach and inform others from my experiences. I find that it makes this all a little bit more bearable to know other people understand. I hope that you are enjoying better health now that you have been diagnosed.
– Ashlee.
You’ve really imseseprd me with that answer!
Hi Ashlee,
Just thought I’d contribute a cooking idea if it’s of any interest to your readers/customers – for cooking fish fillets or chunks, gluten free.
I just grab a small-size freezer bag, toss in a cup of cornflour (maize or corn), half a teaspoon of salt, then throw in the fish fillets one by one, tossing them around so they get well-coated with flour & a touch of salt. Fried in the pan, they come out lovely and crisp and golden brown.
We’ve cooked flathead, snapper, flake, King George whiting, sand whiting, prawn tails, cray tail slices, calamari and WHITEBAIT!
If you’ve never eaten whitebait, give it a try. If you can get it fresh from the water, even better, but I’ve bought it fresh from the fish market and fried in a little oil, coated with cornflour, it is absolutely scrumptious. The Kiwis eat it a lot, which is where I discovered it.
We had some Red Emperor fillet slices this way the other night, they were beyond tasty!
This is also a very quick and handy way to cook fish when camping too.
Happy frying!
Thanks Rod, I am sure everyone will really enjoy this tip! 🙂
Hi Ashlee! I am a newly diagnosed Coeliac at 57! Took ages to get the diagnosis or even someone to consider it! Anyway, regardless of that rant the difference it makes not eating gluten is pretty impressive, except for one thing, the lack of an immune system!
I thought I was imaging all the illnesses I get and long recovery time, with one member of the family thinking I was exaggerating, until I found your blog. Thank you for confirming that the immune system of the coeliac is less than perfect.
Oh and do you find the medical fraternity is a bit ignorant about Coeliacs? Or is that just rural areas. As a nurse I am pretty unimpressed with the lack of knowledge about the condition.
Thanks again for the blog.
Warmest wishes, lynley.
Hi Lynley;
The medical professional certainly is lacking in education about Coeliac Disease. Even in this day and age. So often I see people being told to go gluten free before their biopsy. Two of my friends have had this advice only this year. It is extremely important that we try and spread as much awareness as possible.
I’m glad that you finally have a reason behind your problems and can begin the process of healing.
– Ashlee
Hi, Unfortunately, I’ve found the same ignorance with medical professionals here in suburban Sydney about CD & to this very day. It took 5 years of reporting obvious symptoms until I came across another gastro who was Coeliac savvy! Unfortunately, I’ve ended up with other autoimmune complications and small fibre neuropathy — not too uncommon. It all stems from Coeliac Disease.
Fortunately, The Australian Coeliac Society has a great website with medical fact sheets about other autoimmune diseases associated with Coeliac Disease. If you find that your primary medical practitioner is still is the dark, the Aust Coeliac Society has medical profession letters they send to address this.
Thank you for sharing your story Ashlee! I am so glad that you are able to and willing to share your experiences with us.
Hi Ashlee! I’m Angie, I live in Sydney and I’ve only recently been diagnosed. I hope that you can make it up my way and review some of the restaurants around.
Thank you for your hard work!
Hi Ashlee; My name is Ally, I was diagnosed three years ago when I was 25. It was quite a shock for me to suddenly have to change my lifestyle so drastically. I can’t imagine how hard it would have been being diagnosed as a child. I also think though that it may have been easier because you never got to taste the things you had to give up.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful experiences with us!