TERAPROOF:User:jaycarcioneDate:14/03/2012Time:13:32:16Edition:16/03/2012FeelgoodXH1603Page:11 Zone:XH

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FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012Feelgood

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Judith Cameron is a coeliac and founder ofcoeliacpages.ie. She set up the site in re-sponse to the lack of information onlineabout where suitable food and venuescould be found. In Coeliacpages she hascreated a food directory and review forumfor restaurant and food reviews for coeliacs.The website works on smartphones so

you can always check the nearest suitablefood venue. She believes that being a coeli-ac doesn’t have to be difficult and she hasjust made it even easier.Here are her top suggestions for eatingout as a coeliac:

Rustic Stone by Dylan McGrath, SouthGreat Georges St, Dublin — www.rustic-stone.ie.Prices vary but it currently offers a sharingmenu for €25 per head.

O’Connells, Donnybrook, Dublin —www.oconnellsdonnybrook.com/coeliac.Starters average €7-€8. Mains cost onaverage €20 with steaks around €28.

The Millstone, Dame Street, Dublin —www.millstone.ieStarters from €3.50, main courses aver-age at €17.

McNeans Bistro, Cavan — www.neven-maguire.comMenus come with a set price and rangefrom €48 for the vegetarian option up to€82 for the prestige tasting dinner menu.

Hayfield Manor, cork — www.hayfield-manor.ie/hotel-diningLunch in the Orchids Restaurant is €32.

Market Lane Bar, oliver plunkett st, cork— www.marketlane.ieStarters around €5-€8. Mains startaround €13 and increase to €25 for thefillet steak.

Castlemurray House Hotel, Donegal —www.castlemurray.comSet menu is €45.

Tamarind, Spanish Arch, Galway —www.tamarind.ie/menus/coeli-ac-menu.htmlStarters are priced from €4 for salad andgo up to €9.50 for Thai fish cakes. Maincourses average around €20. .

Olive Grove, Athlone — www.theolive-grove.ieStarters from €5-€9, main courses rangefrom €16-€25.

Strawberry Tree, Wicklow —www.brooklodge.com/foodand-drink/strawberrytree.aspA set menu is currently €62.

● See www.coeliacpages.ie

● The Coeliac Society of Ireland providesguidelines for gluten-free eating atwww.coeliac.ie

Life’s challenges

Watch for products that contain hidden glutenWhat are the most common foods withgluten? Nutritional therapist Sally Milne(www.positivenutrition.ie) says gluten is inwheat (including spelt and kamut), barley,rye and oats and products made from them.Oats are not always problematic for coeliacs,but may be contaminated with gluten in thefood-processing factories.It’s difficult to avoid wheat in our diet and

many food additives contain productsmade from it. In addition to foodscoated in bread crumbs, such asfish fingers, chicken nuggets, orcontain bread/wheat, likesausages, stuffings, puddings andsauces — modified starch, hydrol-

ysed vegetable protein, monosodium gluta-mate, starch or vegetable starch, mustardpowder and vegetable gum can all be madefrom wheat.If you are gluten-sensitive, watch for malt-

ed products (extract, vinegar, syrup, flavour-ing and maltose). Dextrin or dextrose, usedas a sweetener, is also made from wheat.Not all food manufacturers label these foods

with a wheat warning. Read foodlabels closely.

Typical foods to avoid in-clude: stock cubes, soysauce, potato crisps, pro-cessed meat products likeburgers, sausages, where

starch is used as a binding agent, and fruitsquashes containing barley. Many sweetsand chocolate and/or caramel bars usestarch as a thickening agent. Processedcheese and dishes made from it may alsohave starch as a thickener.Tomato ketchup, brown sauce, baked

beans, canned and chilled soups, and manypasta sauces are on the to-avoid list.High-quality food is vital when it comes to

maintaining a gluten-free diet. Increase in-take of fresh fruit and vegetables, and usepulses as alternative carbohydrates to wheatin soups and stews (these also contain pro-tein), which will fill you up and providehealthy, nutritious fuel.

Where to eat

Bernard Dunne’s daughter Caoimhe was diagnosed as coeliac after months of trauma.With careful control of her diet, however, she’s been thriving, says Holly White

Cure and the cause

DADDY’S GIRL: Former boxer Bernard Dunne with his daughter, five-year-old Caoimhe,who was diagnosed with coeliac disease when she was 19 months. Picture: Nick Bradshaw

C AOIMHE DUNNE was diag-nosed as a coeliac when she was19 months. Since birth she had

been constantly sick and tired. Meals wouldresult in projectile vomiting, she had asth-ma-like symptoms, runny nappies and sleptbadly at night.Although this was their first child, retired

boxer Bernard Dunne and his wife Pamelaknew something was not right. However,their GP could find nothing wrong.After one particularly bad spell, they ended

up in Our Lady’s Hospital in Crumlin. A doc-tor walking by noticed her protruding bellyand suggested tests for coeliac disease.At home that night the Dunnes looked up

the symptoms online and saw that Caoimhehad all seven.Coeliac disease is a disorder of the lower in-

testine that is caused by a reaction to gluten inwheat and similar foods.Soon after Caoimhe was diagnosed, they set

about educating themselves and adopted anew lifestyle. They also joined the CoeliacSociety of Ireland, which now has 12,000members.Already healthy eaters, they simply refined

Caoimhe’s diet and noticed an immediate im-provement in her demeanour.When eating out they now know to bring

their own burger buns if a burger is on themenu, and they enjoy trips to Beshoff ’s forfish and chips as a treat as the famous Dublinchipper uses a gluten-free batter.“I remember in the middle of the night I

would sit in the kitchen feeding her porridgetrying to comfort her. Now I can see howbad that was for her and how much discom-fort she was experiencing,” says Pamela,adding that Caoimhe is now thriving at fiveyears of age.“She was diagnosed at such a young age she

knows no different, so there is never a feelingof missing out on anything,” says Bernard. “Ifshe’s going to a birthday party she brings herown cake with her and also the staff at herschool in Lucan are very aware of it.”In terms of eating out they find places very

accommodating and understanding. “One in300 people in Ireland are coeliacs so placesneed to be aware of how to deal with it,” saysBernard.