Navigating the Gluten-Free Diet with Celiac Disease with Selena Devries, RD

Were you recently diagnosed with celiac disease? Having celiac disease can mean something different for each patient. There are many different symptoms and yet some people may not experience any symptoms at all.

This week I interview RD Selena Devries about different ways to advocate for yourself if you have been diagnosed with celiac disease and helpful ways to encourage your transition into eating gluten-free.

Selena Devries is a registered dietitian from BC Canada. She completed her dietetic training at Kelowna General Hospital in 2013 and was, shortly, after diagnosed with celiac disease myself. Through her diagnosis, she started to volunteer with the Canadian Celiac Association and ended up working on their national board of directors as well as their professional advisory council with other celiac dietitians and gastroenterologists. She is also trained in the low FODMAP diet for IBS through Monash University. Her own diagnosis and follow up led her to discover gaps in care for celiac disease which led her to private practice with a focus on the dietary management of celiac disease. With her online nutrition practice, she helps celiacs fall back in love with food. She helps them resolve persistent symptoms despite a GF diet, help the newly diagnosed get off on their best foot, and help celiacs eat out with confidence.

We talk about:

• How Selena became interested in celiac disease
• What is celiac disease?
• The common symptoms of celiac disease and some emerging symptoms (GI and otherwise)
• The mainstay in celiac treatment
• What you see as major gaps as a dietitian working with celiac and living with celiac when it comes to celiac education
• High risk gluten-free grains
• Tips for eating out while gluten-free
• What to do when symptoms don't improve
• How to advocate for yourself as a patient with celiac disease
• Health monitoring protocols like annual blood labs
• The overlap with IBS and SIBO or other gastrointestinal issues

Connect with Selena on her website at Healthbean.ca on Instagram @Celiac_dietitian or on her Twitter here as well!