Strictly gluten-free, without feeling restricted.
Learn to live gluten-free with confidence after a celiac diagnosis, or find out how much gluten you really need to avoid, with a Registered Dietitian. In person in Ottawa and Gatineau, or online anywhere in Ontario and Quebec.
Start with understanding
Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition. In people who have it, gluten, a protein in wheat, barley and rye, triggers an immune reaction that damages the lining of the small intestine. Symptoms vary a lot: digestive problems, fatigue, anemia, bone loss, and sometimes no obvious symptoms at all. It affects about 1 in 100 people, and many don’t know they have it. The only treatment is a strict, lifelong gluten-free diet.
Guidelines recommend seeing a dietitian with celiac experience after diagnosis, because a gluten-free diet is harder than it looks. Gluten hides in sauces, soups, seasonings and beer, and crumbs from a shared toaster or fryer can be enough to cause damage. A gluten-free diet can also run low in fibre, iron, B vitamins, calcium and vitamin D if it relies on processed gluten-free products.
We work with adults newly diagnosed with celiac disease, people who still have symptoms on a gluten-free diet, families setting up a safe kitchen, and people with gluten sensitivity once celiac disease has been ruled out. If you haven’t been tested yet, keep eating gluten until your testing is done.
Your path forward
The first weeks bring a lot of new rules. We take them one at a time, so gluten-free becomes routine rather than a constant worry.
First weeks after diagnosis
What to avoid, including spelt, kamut, malt and triticale, the many foods that are naturally gluten-free, how to read Canadian labels, and how to set up your kitchen.
First months
Ordering safely at restaurants and on the road, choosing gluten-free whole grains, and covering the nutrients a gluten-free diet can miss.
Long term
Follow-up tests with your doctor, help tracking down hidden gluten if symptoms come back, and a diet that stays varied and enjoyable.
Celiac, sensitivity or something else
Celiac disease, gluten sensitivity and wheat allergy need different approaches. Knowing which one you have changes how strict you need to be.
Celiac disease is diagnosed with a blood test and usually a small-bowel biopsy, while you are still eating gluten. Don’t start a gluten-free diet before testing.
Support for your everyday
We use clinical software so your gluten-free diet is safe, varied and nutritionally complete, not just free of bread.
The recipes we suggest are checked against your gluten-free requirement, ingredient by ingredient.
Your dietitian builds meal plans with fibre, iron, calcium, vitamin D and B vitamins calculated, so gluten-free doesn’t mean missing out.
You log meals and symptoms in our patient portal. If symptoms come back, your dietitian reviews your entries to help track down hidden gluten.
With your consent, we share our notes with your family doctor or gastroenterologist, alongside your follow-up tests.
Putting it into practice
Recipes change. In Canada, wheat, barley, rye, oats and triticale must be listed on prepackaged food labels, and “gluten-free” products must meet a strict limit.
Soy sauce, malt and malt vinegar, soups, gravies, seasoning mixes, beer, and some processed meats can all contain gluten.
Only oats specially produced and labelled gluten-free are suitable for most people with celiac disease. Regular oats are often contaminated with wheat.
Use a separate toaster, cutting board and spreads, or squeeze bottles, and clean surfaces before preparing gluten-free food.
Call ahead, explain that you have celiac disease rather than a preference, and ask about shared fryers and cooking surfaces.
Quinoa, buckwheat, brown rice, millet, sorghum and gluten-free oats add the fibre and nutrients that refined gluten-free products often lack.
WORKING WITH YOUR DIETITIAN
We review your diagnosis and test results, symptoms, a typical week of eating, your kitchen and eating-out habits, and your nutrient needs.
We cover what to avoid, labels, cross-contact and eating out at a pace that works for you, with meals and recipes you enjoy.
We check that your diet stays safe and complete, help find hidden gluten if symptoms return, and keep your doctor informed.
With celiac disease, very strict: small amounts of gluten, even crumbs, can damage the intestine without causing symptoms. In Canada, foods labelled gluten-free must contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten.
Most people with celiac disease can eat oats that are specially produced and labelled gluten-free. Regular oats are often contaminated with wheat or barley. A small number of people react to oats themselves, so we add them with care.
No. Gluten sensitivity causes symptoms but doesn’t damage the intestine, and it’s only considered once celiac disease and wheat allergy have been ruled out. It often doesn’t require the same strictness.
Ideally, yes. Knowing whether you have celiac disease tells you how strict you need to be, means your family can be tested, and makes sure you get the right medical follow-up.
Not necessarily. Many are lower in fibre and higher in sugar or fat than the foods they replace. A diet built mostly on naturally gluten-free whole foods is usually healthier and cheaper.
Many private insurance plans cover services from a Registered Dietitian, and we provide receipts. People with celiac disease may also be able to claim the extra cost of gluten-free products as a medical expense on their taxes; check the Canada Revenue Agency’s rules.
Yes. Online appointments by secure video are available anywhere in Ontario and Quebec. We can look at food labels and your pantry together on screen.
This page is general information, not individual advice. Your needs depend on your diagnosis, your health and your goals.
We see you in person at our Ottawa and Gatineau clinics or by secure video anywhere in Ontario and Quebec, in English or French. With your consent, we share your plan with your family doctor or gastroenterologist.
Let’s take the next step
Start with a free initial consultation, in person in Ottawa or Gatineau, or online anywhere in Ontario and Quebec.
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