Sarnia-Lambton Celiac Support Group

The Sarnia-Lambton Celiac Support Group is a non-profit organization that gives support to individuals who are diagnosed as having Celiac Disease.

What is Celiac Disease?

This disease is a medical condition in which the absorption surface of the small intestine is damaged by a substance called gluten. This results in an inability of the body to absorb nutrients such as protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, which are necessary for good health.

Symptoms :

Common symptoms include anemia, chronic diarrhea, weight loss, fatigue and irritability. In children, there is often poor growth and failure to thrive.

Treatment :

Celiac disease has no known cure, but can be effectively treated and controlled. The treatment is a strict adherence to a gluten free diet for life. This requires knowledge dietic counseling since Celiacs must be alert to hidden sources of gluten such as wheat, rye, oats, barley, hydrolyzed vegetable/plant protein, malt, spelt, kamut and certain drug products. 

Who Does Celiac Disease Affect?

Celiac disease, although a person is born with it, can surface at any age. It is estimated that 1 in 130 Canadians are affected by this illness. Until recently, it was recognized mainly in children but the rate at which adults are being diagnosed is increasing, particularly those in the 40-50 year age bracket, due to better screening and knowledge by the medical profession.

Support Group Meetings :

The Sarnia-Lambton Support Group meets regularly for support and food information, including recipes.

Meetings take place on the last Monday of every month (except September and May) during the fall and winter seasons. For 2004/2005 season, the meetings will be in September, November, January and March at 7:30pm with varied programs.  All meetings are held at Smith Funeral Home, Guest House, London Line.   Our Pot Luck Supper is scheduled for May at 6:30pm. Please phone in advance for location and other information.

Other Interesting Sites :

Canadian Celiac Association
Edmonton Chapter (Alberta, Canada)
What is Celiac Sprue ?
The Gluten Free Page
Nutrition and Food - Finding The Good Stuff
Gluten-Free Information on the Internet since 1995
Celiac Support Page

For Information Please Call :

Sarnia-Lambton Chapter

Canadian Celiac Association

National Office,Mississauga, Ontario Phone 1-800-363-7296 or 1-905-507-6208 Fax 1-905-507-4673