A coeliac disease diagnosis is overwhelming and life changing

Suddenly, life as you know it has ended. Spontaneity is replaced by meticulous planning. Take away dinners are swapped for home cooked meals. Familiar brands are substituted with the unknown.
But it doesn’t have to mean the end of joy. Good food, party invites, and family adventures can still be a big part of your life.
It just takes a little extra planning, a little support, and a little inspiration!

Welcome to the Coeliac Connection!

Your one stop shop for all things gluten free.

Coeliac education. Gluten free recipes. Product reviews. Day trips and holidays.
Everything you need to know, to live your best coeliac life
(and a little bit about how we live ours!)

Hi! I’m Jo…

Wife to a kiwi, mum to a teen and a tween

When our daughter was diagnosed with coeliac disease, it turned our world upside down. There was no one to tell us it would be ok, there was no one to help us navigate the immense life changes we were experiencing. We were just given the diagnosis, told to immediately transition to a gluten free diet, and sent on our way.

We were lost in the sea of gluten free labels and “may contain” statements, and we struggled. Over time though, we've adjusted to our new normal. Now we safely share our kitchen between gluten and gluten free foods. We take packed lunches when we go out, we meticulously plan safe places to eat, and research holiday destinations that have safe eateries nearby.

But if we'd had a road map in those early days, the transition to gluten free life would have been so much easier. I often said to my husband in those early days, that I wish there was someone to call, or a service to engage, to help us, to support us. It would have made the transition so much easier.

Now I've created that service, that connection to support for new families - because while childhood coeliac disease will always be emotional, it shouldn’t be scary and isolating.