Mate! Have you lost your Mojo?

This is a different sort of post for me as it is both to promote an awareness campaign running this week and also to share a journey that has affected my wife, one of my three daughters and many of my friends and colleagues - through them having Coeliac disease. This is a disease for which there is currently no cure - although the good news is that, if managed correctly through the adoption of a gluten free diet, people with it can lead a long and enjoyable life.

The Coeliac Society of Australia says that "coeliac disease affects approximately 1 in 100 people in Australia but 75% people don't know they have it. Coeliac disease is an auto-immune disease, which means that the body produces antibodies that attack its own tissues. For people with coeliac disease, this is triggered by gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and oats."

This week is Coeliac Awareness Week - with a particular target group being Australian Men with the "Mate! Have you lost your Mojo?" campaign. Australian men have this maybe deserved or undeserved reputation of having a "she'll be right" attitude, of not seeing doctors for regular health checks and wanting to appear "bullet proof" - except of course when we have "man flu"......! The reality though is that only 1/3 of diagnoses made of coeliac disease are of men - yet given it is a genetic disease, men are just as likely as women to have it.

The Coeliac Society of Australia, together with the Coeliac Research Fund, says "that one of the most common symptoms of untreated coeliac disease is unexplained tiredness or lack of stamina. They describe some possible symptoms as:

- You often fall asleep in a chair after dinner.
- You don't have the energy to run around with your kids.
- You find it hard to concentrate at work.
- You feel exhausted during the day and need an afternoon nap.
- You're too tired to play sport these days."

Whilst we might say that the demands of work these days contribute to the above symptoms, there may be something more serious.

What does it mean to be a Coeliac?

Having been part of a family for nearly a decade now where a gluten free diet is important for my wife and daughter, it is not all bad. As a family, we find we actually eat better from a health perspective (CSIRO's Total Wellbeing Diet is particularly good) with the substitution or avoidance of foods with gluten in them.

Some examples:

- we eat rice more than pasta now - although there is gluten free pasta

- we eat far more protein, fruits, vegetable and salads and less carbohydrates - which can have advantages from a health perspective

- we still eat carbohydrates - and my wife and daughter have gluten free cereals, bread, pasta and flour for cakes and biscuits

- there is now even a gluten free beer (O'Briens)

- there is great support by the supermarket chains, particularly Coles, with dedicated gluten free areas in their stores and discounts to members of The Coeliac Society

Even though I do not have coeliac disease, the practicality is that family meals generally are gluten free - but I still have normal bread rolls, Weetbix, toast etc.

I encourage anyone, particularly men, who may have any of the above symptoms to see their doctor and ask the question and for a possible diagnosis. Note one really important thing - do NOT stop eating foods with gluten in them prior to diagnosis.

Further information, support and some great resources, including an iPhone App, can be obtained from the Coeliac Society of Australia.

Action points from this post for men - and anyone who cares about them:

- Click on Mate! Have you lost your Mojo?"

- Follow "CoeliacAust" on Twitter

Bottom line - Men! Go get your Mojo Back!

PB