In 1991 at the age of 28 my husband was diagnosed with DH (dermatitis herpetiformis) after 20 years of being incorrectly and unsuccessfully treated for psoriasis.

The scaly, itchy, blistery skin rash which had scarred his knees, elbows, shins and scalp was finally attributed to a gluten allergy. Astonishingly a course of Dapsone tablets and a switch to a gluten free diet had him absolutely clear of the rash in a matter of weeks. The transformation was amazing!

In 1991 the availability of ready made gluten free food was limited and so I reverted to good old fashioned home cooking - meat and two veg type meals and chocolate bars and krispie type snacks for in between times. I mastered soups for lunches but struggled to replace the bread. To be honest, bread is still the one food type which hasn't been successfully made gluten free - especially when it comes to sandwiches. Gluten free bread is 'ok' when toasted but I have yet to find a really tasty sandwich bread alternative. If anyone has any recommendations I would love to hear from them.

During the last couple of years my two teenage daughters have been advised to try gluten free diets as they have had abdominal problems and nervous system complications. Both girls have benefited greatly from the switch and cope really well with the diet - well, we were halfway there anyway with our family meals being gluten free to suit Dad! My advice to anyone diagnosed with gluten/wheat allergy or intolerance is not to panic and not to lose hope. Join Coeliac UK and purchase their Food Directory which tells you what you can eat, and not just what you can't!! You'll be amazed at the range and variety of foods - it is not as bad as you think!! Keep meals simple at first looking to fresh meat and fruit and vegetables as your basic ingredients and work up from there!

My thanks to Jill Walters for this editorial - (ed)

See her website and gluten free cook book Surprisingly Gluten Free