Everyday life without gluten isn't difficult!

Of course not! You can tuck into fruit and vegetables without a second thought. Your mummy can give you a gluten-free bread roll, for example with natural cheese, or a pot of natural yoghurt. There are also a number of sweet and savoury snacks on the market which are especially for people with coeliac condition, such as salted crackers, crackers, biscuits and chocolate bars. Take a couple extra with you so you can share them with your friends!

No, it's better if you don't do this as they may contain gluten! However, your friends can taste your gluten-free snacks! Ask your mummy to pack a couple extra so that your friends can see how delicious gluten-free can be.

You can, as long as a couple of important rules are followed. It is very important that your parents inform the teachers and the kitchen staff that you have coeliac condition. If the canteen staff know about it, then they will simply be able to rustle you up a proper meal which doesn't contain gluten.

It would be a shame if you couldn't go, wouldn't it? You just have to make sure that your provisions are gluten-free; these may include gluten-free breads, fruit and vegetables, nuts, (unfloured) dried fruits, maybe also hard boiled eggs and, as a snack, gluten-free biscuits or cereal bars. You should also make sure you get quite a lot to drink: tap water, slightly sugared tea or diluted fruit juices. I have already explained a bit about snacking with friends in the question about break-time snacks.

You should be sure to find out beforehand whether the restaurant also offers gluten-free meals. This is the only way to ensure that you don't become ill after the meal because you unknowingly ate something containing gluten. Always take with you a "card for the kitchen". This may contain the following:

"I have coeliac condition. I am gluten intolerant and must not ingest even the smallest quantities of gluten as this will make me ill. Gluten can be found in: wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt, triticale, emmer wheat, kamut, green corn and bulgur couscous as well as all foods made from cereals. I would be grateful if you could prepare my meals using maize, rice, millet, buckwheat, soya or potato starch or without cereals altogether? Thank you for your help."

Perhaps your mummy can write you a card like this on the computer and print it out for you. You should show this card to the waiter or waitress. Only place an order if they can assure you that the chef will follow these rules.

If it is your own party, then it shouldn't be a problem; your mummy will no doubt bake you a delicious gluten-free cake and lots of gluten-free treats for you and your guests to enjoy.
If you are invited to a friend's party, then it is easiest for you to take some gluten-free cakes, biscuits or other snacks of your choice with you. Get you mummy to buy you a beautiful box for these occasions which you can fill with treats, is easy to carry and will prevent you from dropping something or crushing the cake.
Take care that you do not use plates or forks used by your friends by mistake as even tiny crumbs of food containing gluten may make you ill!

The box filled with gluten-free treats (see previous question) is also a great idea for school: If there is a small celebration which you knew nothing about before, for example if a friend brings in a cake to share with his classmates on his birthday, then you can simply take something from the box and join in the celebrations. In this case, you can obviously only keep long-lasting products such as packaged biscuits or snack foods in your box.

You should tell your friend and their mummy in advance exactly what you can eat and what you can't? If gluten-free food is dished up anyway, then this isn't a problem. If, for instance, pasta is served up then take your own gluten-free pasta with you and ensure that it is prepared using a completely clean pot, wooden spoons and sieve and that you always use fresh plates and cutlery. You should always take some bread, biscuits or other treats with you, just in case.

If you want to build up your strength by doing some sport occasionally, then you should always be sure to take a gluten-free snack with you. Fruit is ideal, but gluten-free cereal bars also give you a lot of energy. Be careful about what you drink: You should avoid so-called isotonic drinks which are particularly offered to sportsmen. You are better off taking water, tea or diluted fruit juices with you as these will quench even the mightiest thirst!

You should take care when buying products which have not been made specially for people with coeliac condition. Ideally, you should take with you the list of foods given to you by your coeliac society and check what you are and are not able to eat. If you are already well-versed in coeliac condition, then you can also read the packaging information carefully to check whether you can tolerate all of the ingredients. But be careful, if you don't know one of the ingredients or are not sure whether it is ok for you to eat or not, then you are better off leaving the product well alone!

No, under no circumstances. Even if you don't notice any direct effect, this will do severe harm to your stomach and perhaps also your intestine and it may even end up that you become just as ill as you were before you stopped eating gluten in the first place.

Yes you can, just as long as your parents confirm beforehand that you will be able to get gluten-free meals. Many holiday camps and youth hostels are already aware of what to do if a child has coeliac condition or are able to adjust to this without any great problem. However, you should always make sure that you have enough provisions on you in the form of gluten-free biscuits, bars, snack foods or bread just in case you get a bit peckish between meals.