Rebecca Adlington: After my miscarriages, I was diagnosed with coeliac disease. It's changed everything

Telegraph

a day ago

Rebecca Adlington, 36, lives in Cheshire with her husband and two children. In October 2024, she was diagnosed with coeliac disease after suffering with debilitating symptoms including stomach pain, extreme fatigue, and mouth ulcers for over two years.
Initially, Rebecca put the pain down to hormonal changes following multiple pregnancies however, after suffering two miscarriages, her doctors couldn't pinpoint the cause of her stomach pain and sent her for testing, one of which was for coeliac disease.
Rebecca says the diagnosis has been life-changing. The former Olympian talks us through her daily routine and what she eats – and how this has changed since her diagnosis.
Wake up
Each morning, the alarm rings at 7am and chaos descends on our household as my husband Andy and I attempt to get the kids (Summer, 10, and Albie, 4) ready for school and out the door by 8.30am.
My first priority is to make our lunch boxes and prepare a breakfast I can eat on the go. My go-to used to be the instant porridge pots which I absolutely loved, however they're sadly off the table for me as gluten-free versions aren't readily available.
I didn't actually realise how many foods contain gluten. After 35 years of freely eating them, it's been difficult to adapt to my food shop taking double the amount of time as I comb the aisles, searching for the Crossed Grain Trademark which means a product is safe for those with coeliac disease.
Now, I tend to make a protein shake for breakfast with frozen berries, cashew milk, and protein powder (a variation that doesn't include oat flour). As a former swimmer, I've always prioritised protein in my diet and that hasn't changed.
We're all out the door by 8.30, the children are dropped off at school and pre-school for 8.45, and I then set off to my full-time job at my company 'Swim!', protein shake in hand. My company helps children across the country learn to swim and a typical day for me includes lots of calls and meetings, as well as visiting new swimming venues and some of the schools we work with.
Morning snack
Before my diagnosis, I used to love snacking on protein bars. However, I find most gluten-free protein bars to be quite claggy. They mould into one in your mouth! It's been really difficult to find healthy and satiating snacks which I still enjoy as most gluten-free protein bars are nut-based and high in calories.
There's an amazing gluten-free community on Instagram and they've been my saviour when it comes to gluten-free snack recipes. My current favourite is date and yogurt clusters. If I'm feeling peckish before lunch, I'll eat one or two of these, a rice cake with some nut butter, or a banana.
I've got a major sweet tooth and have discovered (to my dismay) that many chocolate bars and sweets contain gluten, specifically barley. This has been devastating! I'm eternally concerned about cross-contamination (I call it 'getting glutened') so I try to make most of my food from scratch.
Lunchtime
At the moment, I'm in the bad habit of eating lunch at my desk whilst continuing to work.
Sandwiches used to be my go-to however they're obviously off the table now. Whenever I ate bread (especially the pre-packaged loaves) I'd feel unwell and have horrific stomach pains, so I'd actually cut it out before I was diagnosed with coeliac disease but, of course, continued to feel horrific as gluten still featured heavily in my diet.
Now, I prepare a salad for lunch most days. Again, focusing heavily on the protein, including some chicken or boiled eggs. On the more hectic days when I don't have time to prepare lunch, I sometimes brave a supermarket gluten-free salad or, if they don't look appealing, a Huel meal replacement drink.
At the weekend, my family and I love to keep active and explore. On a recent day out, we stopped at a pizza place for lunch and I was delighted to see gluten-free options on the menu. It meant I could enjoy a satisfying doughy pizza knowing it wouldn't be followed by days of fatigue, vomiting and nausea.
However, eating out is one of the biggest challenges and I'm still not used to it. As I don't live in a big city centre, there are just a few restaurants where I live and I only feel comfortable eating in one or two of them. On restaurant menus, foods are marked vegetarian or vegan but they're rarely flagged as being gluten-free. Even if they are, there's the perpetual fear of 'getting glutened' – especially as some workers won't know that food cooked in the same fryer or oven as gluten could still cause major problems for people with coeliac disease.
I recently attended an event where I was served a lovely lamb and chicken shish kebab skewer with salad. They knew I had coeliac disease and there was nothing on my plate which contained gluten and yet I still had sharp, stabbing stomach pains and was vomiting afterwards. All the other plates had a pitta bread on so my theory is that the servers may have originally put one on my plate, and then taken it off when they realised my meal was supposed to be gluten-free.
Those tiny leftover crumbs may have caused me to 'get glutened'. It's scary that something so small can have such an adverse effect. In more severe cases of cross-contamination, I've spent the next five days suffering from intense stomach pains, exhaustion, and vomiting.
Dinner
Andy and I collect the kids from school and it's then a case of getting them to swimming lessons, Brownies, and all of their other activities before we head home for the evening.
The kids eat at 5pm and their meals sometimes include gluten, however it's easier if we all eat the same food so I focus on including ingredients that are naturally gluten-free such as rice, potatoes, and veg, rather than us all eating separately. Even so, I need to have my own separate kitchen utensils and equipment including a toaster, bread bin, knives, and butter.
I try to make our evening meals healthy, hearty, and filling, and Andy and I tend to eat around 6.30pm after finishing our work for the day. He's happy eating gluten-free food which makes things easier. One of my favourite meals to make is chicken satay with Tenderstem broccoli and rice. Jacket potatoes are another reliable favourite.
When we do occasionally eat out, my favourite restaurants for reliable gluten-free food are Wagamama and Pizza Express. Recently it was my birthday and I was absolutely craving a roast dinner. It's difficult to prepare gluten-free as the Yorkshire puddings are not safe for those with coeliac disease, the gravy tends to contain flour, and with everything mixed on the plate, cross-contamination is a big risk.
However, about 25 minutes from where I live, we found a pub which serves a gluten-free Sunday roast. I almost cried! There was no flour in the gravy and they had gluten-free Yorkies which are the rarest of the rare. It was just beautiful.
Evening snack
Having two miscarriages in August 2022 and October 2023 took a massive toll on my mental and physical health. I stopped consistently exercising (besides the odd bike ride or dog walk), had zero motivation and just fell out of love with my body as I tried to grieve and process our loss.
I know that there is a link between coeliac disease and miscarriages. However, as I was only tested after they happened, the doctors couldn't say for sure whether they were linked. I also have PCOS [polycystic ovary syndrome] which of course is also linked to fertility so it's impossible to know whether my coeliac disease was a major factor.
After I cut out gluten in October, I actually wanted to workout again. Following my diagnosis, I finally had enough energy and motivation to get back in the gym and I've really enjoyed rediscovering my love for exercise. In fact, I've got a whole routine now – Pilates class on Wednesday evening, weights on Thursday, and a run or swim on Friday.
A reformer Pilates centre has just opened up in my village and I'm excited to give that a try. Since my diagnosis, I've had more energy, feel so much healthier and happier, and haven't had a single mouth ulcer. It's been a transformative shift.
After my evening exercise, Andy and I put the kids to bed – Albie at 7.15 and then Summer at 8pm. Then, I'll have a final evening snack (my current obsession being my yogurt dates!) and we'll watch TV before heading to bed.
Bedtime
I'm not a big drinker so certainly don't grieve the fact I can no longer drink gluten-heavy beer! I'll sometimes enjoy a hot drink before bed. In my most recent cross-contamination incident, I opted for an artisanal hot chocolate which actually contained melted chocolate that contained barley and I very quickly regretted my choice! Most shop-bought hot chocolates are fine, though, so if I ever need to feed my sweet tooth I may occasionally opt for a warming mug before going to sleep.
Since my diagnosis, life has undoubtedly changed for the better and, rather than being exhausted 24/7, I finally feel like a normal 36-year-old. Andy and I nod off around 10pm and I find I actually sleep less now as I'm not fatigued all the time. I've always valued my sleep but it's great to get into bed and not instantly pass out when my head hits the pillow and to wake up feeling well-rested and refreshed.
As told to Ella Nunn
The Coeliac Awareness Month campaign looks at raising awareness of coeliac disease by sharing real stories and empowering those affected by it to recognise the symptoms, complete the online self-assessment, and take the first step on the road to recovery.