Living with Celiac disease shifts more than your diet; it shifts your energy, your routines, your emotional world, and even the way you approach everyday life. It’s a journey that requires courage, patience, and a whole lot of gentleness. And if you’ve ever felt tired, overwhelmed, or just not yourself, you’re not alone. Healing takes time, adjusting takes time, and your heart needs care just as much as your body does.
Throughout this blog post, I want to offer you some simple, faith-centered self-care ideas that are gentle, nurturing, and actually realistic for women with Celiac disease. These aren’t big routines or long checklists. They’re small, simple practices that help your body feel supported and your spirit feel grounded.
And if you want even more resources to support your faith and journaling rhythm, you’re always welcome to explore my Journaling Store - it’s filled with tools designed to help you slow down, reflect, and find peace in the presence of God, even on hard health days
Give Yourself Permission to Slow Down
One of the hardest parts of Celiac disease is learning to honor your body’s limits, especially when you’re used to pushing through fatigue or discomfort. But slowing down isn’t defeat - it’s wisdom, it’s healing, and it’s stewardship.
Your body has been working harder than most people realize, and giving yourself permission to pause is one of the most spiritual decisions you can make. God never asked you to run at full speed. He created you with limits, and honoring them is part of partnering with Him in your healing. Self-care often starts with this quiet truth: You don’t have to earn rest, you’re allowed to receive it.
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This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you choose to purchase through my link, at no additional cost to you. I only share products and resources I truly love and believe will bring value to you.
Supporting Your Body When Food Is Always on Your Mind
For those with Celiac disease, food awareness never really turns off, and that can be both necessary and draining. Supportive nourishment isn’t about eliminating the stress completely, but about managing it wisely by choosing foods, routines, and habits that help your body feel safe and cared for.
A few simple ideas that can help:
- Keeping 1–2 “safe meals” prepped can be a huge relief on low-energy days. Things like grilled chicken, hard-boiled eggs, roasted vegetables, cooked rice or quinoa, or a simple protein you know your body tolerates well can make meals feel manageable instead of overwhelming. Even having a few basics ready in the fridge gives you options when cooking from scratch feels like too much.
- Stocking gluten-free snacks that are gentle on your gut can also help when symptoms flare or hunger sneaks up unexpectedly. I love ordering gluten-free snacks from Thrive Market. Since I live in a very small town and safe options aren’t always easy to find locally. Having trusted snacks on hand removes a lot of stress.
- Starting the day with something warm, soothing, and hydrating can set a calmer tone for your body, especially in the morning. A cup of Mint Green from The Art of Tea has become one of my favorites when I want something comforting that doesn’t feel harsh on my system.
Self-care isn’t about perfectly clean eating or getting it right every time. It’s about choosing foods and routines that support healing, lower stress, and gently remind your body that it’s safe.
A Morning Routine That Grounds the Day
When you live with Celiac disease, mornings truly matter. Symptoms can be unpredictable, energy can shift quickly, and how the day begins often affects everything that follows. Over time, I’ve learned that starting the day slowly and with intention helps my body settle, and my mind feel more steady before I step into the rest of the day.
My mornings aren’t complicated or strict, but they’re intentional. I usually begin with a devotional, and right now, I’ve been working through Emmanuel by Ruth Chou Simons, which helps me focus on my quiet time with God right away in the morning, rather than immediately reacting to stress, symptoms, or a to-do list. From there, I’ll read a chapter from my Bible. I’m currently in the book of Matthew, and I take my time with it, letting one verse or chapter stand out rather than rushing to get through the whole book in a certain time period.
Photo by Ruth Chou SimonsJournaling has been part of my morning routine for a long time. It’s where I process my thoughts, practice gratitude, and talk with the Lord through prayer journaling before the day begins to pull at my attention. Gratitude journaling and prayer journaling are always part of my daily morning routine, because they help me release what I’m carrying and start the day from a place of gratitude instead of feeling rushed. On the weekends, when I have a little more time, I enjoy slowing down with journaling prompts or using my Bible Verse Map Journal to focus more intentionally on one or two Bible verses.
These routines don’t make symptoms or stress disappear, but they do create stability. They help me move through the day with more awareness, more patience, and a quieter confidence in taking the next step.
If you want to build an intentional morning routine that supports your faith and gives you space to process what you’re carrying, my Intentional Morning Routine Guidebook is a beautiful place to begin. It walks you through simple, faith-centered practices to help you start your day grounded, reflective, and connected with God, especially on mornings when your body or mind feels heavy.
Emotional Self-Care When Navigating Celiac Disease
Living with Celiac disease requires constant awareness. You’re not just thinking about food — you’re thinking about safety, cross-contamination, social situations, travel, and how your body might respond. That ongoing mental load can quietly build into emotional exhaustion if it’s never acknowledged or processed. Emotional self-care isn’t about fixing those feelings or pushing through them. It’s about giving yourself tools to release the weight instead of carrying it all day.
Here are a few ways to support your emotional well-being while living with Celiac disease:
Create a place to unload the mental noise - Whether it’s journaling, prayer, or writing out your thoughts before bed, getting what’s swirling in your head onto paper can help your nervous system settle. You don’t need polished words - just somewhere safe to put what you’re holding.
Talk to God about the parts that feel frustrating or unfair - It’s okay to bring the hard parts to Him. You don’t need to spiritualize everything or rush to gratitude. Honest prayer builds trust and keeps resentment from taking root.
Name what’s actually draining you - Sometimes it’s not the food itself, but the planning, the explaining, or the constant vigilance. Writing down what feels most exhausting can help you problem-solve instead of staying stuck in overwhelm.
Give yourself permission to opt out when needed - You don’t have to attend every event, explain yourself in every setting, or push your body past its limits. Emotional self-care includes boundaries that protect your energy.
Let Scripture be something that anchors you, not something that feels like another box to check - Sit with verses that remind you of God’s presence and care, especially on days that feel heavy.
If journaling feels like a helpful way to process emotions and stay grounded, my Journaling Store includes faith-based prompts and tools designed to help you slow your thoughts, reflect honestly, and bring what you’re carrying to God in a practical way. They’re meant to support you, not overwhelm you.
Movement That Supports Your Body (Especially on Low-Energy Days)
Living with Celiac often means paying attention to how your body responds to movement, especially during flare-ups or seasons of fatigue. Pushing through intense workouts isn’t always helpful, and for many women, it can actually add more stress to the body instead of supporting it. Movement doesn’t have to be extreme to be effective. The goal is to stay active in ways that feel steady and sustainable, not draining.
Some supportive options to consider:
- Walking, especially outdoors when possible, to support digestion, circulation, and mental clarity
- Light stretching to release tension in the hips, back, and shoulders, where stress often collects
- Pilates-style core work that builds strength without overloading your system
- Resistance bands for low-impact strength on days when energy is limited
- Slow, intentional breathing paired with movement to help calm your nervous system
Rather than focusing on burning calories or hitting a certain intensity, think about movement as a way to stay connected to your body and support it where it’s at that day. Consistency and awareness matter far more than pushing past your limits.
Ideas to Help on Flare-Up Days
Ideas to Help on Flare-Up Days
Flare-up days call for a different pace. They’re the days when your body needs more care, not more expectations. Having a few simple comforts you can reach for can make those days feel more manageable instead of overwhelming.
Here are small, simple things that can help create a sense of calm and safety when symptoms are louder than usual:
- Open the blinds and let in natural light. Even a few minutes of sunlight can shift your mood and help your body feel more awake and grounded.
- Light a candle or turn on a diffuser to create a familiar, calming environment that signals to your mind that it’s okay to slow down.
- Wear something soft and loose that doesn’t add physical pressure when your body already feels sensitive.
- Use a heating pad or heat pack to help ease tension, support digestion, or simply bring comfort.
- Put on worship music or a peaceful playlist that quiets your thoughts and gives your mind somewhere steady to rest.
- Spend time with a pet if you have one. Zoey and Lily are especially good at reminding me to rest and stay present.
- Read a devotional or book that feels reassuring rather than demanding. Choose something that meets you where you are instead of asking more from you.
None of these things fixes a flare-up, but they can make the day feel more supported. Over time, these small choices add up and help your body learn that it’s safe to rest, recover, and take things one step at a time.
Leaning on God Through the Ups and Downs of Celiac
Living with Celiac disease affects more than your physical health. It stretches your trust, your patience, and sometimes your sense of peace. Faith doesn’t remove the challenges, but it gives you a place to bring them honestly. Self-care, from a Christian perspective, isn’t about indulgence; it’s about staying connected to God when your body and emotions feel worn down, and your thoughts begin to spiral.
Here are a few faith-centered practices that can help steady you, especially on harder days:
- Use simple breath prayers when anxiety or discomfort rises. Something as short as “Lord, help me” or “God, be near” can interrupt spiraling thoughts and bring your focus back to Him.
- Return to one Scripture that reminds you of God’s nearness instead of trying to read a lot at once. Psalm 91:4 is a verse I come back to often when things feel heavy or uncertain. It’s a reminder that God is present, protective, and near.
- Sit quietly with God, even if you don’t have words. Stillness counts as prayer when you’re present with Him.
- Speak trust out loud when fear creeps in. Whispering something like “Lord, I trust You” can help shift your posture from one of tension to one of surrender.
These practices aren’t meant to be another task on your list or to feel overcomplicated. They’re meant to give you ideas or just something steady to lean on when your energy is low and your thoughts feel all over the place. Over time, they become anchors - ways to stay rooted in God’s presence no matter what your body is doing that day.
Final Thoughts: Taking Care of Yourself With Intention
Final Thoughts: Taking Care of Yourself With Intention
Living with Celiac disease changes how you live day to day. It requires attention, planning, and intentional choices—often before anyone else even realizes what you’re carrying. Some days feel steady and manageable. Other days feel unpredictable and exhausting. None of that means you’re failing. It means you’re learning how to care for your body and steward your health well.
Healing isn’t linear. There will be stretches where things feel easier and seasons where progress feels slow. Both are part of the process. What matters most is having anchors in place—practices that help you stay grounded when your body or emotions feel unsettled. One of the most practical anchors you can build is a morning routine that allows you to process, pray, and reset before the day takes over. Starting your day with God creates space to listen, release what feels heavy, and move forward with intention instead of pressure.
If you want support building that kind of morning habit, my Intentional Morning Routine Guidebook is a helpful place to begin. It walks you through creating a steady, faith-centered routine that supports reflection, prayer, and presence - especially on the days when your energy or symptoms feel unpredictable.
A Little About Me...
Hello! I’m Jenna - a Christian woman in business navigating celiac life, cozy routines, and the kind of leadership that begins with slowing down and meeting with the Lord. Around here, I share journaling tips and prompts, simple daily routines, and gentle, faith-led ways to flourish with intention. My hope is that this space feels like a deep breath, a place where you can settle in, feel supported, and find clarity for your life and business. If you’re looking for a cozy companion for your quiet moments, here’s the tea I make every single morning.
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