More people are being diagnosed with celiac disease in Manitoba.
It's not because there are more cases, but because more physicians and patients recognize the symptoms.
Officials estimate 1in 150 people in Manitoba are affected.
People with celiac disease have intolerance to gluten, the protein found in grains like wheat, barley and rye.
In the past, few retailers and fewer restaurants catered to people with the disease.
Now more retailers and restaurants are getting onboard.
Janet Prescott's doctor diagnosed her with the disease in 1987.
She says at that time there were only three items she could buy at the grocery store.
"I think the first cereal and the only cereal I saw in the market 20 years ago was gluten free corn flakes," she told CTV News.
But now she can easily fill up her shopping cart, especially at stores like Lorenzo's Specialty Foods.
"We have about 600 gluten free items and we alone have about 25 different kinds of breads," owner Waltraud Schlosser says.
She opened the store 11 years ago after finding out her husband Lorenzo had the disease.
Schlosser guarantees she only buys from 100 percent gluten free facilities, because she knows the effects of cross contamination.
Manitoba Liquor Marts are now offering a gluten-free beer and more restaurants have gluten free menus as well.
At The Clay Oven, more than 70 percent of the food they serve can be eaten by people with celiac disease.
"We make everything from scratch and that makes all the difference," says Chef Anita Ahluwalia.
"We marinade everything ourselves in yoghurt. We don't use flour to thicken any of our sauces so, it's pretty much a given that it is friendly."
And though Prescott is encouraged though with all the choices she has now, she recommends reading labels and asking the chef questions before eating anything.
She says if the food has touched a grain product, it can really make her sick.
With a report from CTV's Rachel Lagac�
