Celiac disease

I may have. just discovered the BEST or the WORST thing ever.

Did you know peppermint bark is one of the easiest things to make? Why didn’t I ever know this? I thought the fact that you had to melt then cool…then melt…then crack and sprinkle toppings on, meant that I would be running around screaming What’s the next step?! before the chocolate hardened, like it was some type of rocket science.

Turns out I was totally wrong.

This recipe, given to me by Kathleen over at Celiac Baby, is one of the easiest things to make. It looks pretty fancy too, if I must say. I hope you like candy canes and chocolate, because it’s.about.to.go.down. Read More »

Earth Balance, one of my favorite companies when it comes to butter replacement, has just announced their expansion into the snack category with the creation of four grab-and-go snacks: Vegan Buttery Flavor Popcorn, Vegan Aged White Cheddar Flavor Popcorn, Vegan Aged White Cheddar Flavor Puffs and P.B. Popps, a sweet and salty popcorn treat.

Enter to win them by visiting their blog and answering the question ‘what are your favorite straight-out-of-the-bag snacks’ and be the first to try their new offerings. Each comment counts as one entry, and you can enter as many times as you like from now until Sunday, January 20.

According to the company, the four new Earth Balance® snack items will launch Read More »

The below article by Nadine Grzeskowiak is a good explanation of why the gluten-free diet can work for anyone and everyone and pitfalls of the celiac tests.  Medical experts speak of the gluten-free diet as if it is something strange, yet most unprocessed foods you cook yourself are naturally gluten free.  All meats, seafood, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, dairy (unless gluten was added to them), corn, rice and other grains,(besides wheat, barley, rye or oats), naturally do not contain harmful gluten.  Wheat, barley, rye and oats don’t contain any nutrients you cannot get in other foods, so what is the big deal with not eating them?Nadine’s article is excellent.  The only thing I would add is if you do eliminate the gluten grains of wheat, barley, rye and oats and feel better within two weeks, get yourself tested for celiac disease.  A positive diagnosis makes dealing with healthcare providers much easier.  That said, if it comes back negative but you feel better being gluten-free then eliminate gluten from your diet and be healthy.You can find Nadine’s blog article at http://glutenfreern.com:80/everyone-on-a-gluten-free-diet/-John Libonati, Editor Glutenfreeworks.com
john.libonati@glutenfreeworks.com

Discussion | | Nadine Grzeskowiak | May 13, 2008

I have thought for a long time about this very question.  Who would suggest such a thing?  I would.  The main reason I would dare to make such a statement is because we have been so negligent in recognizing and treating people with celiac disease.  Not a day goes by that I don’t hear about or speak to someone directly who has suffered needlessly for years.  The other main point I want to make is that NONE of the currently available testing is 100%.  The blood tests and endoscopic biopsies are great tools if they are positive.  If they are negative, I have heard of too many people tell me ‘I don’t have celiac disease, my blood test/biopsy was negative’.  This is a major cause for concern to me.  Both of these tests do not confirm you don’t have, or will never develop celiac disease.  First, neither test is 100% reliable.  Second, both tests are simply a snapshot of right now.  I have also seen test results that are clearly positive for celiac disease, but read as negative by a medical provider that does not understand what the results mean.  The genetic testing is great and it is my first choice when testing people.  The test is a cheek swab, I get results in one week and it is covered by most insurances.  I utilize Kimball Genetics in Denver, Colorado,  www.kimballgenetics.com.  I have run into this scenerio in the past week: a 12 year old on a gluten free diet for several months, a remarkable recovery from many symptoms while on the gluten free diet, and yet, she tests negative for DQ2 and DQ8.  Is she at risk for celiac disease if she eats gluten?  Are there other genes that could be looked at?  I am gathering more data on this because nothing is black and white with gluten intolerance, there are many grey areas.  Other than, of course, the need to be on a strict gluten free diet for the rest of your life if you have celiac disease.  Not much grey there. 

So, this leads me back to the original question: everyone on a gluten free diet?  In my perfect world, the answer would be a resounding YES!  If people would simply try the gluten free diet for a month, most, if not all of those people will feel better.  It remains simply a diet change.  Change your diet and feel better, doesn’t that sound appealing.  To some yes, and to others, not really. Not without the proof that they need to change their long held diet and lifestyle habits.  It also sounds quite un-American to say ‘I can’t eat wheat, barley, rye and oats’, by extension, bread, pies, cakes, beer and pizza.  My most recent convert to a gluten free diet, said to me, “You know I don’t even miss the bread anymore, it doesn’t even appeal to me, I feel so much better on the gluten free food”.  This is a woman who has had symptoms for most of her 76 years and I had a hard time convincing her to try the gluten free diet for a month.  She is convinced now.  I can tell many stories with the same happy ending.  I can also tell you that most men have a harder time changing anything, let alone their diet, than women.  Trust me, I am a nurse and I have no reason to lie to you.  Try it.  Go gluten free for a month and contact me with your results.  GO!

When I went gluten-free one of the many blessings in my change in diet was my openness to try new foods. Specifically, I was interested in trying other ethnic foods. As I was trying to get over my “food fear” I wanted to embrace and enjoy the flavors foods had to offer.

Saffron Road, is a company who makes all natural products which allows others to experience cuisine from around the world. Additionally they make 12 products that are certified gluten-free ranging from frozen foods to simmer sauces and crunchy chickpeas.

Saffron Road products are great because they not only allow you to experience a wide variety of flavors such as Tia Lemon Grass Basil and Moroccan Tagine, but their products allow you to have Read More »

[Editor’s Note: Warnings against the gluten-free diet are on the rise, which makes no sense given the facts that the rate of successful medical diagnosis of gluten disorders is woefully inadequate, replacing gluten containing foods with gluten-free alternatives has no detrimental affect on nutritional status and the benefits of  removing gluten from the diet of people who suffer from gluten disorders are widely documented. The following is a response by gluten-free author and expert, Ron Hoggan, Ed. D, to a recent piece in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, “Dieters Warned on Going Gluten-free,” by China Millman.”]

Dear China Millman,

Thank you for your interesting article on gluten-free dieting.  I was very pleased to read that you include patients with non-celiac gluten sensitivity among those who should follow a gluten free diet.  I assume that you have arrived at your estimate of 20 million who are afflicted with wheat allergy, non-celiac and celiac gluten sensitivity using Dr. Fasano’s  estimate that 6 to 7 percent of Americans have what you refer to as this “milder form of gluten intolerance”.  There are other Read More »

(Editor’s Note: This study is closed.)

I just learned of a new study being conducted by The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston, Massachusetts to better understand the attitudes and beliefs of family members of persons with celiac disease.

The FDA is finally moving on regulating the claim “gluten-free” on packages, which is fantastic news!  Lots of people have put in countless hours to make this happen.  We’ve got 1 month left to comment—until October 3^rd—and YOUR comment is vital to getting the law YOU want.

During the Aug 2nd teleconference, we heard that the comment period was re-opened and we might have a law by late 2012.  Several prominent researchers, including Dr. Alesso Fasano and Dr.Stefano Guandalini, spoke in favor of the new proposed legislation. “This is a standard that has been in use in Europe for almost two decades, & the science supports the U.S. adopting it as well,” commented Dr. Fasano.  I posted highlights of the teleconference, but upon reading the 90+ page safety assessment, I had a lot of questions! http://1.usa.gov/r4NDLA

The safety assessment suggests that for the most sensitive Celiac, Read More »

Big news today! The Food and Drug Administration of the United States just published it’s draft guidance on Gluten in Drug Products and Associated Labeling Recommendations.

The FDA recommends that the words “Contains no ingredient made from a gluten-containing grain (wheat, barley, rye)” be included when appropriate.

This labeling includes the following types of drugs:

1. Orally ingested drugs that are absorbed in the intestine.
2. Topically applied drugs that are placed near the mouth and may be ingested.
3. Medications that are placed into the mouth.

This labeling does not apply to the following:

1. Skin products not applied near the mouth.
2. Costmetics.
3. Supplements such as vitamins and minerals.

Have you been told that along with Celiac Disease or Gluten Intolerance, you also have Fibromyalgia? If you have, you’re not alone. What exactly is Fibromyalgia? Well, there are certainly a lot of theories out there about what it is, and how it should be treated. Up until recently, it was considered an “invisible disease” (much like Celiac), and doctors would often diagnose it if they couldn’t find anything else wrong with you. In other words, instead of telling you, “you’re a hypochondriac,” they would say, “You have Fibromyalgia,” and give you an anti-depressant like Cymbalta, to help ease your symptoms.

Actress Fran Drescher has become the most recent celebrity to start a gluten-free diet – and she’s feeling great.

Fran Drescher goes gluten free

After multiple visits to multiple doctors, Drescher was fed up with the prescription fixes she was being given and Read More »