Celiac disease

“I should look like Brad Pitt.”

Back before I went gluten free, I remember looking in the mirror and saying these exact words to myself.

I was working out 5 to 6 days a week, weight training and cardio, eating “right” but instead of looking good, I looked like a sausage…and it was getting worse.

Now, to be certain I didn’t go gluten free to lose weight, but because I had acid reflux, IBS, anxiety and a host of other problems.

When I asked, my doctor said I didn’t have celiac disease – without testing me.

I started a 100% strict gluten free diet anyway. As the inflammation decreased, I felt worlds better…and I lost weight. What I thought was fat had actually been retained fluid. 25 lbs of it. I haven’t had a dad bod in 12 years, and I don’t miss it a bit.

-John Libonati

Woohoo! Won my age division at a local 5K! This was two months ago at 12 years GF!

Jennifer Iscol, of the Celiac Community Foundation of Northern California, just distributed this message regarding a celiac disease study at Stanford University.

“Volunteers are needed for a genetic study on celiac disease at Stanford University. Please consider participating. Community participation is an essential component of Stanford’s celiac disease research. The research benefits all of us and future generations.

http://www.celiaccommunity.org/stanford-celiac-genetic-study/

Announcement from Stanford:

We are conducting a study to understand the genetic basis of celiac disease.  Families with at least one parent and one child with celiac disease are encouraged to enroll together.

The study involves: Read More »

I was looking back at old drafts of posts that I’ve written over the years but never published, and I found this rant on the 1200 calorie weight loss myth. Since it’s the last day of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week  and the first day of National Nutrition Month, I figured it would be a good time to share it. (Editor’s note: Originally published March 1, 2014)

Not a week goes by that I don’t see a client who truly believes she/he needs to be following a 1200 calories diet to lose weight or be healthy. It seems to be the #1 nutrition myth.

Despite what the intertubes may say, a 1200 cal diet is not considered standard professional weight loss advice. Honest.There is, of course, plenty of bad advice and/or controversy out there, because that sells. There’s also a whole lot of standard nutrition advice that I heartily disagree with, but that’s another post. Take a  look at Read More »

Celiac awareness month is observed in either October or May in the United States, depending on which celiac disease organization you talk with, but there is only one National Celiac Awareness Day! Read More »

I’m a huge fan of naturally gluten-free food. It’s usually healthier, usually cheaper, and IMHO, usually tastier, too. There are so many ways to go g-free quick and easy, and I highlighted a bunch in last month’s newsletter, with tips from a variety of gluten-free bloggers.

And yet…there are so many reasons packaged foods do come in handy from time to time, whether it’s because of job demands, travel, outdoor activities that prevent easy access or you just need to have something shelf-stable and portable in the car in case of emergency.

So…in honor of Celiac Disease Awareness month in May, I put together a list of healthier options among packaged products, with an eye out towards Read More »

McDermott chows down on gluten when he has celiac disease and should be avoiding it. Photo Credit: GlutenDude.com

I was enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon with my daughter who was grounded and couldn’t watch her normal shows. We sat down together to watch Food Network to find Dean McDermott on an episode of Guy’s Big Bite. Dean McDermott has celiac disease, so I was shocked to see him sample dishes that contained gluten. Read More »

This year I am taking Celiac Awareness Month a little more personally than years past! In March, I went to the Digestive Disease National Coalition and met with Senators to discuss Resolution 550 that officially makes May  National Celiac Awareness Month.

When talking with the Senate staff I explained that making May Celiac Awareness Month gives members of the gluten free community a great jumping off point for awareness campaigns and projects. For example, the Read More »

BioLineRx Therapy BL – 7010 Treats Celiac Disease & Gluten Sensitivity

BioLineRx Ltd, a biopharmaceutical development company, was invited to deliver an oral presentation at the recent 2013 National Education Conference & Gluten-Free Expo, the Celiac Disease Foundation’s annual conference, in Pasadena, California.

Leah Klapper, Ph.D., General Manager, BioLine Innovations Jerusalem, presented BioLineRx’s therapy, BL-7010, for the treatment of celiac, as part of a session entitled Breaking Therapies Beyond the Gluten-Free Diet.

BL-7010 will be presented at Read More »

“You are what you eat.”

We teach children this common thinking almost from the time they can speak. It makes sense. The food that you put in your mouth, chew and swallow becomes the person you are.

Most people believe it. So do most doctors.

Well, it may sound logical but it is only partially correct and based on a very iffy assumption.

The assumption is that your body absorbs what you eat.

Glutenfreeworks.com has pressed the truth, namely that you are actually what you eat and absorb. If something like celiac disease is stopping you from absorbing properly, then you are NOT what you eat.

In this important three minute video, Neil Raff, MD concisely explains how what you absorb is just as important as what you put in your mouth. Dr Raff covers the various ways nutrient absorption can be affected and limited. He also touches on a related topic – foods today do not contain the nutrients they provided in the past.

Kudos to Dr. Raff for covering this important topic in this quick and easy-to-understand must-see presentation.

Over 3 million people in the United States have undiagnosed Read More »