Interviews

Interview with Gina Meagher: Living with Type I Diabetes and Celiac Disease

Gina Meagher Celiac Disease DiabetesI met Gina through the Celiac Sprue Association, Denver Chapter 17.  She helped me get involved in volunteering at last years ‘Incredible Edible Gluten-Free Food Fair™!’  She has been part of CSA for several years and is a member of the Board.  She has a lively personality and is willing to share her thoughts with others.  I am so excited that she was willing to sit down with me and talk about her experiences of living with Type I diabetes and Celiac disease.  I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.  The overall message I took away, was that neither Diabetes nor Celiac disease define who Gina is, because she is so much more and has never let either one stop her from living the active life she was meant to have!

Interview

 

Jenn: Hi Gina! It’s great to be with you today and to have the opportunity to get to know you better.  So, tell me…how old were you when you were diagnosed with Type I diabetes?

Gina: I was 17 years old.

Jenn: And how old were you when you were diagnosed with Celiac disease? Read More »

Video Discussion: Gluten-Free Diet and Paleo Diet

In this video, Dr. Osborne discusses the benefits of the gluten-free diet as well as the Paleo diet in an interview with FOX News.

 

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Interview with Karen Cranford: Denver Celiac Sprue Association Chapter 17 President

Gluten Free Works Author Jennifer Leeson

Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing Karen Cranford, the president of our very own Celiac Sprue Association (CSA) chapter in Denver. I’ve known Karen now for about 7 months.  We met when I became involved in the chapter and she helped me become the secretary.  However, I feel that during this interview, I got to REALLY meet Karen and get to know her, which was such a joy.  She has been the president of CSA for over two years and has helped, along with her many board members, build such a strong organization that has helped bring Denver to the top of the list in Celiac Awareness.  She has helped the chapter bring the  ‘Incredible Edible Gluten-Free Food Fair™’ to Denver as well as worked hard to get incredibly knowledgable speakers, such as Dr. Ford, Dr. Fasano, and Dr. Wangen, to Denver to educate us all on Celiac disease and gluten intolerance.  We all get the joy of experiencing the hard work she puts in on a volunteer basis to make living gluten free easier on all of us, but now we get the special treat of actually getting to know Karen.

Interview

Jenn: How old were you when you were first diagnosed?

Karen: So it’s been 7 years, when I turned 50.  I’ve always laughed and said “Turn fifty…get celiac disease!”


Jenn:
How long were you having symptoms before receiving a diagnosis?

Karen: Well, it’s easy to look back and say maybe I was having symptoms for a long time.  I started having migraines around 22, and now I wonder if that was a symptom.  But, I was probably really sick for about Read More »

Gluten Free Diet Helps Little Boy with Glutaric Acidemia Type 1 (GA-1)


gluten free glutaric acidHaley is the mother of 21 month old Wyatt, who was diagnosed with Glutaric Acidemia Type 1 (GA-1) through newborn screening. Doctors have been unable to explain why a gluten free diet seems to be making such a positive difference to his health. Here is Wyatt’s story…

Haley’s letter to Glutaric Acidemia Group:

I thought I would share some interesting news with you all, in case there is a child out there like my son. We started my son on a gluten free diet in April and since then, his glutaric acid and 3-hydroxy glutaric acid levels have Read More »

Interview with Genevieve Fraser: Growing up with a Peanut Allergy

Gluten Free Works Author Jennifer Leeson


Working with people diagnosed with food allergies and Celiac disease has opened my eyes to the world around me.
Prior to this, the only person I knew with severe food allergies was a younger cousin of mine whom I spend very little time with.  But, when you start paying attention, you figure out there are many people living with food allergies, Celiac disease or other food related intolerances or restrictions.

Peanut Allergy GenevieveOne day, I came into work and a co-worker, Genevieve  Fraser, asked if I was the one with the food allergy therapist magnet on my car. When I said yes, she informed me that she has an anaphylactic allergy to peanuts, and has since she was very young.  Suddenly, it was in my awareness that I had been bringing peanut butter to work almost every day that I am in that office, not even realizing my office neighbor, just across the hall, has to carry an Epipen everywhere she goes because of peanuts!  Boy did that get my attention!

I didn’t stop bringing peanut butter to work at first, but I noticed I felt nervous and worried every time I did, so I finally stopped bringing it.  However, I noticed being concerned about others using her office when she was not around, and wondering if people were taking peanuts in there.  I finally decided that I should learn more about what it is like living as an adult with a severe anaphylactic food allergy, rather than just going off what I read and my own assumptions.

When I asked Genevieve if I could do a feature interview on her, she was so great and willing to share her story. I have to say, this interview was so informative, empowering, emotional, and motivating, that it really helped put some aspects of living with life threatening food allergies into perspective.  Genevieve not only survived her childhood, despite bullying and being different, but has gone on to complete her college degree and is working on her master’s.  She has dedicated herself to helping others overcome challenging obstacles in their lives so that they can live a full life, despite whatever challenges they might be facing.  I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did! Read More »

Dr. Stephen Wangen of the IBS Treatment Center in Seattle: An Inside Look

Gluten Free Works Author Jennifer Leeson

I have had the opportunity to connect with Dr. Stephen Wangen, the founder of the IBS Treatment Center in Seattle, WA.  Awhile back, at a CSA (Celiac Sprue Association) meeting I had the pleasure of helping Dr. Wangen with his book signing.  He had flown in to Denver to speak on his books, Healthier Without Wheat and Irritable Bowel Syndrome Solution. There was a full audience of folks, just like you and I, who were able to ask personal questions and learn more about living with Celiac Disease, gluten intolerance, as well as exploring other areas such as food allergies.

Since that time, Dr. Wangen and I have had the chance to talk about what the IBS Treatment Center does to help people really understand their bodies and how food can be affecting them.  He explores the possibilities of Celiac Disease, gluten intolerance and food allergies and helps people to develop a healthier lifestyle tailored to their specific needs.  At the same time, Dr. Wangen has observed the emotional affects these conditions can have on people and understands that not feeling well emotionally has an affect on how people take care of their physical well being.  What makes his practice so fantastic is the positive nature.  Dr. Wangen helps people view the changes by looking at the benfits and the gains and focusing on what people can have, rather than on what they can’t.  Here is what Dr. Wangen had to say when I asked him about his own experiences. Read More »

Fox News Video: Boy with Autism Recovers After Gluten-free Casein-free Diet

Ethan Fox never slept more than two hours at a time.  He did not speak.  He ran continuously, day and night, until he would collapse from exhaustion.  After a short nap, he would awaken and run again. 

At one year of age, Ethan was diagnosed with autism.  At 20 months, after being written off by other physicians, he was placed on a gluten-free, dairy-free diet by Dr. Kenneth Bock, autism specialist and author of “What Your Family Needs To Know About Autism Spectrum Disorders.”

According to Ethan’s mother, Tracy Fox, results were seen within three days on a gluten-free, dairy-free diet. Ethan slept through the night, spoke his first words and has never had a problem since.  Now age 6, he is at the top of his class at school with a 97%  average…and virtually no one knows he was ever diagnosed with autism.


Read More »

Giving Thanks for Health…My Story :)

 
 

Here's me at 1 year gluten-free

 This Holiday Season I am especially thankful for the health I now enjoy… it’s been a long journey these past 10 years or so…but I am so thankful for the knowledge I’ve gained about living a Gluten-Free lifestyle…the benefits that have come from it, and that after 10 years, I can finally say that I feel like “me” again. :) 
 
I’ve never really shared my entire experience, and normally don’t write posts that are too personal… but perhaps this can help someone out there who is wondering if they might have Gluten Intolerance or Celiac Disease… or someone who has been diagnosed  and wonders if it is really a “big deal” if they HAVE to go gluten-free or not. I can tell you from personal experience that it WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE!!! It changed mine… and here’s how: 

It all started back in junior high and high school. I just felt “tired” all the time. I can’t even tell you how many times a day someone would come up to me and say, “What’s wrong? You look tired.” I even remember someone saying to me once, “You look dead.” (ouch!) It seemed like maybe I was just depressed or Read More »