Tag Archives: Gluten free

Everyone on a Gluten Free Diet?

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 Gluten Free RN -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 scenario 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!

Jennies Macaroons Adds New Flavor To Gluten-Free Line

New all-natural chocolate macaroons debut at Natural Products Expo West–BOOTH 3177  They’re all natural and made with only three ingredients, offering great taste and superior health benefits

Brooklyn, NY (PRWEB) March 11, 2008 — Jennies Macaroons has added chocolate to its line of all-natural macaroons, which are free of soy, wheat, sulfites, lactose, trans fats and gluten, nuts and yeast. As the first baking company to introduce gluten-free and dairy free products to the market in 1951—and the manufacturer of the #1 selling macaroon in the natural food market— Jennies Macaroons offer today’s health-conscious consumers what they’re looking for. “They’re all natural and made with only three ingredients, offering great taste and superior health benefits,” says Arnold Badner, president.

Jennies’ products include ingredients that are nutritional superstars. Coconut, now considered by health experts to be the healthiest form of saturated fat, is a main ingredient in both the macaroons and Jennies Omega-3 Energy Bars. The addition of flax seeds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds give the bars a fiber boost as well as Omega-3 support. One bar contains 1,305mg of the FDA recommended 1,300 mg/day of ALA Omega-3, which promotes normal cholesterol and triglyceride levels and supports healthy circulation, lung and brain functions. “Unlike many energy bars on the market, Jennies-Omega 3 bars taste great and contain no artificial ingredients. And they provide a great source of healthy energy for an active and athletic lifestyle,” adds Badner.

Garnering significant attention from the health industry, Jennies’ products are promoted by Jordan Rubin, founder of the Garden of Life and Perfect Weight America, who chronicles in his book The Maker’s Diet how he used Jennies Macaroons as a treatment for Crohn’s Disease. Dr. Mary Enig, nutritional expert and biochemist, recommends Jennie’s Coconut Macaroons as the #1 source of coconut for her immune-compromised patients. According to Enig, coconut helps the body’s cellular function and has unique antimicrobial, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties.

The new Chocolate Macaroons will appeal to specialty food and chocolate retailers, as well health food stores. Available in 8-ounce canisters, the coconut and almond are already sold in Whole Foods nationwide. Jennies Macaroons complete product line is available nationwide and includes Jennies Energy Bars, Traditional Jennies Macaroons, Zero Carbs Jennies Macaroons, and Omega 3 Energy Bars. All products are Kosher Parve, Maker’s Diet approved, and manufactured in a gluten-free and nut-free facility.

Jennies Macaroons (www.macaroonking.com), founded in 1919, has been the leading provider of all-natural macaroons since 1951, and expanded its line to include its popular Omega-3 Energy Bars in 2006. All products are Kosher Parve and Maker’s Diet approved, and manufactured by Red Mill Farms, Inc. in Brooklyn, NY. President Arnold Badner, 66, who has run more than 30 marathons and is an avid cyclist, relies on his Energy Bars to help him through his century bike rides in the Catskill Mountains.

Jennies Macaroons Adds New Flavor To Gluten-Free Line

 

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Brooklyn, NY (PRWEB) March 11, 2008 — Jennies Macaroons has added chocolate to its line of all-natural macaroons, which are free of soy, wheat, sulfites, lactose, trans fats and gluten, nuts and yeast. As the first baking company to introduce gluten-free and dairy free products to the market in 1951—and the manufacturer of the #1 selling macaroon in the natural food market— Jennies Macaroons offer today’s health-conscious consumers what they’re looking for. “They’re all natural and made with only three ingredients, offering great taste and superior health benefits,” says Arnold Badner, president. Read More »