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Symptoms of Celiac Disease
May is National Celiac Awareness Month and I would like to begin the month off with the beginning. How do you know if you have Celiac Disease? Celiac Disease and Gluten-Free Fast Facts: Celiac disease is a genetic autoimmune disease that damages the villi of the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. An estimated 1 in 133 Americans, or about 1% of the population, has celiac disease. Celiac disease can affect men and women across all ages and races. It is estimated that 83% of Americans who have celiac disease are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other conditions. 6-10 years is the average time a…
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5 Things I Am Not Saying When I Tell You I’m Gluten Free
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5 Things I Am Not Saying When I Tell You I’m Gluten Free
Assumptions, right or wrong, people make assumptions all the time. In the case of Celiac Disease, this is no different. Those who are uneducated on gluten and its effects on the bodies of people afflicted by this disease can be guilty making assumptions based on what they here in the media. I want to clear up some of those assumptions and help raise awareness and educate others. Here are 5 things I am not saying when I tell you I am gluten free. I am NOT judging what you eat. When I tell someone that I am gluten free, it is not to tell them that they are eating the…
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Symptoms of Celiac Disease
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Culver’s Gluten Free Bun Is Not Worth It
A few days ago, I had many after school activities going and I had just a short time in between my daughter’s speech team practice and her dance, so I decided to stop in at Culver’s ( a Midwestern burger franchise). We don’t usually eat here often because I have had cross contamination, but sometimes it is our only option. Usually we order a cheeseburger with no bun and have them flag our order as an allergy. That day, as we walked in the door, I noticed a sign saying they offered Udi’s gluten free buns. I was happy to see that the awareness of gluten free had finally reach…
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Sweets for the Sweet
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Do you know how to shower your loved on in delights without accidentally making them sick? Let me help you keep Valentines day sweet for your sweetheart. Heart shaped boxes of chocolates and truffles, kisses, and messages made from candied hearts are symbols we come to recognize for Valentine’s Day. Why? If Valentine’s Day originated to honor Saint Valentine, why do we give our sweethearts sweets and chocolates? Although the history of Valentine’s Day goes back to the Romans, it is not mentioned in association with romance until Chaucer’s writings in 1382. Still gifts were not as luxurious as chocolate until the 1800’s.…
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Surviving Game Day Gluten Free
Sunday is the big game day, Superbowl XLIX. Many will be gathering with friends and family to see who this year’s Superbowl champion will be. I am not a football fan, but I will most likely find myself at a party on Sunday. Since I am gluten free, I will need to be careful that I don’t eat anything that will make me sick. Here are some suggestions on surviving the big game day gluten free. Some of the common causes of accidental gluten ingestion are cross contamination from crumbs or pieces of gluten food dropping into gluten free foods or on plates, serving utensils used with gluten foods…
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Heal Your Gut
Celiac Disease (CD) is not curable, but it is manageable by eating a strict gluten free diet. That may not be enough. Many suffering from CD still feel ill even after being faithful to a gluten free diet. Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disease which causes your body to attack and destroy the microvilli and villi in your small intestines. These are key to the absorption of nutrients from food and are also where many enzymes used in digestion are made. When these are destroyed, the ability to absorb nutrients decreases and can lead to malnutrition. This is not all that happens in a damaged intestine. Gluten can cause the…
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8 Unexpected Sources of Gluten
As gluten free diets become more popular, more people are aware of what gluten is and where it comes from, but do you know all of the hidden sources of gluten? Some of them may surprise you. For those who have Celiac Disease, not knowing these sources can have serious consequences. I will go over 8 unexpected sources. 1.Binding Agents and Fillers Usually these are not a problem unless they are ingested. Some common places you would find these fillers are in older stamps and envelopes, newer one use corn based adhesives, toothpastes, and other adhesives. I personally react to the adhesives in bandages, even the latex kind. 2. Body…
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Bella Vista Offers Great Gluten Free Options
Many times as one who eats gluten free, eating out is not very exciting. Most restaurants idea of gluten free is to strip the entrees of everything and serve an unseason meat and plain vegetables. I can get more exciting than that at home, why would I pay for less than that somewhere else? That is not the case at Bella Vista, located across the bridge in the historic Hastings, MN. Their Italian-style restaurant is abounding with fresh, quality ingredients to produce flavorful authentic Italian cuisine! My husband and I recently had a date night here and were pleasantly surprised when the co-owner, Jenn, said that almost everything on the…
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Help! I Need to Bring a Treat to School
It’s your child’s birthday and you want to bring treats, but what do you bring? You know there is at least one child who has food allergies and the school has strict policies about what can and cannot be brought for treats. The last thing you want to do is alienate those who have food allergies. It is already hard enough to be different. With the rise in allergies and food intolerances, gone are the carefree days of sending treats. It doesn’t have to be that stressful. There are many options that are safe for most of the common food allergens. Fruit and Vegetable Snacks One of the easiest treats…
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Are You Ready for Thanksgiving Part 2
In this second part on preparing for a gluten free Thanksgiving, I am going to discuss some of the traditional dishes and how to find gluten free substitutes or replace with even better options. Holiday traditional abound this time of the year and many begin with the Thanksgiving meal. One of those traditions is the sweet potato casserole. I personally have never been a huge fan of this casserole and since marshmallows are being debated as whether they are even safe for those on a gluten free diet, I am sharing an alternative to the traditional sweet potato casserole. It is one of my families favorite recipes and they would…
