Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disorder that damages the lining of the small intestine and prevents it from absorbing the nutrients in food that are essential for humans to stay healthy. While there is no cure for Celiac Disease, there is a treatment: Maintaining a strict Gluten Free (GF) Diet for the rest of your life.

I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease (via blood test and biopsy) nearly 14 years ago. My late grandmother was diagnosed in the 1980s. 

The more that I research Gluten Free dieting, the more I see a lot of misconceptions that people have when it comes to Celiac Disease and Gluten Free dieting:

1. "Eating Gluten Free can help you lose weight."
   Not necessarily. If you look at the ingredients in baked goods, some of them use an extra stick or two of butter, or an extra cup or two of sugar. Adding these ingredients provides enough elasticity in the baked good so it doesn't get completely hard. People who eat GF have been known to gain weight. In order to be successful at losing weight, while being gluten free, you have to stick with the foods that are naturally gluten free: meats, dairy, vegetables, fruit, and rice.
2. One regular meal won't hurt you."
   False. There is a small amount of Celiacs, such as myself, who are extremely sensitive to the point that even a crumb of gluten can cause relapse that lasts for DAYS, even months. My longest "glutening" relapse lasted 3 or 4 MONTHS! It was pretty much hell. I had to stay hydrated, and my potassium levels had to be monitored.
3. "Gluten Free food is nasty."
   Not all of it is nasty. While some baked goods (bread, etc) can be hard as a rock, there are some brands that are amazing. I recommend Bisquick Gluten Free pancakes. It is actually much tastier than regular pancakes. Also, Barilla has an amazing gluten free line that tastes like the real thing. Like with any GF pasta, you have to keep an eye on the pasta, so you don't overcook it. We all know what happens to GF pasta that is left unattended. Gross clump-city!
4. "You can't eat at restaurants, right?"
   False. There are more restaurants offering GF options. However, restaurants don't make any guarantees that the GF food hasn't come into contact with food containing gluten. Every GF menu I've seen has that disclaimer and it also advises that you eat at your own risk. I've eaten at several restaurants since my diagnosis, and most of them I have gotten sick from. Eating out is a risk us Celiacs take. It's sort of like playing Russian Roulette. I have a handful of restaurants and bakeries that I trust (half of them cater to GF individuals only). 
5. "They make GF oats, so you can have granola and oatmeal, right?"
   Yes and no. Yes, they make GF oats, but not everyone is able to have them without problems. Some end up with painful stomach issues, others were able to build up a tolerance to it. When I was first diagnosed, I had an issue with GF oats. It took me a few years to build up a tolerance to it. I'm able to tolerate GF oats from specific brands. Others, not so much. This is another area where people have to be careful. What I did could be considered reckless, but I haven't had any issues since I built up a tolerance.
6. Celiac Disease is the same as a gluten/wheat allergy.
   WRONG! WRONG! AND WRONG! SO FUCKING WRONG! This is my biggest pet peeve, as it downplays the severity of Celiac Disease. Complications from Celiac Disease can be serious, even fatal in rare cases. Gluten actually DESTROYS the villi in the small intestine in Celiac Disease patients, the villi being the only way humans absorb nutrients. In those suffering from gluten/wheat allergies, they endure the miserable reactions of being exposed to gluten. However, they do not suffer the long-term consequences. The villi in their small intestine aren't destroyed. 

There are many more misconceptions about Gluten Free dieting, but these are the most common ones I have come across. Living day to day with Celiac Disease and eating GF is a tough road to travel, but, it's worth it in the end.

Updated July 2022
#celiacdisease #glutenfree #wheatallergy #glutenallergy #celiac #coeliac #autoimmune #glutenfreediet #glutening 

If you've been in the GF community for the last 30 to 40 years, you've witnessed massive booms in GF cuisine over the last 10-15 years. More restaurants are offering gluten free options, and grocery stores have entire sections dedicated to GF foods. Food companies have been working hard to create GF products that are not only tasty, but healthy. 
As we all know, GF baked goods are known to have more butter in their ingredients (butter is added to increase the elasticity of baked goods in lieu of gluten).

When it comes to pasta, that has always been the trickiest product to master, for both companies and consumers. In the early days, GF pasta has come out clumpy and tasteless. When Barilla came out with their GF line, that was the closest to GF pasta perfection that we've ever gotten. 

In comes Bentilia. Bentilia is a brand-new GF product that the GF and Celiac communities are super excited about. This product is expected to revolutionize GF pasta. It is said to be tasty, and very healthy for you. 

Here's the lowdown on Bentilia:

• High in fiber.
• High in protein.
• Provides the consumer with 21 different nutrients.
• The ziti contains TEN superfood ingredients (broccoli, spinach, kale, pumpkin, sweet potato, sunflower seed, kelp, chlorella, maitake mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms).
• Certified Plantricious.
• Can be found in Ziti, Elbows, Rotini, and Penne.
• Low glycemic index.
• Non-GMO
• Kosher
• Allergen-free
• Pennie, Elbows, and Rotini have only ONE ingredient: Red Lentil Flour.

For a pasta to have this loud of a buzz already, you know it's going to blow all other pastas out of the water. How many GF pastas out there have superfood ingredients, AND taste amazing? Not many. Not to mention, GF pasta is higher in carbs than normal pasta. This pasta takes care of that, by lowering the carbs, increasing the protein. Thus, making you fuller longer. 

I will recommend that you watch this product carefully when you do cook it. As we all know, GF pasta is a tricky minx. If it isn't perfect, it's either hard as a rock, or clumpy as hell. 
To learn more about this incredible product, visit: Bentilia | Best Gluten-Free Legumes Pasta in the USA 

At this time, Bentilia cannot be found in your local grocery store, or the chains, but you can shop online for it via the above link!

This is a recipe that I saw on the back of an Annie Chun's Maifun Rice Noodle box. 

This recipe is filling, delicious, and GLUTEN FREE!!! It is super easy to make and is a perfect summertime lunch or dinner meal.

Here is what you will need:

​

• One green papaya (peel the papaya and slice it into matchstick strips)
• One slightly firm mango (peel the mango and slice into Matchstick slices)
• One small cucumber (thinly sliced)
• 1/2 package of Annie Chin's Maifun's Rice Noodles (cook, drain, and rinse as directions state for salad usage).
• 1 cup of small to medium sized shrimp. Make sure the shrimp are cleaned, deveined, and cooked (recipe says prawns, but shrimp is the same thing).
• 1 head of rinsed lettuce (separate leaves)
• 5 to 6 TBSP of peanut butter (recipe says to use Thai Peanut Sauce, but I improvised)
• 2 TBSP of fresh cilantro

 Directions:

1. Mix papaya, mango, cucumber, cooked noodles and shrimp in a bowl.
2. Add peanut butter to above mixture and toss.
3. Arrange lettuce leaves on a plate and divide noodle mix among the leaves.
4. Garnish with the cilantro (if you wish).
5. Wrap the lettuce leaves and eat!

The lettuce does have a hard time staying in a 'wrap' position, you might need to use a toothpick to hold it in place if you're making this for family or guests. Using peanut butter instead of the Thai Peanut Sauce gave it more of a hearty texture and made me full after eating just a little bit of it.
I do recommend that you pick up gluten free Thai peanut sauce. Annie Chun doesn't make a GF Thai peanut sauce, but San-J does! Thai peanut sauce will definitely add some spice and flavor to the dish. While the dish already has some flavor, I highly recommend using the Thai peanut sauce. 
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[photo credit: www.luxebc.com]

​As promised, Oreo released their gluten free line this month. Many have been scrambling to get their hands on these cookies, with preorders selling out within 24 hours. 
This week, the GF cookies have been showing up in more stores. On Saturday, I bought 2 packages. 

As yummy as these cookies are, please follow the serving suggestions so you don't end up like me. 
Again, do NOT buy these cookies on Amazon. Those are NOT the right prices!

Walmart still has some in stock here, and here.

Oreo, thank you so much for making gluten free cookies. You have brought so many happy tears to those of us who have missed your cookies so much! Please keep making them! 

If you have Canyon Bakehouse Mountain White Bread and/or Canyon Bakehouse Everything Bagels, you might want to check the UPC numbers. 
Products with the following UPC and Lot Number codes are being recalled due to a "potential presence of gluten."

Canyon Bakehouse Mtn White Bread
UPC: 8-53584-00200-3
Lot Number: 20323 323

Canyon Bakehouse Everything Bagels 
UPC: 8-53584-0221-8
Lot Number: 20316 316

The states impacted by this recall include:

• Arkansas
• Colorado
• Kansas
• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• New Mexico
• Oklahoma
• South Dakota
• Texas
• Utah
• Wyoming

If you live in any of these states, and you have the recalled product, you are instructed to either throw it out or return it to the store for a full refund. 

Canyon Bakehouse made a statement about this recall, saying that they apologize, and they are going to conduct a "full scale audit of their shipping and inventory management practices" so it does not happen again. 

You can read their statement here.

#glutenfree #gf #celiacdisease #celiac #glutenallergy #wheatallergy #coeliac #canyonbakehouse #gffood #foodrecalls

​This is probably the best news to come out of this hellish year! Oreo will be unveiling a gluten free version of their cookies in January 2021. There will be the original Oreo cookie, and....Double Stuf cookie! GLUTEN FREE!

Price should be able the same as the regular cookies, and the cookies will be made with real cocoa.

10 years ago I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Gluten Free food wasn't as widespread as it is now. You pretty much had to read every single label and skim through the ingredients (there were no GF labels back then). Shopping trips for Celiacs were pretty lengthy. It was only a few years later when the gluten free food explosion happened. 

The reason why this news is so emotional for me is because it reminds me of my first shopping trip, following my diagnosis. I remember walking past all the food I used to eat and dying inside. The one food item I walked by that made me sob uncontrollably was the Double Stuf Oreos.
Before my diagnosis, Oreos were my go-to cookie, especially the Double Stuf. It took a little while for me to accept that I wouldn't be able to eat certain foods again. I tried the Glutino sandwich cookies, and they weren't the same. Don't get me wrong, they were yummy, but they weren't Oreo. 

I am BEYOND excited for GF Oreos, and I am looking forward to stuffing my face with Double Stuf once again!

​.......Is it January yet?

What is Celiac Disease?
An immune reaction to eating gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye.
Over time, the immune reaction to eating gluten creates inflammation that damages the small intestine's lining, leading to medical complications. It also prevents absorption of some nutrients (malabsorption).
The classic symptom is diarrhea. Other symptoms include bloating, gas, fatigue, low blood count (anemia), and osteoporosis. Many people have no symptoms.
The mainstay of treatment is a strict gluten-free diet that can help manage symptoms and promote intestinal healing. (source: Mayo Clinic)

In 2012 US Senate Resolution 550 was passed, making September 13 National Celiac Awareness day. The resolution was sponsored by Senator Ben Nelson, a Democrat from Nebraska.

The bill recognizes that citizens of the United States, must be made aware of Celiac Disease, which affects 1 in 100 people in America. The bill asks that people in the United States observe National Celiac Disease Awareness Day (source: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/sres550/text).

On September 13, we recognize Dr. Samuel Gee (1839-1911), an English doctor and pediatrician. He was the first person to have given the first modern day description of Celiac Disease. He gave the description in 1887, at the Hospital for Sick Children. He recognized that the disease isn't just a childhood ailment, that it affects people of all ages.
His findings can be found in the St. Bartholomew's Hospital Reports, which were published in 1888.

Celiac disease is important, and serious. Those of us whom are afflicted with the disease, know the dangers of not adhering to a strict, life-long, gluten free diet. We know the risks of not being diagnosed properly. We've lived it. On average, it takes a good 10+ years to be properly diagnosed. Most of the 1% of people afflicted with the disease, don't even know that they have it. The damage done to the small intestine, by continuous consumption of gluten, can become life-threatening.
Awareness of this disease is important, and early testing for the gene must be done.

Educate your family, your friends, your community.
For more information, visit: http://www.csaceliacs.info/index.jsp

My story:
I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease 10 years ago. For as long as I can remember, I have always had issues with digesting food. When I ate certain things, I had an adverse reaction.
In the months leading up to my diagnosed via blood test and biopsy, I was very sick. I was so sick, I could not get out of bed. I had diarrhea 20+ times a day, which led to serious dehydration. I was in a lot of joint pain. I couldn't even get out of bed.  Finally, I went to the doctor, and got my blood tested. I tested "very positive" for Celiac Disease. I was upset because I witnessed what the disease did to my grandmother.
In the 1980s, my grandmother was diagnosed with Celiac Sprue. Back then, there were no gluten free aisles in the supermarket. There were no gluten free restaurants. There were no gluten free brands. There was nothing. My grandfather did find a place 2-3 hours away that sold safe grains that can be used to make baked goods. Every Friday, my grandfather trekked from central CT to the middle of MA to buy the grains. He brought it home and broke down the grain using a mortle and pestle (he used this until he could afford a Vitamix). He baked EVERYTHING for her from scratch. My grandmother's health improved on this gluten free diet. Unfortunately, the place that sold the safe grains closed down some years later. My grandmother went back to eating regular food. She became bedridden, unable to do anything for herself. She shrunk in height and lost a mass amount of weight (she was 60lbs when she died). She developed a hump on her back, and her bones became extremely brittle. As a kid, it was scary to see her in this situation.

My own diagnosis scared me, because I wasn't even 30 yet. I didn't want to be in the same condition as my grandmother at my young age.
When I was diagnosed, gluten free options were very very slim. It wasn't until a few years later when the gluten free craze exploded. That craze both helped and hurt the Celiac community. It helped because we finally had more options, but it came at a price: No one believed us when we told them we had Celiac Disease. They thought we were following a fad. Sorry folks, this isn't a fad for those of us with Celiac Disease. If even one speck of gluten enters our body, we get sick for weeks. It's painful, miserable, and we wouldn't wish the "glutening effect" on our worst enemy.

With Celiac Disease being an autoimmune disease, it also puts us in the high risk category for Coronavirus. I hope my fellow Celiacs are taking it easy during this crazy time in our history.