January Support Group Meeting

Please join me Thursday night (January 19th) from 6-8pm at the Natural Pantry cafe on Old Seward Hwy for the Celiac Disease Foundation's Anchorage Gluten-free Support Group! The kind people at Bumble Bar have sent us free samples! See you there!

Gluten-free Awards

Have you ever found yourself thinking that you wish there were awards to recognize people and products in the gluten-free world? Well, your wish has now come true!  The 2nd Annual Gluten-Free Awards from the producers of GFREEK radio have arrived! The nominations have been made and the finalists are now listed on their website. Voting is simple. Just visit their website at www.gfreek.com and scroll to the bottom to find a link says "Vote now for the 2nd Annual Gluten Free Awards". You will automatically be taken to the survey where you can cast your votes! Simple, easy, FUN!

Willy O's Gluten-free Pizza

Willy Olund has made it his passion to develop great tasting pizza. He used to give his siblings pizzas for Christmas gifts, however, when they became allergic to the majority of the grains he used, he had to figure out a way to make a different type of crust. His wife, Carla, who owns their store Willy O's Pizza and Grille in South Haven, MI, decided to open Willy O's Gluten-free products (a dedicated gluten-free USDA facility) in Holland, MI. With her help, Willy was able to produce a fabulous gluten-free pizza! So fabulous, in fact, that the gluten-free version has won several international awards. In 2010, The International Pizza Challenge held in Las Vegas voted his pizza number #1 in the United States and #2 Internationally and the Trofeo 2 Mari in Lecce, Italy voted his pizza #1 in America and he received the highest scores by any American as well.

The best part about Willy O's pizza? Even if you are not close to their store in South Haven, Michigan, Willy is happy to ship you some pizza! He even sent me a few in Alaska! They arrived looking perfect and they tested even better!

For more information about Willy and his amazing pizza check out http://www.willyos.com/

WebMD Slideshow on Celiac Disease

This is a really great visual guide to help people understand the basics of Celiac Disease. If you, or a loved one, has any questions this is a really good place to start. I am a visual learner so I can appreciate the way this guide instructs its viewers.

ENJOY!

A Visual Guide to Celiac Disease:

http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/celiac-disease/ss/slideshow-celiac-overview

Celebrate National Celiac Awareness Day

The following post was stolen from a brillant Celiac with her own blog, Erin Smith. For the original copy and more of her amazing insight, visit: http://glutenfreefun.blogspot.com/2011/09/celebrate-celiac-awareness-day.html
Tomorrow is Celiac Awareness Day. In 2010, a resolution was passed in the U. S. Senate, making September 13 National Celiac Disease Awareness Day. 
How are you going to celebrate Celiac Awareness day?
Here is a list of ways to celebrate from the NFCA:

1. Share the Celiac Symptoms Checklist. Send the checklist to 10 friends. Odds are, at least one of them will have an “Aha!” moment and recognize the symptoms in a family member, neighbor or friend.

2. Play a role in research. The Celiac Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) is looking for relatives of celiacs to test a new self-administered blood test. It’s your chance to finally convince your mother, brother, or another family member to take the test once and for all. (Update: Study has been filled. Thank you to all who signed up!)

3. Go for a run. Restoring health isn’t just about making the dietary switch to gluten-free; it’s also about embracing your new lease on life. I’ll be here when you get back.

4. Or, support a fellow Celiac while he runs. On September 24, Athlete for Awareness Peter Bronski will run 50 miles and scale 10,000 feet for the 2nd year in a row – all to raise money for NFCA. Donate to help him reach his goal.

5. Tell your doctor “Sorry” isn’t good enough. How many doctor appointments did you waste complaining of symptoms before you finally got diagnosed? End the cycle of misdiagnosis once and for all: Print the Celiac CME postcard from our website and urge your doctor to take NFCA’s free course on celiac disease.

6. Expand your dining options. If you know a restaurant that needs gluten-free training, now’s the time to act. Print the GREAT Kitchens information sheet from our website and bring it to the restaurant. As an incentive, tell the manager how many friends and support group members are just waiting to find a new gluten-free hot spot.

7. Be a part of something big. Sign 1in133.org's Letter to the FDA regarding the proposed gluten-free labeling rule. It’s one way to tell the FDA to keep moving and stop stalling when it comes to gluten-free safety.

8. Have a party. Bake some gluten-free cupcakes. Put out a bowl for donations. Voila! Instant Cupcake Party Fundraiser. (It’s really that easy.)

9. Head to class. Ask your child’s teacher if you can have a special Celiac Awareness Day at school. Read a celiac disease children’s book, then take questions from the kids. If your child’s school allows it, bring in gluten-free snacks for everyone to try. While you’re there, encourage the cafeteria staff to get gluten-free training through NFCA’s GREAT Schools program.

10. Sharpen your cooking skills. You never stop learning, so take advantage of NFCA’s library of free gluten-free cooking videos. The videos not only have step-by-step instructions, but also give you helpful tips, like how to sneak veggies into a dessert.

11. Make a new friend. If you’re not on Facebook or Twitter yet, get moving! The staff and I have met tons of new people through social media, and there’s sure to be a lot of exciting chats and activities for Celiac Awareness Day.

12. Try something GREAT. NFCA’s GREAT Business Association members are huge supporters of the celiac and gluten-free community. Encourage their continued involvement by picking up one of their products. (Make sure to tweet about it!)

13. Prepare future advocates. We’ve made incredible progress, but it’s up to our kids to keep that going. Teach them the joy of volunteering and advocacy by helping them contribute to Kids Central. They can sign up for the Letter Writing Fundraiser, share a gluten-free recipe, or submit a product review for kids.

July Support Group Meeting

Please join me Thursday night (July 21st) from 6-8pm at Natural Pantry for the Celiac Disease Foundation Anchorage Gluten-free Support Group! There will be Udi's products there to sample as well as gluten-free Schar cookies! See you there!

Tips for a safe, gluten-free 4th of July!

Summer and the 4th of July holiday are a great time for eating and socializing outdoors in the Bay Area.  Being gluten-free can often be difficult while attending a BBQ at a friend or family member’s house.  With that in mind, here are a few quick tips on how to eat safely and gluten-free at a BBQ:



Never Show Up Without Something To Eat – Always make sure that there is something for you to eat at an event by offering to bring a gluten-free salad (make a quinoa salad for an extra source of protein) or side dish.

Have The Host/Hostess Grill Meat First Then The Bun – Nothing can be more painful than watching your beautiful burger be ruined by bread crumbs at a BBQ!  Speak up to your host/hostess!  Ask them to grill the meat or fish first and then have them heat up the buns.  You can then safely whisk away your meat and enjoy it on a gluten-free bun before it becomes contaminated.

Aluminum Foil Is Your Friend – Cooking on a potentially contaminated grill?  Take no chances – cook your meat on a piece of aluminum foil in order to allow you to cook your food on the same grill without the risk of cross-contamination.

BYOB – Bring Your Own Buns – You can easily bring your own gluten-free bun to a friend or family member’s house for a BBQ.  Ask the host/hostess to place your bun on aluminum foil on the grill to toast it up for you prior to enjoying with a piece of grilled meat.

Beware of Hidden Sources of Gluten – This is one area that you need to pay particular attention to.  Sauces, marinades and salad dressing are often guilty of containing hidden sources of gluten.  There are many mainstream brands of sauces, marinades, and salad dressings that are gluten-free but you need to really read the labels to make sure that the item offered at the BBQ is truly gluten-free.  Ask to read labels of what you are eating.  If they already threw out the bottle of the sauce, marinade or salad dressing that they used it’s better to go without.  It’s always better to be safe than sorry!

Relax and Enjoy Yourself – Do your homework, bring something for yourself to enjoy at the BBQ, and make every effort to educate your host/hostess about the gluten-free diet so you’re able to relax and enjoy the 4th of July holiday with friends and family!

Continue reading on Examiner.com Top gluten-free tips for eating safely at a 4th of July BBQ - Oakland Gluten Free | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/gluten-free-in-oakland/top-gluten-free-tips-for-eating-safely-at-a-4th-of-july-bbq#ixzz1QyoewHes

Exciting news for Celiacs!!

The Wall Street Journal recently printed an article about new evidence that suggest gluten-sensitivity and Celiac Disease may be two separate entities. Why is this so important? This means there are more people who need a gluten-free diet and more attention must be paid to the way the food industry processes our grains. The evidence points out that while 1% of the population is affected with Celiac Disease as many as 6% of the population may have gluten-sensitivities.  Please click the link below for the full article.

http://www.emailthis.clickability.com/et/emailThis?clickMap=viewThis&etMailToID=246627909