Did you see this episode of Nightline last week? It’s questioning if the gluten-free diet is really good for people that DO NOT have celiac disease. It brings up the fact that many of the gluten-free foods that are available often lack nutrients and that the gluten-free diet may be harmful to people without celiac disease.

Over and over again, these reports keep surfacing and spreading misinformation about the gluten-free diet. I’ve written about it numerous times and I’ll continue to write about it. If you’re a non-celiac and you’re buying gluten-free desserts and packaged food because you think they are a healthier option, then you are definitely wrong. But, if you are trying to eat a well-balanced diet with naturally gluten-free food, then you will benefit greatly. All of the hype (in terms of it being healthy), all of the celebrities, and all of the non-stop talk about the gluten-free diet in the blogosphere isn’t talking about getting healthy by eating gluten-free donuts, it’s talking about eating a diet rich in naturally gluten-free foods. A diet with meats, vegetables, some fruit and devoid of gluten will not hurt anyone and my bets are on that it will make them feel better. Packaged gluten-free food is there simply to replace “gluten-filled” packaged food. For a person with celiac disease, that means being able to enjoy the same guilty pleasures as everyone else. For a non-celiac following a gluten-free diet, that gluten-free donut is also just a guilty pleasure while they’re attempting to follow the lifestyle.

The fact is that most food that is considered good for you is naturally gluten-free. We don’t need wheat, rye, barley or oats in our diet to be healthy. There are plenty of other sources of fiber (and the many other nutrients that skeptics say we are missing) in naturally gluten-free foods.

If you are thinking of trying the gluten-free diet for the dozens of health benefits that you’ve been hearing about, do yourself a favor and do some research on the subject and then decide for yourself whether or not it is right for you. Better yet, give the diet a try and see how you feel. Also, remember that all of the gluten-free items that you’re bombarded with at your local supermarket are not necessarily healthy — in fact most of them are not.

I’d love to hear from some non-celiacs who have adopted the gluten-free diet as well as those who have not had success with it. I have a feeling that this is going to be a hot topic for some time to come.

Below is a fantastic article that is being re-posted in its entirety with permission from Amy Leger of The Savvy Celiac. It’s a very timely list of questions and tips for non-celiacs to think about before attempting to prepare a gluten-free meal for their guests or family members with celiac disease. Thank you for a great post Amy!

Well whether we like it or not, the holidays really are upon us. Many of us are already thinking about Thanksgiving dinner — some may be contently planning knowing they’ll be cooking their own gluten-free dinner, while others may be “white knuckling” it until Thanksgiving, worried they’ll get glutened by a well-meaning friend, family member or co-worker. I, myself do not have celiac disease, although my daughter and brother do, and my dad eats gluten -free, and when I attended the General Mills blogger summit this week, I was really struck by a common word people were using: fear. Fearful to get glutened, fearful (in some cases) to allow others to cook for them, fearful (in some cases) about being impolite and speaking up if they can’t eat something. It’s one thing to avoid a food because you’re on a diet for weight loss, it’s another thing to be scared of eating anything from a spread that could have a hidden “landmine” of gluten.

This post is for the people who want to cook for celiacs and the celiacs who want to drop them a casual hint :)

I have complied a list of things for these well-meaning family and friends to consider when offering to cook gluten-free for a person who has celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.

1. If you don’t understand it, please don’t do it. We are okay with it!
   It took many of us months and years to understand the gluten-free diet, cooking strategies and ways to prevent cross contamination before we really felt comfortable with it. We don’t expect anyone to be an expert in a day. And as a result that makes us fearful that any gluten-free food you make will actually contain gluten. This is something some folks will never say to you for fear of being impolite.

   Gluten-free means no wheat, barley, rye, oats (that aren’t guaranteed gluten free –hint if the ingredient label only says “oats” or “oat flour’ — it’s not guaranteed gluten free), spelt, durum, brown flour, malt, and more as reported by the Celiac Sprue Association. Corn, potatoes and rice are okay (unless the person is particularly sensitive to that as well).

2. If it’s baked and found in a mainstream grocery store, it’s probably not gluten-free
   Yes, our grocery stores have come a long way when it comes to carrying gluten-free products. But the only actual grocery store chain that is baking its own gluten-free bread is Whole Foods. Any other grocery store is bringing in gluten-free bread or baked goods.

   IF they have gluten-free bread, you usually will find it in the health food section freezer –not the bakery and not the bread section. Pita bread, English Muffins, pizza crust, Italian bread, baguettes, bagels, cakes, pies (crusts have gluten), cupcakes all have gluten. Bottom line: unless you’re going to a specialty gluten-free bakery, you will likely not find any fresh-baked gluten-free goods at a mainstream grocery store. And if you ask bakery people about it you’ll likely get a confused look or a quick no that they don’t have that available.

3. How do you know your ingredients and utensils in your home aren’t already cross-contaminated with gluten?
   Please honestly think about your cooking practices when I pose these questions: Do you regularly double dip when cooking or baking? In other words, do you use the measuring cup in your all-purpose flour and then just dip it into the sugar? If you’re double dipping, the sugar is contaminated and no longer gluten free. You can say the same for Crisco, butter, peanut butter, mayonnaise and anything you’re reaching in and scooping out. You may want to make divinity (which is inherently gluten free — eggs, sugar and corn syrup are the main ingredients I believe), but if your sugar is cross contaminated — a gluten-free person will get sick (or have damage in their gut) if they eat it.

   What about while you’re cooking? Do you use one utensil to stir up the gluteny turkey stuffing and then use the same spoon to scoop the sweet potatoes?

   Your wooden or plastic cutting boards and your colanders are also off limits to people who eat gluten free– they harbor gluten in the nooks and crannies, that even when cleaned in the dishwasher, they aren’t “clean” for us.

4. I just won’t make stuffing and I’ll get an ice cream cake!
   Whoa, you’re still going to have to look at your ingredients for cross contamination. Plus you’re going to have to check to make sure you turkey or ham is gluten free (they can be injected with broths that contain gluten), and gravy is an issue. Most premade gravy has gluten and anyone who makes it from home usually uses their flour as a thickener. Corn starch is a viable option to make gluten-free gravy with turkey drippings, but just a forewarning — it’s clear and gelatinous– basically tastes fine, looks funky.

   And if you’re doing an ice cream cake, you better make sure it’s gluten free. Dairy Queen’s ice cream cake has crumbles in the middle which contain gluten. Have those removed and double check the other fudgy stuff in the center to make sure it’s gluten free and you’re set. Other places may have cookies or something inside their ice cream cakes too.

5. Let’s barbecue some ribs!
   Again you must check the gluten contamination factor of your grill. Do you put gluten on there? In other words, do you put hamburger on there that has bread crumbs in it or grill your hamburger buns, or put steak on with a gluteny marinade? If you don’t know– the only way to use the grill in this case is to put the gluten-free item on aluminum foil. But also look for a gluten-free barbecue sauce. We use Sweet Baby Ray’s. Please keep in mind not all BBQ sauces are gluten-free.
   

6. Don’t assume
   Read labels. Example: Tostitos are gluten free— the label mostly talks about corn, oil and salt, but if you grab the one kind of Tostitos made form flour tortillas– that’s a problem. Double check the label. That one will say wheat in it.Potatoes aren’t always just potatoes. You’d think they should be, but if you’re getting something out of the frozen section, check ingredients! Wheat will be listed if it’s in there — but gluten is NOT required to be put on a label if it is in a product. Some frozen potatoes are just that, potatoes, go for the simple ones and stay away from the fancy flavored stuff.

   Rice Krispies cereal seems simple enough, but in actuality it has malt. Gluten-free folks cannot eat this.

So what can you have around the house for a gathering?
Wine, coffee, Blue Diamond Nut Thins, cheese, or veggies with Wishbone Ranch dressing as the dip. Check out Trader Joe’s for some goodies: They have a great list here which includes some sweets too!

None of us actually wants to think that our cooking would make someone sick. But it is possible in this case — even to the cooks with the best of intentions. Please be open to talking with your gluten-free family member or friend to see what they can do to help you make this as great experience as possible.

If you have some other quick suggestions on food or other tips — feel free to post them below!

I’m somewhat new to following Wasabimon!, but from what I’ve seen so far, it has the potential to be a great gluten-free resource. Wasabimon! is written by Stephanie Stiavetti, a food writer living in San Francisco. Her mission is to take everyday foods and make them edible by anyone, regardless of dietary restrictions.

Stephanie’s recipes are diverse and not for the faint of heart — vibrant dishes like Uber-Hearty Oxtail Soup or Vegan Fried Squash Blossoms with Potato Pumpkin Seed Filling are plentiful throughout this blog. Whichever recipe you try, you’re bound to get something delicious, nutritious as well as something that was made with gluten-free ingredients in mind. What more could one ask for?

Since following Wasabimon!, I’ve been amazed at the diversity of Stephanie’s recipes as well as the diversity of her posts. It’s a little bit of the everyday food that she mentions as well as a little bit of the exotic — a great combination to keep things interesting.

Wasabimon! »

Dr. Alessio Fasano of The University of Maryland announced  a record $45 million donation to the university. The money was donated by the family of a grateful patient.

Fasano said the money will be used to create a first-of-its-kind institute that could eventually employ up to 200 doctors and researchers. They will not only study the often-misdiagnosed celiac disease but use it as a model to study other related diseases, including diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.

Read Full Article (The Baltimore Sun) »

I’m always searching for new gluten-free blogs. I’m always impressed when I come across one that is updated frequently and is full of great photos of great looking gluten-free food. I’ve showcased a few here so far that I love and that continually publish content that is not only relevant, but that really furthers the knowledge base of the gluten-free community.

One blog in particular that has recently caught my attention has been Celiac Teen from Lauren, a teenage blogger who has a vast collection of gluten-free recipes and random musings. This would be impressive coming from anyone, but the fact that Lauren is 17 is truly mind blowing. I haven’t come across many 17 year olds with this level of focus and commitment. A tip of the hat to Lauren for managing to create such a great celiac resource while managing the rigors of high school and all of its overly-dramatic daily issues.

Her recipes are one mouth-watering dish after another. You could easily go through these recipes and have enough to try for a long, long time and know that you will have an exciting personal menu to eat safely from. The recipes that I have tried of hers have all turned out perfectly and have been exactly as described.

I’m really excited to see where this blog might go in the years to come. I will definitely be following it and anxiously awaiting each new post.

Celiac Teen »

In a recent study (via medpage Today) by Christopher Hammerle, MD, and Sheila Crowe, MD, of the University of Virginia, it is believed that more patients with celiac disease may have refractory celiac disease, which means their bodies stop responding to the gluten-free diet.  It is thought that refractory celiac disease is on the rise and is caused by celiac patients not strictly following the gluten-free diet.

Two of the treatments of choice for refractory celiac disease are corticosteroids and thiopurine. The corticosteroids run the risk of a steroid dependence while the thiorpurine has a better record.

Non-compliance is really the same thing as being untreated — and untreated celiac disease can not only be the cause of severe discomfort, it can lead to serious illness and even death. Keep this in mind the next time you think about cheating on your diet. Those thoughts alone are enough to keep me away from temptation.

Gluten Free Gobsmacked follows the adventures of Kate, a woman diagnosed with celiac disease back in 2000. She’s been sharing her gluten-free recipes with the world since at least 2005 and comes up with some amazing treats. Seasonal goodies like a recent post on Gluten-Free Pumpkin Fries, desserts like Chocolate Chip and Tahini Cookies, and savory dishes like Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Carrots and Fennel Bulbs are all things that will make your mouth water. Gluten Free Gobsmacked is a “go to” blog for celiacs everywhere and should be for you too.

Also, take a look at her About page to learn what “Gobsmacked” means. Whenever I have heard the term, I usually associate it with the British and their love of such over the top words. I always imagine hearing a word like this in an accent similar to Margaret Thatcher.  It’s nice to see (and so appropriate) in this context.

Gluten Free Gobsmacked »

Hey, that tastes good! is a blog by Jill Elise, a gluten-free food blogger living in Connecticut. It’s an amazing resource for anyone seeking recipes and insight into gluten-free comfort food. Everything from Pecan Pie to Salisbury Steak to Coconut Rice Pudding (and everything in between) — she’s got it all covered. There’s also some great insight into traveling gluten-free as well as recommendations for places that she’s visited while on vacation.

With a recent redesign of her blog and amazing photography, you will find yourself spending hours digging through her archives in search of that perfect recipe for whatever you might be craving — needless to say, you’ll undoubtedly find something that you’ll love.

In her own words, “…how I learned that gluten-free doesn’t mean taste-free”.

Hey, that tastes good! »

Gluten-Free Goddess is written by the delightfully poetic Karina Allrich, an L.A. script writer, photographer, mother, and of course a gluten-free genius.

Her recipes are out of this world, her photography is beautiful, and her taste is second to none. The blog has been around since at least 2005 and it has been an important source of wonderful gluten-free recipe ideas as well as Karina’s musings on life and family.

Somehow, every time I read any of her posts, I finish with a smile and usually an idea or two for something to prepare for my family in the following days. So, if you haven’t visited the Gluten-Free Goddess yet, do yourself a favor and do it now — just make sure you give yourself enough time to read through the volumes of Karina’s work.  It’s well worth the time.

Gluten-Free Goddess »

What can I say about Elana’s Pantry? Elana Amsterdam is a prolific writer who never ceases to amaze me with her endless stream of great ideas. All of her recipes, whether it be desserts, entrées, snacks, or drinks all have a focus on all natural and healthy ingredients. She an advocate of using almond flour and has written two books on the subject, Gluten-Free Cupcakes: 50 Irresistible Recipes Made with Almond and Coconut Flour and The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook.

I’ve tried dozens of Elana’s recipes and every one of them has been exactly what I expected them to be (and more). I will never miss the so called “real thing” when eating like this. And to know that what I’m eating is so much healthier than the “real thing” is an added bonus.

Elana is definitely one of the gluten-free communities superstars. She is destined to be a huge success. I will continue to anxiously await her new posts and will definitely continue using her recipes.

Visit Elana’s Pantry »

Hilary Davidson’s Gluten-Free Guidebook is the home of the Reader Report. Along with Hilary’s own great travel focused posts, she shares her viewers travel tips from around the world.

It’s no wonder that Hilary does a travel based blog as she has written both Frommer’s New York City Day by Day and Frommer’s Toronto. After one of Hilary’s posts, you will get a great feel for a particular city and what it has to offer in terms of gluten-free dining options.

Beyond the travel related posts, she’s posted some great content like, “Would you pop a pill to eat gluten again?” and “More about that celiac pill“. She poses some wonderful questions and opinions that need to be read by every celiac.

Hilary Davidson’s Gluten-Free Guidebook is yet another great example of a great gluten-free blog with an incredible amount of valuable information that will help you make great travel decisions as well as furthering your insight into the gluten-free diet.

Gluten-Free Guidebook »

Uber-networkers Kim and Kelly started the Celiac Chicks blog back in 2003 and have produced one of the largest collections of relevant gluten-free information on the Internet. Restaurant visits, event reviews, celiac awareness, giveaways, gluten-free travel, product reviews, and so much more — there is so much to read here, that you will walk away “in the know” about what’s happening in the world of both celiac disease and the gluten-free diet.

I can never guess what they will write about next as their is so much variety in their posts. Their knowledge is enviable and their access to important figures in the celiac community continue to make their work both important and a great resource for anyone wanting to learn more about the gluten-free diet.

Celiac Chicks »

I’ve been writing about celiac disease and the gluten-free diet in various ways since 2004. Mostly through the Celiac Handbook Website and more recently, this blog. I was diagnosed with celiac disease in 1999 and have seen a revolution in the amount of gluten-free products available, both online and in the supermarket. This is what I’ve spent the bulk of my time writing about.

It’s rather funny, every time I write about a new product (especially a mainstream company offering a gluten-free version of their already popular gluten-filled food), I get a flood of emails and comments lambasting me for promoting junk food. While I can appreciate people’s intentions and their belief in the power of food — I personally don’t like to stand on a soapbox and tell people what they should be eating. I like to present both naturally gluten-free items as well as the countless new gluten-free products that seem to come out on a near daily basis. I want to let people make up their own minds about what they are going to eat. Learning to eat in any particular fashion is a journey that every person makes (willing or unwilling) and it is something they must do on their own. As we all know, when someone is “telling us” what to do — we will quickly ignore them as just another bag of hot air.

I have personally tried many different ways of life; vegan, vegetarian, aquatarian, paleo and of course, gluten-free. My weight has been all over the map — as low as 145 lbs. (I’m 6’ 2”) at the height of my undiagnosed celiac disease and as high as 260 lbs. a couple of years ago (way too much eating and sitting at a desk). I now weigh in at a very comfortable 190 lbs. and do my best to eat a diet rich in whole food — my overall health is proof that this is working. Trust me, I do still eat the occasional gluten-free cupcake or brownie, but I try to think of it as a treat and not an everyday “must have”. I do get my fair share of samples to try and there are times when I find myself indulging just a little too much — but, that comes with the territory of what I do. Call it an occupational hazard. This is what I do — and it works for me. I’m not implying in any way that it should be what you do. It’s up to you and you alone to find your path to wellness. You will hear many different opinions from people (both solicited and not) and hopefully armed with good information,  you will go down the path that is right for you.

In the mean time, I’m going to keep on reporting what I find — some of it will be healthy (in my opinion) and some of it will no doubt be junk food — but the good news is that it will all be gluten-free.

One final thought: Always, always remember that just because something is gluten-free doesn’t mean it’s healthy.  This is a mistake that is all too common.

Image IS NOT from the bakery in question

I’m a little frustrated at the moment. This morning, I walked into a local bakery that had a sign in their window that said, “gluten-free pastries now available”. Once inside, I saw that they indeed had a nice selection of gluten-free pastries (they were even sourced from a reputable dedicated gluten-free bakery) — one huge problem though. They were in the same case with every other gluten filled croissant, eclair and gallete (touching in some places) — and worse yet, on the bottom shelf. I promptly questioned the manager as to why these were being displayed this way and his response was baffling. He said, “these pastries were not intended to be sold to people as sensitive as yourself, they were merely an option for people on a gluten-free diet”. My jaw dropped in disbelief.

OK, I’m the first person to advocate being overly nice, never condescending, and always going out of my way to act as some sort of goodwill ambassador when talking to people about the gluten-free diet. It never does any good to treat people with disrespect or try to belittle them for their lack of knowledge on the subject — before being diagnosed with celiac disease, I knew nothing about what gluten-free meant. But (and this is a big BUT), if you are managing a restaurant or bakery or any other place that is serving “gluten-free food”, you need to educate yourself on exactly what that means and why it is so important to get it right.

Some good news: After a 30-minute discussion with the manager, he seemed grateful that I was so interested in the fact that they were serving gluten-free items and he did ask how they could make things better. The first obvious task would be to not keep these items in the case with everything else. They had a few items covered on glass cake plates on top of the counter — so I suggested that those be dedicated to gluten-free items and that they keep separate utensils for those items. I explained that since they had gone to the trouble of sourcing these items out from a reputable gluten-free bakery, they need to continue this and keep everything as safe as possible right through to the end consumer — otherwise there is no point in offering gluten-free options. Since our conversation, I’ve emailed him numerous links to sites talking about cross-contamination and how to minimize the risk

This bakery (which shall remain unnamed for now) informed me that they were convinced to sell gluten-free food by one of their distributors who said it was one of the hottest trends at the moment. There was never a mention made of celiac disease or the necessity of a gluten-free diet for those with CD.

This particular story might end up in a good way, but to think how many places out there are selling food labeled as gluten-free and have no clue as to what that really means and are actually hurting people in the process. I’m going to be checking back in a few weeks to see if things have changed here and I really hope they do — it would be nice to have a bakery so close to home that I could get some safe GF pastries. I will hopefully be doing a positive review of this place at some point in the near future.

I look at dozens, if not hundreds of posts on “gluten-free this” and “gluten-free that” every week (and deeply enjoy doing so). I look at recipes, travel tips, celiac research and every other imaginable topic that could possibly be related to the gluten-free universe. It truly amazes me how much information (both good and bad) is out there and how many people are talking about the gluten-free diet (this can only be a good thing).

There are some blogs that seem to have been around forever. Gluten-Free Girl, Celiac Chicks are two that immediately come to mind. They both are iconic, ever-present and full of great information — I would almost put these in the class of celebrity blogs. In fact, if all goes well, the Gluten-Free Girl is going to get her own cooking show sometime soon.

Beyond that, there are thousands of blogs devoted to gluten-free recipes, some of them come and go without notice and then others stick around and stand the test of time — showcasing new and innovative recipes week after week.

Without question, one of my all-time favorites is Elana’s Pantry. More often than not, she uses ingredients like almond flour and agave syrup and has an overall focus on healthy gluten-free options — I have NEVER been disappointed with anything from Elana.

Another favorite is Karina Allrich’s, Gluten-Free Goddess — simply amazing vegetarian and gluten-free recipes and an awesome level of presentation that makes it all look as good as it tastes.

For travel tips, you’d be hard pressed to find a more informative blog then Hilary Davidson’s Gluten-Free Guidebook. Hilary is an accomplished writer who has written travel guides for Frommer’s, as well as articles featured in Discover, American Archaeology, Fitness, Reader’s Digest, and Martha Stewart Weddings. In terms of gluten-free travel tips, Hilary has travelled the globe and has found some great gluten-free options in so many locations, that you’re sure to find something relevant to your next trip. Anytime I travel, I look here to see if she’s been there and what she recommends.

Anyhow, I’ll be posting more recommendations in the months to come, but these for me represent the best of the best and my current “go-to” list of online gluten-free resources. There are obviously many more great choices, but these are all a great place to start for anyone exploring the gluten-free lifestyle and diet.

Shauna James Ahern’s Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef is arguably one of the most widely read gluten-free blogs in the world. Do a Google search for “gluten-free” and it’s the first blog that comes up (behind just a few of the top celiac websites). I’m sure her traffic stats are out of this world. I don’t think I’ve ever come across a gluten-free blog that didn’t mention this blog in their blogroll or links section. I even read a post from a restaurant owners blog recently that said something like, “OMG, the Gluten-Free Girl just came in…” — that just shows you the kind of following that she has.

Both her and her husband, “The Chef” continually write about what they know best, amazing gluten-free food — both naturally gluten-free as well as food that’s adapted to be gluten-free. Great writing and great photography make this blog a treat to read (and look at).

Shauna has an infectious appreciation for life that will surely give any post diagnosis celiac hope that their life can truly be fulfilling. If by some remote chance you haven’t been there already, join the club and see what all the fuss is about.

Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef »

Anybody who knows me knows that I’m a huge fan of networking through channels like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. I’m also a huge fan of more traditional in-person methods, such as social get togethers, happy hours, and business events. The online methods have their advantage for sure — a much wider reach to far more people, but they still lack that personal contact that a smile and a handshake will get you. These in-person meetings will be remembered far longer than any online method possibly could.  That being said, the perfect follow up to such a meeting would be to connect in the online world (if of course this is a person you would want to connect with).

Managing Celiac Handbook, I come across a lot of events and needless to say, I’ve attended quite a few. I’ve met a lot of great people and discovered a lot of amazing gluten-free resources. One group that I am a member of (but I’m sorry to say that I haven’t actually attended one of their events) is the New York City Celiac Disease Meetup Group. With well over 1,000 members, over 100 events already held, and at least seven already planned in the coming months, they have been a consistently strong player in the NYC celiac community.  Everything from happy hours to charity fundraisers to wine and cheese events — I think I even saw a yoga event in there somewhere. My point being that their meetups are as diverse as one would expect in NYC. While I would rarely recommend something that I haven’t personally tried — I feel very comfortable in recommending this meetup group as a group that “gets it”.

I do a lot of traveling, but unfortunately, New York City has not been one of my destinations — but it will happen — hopefully sooner rather than later. There are just too many great celiac friendly restaurants, bakeries, and businesses — I really have no reason to stay away much longer. Once that trip happens, you will undoubtedly be hearing from me talking about what is quite possibly the gluten-free capital of the world.

My father died at 43-years of age in 1975. I was always told it was because of alcohol abuse, smoking and just generally poor personal habits. I was eight years old and not that close to him as my parents had split several years before. I don’t have many memories of him, but I do remember his constant struggle with his health.

Years later when doing some family research, I came across some letters from my father to his sister shortly before his death where he was talking about food poisoning and how yet another restaurant had made him sick. At this point, I had been diagnosed with celiac disease and successfully following a gluten-free diet. Needless to say, when I read these letters, the lightbulb in my head went on and it occurred to me that he was probably dealing with undiagnosed celiac disease. Besides the complaints of food poisoning, he was also under weight and very frail looking. While I cannot prove that celiac disease played a role in his death, I certainly can speculate. To think that with a relatively simple change in his diet, he might not have had to deal with so many of the problems that he faced, I might not have lost my father at such a young age, and just maybe I would have had the type of father I always dreamed of. Wishful thinking? Maybe. Like I said, I can speculate.

If you’ve been diagnosed with celiac disease, you know that 1 in 100 people have celiac disease and that 80% of those are undiagnosed. Also, 1 in 20 with a direct relative with celiac disease have an increased risk of developing the disease. I went for many years without knowing what was wrong with me and progressively getting sicker and sicker until I was knocking at death’s door myself. Grossly underweight and malnourished, dealing with severe anemia, migraine headaches and many other symptoms, I don’t think I would have lasted much longer.  The good news is that I was correctly diagnosed in 1999, I’ve successfully maintained a gluten-free lifestyle, and I am now in relatively good health.

I’d love to hear stories from some other people who believe that their parents had dealt with what they think could have been an undiagnosed celiac disease. I really think it’s more common than any of us ever expected.

]]> http://celiachandbook.com/opinion/undiagnosed-celiac-disease-in-your-parents/feed/ 14 http://celiachandbook.com/opinion/being-diagnosed-with-celiac-disease-was-the-luckiest-day-of-my-life/ http://celiachandbook.com/opinion/being-diagnosed-with-celiac-disease-was-the-luckiest-day-of-my-life/#comments Sat, 19 Jun 2010 13:37:23 +0000 Chris James http://gfhandbook.com/blog/?p=159 I recently read a fantastic article by Danna Korn on Celiac.com titled, Diagnosed with celiac disease? How lucky you are! I am in total agreement with this line of thought and have been preaching this for many years to people. Danna hit just about every point that I like to make and really makes a great [...]]]>

I recently read a fantastic article by Danna Korn on Celiac.com titled, Diagnosed with celiac disease? How lucky you are! I am in total agreement with this line of thought and have been preaching this for many years to people. Danna hit just about every point that I like to make and really makes a great case for the benefits of a celiac disease diagnosis.

As she states, people complain about the high cost of gluten-free food — yes, it can be expensive, but compare it to the skyrocketing cost of pharmaceutical medicine and there really is no comparison. Think about how many times you were misdiagnosed with something else. I know I was tested for everything from AIDS to Hepatitis to Chron’s disease. Remember how bad you felt and how much better you started to feel after a relatively short time on the gluten-free diet. As she says, you’ve been given the key to better health — all with a diet modification. This is as lucky as lucky gets. I know many people with horrible illnesses that require a stockpile of medication every month, all of which have horrible side effects and issues with toxicity. I will go with a diet alteration any day.

If this is the type of food that I'm limited to eating — I think I'll be OK :)

So the next time you find yourself excessively worrying about the cost of gluten-free food, just remind yourself of how much worse it could be. There are some incredible options available to us now, options that were unheard of as recently as just a few years ago. To be a celiac in 2010 is really a wonderful thing. You’re aware of what you are eating and you’re very aware of what food can do to your body. This really does make us lucky.