Celiac Princess

General Mills Launches GlutenFreely.com, a One-Stop Online Resource for Gluten-Free Community

Thanks to growing national awareness campaigns led by the National Institutes of Health, celiac disease support organizations, patient advocacy groups, and food manufacturers, the gluten-free food industry is booming. In 2010, Packaged Facts says sales of gluten-free specialty foods topped $2.6 billion and projects sales will soar up to $5 billion by 2015.

With so many new gluten-free products on store shelves and online resources galore for managing a gluten-free diet, consumers now have an incredible new one-stop shop to find everything they could possibly need for living a happy and healthy gluten-free lifestyle—it’s all at www.GlutenFreely.com.  

The new site—created through a partnership between General Mills and Brand Journey Venturing—offers consumers more than 400 gluten-free products for online purchase including the more than 250 gluten-free General Mills products, as well some of everyone’s all-time gluten-free favorites. You’ll find Pamela’s Products amazing baking mixes, Udi’s gluten-free breads, Glutino breadsticks, and San-J sauces, and, even some of the most popular gluten-free cookbooks.  In addition to selling food products, the website offers hundreds of nutritious and delicious recipes, expert medical suggestions and dietary advice for living a gluten-free lifestyle, blogger commentary, coupons and exclusive gifts for consumers.

The site has been years in development. It all started with General Mills listening to consumer demands for more options and better tasting gluten-free foods. Not only did General Mills partner with leading medical centers (University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center and the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research) to build the site, but they also reached out to top gluten-free, allergen-free bloggers around the country for insight on what the gluten-free community really needed. They flew a group of us out to their headquarters in November for a bloggers’ summit where each of us was able to offer ideas and insight for what the final site should look like. I’m proud to say that General Mills definitely listened to us bloggers and has created a site that truly reflects the need of our gluten-free community.

The site launched today and allows users to log in using a Gmail account, Facebook, or several other online tools. Check it out now at www.GlutenFreely.com. 

For a full review of the new website and the exciting projects going on at General Mills, exclusive interviews and incredible recipes, be sure to check out the Spring issue of Delight Gluten-Free Magazine, on shelves on April 15, 2011. To ensure a copy is delivered right to your doorstep,download the Subscription Sign-Up!  

Gluten-Free on Kojo Nnamdi Show Tomorrow

This is one of the most exciting things that has ever happened to me!! I'm going to be the guest for a full hour on the Kojo Nnamdi Show!! I've lived in Washington DC for the last 10 years and am a huge fan of the show, so I feel honored to be on the show as a gluten-free expert and am thrilled that such a prominent radio host is addressing Celiac Disease and the gluten-free diet!

The show will air tomorrow, Wednesday August 25th, from 1pm-2pm EST. If you live in the Washington DC area, you can tune in to 88.5 FM or anyone nationwide can tune in via the Internet by listening through http://thekojonnamdishow.org. If you miss the live broadcast, the show will be archived on the website so you can listen anytime! 

On the show I'll be talking about the basics of Celiac Disease, the gluten-free diet, cooking tips, my upcoming gluten-free wedding and of course, my new book, The Gloriously Gluten-Free Cookbook. Additionally, we'll talk about restaurants in the Washington DC area that are offering gluten-free options and the new Celiac Disease Program at Children's National Medical Center, which is paving the way for treating both the physical and mental needs of children and teens with Celiac Disease.

One very exciting opportunity I would like to tell everyone about is a challenge grant I'll talk about tomorrow. Two very generous donors have agreed to donate $5,000 to support gluten-free education programs at Children's National Medical Center if we can raise an additional $5,000 from the public. It's important to note that any amount, whether small or large is extremely beneficial. Even $5 or $10 helps reach the goal.If you'd like to contribute to the wonderful efforts, please visit the FirstGiving website at http://www.firstgiving.com/celiac.   

Contribute to the Celiac Disease Program Challenge Grant:

Option 1: Donate using the secure site at FirstGiving. Donations made here go directly to the Celiac Program at Children's. http://www.firstgiving.com/celiac

Option 2: Click the following link to get to the Children's National Medical Center Donations Page. This is a secure donations page run by the Hospital Foundation. Celiac Disease Challenge Grant Donations. On the donation form, enter the terms "Celiac Disease Program Challenge Grant" under the field indicating support of a specific program.

***The challenge grant runs from today through New Years Eve 2010, so you'll get periodic updates on the success of the program! Thank you in advance for your support!

Delight Gluten-Free Magazine Spring Issue Packed with Amazing Recipes, Hot Tips

The Spring 2010 issue of Delight Gluten-Free Magazine has gone to print and it's jam packed with delicious recipes including Super Simple Sides with 6 ingredients or less, Chicken 5 ways, Recipes using Coffee in new and innovative, Healthy Recipe Makeovers, and much more! And, you won't want to miss this month's feature, Culinary School the Gluten-Free Way, where you'll learn to master the most important culinary techniques and pick up some of the greatest no-fail recipes!

Be sure to pick up a copy at your local supermarket, Whole Foods, Barnes & Noble, Borders, or subscribe online at www.DelightGFMagazine.com.

Also, sign up for the weekly E-Newsletter to get bonus recipes, opportunities to sample products from our partners and tips for living the most amazing gluten-free life!

The Gloriously Gluten-Free Cookbook Review in Publisher's Weekly

My new book, The Gloriously Gluten-Free Cookbook: Spicing Up Life with Italian, Asian and Mexican Recipes is about to hit store shelves! And, Publisher's Weekly just published a stellar first review of the book! 

They say the book is a "breezy, friendly, and straightforward volume from the food and lifestyle editor at Delight Gluten-Free Magazine. It’s full of no-nonsense advice (“cheating on the diet is not an option and can lead to long-term complications, so resist temptation to cheat!”) and—better yet—flavor."

The book is filled with amazing recipes from around the world that prove that people with celiac disease or a gluten intolerance can give up gluten without giving up flavor and passion for food. There are over 125 recipes inspired by the flavors of Italy, Asia and Mexico and tons of advice for living a fabulous gluten-free lifestyle.

The book also includes culinary advice from top notch chefs including Chef Keith Brunel of Maggianos, Chef Katie Chin of Thai Kitchen and Chef Edgar Steele of Cafe Atlantico. And, the forward of the book is written by former CNN Newsroom Anchor Heidi Collins. 

You can pre-order the book now from any of your favorite retailers!

Washington Post Newspaper Says Celiac Disease is "IN!"

If you mention celiac disease to someone, you're likely to get a response of "oh yeah! I know someone with that!" And, today, the first day of 2010, you know celiac disease is finally becoming mainstream because the Washington Post newspaper lists celiac disease on the What's In list for 2010!

Thanks to the entire celiac community for constantly raising awareness, mainstream newspapers, grocery stores and food manufacturers are taking notice and are hard at work to improve the lives of everyone with celiac disease. But there's still plenty of work to do! So, make it your 2010 New Year's Resolution to help all of the other people out there with celiac disease get an accurate diagnosis this year! Go out and tell 5 friends about celiac and who knows, you might change their life.

Check out the What's In list at www.WashingtonPost.com.

If you mention celiac disease to someone, you're likely to get a response of "oh yeah! I know someone with that!" And, today, the first day of 2010, you know celiac disease is finally becoming mainstream because the Washington Post newspaper lists celiac disease on the What's In list for 2010!

Thanks to the entire celiac community for constantly raising awareness, mainstream newspapers, grocery stores and food manufacturers are taking notice and are hard at work to improve the lives of everyone with celiac disease. But there's still plenty of work to do! So, make it your 2010 New Year's Resolution to help all of the other people out there with celiac disease get an accurate diagnosis this year! Go out and tell 5 friends about celiac and who knows, you might change their life.

Check out the What's In list at www.WashingtonPost.com.

Celiac Disease, Gluten Sensitivity Increase Risk of Death

A new study published in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) finds that people with mild intestinal inflammation and a sensitivity to gluten have a greater risk of death even amongst patients who do not have severe symptoms.This means you could have only mild issues and perhaps not even test positive for celiac disease, yet still have a greater risk of death.

For the study, Swedish researchers examined tissue biopsies collected from 46,121 patients in Sweden between 1969 and 2008. Amongst the samples, they found 29,096 patients with celiac disease, 13,306 with inflammation of the small intestines and an additional 3,719 with latent celiac disease. For those of you who don't know, latent celiac refers to patients who have celiac disease antibodies present in their blood, but do not show signs of damage to their intestines.

After a median of 7.2 years follow-up, the researchers determined that the risk of death increased by 75% for patients with mild intestinal inflammation, 35% for patients with latent celiac or gluten sensitivity and 30% for patients with diagnosed celiac disease. Amongst the patients with celiac disease, the most common causes of death were cancer and cardiovascular disease. 

In an editorial accompanying the article, Dr. Peter Green of the Celiac Center at Columbia University Medical Center said the most interesting finding was that about patients with latent celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, largely because the issue has received little attention in the United States.

He adds that there is "increasing evidence for [gluten sensitivity] presence in patients with various neurological disorders and psychiatric problems. The study....reinforces the importance of celiac disease as a diagnosis that should be sought by physicians. It also suggests that more attention should be given to the lesser degrees of intestinal inflammation and gluten sensitivity." 

NBC 4 Airs Segment About Celiac Disease & Gluten-Free Diet

NBC 4 in Washington DC this week aired a great segment on celiac disease and the gluten-free diet. The segment featured Blair Raber's family as well as Dr. John Snyder from the new Celiac Disease Center at Children's National Medical Center in DC. Check it out! 

Celiac Disease & GF Diet on ABC News

Check out this awesome article on ABC News about celiac disease and the gluten-free diet. Reporter Lindsey Ellerson did a fantastic job talking about the disease, the most recent research from the Mayo Clinic and the personal side of living on a gluten-free diet. 

Check it out!

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/WellnessNews/story?id=7988436&page=1

Gluten-Free Beer Brewers Expanding Market

Check out this awesome article in the Worcester Telegram Gazette about gluten-free beer! It's pretty fantastic to see that over the last five years, more than 10 breweries in the United States have started brewing gluten-free beer including the most familiar name in beer, Anheuser Busch. And, in 2007, gluten-free beer earned its own category at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver.

Gluten-free beers are made without any wheat or barley and according to the article, most breweries in the United States are instead using sorghum, a grass originating in Africa. In addition, Japanese gluten-free beers use rice as the grain of choice and British gluten-free beers use a combination of sorghum, buckwheat and brown rice in its beers.

This article was absolutely timely because just this past weekend my wonderful boyfriend and I were up in Boston visiting his family. Eric's entire family is incredibly supportive of me being on a gluten-free diet and always pack their house with the best gluten-free goodies when I come to visit. And, best of all, Eric's dad goes out of his way to always make sure there's gluten-free beer in the house for me to drink! This trip we decided to challenge Rob (Eric's brother in law) to a beer taste test where he had to taste three beers. Two were gluten-free and one was not gluten-free. The goal was to prove that gluten-free beer tastes just as good--if not better--than regular beer.

After a blind taste test of Redbridge (GF), Bard's Tale (GF) and Wachusett Amber Ale (not GF), Rob was unable to tell which beer was gluten-free and actually chose Redbridge as the best!

As you can imagine, I was overjoyed that Rob, a beer lover, actually chose Redbridge as his beer of choice for the afternoon! Great job Rob! But, in case your friends and family ever challenge you to a beer taste test, here's the secret.....it's all in the smell! Sorghum has a very distinctive sweet smell that is easily recognizable. It smells sort of like sap from a tree, so be sure to take a whiff the next time you down a cold gluten-free beer! 

The Value of Health Benefits with Celiac Disease

I was browsing the NPR Blog this morning and came across a post that really made me think about the skyrocketing costs of health care and how bad things have really gotten in the United States. The post, titled "Health Benefits as Booty Call," is about a video that shows a very attractive woman trying to score herself a quality man with health care benefits. She has a variety of medical issues and needs to find a man who can provide her with nothing besides quality, affordable health insurance!

So as I'm watching the video, I started thinking about all of the reasons people with celiac disease need comprehensive health care benefits for life. We need annual checkups with our primary care doctors. We need annual antibody tests to make sure we're successfully following the gluten-free diet. We need routine bone density screenings to make sure our bones are getting the nutrients they need to remain strong and recover from all of the years of being deprived essential vitamins and minerals.

So, watch the video and if you don't already have health insurance or if you don't like the coverage you currently have, take action! Visit the American Celiac Disease Alliance or Health Care for America Now to see all of the ways to get involved with the health care reform process and write letters to your Members of Congress urging them to pass quality, affordable health care in 2009. There are measures on the table that will truly help everyone with celiac disease live a healthier life including legislation that will ban insurance companies from denying coverage for people with pre-existing and chronic conditions. And, if you're too lazy to write a letter, then maybe you should try to find a significant other that can share their benefits!