What is Celiac?

It’s National Celiac Awareness Month. In honor of raising awareness, I’d like to provide my readers with a few nuggets about Celiac Disease as well as helpful websites for additional information.

What is Celiac Disease?
Celiac (pronounced as See-lee-ak) Disease (CD) is an autoimmune disease that damages the small intestines whenever a person eats anything with gluten. In fact, some research has indicated that when people with this disease eat foods that contain gluten, it creates an immune-mediated toxic reaction that causes damage to the small intestine and does not allow food to be properly absorbed. [1]

What causes Celiac Disease?
Similar to many other autoimmune diseases, the cause of Celiac Disease is still not known. Consequently, it sometimes takes a couple of years before a person is properly diagnosed with this disease. According to the latest data, about 27 million people in the US walk around not knowing that they have Celiac Disease!

What are the signs and symptoms?
The most notable signs or symptoms include abdominal cramping, stomach bloating, chronic diarrhea or constipation, weight loss or weight gain. There are other signs and symptoms, but these are the biggest signs of CD.

How is Celiac Disease diagnosed?
There are special blood tests that can be used to test for Celiac Disease. Please visit the Celiac Disease Foundation site to view the list of tests and discuss it with your health care provider. Request that you be tested for Celiac Disease if you possess many of the signs and symptoms.

Is there a cure for Celiac Disease?
There is no medicinal cure at this time for Celiac Disease. The only way that someone can be healed is to transition to a 100% gluten free lifestyle–diet, cosmetics, household goods, etc.

What is Gluten?
Gluten is made of two protein found in grains such as wheat, rye, and barley and is an important component in baking. Simply put it is the glue-like or sticky texture in baked goods and it is responsible for causing the baked goods to rise. Note that gluten does not impact everyone.

What foods are gluten-free?
Some examples of gluten-free foods are as follows: brown rice, corn, buckwheat, quinoa, millet, flaxseeds, hemp seeds, tapioca, brown rice flour, cornmeal, sorghum, beans, soy (use caution), poultry, beef, fish, mushrooms, vegetables, etc. There are a lot of foods that are gluten free, but the key thing to remember is that sometimes foods have hidden gluten ingredients, so make sure that you verify before you purchase. Read the labels or ask questions.

[1]”Celiac Disease.” Celiac Disease Foundation.

Other Sources:
http://celiacdisease.about.com/b/2012/05/01/happy-national-celiac-disease-awareness-month.htm
http://www.csaceliacs.info/celiac_disease.jsp

Whole Foods Market Partners with Rhonda’s Cooking for Celiac Awareness Month

Rhonda Peters, Founder of Rhonda’s Cooking, LLC and author of the award winning cookbook So, What Can I Eat Now?!-Living Without Dairy, Soy, Eggs and Wheat, is partnering with several Whole Foods Market stores in the Phoenix Metro Area in an effort to celebrate Celiac Awareness Month and highlight cooking options for Celiac Disease sufferers. Throughout the month of May, Ms. Peters will be onsite at various Whole Foods Market locations  performing cooking demonstrations; all of which will feature tasty, gluten-free dishes.  To date, the only cure for Celiac Disease is consuming a gluten-free diet.  The schedule of cooking demonstrations is as follows:

• Sunday, May 6, Whole Foods Market Chandler, 3pm (5120 S Rural Road, Tempe AZ 85282)
• Thursday, May 17, Whole Foods Market Paradise Valley, 6pm (10810 N Tatum Blvd, Phoenix, AZ 85028)
• Sunday, May 20, Whole Foods Market Scottsdale, 3pm (7111 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85054)
• Sunday, May 27, Whole Foods Market Tempe, 3pm (5120 S Rural Road, Tempe AZ 85282)

To register for any of these free classes, email AZSpecialEvent@wholefoods.com.

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About Rhonda’s Cooking

Founded in 2005, Rhonda’s Cooking LLC is an award winning publishing company with a mission of distributing healthy cookbooks and promoting alternative cooking options for food allergy sufferers and those who are ordered to consume restricted diets. Rhonda Peters, CEO of Rhonda’s Cooking and author of So, What Can I Eat Now?!, is a Hypoallergenic Food Specialist, Certified Nutritional Counselor and the featured Gluten Free Examiner for the Phoenix, AZ area. To follow Rhonda’s Cooking on Twitter, visit www.Twitter.com/RhondasCooking or become a fan of the company on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SoWhatCanIEatNow.

CDF: Arizona East Valley Chapter hosts First Annual Celiac Awareness Week

May is Celiac Awareness month, and in an effort to continue to educate the community about Celiac Disease and provide support to those with the disease, the Celiac Disease Foundation: Arizona East Valley Chapter is hosting its First Annual Celiac Awareness Week. There will be a number events ranging from Celiac night with the Arizona Diamondbacks to Celiac movie night at Harkins Theaters to a gluten free cooking class at Williams and Sonoma, there will be a host of activities for everyone to enjoy!

For a list of the events and information on where to register, please click here.

Rhonda’s Cooking Attends Annual Phoenix Gluten-Free Expo April 21, 2012

On Saturday, April 21, 2012, we will be attending the annual Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF):  Greater Phoenix Chapter’s Annual Gluten-free Expo signing copies of my award winning cookbook, “So, What Can I Eat Now?! Living Without Dairy, Soy, Eggs, and Wheat”.  This year, we are so excited because this year we will be one of the five bronze sponsors for the expo.   The expo will be held from 10am to 4pm at The DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Paradise Valley-Scottsdale.   There will be a host of vendors sampling foods and disseminating information so this would be a great opportunity for those looking to transition to a gluten-free diet.

2012 Gluten-free Expo
When:  April 21, 2012
Where:  The DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Paradise Valley-Scottsdale 5401 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85250
Time:  10am – 4pm

The following is the list of Sponsors for the expo:

• Platinum Sponsor:  Sprouts Farmers Markets
• Gold:   Rudi’s Organic Bakery
• Silver:   Nogii
• Bronze:
  • Dr. Lucy’s, LLC
  • Rhonda’s Cooking, LLC
  • Natural Awakenings Magazine
  • BiProUSA
  • Growing Naturals

In addition to the list of sponsors, there will be many more awesome gluten-free vendors, both local and nationwide!

The cost of the expo is as follows:

• $5 per adult when paying in advance before April 15th (see Pre-pay Using PayPal page); after April 15th the entrance price is $7 (cash only) on-site the day of the event.
• Children 12 and under are free

For more information visit the Chapter’s website: http://www.phoenixceliac.com/or follow on them on Twitter @PhoenixCeliacand/or like them on Facebook.

Still not sure about gluten free

Are you still trying to decide if you should consider a gluten free lifestyle?  Here are answers to the 4 most asked questions that I get from people when they are considering a gluten free diet.

Gluten free pasta

What is gluten?
Gluten is made of two protein found in grains such as wheat, rye, and barley and is an important component in baking. Simply put it is the glue-like or sticky texture in baked goods and it is responsible for causing the baked goods to rise.

What does gluten do to the body?
Gluten doesn’t impact everyone. However, gluten does impact people diagnosed with Celiac (pronounced as See-lee-ak) Disease (CD), an autoimmune condition that damages the small intestines whenever a person eats anything with gluten. In fact, according to the Celiac Disease Foundation, when people with this disease eat foods that contain gluten, it creates an immune-mediated toxic reaction that causes damage to the small intestine and does not allow food to be properly absorbed. Visit the Celiac Disease Foundation website to find out more about the symptoms of CD.

Should you consider a gluten-free diet?
Yes, you should definitely eat gluten-free if you have Celiac Disease! Also, you should consider a gluten-free diet if you have challenges with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Autism, or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).

What foods are gluten-free?
Some examples of gluten-free foods are as follows: brown rice, corn, buckwheat, quinoa, millet, flaxseeds, hemp seeds, tapioca, brown rice flour, cornmeal, sorghum, beans, soy (use caution), poultry, beef, fish, mushrooms, vegetables, etc. There are a lot of foods that are gluten free, but the key thing to remember is that sometimes foods have hidden gluten ingredients, so make sure that you verify before you purchase. Read the labels or ask questions.

I have been eating gluten-free since 2005, and I have seen major improvements in my arthritis and I have not looked back! Do you need to consider transitioning to a gluten-free diet?  If you have more questions, please post a comment!

What in the World is Gluten-Free?

Perhaps you have seen these words or even heard your friends or associates say that they are on a gluten-free diet.  Do you know what gluten is or where does gluten come from?  Is it just another fad or marketing scheme? 

 

Gluten is a by-product of two proteins, gliadin and glutenin, that are found in grains such as wheat, rye, and barley.  In bread baking when water is mixed with wheat based flours and yeast and then kneaded several times, gluten is formed and causes the dough to rise.  Gluten is an important component in cooking, especially for baking.

 

So, if gluten has purpose in cooking, then why in the world would anyone want to eat gluten-free?  I’m glad that you asked!  The most common reason why a person might eat a gluten-free diet is because he/she may have Celiac (See lee ak) Disease, which is an autoimmune disorder that damages the small intestines whenever a person eats anything with gluten. Table 1 shows some of the signs/symptoms of Celiac Disease.  Some of these can also imitate other bowel disorders, so to be certain, please consult with your doctor and get tested if you have experienced any of these.

 

Symptoms of Celiac Disease (one or more)
Recurring bloating, gas or abdominal pain	Infertility male & female
Chronic diarrhea or constipation	Spontaneous miscarriages
pale, foul-smelling stool	Canker sores inside mouth
Unexplained anemia	Tooth discoloration or loss of enamel
Bone or joint pain	Vitamin K Deficiency
Behavior changes/depression	Failure to thrive (infants)
Missed menstrual periods	Fatigue
Hereditary (2nd degree relatives–aunts, uncles, cousins)

Table 1.Some symptoms of Celiac Disease (source celiac.org)

 

Another reason why people may choose to eat gluten-free is if they have been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorders) or autism.  Many claims have been made that when people with these disorders have eliminated gluten (as well as dairy), they have improved tremendously!  Also people who suffer with arthritis can benefit from a gluten-free diet (see past article “Can Food Help Arthritis?”). 

 

Now that you understand the basics about gluten, are you curious about what foods to eat that are gluten-free?  There are several foods that are available on the market that you can eat which do not contain gluten.  Just look for “gluten-free” on the package and the food ingredients label.  Make certain to beware of foods that are labeled as “no wheat” because sometimes that item may contain gluten!  So, the best way to determine if a product is truly gluten-free is to carefully read the food ingredients label.  Table 2 shows a list of foods to eat and avoid for a gluten-free diet and Table 3 indicates what foods that may contain gluten.

 

Grains to Eat	Grains to Avoid
brown rice	wheat
corn	oats
soy	spelt
tapioca	barley
quinoa	drum wheat
millet	semolina
sorghum	kamut
buckwheat	rye
arrowroot	wheat starch
amaranth	wheat/rye/barley hybrids
flax

Table 2 Grains for a gluten-free diet (source: livingwithout.com)

 

Foods that May Contain Gluten
beers	imitation seafood
breading	malt, malt flavorings
vinegar	marinades
coating mixes	pastas
croutons	processed meats
communion wafers	sauces
dressings	soy sauce
energy bars	soup bases
cereal/cereal products	thickeners
imitation bacon	MSG

Table 3 Foods that may contain gluten (source: livingwithout.com)

 

I know that this may be a little overwhelming; Rhonda’s Cooking is here to help you through the challenge!  Because I am on a gluten-free, dairy-free and anything-artificial-free diet, I have a number of recipes in my upcoming cookbook that will be beneficial for you.  So, just send an email to info@rhondascooking.com to put your name on the list.