Raleigh CSA Support Group 9-16-2010 Meeting Recap

Special thanks to Gail for taking meeting minutes during the last North Raleigh Celiac Support Group meeting on 9-16-2010. Below is a recap for those of you that could not make the meeting.

North Raleigh Celiac Support Group
CSA Chapter 108
September 16, 2010 7:00-9:00 PM
Rex Hospital Private Dining Room, Raleigh, North Carolina

Pat welcomed everyone back after the summer break and collected outstanding printed materials belonging to the support group library.

Whole Foods will host another Gluten-Free Vendor Fair on October 23, 2010. Several members volunteered to staff an information table about our support group.

Pat distributed several copies of Living Without magazine to new members. Pamphlets and samples of Choice Batter gluten-free coating mix were distributed for home taste testing and feedback to the group.

Solas, a locally owned, downtown Raleigh restaurant, has offered to host one of our meetings. They feature an extensive gluten-free menu including seafood, beef, chicken, lamb, duck, salad and other items. A gluten-free pizza tasting has been requested from Mellow Mushroom, a multi-location, local restaurant.

A new study published by the American Dietetic Association questions the safety of many foods that are inherently gluten-free but not labeled as such. “Gluten Contamination of Grains, Seeds and Flours in the United States” warns that any inherently gluten-free food can become contaminated with wheat, barley and/or rye while being harvested, transported, and/or processed. This potential risk of contamination is a health concern for people with celiac disease. The FDA might want to modify their proposed rules for labeling of gluten-free food. Without an FDA regulation in place, there is still no hard-and-fast government definition of what gluten-free means.

There is a notion that the gluten-free diet can help people lose weight or avoid carbohydrates. Several recent articles have exposed this myth. Many packaged g-f products are even higher in carbs, sugar, fat, and calories than their regular counterparts and they tend to be lower in fiber, vitamins and iron. Regular pasta contains 41 grams of carbohydrates per serving versus 46 grams of carbs in g-f pasta.

Our next meeting will be held at Rex Hospital on Thursday October 21, 2010.

Submitted by,
Gail Harris