Gluten Free Anecdotes - Share Your Story

They’ve happened to all of us on the Gluten Free Diet at one point or another. A situation in your life when you encounter someone who does not understand what being Gluten Free means exactly. It could also be someone who means well but just doesn't fully understand. When you are first learning the diet, these are moments that cause the highest anxiety. Will you be “glutened” and become sick? You’re almost too anxious to even eat. As time progresses and you become more and more familiar with the Gluten Free Diet, these situations become almost comical.

Below you will find some anecdotes I’ve encountered during my first year of being Gluten Free. I’m sharing with you to (1) provide some comic relief as being Gluten Free can be stressful and (2) to ask for your funny stories in return. Who knows, maybe someday, some creative mind will make a commercial out of one of these stories.

The Travel Guide
With little confidence I would actually get help, I entered a nameless travel agency in the Raleigh area to inquire about resorts in the Caribbean who could offer safe Gluten Free meals. I’ve never vacationed in that part of the world before and had no idea if anything existed that could accommodate my Gluten Free-ness. The nice travel agent took down all of my information and said they would do some “research” and call me back. About five minutes later, I received a phone call from the travel agent who needed more clarification on what exactly it meant to be “Glutton Free”. Shockingly, I did not use their services to book my vacation.

The Christmas Party
I attended a Christmas party shortly after my diagnosis. The gracious hosts were great about getting a TON of Gluten Free treats including one of my favorites, RedBridge. There was so much GF food for me; it could have lasted through 10 Christmas parties. The party also had many of the normal holiday treats which were not Gluten Free. The best solution for a mixed party is to separate the Gluten Free from the not Gluten Free so my items were moved to a pantry area. That way no cross-contact can occur. Throughout most of the night, I spent a lot of time in the pantry area, going in and out of the door – better than spending a lot of time in the restroom I guess. Some folks at the party had not heard of my diagnosis yet and I got some funny questions about why in the world I was heading off to the closet again. It was a good conversation starter. During the party, I didn’t really think about the humor of the situation too much since I was so excited the hosts went through the effort of accommodating my dysfunctional immune system. But I realized afterward just how isolating being Gluten Free was going to be. Unless Gluten Free products become better tasting and more mainstream, this kind of situation is going to be pretty commonplace.

These are just a few of the funny situations I’ve found myself in recently. Please email me your funny story or leave a comment below.

Carolina Hurricanes/RedBridge Update

I recently spoke with the folks over at the RBC Center to inquire about the number of RedBridge that were actually sold this year during Carolina Hurricane's home games. You may remember some previous posts about this blog working with the RBC Center to make this happen. It was great to spot other folks ordering or drinking RedBridge during the game and if possible I tried to talk with them.

The official number of RedBridge sold this year during 41 home games was 106. I know there were several games when they ran out so I think this number could have been higher. Also, I only have a 26 game plan so that hurt the numbers a bit - haha. Regardless, that averages out to almost 3 sold per game. The food and beverage folks said they considered carrying the beer for us to be a success and will do so again next year. They will also continue to carry it throughout the playoffs. This is great news.

Also - Congrats to the Canes on an awesome Game 7 victory last night in NJ! On to Boston. Good luck boys.

Gluten Free Cooking Class with Lee Tobin

Whole Foods is obviously a great resource for Gluten Free Living. Not only do they offer a ton of grocery items but they also have a lot of ongoing community type events. Take for instance the recent Gluten Free Vendor Fairs in Raleigh and Cary. Well, Whole Foods is at it again - this time with a Gluten Free cooking class with none other than the Bakehouse man himself - Lee Tobin. The one and a half hour class is May 7th at the Raleigh Whole Foods location and cost only $5. See below for more information.

Thursday, May 7th
Gluten Free Cooking Class with Lee Tobin

6:30 - 8:00 pm $5.00, Pre-Register

Lee Tobin, Baker Extraordinaire from the Whole Foods Market Gluten Free Bakehouse, is returning to lead another deliciously insightful cooking class that will leave you wondering why we should ever miss gluten! This time he will share three delectable and nutritious recipes, including a quinoa dish, soup, and quiche. Whether you need to avoid gluten for medical reasons, cook for a loved one who does, or you are just searching for new and interesting recipes, this class is for you!

Cooking Class Information
To sign up for a class or to receive more information, please contact Customer Service at 919-828-5805. To guarantee your place in a class, payment must be received with you enroll. To cancel a class, please contact Customer Service at 919-828-5805. A full refund will be credited if you cancel within 24 hours prior to the start of the class. If a class has low enrollment, it will be cancelled 24 hours prior to the start of the class. You will be contacted via telephone by Carrie Le Chevallier, Marketing Specialist regarding the cancellation. You will receive a full refund in whatever form you wish (cash, back on credit card, gift card, or store credit). Product Demonstrations subject to change without notice.

Earth Fare Live Free Series - Gluten Free Diet Seminar

I was recently contacted by Earth Fare about a new series of seminars they will be offering called Live Free Series. Earth Fare will be working with a Dietary Educator named Marianne Crafts-Brandner on a series of classes focusing on coping with dietary restrictions like Gluten Free, Sugar Free or Dairy Free.

The first seminar will be held on Tuesday, May 5, 2009 from 7pm - 8pm at Earth Fare Brier Creek here in Raleigh. See below for more details. You can also check out Earth Fare's events page for more info.

Topic: GLUTEN-FREE – With one of the largest Gluten-Free selection in the Triangle, Earth Fare is a great resource for coping with special diet restrictions whether its due to Celiac's disease or a sensitivity to gluten or perhaps just wheat. Join us for our Live Free Series, which will highlight tips and recipes to help you cope with any special diet restrictions you may have. Learn which grains are gluten-free and how to prepare them. Take home tips and recipes for gluten-free alternatives to use for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. You'll be amazed at the broad range of gluten-free products Earth Fare has to offer! Marianne Crafts-Brandner is a former special education teacher now pursuing a second career in the field of holistic nutrition. This past summer, Marianne relocated from Arizona to the Raleigh area and was pleased to discover Earth Fare, with its sincere dedication to offering truly healthy food for the community. As a Holistic Nutrition Educator, Marianne especially enjoys helping others with their special diets; whether it's gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free (or, as in Marianne's case, all of the above!)

Click here for the Earth Fare Raleigh Web site.

Gluten Free Charlotte Blog Update

As you may already know, there has been some great Gluten Free information coming from Raleigh area blogs over the last few months. For more information, check out Cary/Apex, Durham and Chapel Hill Gluten Free Blogs. A huge thanks to Sarah, Debbie and Lauren for their time and effort in educating all of us about Gluten Free Living in their city.

On that same theme, please allow me to welcome Rachel Bastarache who will begin adding content to the Gluten Free Charlotte blog very soon. Rachel has been learning the Gluten Free intricacies of Charlotte for nearly a year now and has a ton of information to share with us. She plans on writing about grocery shopping, local restaurant reviews and reviewing Gluten Free products she tries.

Welcome aboard Rachel and thanks for all your efforts!

Reminder - Celiac Disease Run/Walk Fundraiser

I wrote two weeks ago about an upcoming Run/Walk fundraiser to benefit the Gluten Free Week at Camp Kanata. Gluten Free Raleigh is organizing a team and would love for you to join. So far, participation has been pretty scarce.

If you have any interest in participating in the run/walk, please register now. The deadline to register is May 26th. The goal is to raise $500 as a donation to Camp Kanata. This will provide for ONE DAY's worth of Gluten Free food for the kids at the camp.

Let's get together and put on our red Gluten Free shirts to raise awareness and to raise funds!

Click here to register.

Useful Resources: Celiac Disease Articles you can show your Doctor

Do you think you might have Celiac Disease but can't get your doctor to listen to your concerns? Do you think your doctor is not up to speed on the latest Celiac information? Check out this article recently published by Nancy Lapid who is responsible for the Celiac Disease section of About.com.

Here are some articles you can print off or email your doctor to further educate them.

Carlo Catassi and Alessio Fasano. Celiac Disease. Current Opinion in Gastroenterology 2008;24(6):687-691
You can download this article as a PDF file from the website of the Celiac Disease Foundation. Click on “Celiac Disease, Carlo Catassi & Alessio Fasano, Medscape, December 5, 2008”

John S. Leeds, Andrew D. Hopper, and David S. Sanders. Coeliac Disease. British Medical Bulletin 2008 88(1):157-170; doi:10.1093/bmb/ldn044
This article is available as a PDF file or in html on the website of the British Medical Bulletin. You’ll need to register with a user name and password, but there’s no charge.

Peter H.R. Green and Christophe Cellier. Celiac Disease: a Review. New England Journal of Medicine 2007;357:1731-43.
The Canadian Celiac Association has arranged for a PDF file of this article to be available on their website.

Thanks Nancy - great article!

No Brainer - Researchers Find Benefits from Widespread Celiac Testing

I've talked about this many times before but it's interesting to see these kind of articles that keep coming out. Celiac Awareness should lead to better and faster diagnosis which will in turn lead to better health for approximately 1% of the US population. A new study from the Netherlands followed 32 children ages 2-4 whose CD was detected through screening of the general population in 1998. Ten years later, (after following the Gluten Free diet) their health was of the same status as someone without the disease. Their conclusion was that mass screening has it's merits.

See the latest article from American Medical News here. I pulled out some interesting parts of the article... It's interesting to see Dr. Fasano's comments about cost-effectiveness which is a totally valid point in the US.

Identifying celiac disease through population wide screening leads to improved health for those who are diagnosed, and as a result, establishing these types of programs on a limited scale should be considered, according to a study in the April Pediatrics.

Whether to screen for the condition and who should be tested have been a matter of debate. Many experts do not believe population wide efforts would be realistic, although more targeted efforts are viewed as relevant. A small but growing number of institutions are periodically providing screening opportunities, and a handful of guidelines recommend it for specific populations.

"The most cost-effective way is case-finding," said Alessio Fasano, MD, medical director of the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research in Baltimore. "We need to test people who have symptoms and conditions related to celiac disease rather than screen everybody."

What are your thoughts - screen everyone or targeted screening?
Also - check out Emily's recent post over at Celiac Underground about the benefits of better and faster diagnosis.

Upcoming Interview with Enjoy Life CEO Scott Mandell

I have the opportunity to interview CEO Scott Mandell of Enjoy Life Foods this Friday Next Tuesday 4/28.

Please leave a comment with any questions you would like me to ask him.

In the meantime, it looks like the folks at Enjoy Life have contacted Starbucks to attempt to get them to carry their products as allergen-free choices. See the following Web site to vote in support of this idea and let Starbucks know this is an option you'd love to see.
Note - when you click on the Thumbs Up icon, it will ask you to sign in or create a new account to vote (this process takes about 10 seconds).

Raleigh CSA Support Group 4-16-09 Meeting Recap

Special thanks to Gail for taking meeting minutes during the last North Raleigh Celiac Support Group meeting on 4-16-2009. Below is a recap for those of you that could not make the meeting.

North Raleigh Celiac Support Group
CSA Chapter 108
April 16, 2009 7:00-9:00 PM
Rex Hospital Private Dining Room

Several new people were welcomed, and everyone gave a brief history of how they came to be diagnosed. Many had felt ill only a short time, or not at all, before their physician tested for Celiac disease. CD awareness must be growing.

Zach provided follow-up on the Whole Foods Gluten Free Fair held Saturday, March 28. It was a great event and very well attended. Lee Tobin, head baker at the Whole Foods Bake House, was on hand with free samples of many new items that will be introduced in the near future or are under development. Several other vendors and manufactures provided literature and tastings.

Our support group has been invited to tour the dedicated Whole Foods G-F facility located in Morrisville, North Carolina, for our July Support Group Meeting. Pat will provide details and directions before this meeting.

Two recent articles posted on the web were distributed. “Feeding the Bacteria in Your Gut” was posted on the Digestive Health Smart Brief website. Pat recommends this website from the American College of Gastroenterology. Prebiotics are shown to increase levels of good bacteria in the gut and they are being linked to health benefits. The other report shared was entitled: “Some daily multivitamins contain lead” from a post on MSNBC.com. It contained reference to testing performed by ConsumerLab.com which found both lead contamination as well as too high dosages of vitamins. As we discussed at our last meeting, over the counter supplements should be purchased carefully.

Copies of Living Without, GIG Quarterly, Delightfully Gluten Free, and CSA Lifeline were passed around for members to review. These publications contain timely news and recipes.

Harmony Farms, a North Raleigh natural foods store with a large G-F product line, provided the group with free samples of Desert Essence shampoo and body lotion. Desert Essence products are formulated and quality tested to be 100% vegan, wheat and gluten free.

Rhonda, our special guest from Zpizza, discussed their new G-F crust and ingredients. Locally, Zpizza has stores in Cary and Raleigh and orders can be placed on line at www.zpizzatriangle.com. Free samples of several different G-F pizzas were available for tasting by everyone. Now the whole family, even members with CD, can go out for pizza!

The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 21, 2009. Dr. Paul Peterson, Neurologist and Sleep Disorder Specialist, will be the guest speaker. Bring your questions, as this will be an interactive discussion.

Submitted by,
Gail Harris

Celiac & Gluten Free on TV

Celiac Disease and the Gluten Free Diet on TV? Yep. I've seen just a few shows over the last year (House, 90210 (new version) and Mystery Diagnosis) but it has been pretty scattered. But the topic has been showing up a lot more recently.

Check out this write-up about yesterday's Celebrity Apprentice show where the contestants created and pitched a Gluten Free meal to Schwan's (the home delivery food company).

Also, BBC America will be airing an episode of The Last Restaurant Standing show in which contestants serve diners with food allergies and Celiac Disease. The show will air Tuesday April 21st at 8pm.

Emeril also recently did a show on PlanetGreen dedicated to New Orleans Gluten Free cooking (note how is says Lee Tobin is featured).

Starbucks Gluten Free Update

Looks like all the feedback Starbucks got from Gluten Free consumers sunk in. According to this AP article from last Friday, the coffee giant will begin offering Gluten Free pastry options at all Starbucks stores beginning May 5th, 2009.

The pastry, called Valencia Orange Cake, will be made with seven ingredients which are all 100 percent gluten-free, the company said. The cake will be sold in individually wrapped packages for $2.25 each and will be available beginning May 5.

Starbucks said it wanted to offer its gluten-free customers more choices.
"I think one of the things we learned right from the get-go from our gluten-free customers is they can't eat away from home very easily," said Adrienne Knapp, a product manager in the food category at Starbucks. "A cake is actually really hard to find for someone that's a gluten-free consumer."

Starbucks has 16 Raleigh area locations.

Gluten Free Vendor Fair - Whole Foods Cary

There will be a Gluten Free Vendor Fair held at the Cary Whole Foods location on Saturday, April 25th, 2009 from 11am to 2pm. See below for more details.

Saturday, April 25th
Gluten-Free Fair
11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Admission is Free

Join us for a gluten-free day on Saturday, April 25th. We will have tasting
stations with gluten-free products, information about gluten-free diets and several giveaways. Trevor from Bella Monica Flatbread Company will be on hand with samples of their Gluten Free Pizzas.

April 25th, 11a.m. to 2 p.m.
Whole Foods Market
102B New Waverly Place
Cary, NC 27518
919.816.8830
Map

Naturally Kerr - The New Kerr Drug

Check out this article from the News & Observer's Sue Stock about a brand new concept from Kerr Drug called Naturally Kerr.

The Raleigh company has revamped one store in Asheville and one in Raleigh into a new model called Naturally Kerr. In those stores, nonhealth categories such as automotive and hardware were removed. Their space was filled with a wide range of natural and organic products. The stores stock such items as gluten-free and allergy-free foods, kids' organic vitamins and supplements, and organic pet supplies and toys. There is also a natural baby section with organic diapers, lotions and other products. Along with sections dedicated to natural and organic products, there are also more of those items scattered throughout the stores. So far, the Asheville store and the Raleigh store, in Harvest Plaza at Strickland and Six Forks roads, are the only two Naturally Kerr stores in the works. The company says it might add more locations if the idea proves popular.

Kerr Drug? Who woulda thunk they'd be a resource for Gluten Free items? Regardless, Naturally Kerr stores open in Raleigh and Asheville on Earth Day, April 22. What I do know is that the Natural and Organic categories will include wheat-free/gluten free baking mixes, grains, desserts, snacks, cereals; breakfast products; candy, cookies, crackers; meals-to-go, entrees and soups; juices; pastas and sauces; organic pet food; coffees and teas and a variety of pantry items. I'll see if I can do a little more digging about what is actually carried. I don't think they have a frozen foods section at this point. More to come.

Twins Kitchen/Twin Cakes Bakery Update

I was informed by the ladies of Twins Kitchen/Twin Cakes Bakery of the following changes. They have a brand new blog address at http://twincakes-news.blogspot.com/ so be sure to update any RSS feeds and or bookmarks you may have.

Also, this Saturday 4/18, will be their first appearance at the Midtown Farmer's Market held at North Hills. Check out what will be available (everything is gluten free, wheat free, dairy free, egg free, low glycemic, corn free, lactose free and majority of them being soy free, casein free, potato free) ...

*Vanilla cupcake with coconut lime frosting
*Chocolate raspberry filled cupcake with chocolate raspberry frosting
*Chocolate cupcake with vanilla frosting
*Carrot cake with coconut glaze
*Brownies
*Mini Banana Breads
*Chocolate chip cookies
*Cinnamon Buns
*Pizza crust
*Cinnamon Raisin Bread
*Spinach Quiche
*Apple Tart

Twin Cakes is also offering a product line called Pure2 which features Raw or "Living Foods". Raw food is known as ‘living’ foods because it is made from nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables that have been germinated and dehydrated to contain ALL nutrients. See the list below for the offerings from the Pure2 product line you can get at Saturday's market.

*Cheez Almond crackers
*Fig Newton’s
*Onion Pepper bread and onion spinach bread with spinach pesto
*Berry breakfast bread with cinnamon cashew spread
*Vanilla Coconut macaroons
*Chocolate Moon Pie

If you have not had the chance to enjoy the twin's food in the past, stop in and give it a try. You will not be disappointed.

General Mills Feedback

I wrote earlier in the week about the CSA's request to send feedback to General Mills this week. I hope you took the time to send them a message. Below is the message I sent and their response.

Thank you for contacting General Mills regarding our gluten free products. We appreciate the time you have taken to share your positive feedback with us and we are glad to hear how much you are enjoying our products. We will be very happy to pass on your comments to the product team.

The following products will be in national distribution beginning June 1st:
- BC Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix
- BC Gluten Free Devil’s Food Cake Mix
- BC Gluten Free Chocolate Chunk Brownies
- BC Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
- Corn Chex cereal
- Strawberry Chex cereal
- Honey Nut Chex cereal
- Chocolate Chex cereal
- Cinnamon Chex cereal

Since the above Chex Cereals have been reformulated it is possible that both varieties will be on store shelves. Therefore, make sure the box states "Gluten Free". We offer other products that are not labeled gluten free and do not contain gluten. Always examine our ingredient listing and the product will be gluten free if the ingredient label does not list wheat, oats, barley, rye or derivatives of these grains; like malt, organic malt, semolina, durham, tritcale and spelt. We never hide gluten under other ingredients; like Natural Flavors or Spices. We are committed to creating the highest quality products for our consumers. We appreciate your loyalty and hope you continue to enjoy our products

Sincerely,
Leah Giovanni
Consumer Services

Original Message From: glutenfreeraleigh@gmail.com
I'd like to say a huge thank you to General Mills on behalf of the Celiac Sprue Association (CSA) and all Celiacs in the USA for making gluten free cereals and other options (betty crocker mixes) available to us! It is extremely difficult to find safe,good tasting and moderately priced gluten free products and you have done a wonderful service to our community. Again, my most sincere thanks and keep up the good work. Please consider making/labeling more of your products GF.
-Zach
Gluten Free Raleigh Blog
http://glutenfreeraleigh.blogspot.com/

Gluten Free Treat Day - April 21st

April 21st, 2009 should be a fun Gluten Free Treat Day!

Ben & Jerry's will be giving away free scoops in their Free Cone Day promotion. Check out the recent post about their GF options.

Also, that day, Dunkin' Donuts will be serving up Iced Coffee Day with 50 cent iced coffees. A portion of the proceeds go to a charity called Homes for Our Troops. Click here for the DD Nutrition page.

Both yummy treats are Gluten Free!

ENJOY!

Bella Monica Flatbread Company Update

I recently heard from Trevor at the Bella Monica Flatbread Company. He wanted to update me on the fact that their products are now tested down to 10 PPM Gluten! He also let me know that their pizzas have been picked up by Whole Foods Florida (16 stores) beginning next month. See my previous articles about Bella Monica Pizzas here and my post explaining 20 PPM here.

In addition to all of that, Bella Monica has teamed up with Empire Properties (an extremely successful Downtown Raleigh developer) to open a brand new Italian restaurant in Downtown Raleigh. The restaurant will be called Gravy and will open around the beginning of June in the former Riviera spot on Wilmington Street. See this article from the Triangle Business Journal for more information. There is also a write-up about Gravy over at newraleigh.com. Too early to tell what the menu will consist of, but we'll see if I can work on getting a few GF items on there! Stay tuned.

Reminder - Greater North Raleigh Celiac Support Group Meeting

Just a friendly reminder about this month's Greater North Raleigh Celiac Support Group meeting. The meeting is Thursday, April 16th at 7pm at Rex Hospital. This month, a representative from ZPizza will be our guest and will be bringing several Gluten Free Pizzas for sampling. Come hungry!

Please email Pat Berger to request more information about the group or if you are interested in attending this month's meeting.

Rosie's Plate Update: Store Redesign & Saturday Hours

Here's a couple of updates from Rosie's Plate...

Beginning April 18th (this Saturday) - Rosie's Plate will be open on Saturdays! The hours will be from 10am to 5pm. This means that you can order Friday for Saturday pickup (starting at noon) or you can stop in for Grab & Go on the weekend! This is great news.

To kick off the first Saturday opening, Rosie's will have a fully stocked Grab & Go selection, lots of tastings and a special discount - all this Saturday 4/18.

In addition, Rosie's Plate is in the process of redesigning their lobby into a retail store where they will have a brand new deli case which will be much easier to order Grab & Go items from. They will also have more items for sale in the store and a brand new cash register for faster/improved checkout.

Stay tuned for more information and make sure to stop in this Saturday!
Check out their Web site or call 919.833.0505 for more information.

The Celiac Sprue Association (CSA) Needs Your Help!

I received the following email from Rebekah Godfrey who is the Member-at-large for Celiac Sprue Association Region 4. As you may already know, the only Celiac Disease support group in the Triangle is sponsored by CSA and we happen to be in Region 4.

Please take a few minutes to help out the CSA and send positive feedback on their behalf to General Mills for expanding their Gluten Free options (see Chex post here and Betty Crocker post here). They are targeting this week (April 13 - April 17) to send a concentrated message to General Mills from the Celiac community.

Greetings, CSA Region 4 Members!

My name is Rebekah Godfrey and I'm the Region 4 Member-at-large.

I want to tell you about an exciting initiative that our region gets to pilot.

We all know that General Mills Rice Chex are gluten free. This is in part to CSA's 20 year partnership with them. General Mills is very interested in making many more GF cereals (as well as other products); it's just a matter of time until they do. The process can be expedited by our positive calls, emails and letters.

This is where we come in. We are going to mobilize all Region 4 groups to call/email/write General Mills during the week of April 13-17 to tell them how much we appreciate Rice Chex and how we are looking forward to more GF cereals. Staying positive with our messages and mentioning CSA will make the biggest impact.

Phone number: 800-328-1144 (7:30AM-5:30PM CT)
Address: General Mills, Box 200, Mpls, MN 55440
Web site

Thank you for making this work -- the more people who make contact with General Mills, the more that will get accomplished.

Thanks again!
Rebekah

Click here to send online feedback.

Poll Results tallied - New Polls added

Here are the results of the set of Poll questions that have been on Gluten Free Raleigh since 3-6-09. I try to put up new poll questions every 30 days or so. I use this information to decide what to research and write about so please vote and let me know what you are interested in!

What symptom lead to your Celiac Diagnosis?
Diarrhea/Constipation 23 (56%)
Fatigue 16 (39%)
Stomach Pain 19 (46%)
Anemia 9 (21%)
Nausea 7 (17%)
Weight Loss 8 (19%)
Headaches 9 (21%)
Itchy Skin Rash 12 (29%)
Fractures or Thin Bones 1 (2%)
Related AutoImmune Disease 6 (14%)
Depression 7 (17%)
Failure to Thrive 2 (4%)
Asymptomatic 2 (4%)

Votes so far: 41

Which National Celiac Organization do you prefer to make donations to?
NFCA 2 (33%)
CSA 2 (33%)
GIG 2 (33%)
CDF 0 (0%)

Votes so far: 6

I have also added some new Poll Questions to the right side bar. I will continue to put up new Polls often to try to get a better understanding of what readers of this blog would like me to focus on.

Please vote!

Food Allergy Poster Petition Update

I wrote about a petition I started back in March and so far have collected 138 signatures. Thanks to everyone who has signed the petition and supported me in this effort.

I have set a goal of getting 200 signatures before beginning the process to get in front of the Raleigh City Council. Please sign the petition if you have not already and forward it to your friends and family.

Click here to sign the Food Allergy Education Poster Petition to the City Council of Raleigh, North Carolina.

Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shop

It's the time of year to enjoy ice cream, Italian ices and other tasty treats. Check out my post about the dessert options around the Triangle. It talks about Dairy Queen, Baskin Robbins, Cold Stone Creamery, Goodberry's, Rita's and Carvel.

Thanks to Lauren over at Gluten Free Chapel Hill for doing the digging on Ben & Jerry's Gluten Free options. Ben & Jerry's has 3 Raleigh locations - 3801 Hillsborough Street (NCSU), 4217 Six Folks Road (North Hills) and 7490 Creedmoor Road (Stonehenge).

From Lauren's post - the following is a list of gluten free options that you can get in a cup at Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shop:

Ice Cream
Butter Pecan
Cherry Garcia
Chocolate Fair Trade
Chocolate Macadamia
Chunky Monkey
Coffee Fair Trade
Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz Buzz
Mint Chocolate Chunk
New York Super Fudge Chunk
Orange & Cream
Phish Food
Strawberry
Triple Caramel Chunk
Vanilla Fair Trade
Vanilla Heath Bar Crunch

Yogurt
Black Raspberry Swirl LF Yogurt
Strawberry Banana LF Yogurt
Vanilla LF Yogurt

Sorbet
Berry Berry Extraordinary
Lemonade
Mango Mango
Strawberry Kiwi

No Sugar Added (NSA)
NSA Vanilla Fudge Chip

Ben & Jerry's say that you should let your ice cream scooper know if you have food allergies so that he or she can take any extra precautions to ensure your safety. Also, according to the website the hot fudge, caramel, and butterscotch sauces that the scoop shops serve are completely gluten free.

You can go here to read Ben & Jerry’s allergen statement concerning their ice cream that can be bought in grocery stores.

Special Event - Gluten Free Raleigh Run/Walk Fundraiser

~ ANNOUNCING A SPECIAL GLUTEN FREE RALEIGH EVENT ~

REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT IS NOW CLOSED.
Thanks to all who have participating in raising nearly $1000 for Camp Kanata.

In coordination with the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) and Camp Kanata, the Gluten Free Raleigh Blog is proud to announce a special Gluten Free Raleigh Event to raise funds for Gluten Free Week at Camp Kanata. A team has been created and will walk together at the upcoming Komen NC Triangle Race for the Cure held in Raleigh on June 13, 2009. All proceeds will be donated to the Gluten Free Week at Camp Kanata which is located in Wake Forest, NC and is one of two camps sponsored by GIG in the nation. Click here for more information about Camp Kanata and how it helps children on a Gluten Free diet attend summer camp. This year's GF week is June 21-27.

Event Details
What - Recreational Open 5K Run/Walk (Co-ed)
When - Saturday, June 13, 2009
Time - 9:00 AM (meeting at 8:30 AM)
Location - Meredith College, Raleigh (click for map)
Team Web site: http://race.komennctriangle.org/goto/glutenfreeraleigh
Cost - $45 per person ($25 registration fee for Komen Race & $20 donation to Camp Kanata)
Deadline to Register: Tuesday, May 26, 2009

T-shirts have been donated by the GIG and will be provided to all event participants. The ENTIRE $20 registration fee (not the Komen $25 fee) will be donated to Camp Kanata. My goal is to have at least 25 participants which will raise $500. FYI - GIG uses approximately $450 in GF specialty foods each day at camp. There is no limit on the number of participants so feel free to include your family and friends. The more the merrier!

Event Sign up & Payment-
Event Registration is now closed.

Day of the Race Details

• The Recreational Open 5K Run/Walk (Co-ed) race begins at 9am on the campus of Meredith College in Raleigh. The Gluten Free Raleigh Team will meet at the Burger King parking lot at 3701 Hillsborough Street at 8:30 AM.
  
• Click here for a map of the race course.
• Click here for directions and parking information. A free shuttle runs from the RBC Center. You are encouraged to arrive at the RBC Center at least 1 hour before race time. In order to meet with the team, please arrive at the RBC Center at 7:30 AM and hop a bus to the race location.
  
• Since you are registering as part of a team, you do not have to do anything special or pick up any packets. As the team captain, I will get everything for you and distribute it to you the day of the race at 8:30 AM. You will be required to wear a race bib (which I will pick up) during the race.
• Click here for a Frequently Asked Questions page.
  

More about Komen
The NC Komen Race for the Cure is an annual event to raise money for breast cancer research. It is the largest foot race in the state of North Carolina and regularly has 20,000+ participants. The race has been held for 13 years and has raised more than $10 million in the fight against breast cancer.

Rather than organizing a run/walk event myself, I thought I would piggy-back on one of the most well-run, organized and popular run/walk events in Raleigh. Besides, I always walk in this thing anyway as do a lot of people I have talked to recently. At some point, there may become a separate Gluten Free Raleigh run/walk - so consider this a starting step to gauge interest. At least we will all be out there with Gluten Free shirts on raising awareness and donating money to two great causes while we are at it.

Please email me if you have any questions or need help with either registration process.

Gluten Free Raleigh Brochures & Business Cards

I have created some new documents for the readers of this blog that can be used to help spread the word about Gluten Free Raleigh. I'll be working to get these into local doctor offices, grocery stores and anywhere else to help raise awareness for Celiac Disease, the Gluten Free Diet and the Gluten Free Raleigh Blog.

The first document is a brochure explaining what Gluten Free Raleigh does and what it offers.

The second document is a sheet of Gluten Free Raleigh business cards which can be printed out, cut up and placed anywhere you want to inform people about this blog.

Rosie's Plate Easter Treats Now Available

Check out the special Easter Menu now available at Rosie's Plate. The menu includes items from Rosie's you can use for your Easter holiday or party as well as some special treats like Iced Bunny & Flower Sugar cookies and Easter cupcakes. Yummy!

Twins Kitchen Update: Local Farmer's Markets

Twins Kitchen/Twin Cakes Bakery recently announced the upcoming 2009 Farmer's Market schedule and which markets they will be participating in. Stop in to any of the markets below in Raleigh, Chapel Hill or Hillsborough to try out their awesome Gluten Free products if you have never tried them. They will be offering a wide range of products at the market this year and of course everything offered is gluten/wheat free and vegan.

Mid-Town Farmer's Market (formally North Hills Farmer's Market)
8 AM - 12 PM every Saturday beginning April 11, 2009
Located by the movie theater at North Hills

Carrboro/Chapel Hill Farmer's Market (a.k.a. Southern Village Farmer's Market)
3:30 PM - 6:30 PM every Thursday beginning May 7, 2009
Located at Southern Village on Market Street

Hillsborough Farmer's Market
4 Pm - 7 PM every Wednesday beginning April 8, 2009
Located in the Home Depot parking lot on NC86 and I-85

If you have any special request or want to make a pre-order to pick up at the market please call the Twins at 919-306-5304.

Also, stay tuned for some more exciting news from Twin Cakes Bakery - they will soon have a brand new Web site up and running which will focus solely on their bakery products. They also will be offering dry mixes for you to take home and bake yourself. Stay tuned!

Gluten Free City Guide Featured in New Celiac Book

I was recently contacted by a fellow Celiac named Julianne Karow. She has just put the finishing touches on a brand new book about Celiac Disease called "Celiac Resource Guide - Helping to Navigate Life's Detour". She asked for my permission to include The Gluten Free City Guide Blog I created earlier this year. Of course I granted her permission to include this useful resource. If you have not seen the GF City Guide, check it out for help with traveling in the USA and Canada. The custom GF City Guide map includes placemarks on numerous cities throughout the USA & Canada. Placemarks have been added to cities where Celiac Disease Support Group Web sites and/or Gluten Free Blogs specifically about those cities exist. Find a city you want more Gluten Free information on and simply click it's placemark. Use the Gluten Free City Guide map to help with traveling to unfamiliar cities or to learn more about your city.

Julianne describes the book as

..."a personal resource guide for those with celiac disease who struggle to solve everyday challenges. In addition to information that will help those with celiac or a gluten allergy, it will provide references to many websites where you can further educate yourself on this new journey. The Celiac Resource Guide includes suggestions for a gluten-free pantry, where to find gluten-free food products, gluten-free medications, how to travel on a gluten-free diet, and much more. Inside the book, you will find coupons, discounts, free sample offers or free shipping donated from several gluten-free food manufacturers."

The book will be available the beginning of May at celiacresourceguide.webs.com or on amazon.com.

Rosie's Plate - Grab & Go - April 6 - April 10

See below (click image to enlarge) for Rosie's Plate Grab & Go options for April 6 - April 10. Hours have been extended for Spring - Monday - Friday 10 am. - 7:00 pm.

Grab & Go now Delivers! Call Rosie's Plate at 833-0505 before noon - they will grab your choices and deliver to you TODAY! Click here for more details.

Gluten Free Easter Candy

Easter falls on Sunday April 12th this year. Below is a handy list of Gluten Free candy for Easter.

Gluten Free Easter Candy list from Coeliac UK (as of 2009)
*Per this Sure Foods Living Post, Cadbury Creme Eggs and Cadbury Caramel Eggs are NOT gluten-free in the USA.

Gluten Free Candy list from About.com (as of 9-2008)

Gluten Free Candy & Non-Dairy Ice Cream list from GFCFDiet.com (dates vary)

Gluten Free Candy list from CeliacNet (as of 3-2009)

Gluten Free Candy/Gum list from GF Infoweb (dates vary)
Click on "Food List" then "Candy/Gum"

Necco.com
Which Necco products are Gluten Free?

We make the following products which do not contain gluten from wheat, rye, oats or barley: Necco Wafers, Mary Janes, Mary Jane Peanut Butter Kisses, Sweethearts Conversation Hearts (Valentines only), Canada Mint & Wintergreen Lozenges, Haviland Thin Mints and Candy Stix. In addition, Clark Bars, Skybars, Haviland Peppermint & Wintergreen Patties, Necco Candy Eggs (Easter), Talking Pumpkins (Halloween), Squirrel Nut Caramels and Squirrel Nut Zippers, Banana Split and Mint Julep Chews, ULTRAMINTS are also gluten free.

Peeps and Jelly Belly jelly beans are definitely on my list.

Official NFCA GREAT Guide

It's official, I am a GREAT Guide for the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. There are now 15 of us in the entire USA.

I've written before in the past about the Gluten Free Resource Education Awareness Training program. If you are not familiar with the program, look back over some of these previous posts to learn more. It's basically a training and awareness program for chefs, dietitians, cafeteria workers and other hospitality industry professionals that deals with Celiac disease and the Gluten Free diet. Click this link to see the locations that have already gone through GREAT training to date. At this time, the Raleigh area is home to only one GREAT certified restaurant - ZPizza.

I have spoken with several restaurants over the last few months that are extremely interested in participating in GREAT training and I will work over the next few weeks to make sure they get what they need from the program. The end result will be a safer dining experience for folks on the Gluten Free Diet and increased awareness among the food service industry. The goal is to have many restaurants go through this training in the Raleigh area. I will be posting in the future about these locations as they come on board. Each location will also have a handy window decal by the front door of their location and the GREAT logo on their Gluten Free menus.

For more information about GREAT, click here for the NFCA GREAT Web page or check out this handy 1 page brochure.

If you are interesting in participating in the GREAT training program, please email me!

Celiac Disease and Fibromyalgia

I've done lots of reading about associated symptoms and diseases of Celiac Disease and have come across some articles where people were diagnosed with Fibromyalgia for years and then they were also diagnosed with Celiac Disease. The National Fibromyalgia Association defines the syndrome as...

a common and complex chronic pain disorder that affects people physically, mentally and socially. Fibromyalgia is a syndrome rather than a disease. Unlike a disease, which is a medical condition with a specific cause or causes and recognizable signs and symptoms, a syndrome is a collection of signs, symptoms, and medical problems that tend to occur together but are not related to a specific, identifiable cause.

Fibromyalgia, which has also been referred to as fibromyalgia syndrome, fibromyositis and fibrositis, is characterized by chronic widespread pain, multiple tender points, abnormal pain processing, sleep disturbances, fatigue and often psychological distress. For those with severe symptoms, fibromyalgia can be extremely debilitating and interfere with basic daily activities."

The symptoms are very similar to Celiac Disease. A recent study noted here indicated that 9% of the participants were originally diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and then correctly diagnosed with Celiac. With all the "Gluten Free Diet can cure this or that" in the news lately, I've seen some articles about people easing some symptoms of the syndrome by going Gluten Free.

The point is to let you all know that if you've been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in the past, you may want to get tested for Celiac Disease. Their symptoms are similar.

TAGS, Teens Advocating for Gluten Sensitivity

The following is taken from a recent article over at Gluten Free Durham.

I have recently learned of a new Teen national support group under the umbrella of The Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG). It is called TAGS: Teens Advocating for Gluten Sensitivity. This program will formally be debuted at the GIG conference in Seattle at the beginning of June. TAGS national will provide information for local teens to organize events in their own city. The website is in the beginning phases and can be accessed at TAGSatGIG.org
As a mom of an older teen with GF, I think this is a wonderful idea. It is important for children with gluten sensitivity to learn to advocate for themselves. As a teen, feeling "part" of a group is a big deal. Thanks to Amy Fantozzi (15), Kelsey LeBard(14) and Sophia Mozena(16), who are the groups founders, under the direction and support from GIG national office.

Thanks for letting us know about this program Debbie!

New Completely Gluten Free Restaurant Coming Soon to Raleigh!!!

I just received some inside scoop about a brand new COMPLETELY GLUTEN FREE restaurant coming to the Raleigh area. Not sure exactly where in Downtown Raleigh it will be located as of yet - but the name will be Lil Faroop's Gluten Free Cafe. I am attempting to get more information from the owners - the Faroop brothers - but I do know that everything on the menu will be GF.

More to come... APRIL FOOLS!

Rosie's Plate April Menu

The brand new April 2009 menu from Rosie's Plate is now available.



Some of the choices include:

• Entrees like - Veggie Ragu over Cheesy Polenta, Chicken Ravioli w/ Goat Cheese & Pesto, Beef Kabobs and Lemon Herb Lamb Chops.
• Side dishes like - Veggie Sauté, Parsley Potatoes and Rice w/ Spring Peas.
• Snacks like - Pimento Cheese, Crackers, Hummus, Trail Mix and Rice Crispy Treats.
• Breakfast items like - Coffee Cake, Muffins, Granola and Scone/Pancake Mixes.
• Bread items like - Pita Bread, Country White Loaf and Country White Dinner Rolls
  
• Desserts like - Coconut Sorbet, Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, White Chocolate Bread pudding and all kinds of cookies.

Also, Rosie's is now making their very own in-house pastas. For April, they are making their own Ravioli. They have also perfected a new Pita bread.


How about a family picnic? You bring the picnic basket in to Rosie's Plate and they'll fill it with items like Organic Chicken Salad, White Cheddar Pimento Cheese and a loaf of County Bread. The Organic Potato salad also makes a great side! Sesame Chicken Bites with Honey Mustard Sauce for the kids. Snacks like Trail Mix or Rice Crispy Treats and desserts like Mint Chocolate Chip Brownies and Oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies.