Welcome to the Gluten Free Raleigh Blog. This blog focuses on living with Celiac Disease and successfully navigating the Gluten Free Lifestyle in Raleigh, NC.
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1 out of every 133 Americans (about 3 million people or 1% of population) has Celiac Disease.
97% of Americans estimated to have CD are not diagnosed.
CD has over 300 known symptoms although some people experience none.
Age of diagnosis is key: If you are diagnosed between age 2-4, your chance of getting an additional autoimmune disorder is 10.5%. Over the age of 20, that rockets up to 34%.
30% of the US population is estimated to have the genes necessary for CD.
2.5 babies are born every minute in the USA with the genetic makeup to have CD.
There are 15 states in the US with populations less than the total number of Celiacs in the US.
CD affects more people in the US than Crohn’s Disease, Cystic Fibrosis, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease combined.
500,000 new Celiac diagnoses are expected to occur in the US by 2012 -- thanks to efforts to raise public awareness of the disease.
People with CD dine out 80% less than they used to before diagnosis and believe less than 10% of eating establishments have a 'very good' or 'good' understanding of GF diets.
It takes an average of 11 years for patients to be properly diagnosed with CD even though a simple blood test exists.
The average cost of misdiagnosis is $5,000 - $12,000 per person per year. Improving the time to diagnosis could save the health care system millions of dollars annually in unnecessary medical care.
A recent study by Packaged Facts projects that the sales of GF food will reach $2.63 Billion by 2012. The GF market is also projected to hit $5 Billion by 2015.
GF foods are, on average, 242% more expensive then their non-GF counterparts.
The smallest amount of gluten which has been shown by a biopsy to cause damage to a Celiac is 0.1 gram per day - or 1/48th of a slice of bread.
The Food Allergen Labeling & Consumer Protection Act became law in 2006 allowing for easier reading of food labels for those with CD but the law only requires labeling of wheat. Nearly 5 years later, the FDA still has not finalized what it means to label a product Gluten Free.
12% of people in the US who have Down Syndrome also have CD.
8% of people in the US who have Type 1 Diabetes also have CD.
Among people who have a first-degree relative diagnosed with Celiac, as many as 1 in 22 people may have the disease. First degree relatives should be tested yearly for CD even if previous tests were negative.
There are currently 0 drugs available to treat CD.
Special thanks to Gail for taking meeting minutes during the last North Raleigh Celiac Support Group meeting on 11-18-2010. Below is a recap for those of you that could not make the meeting.
North Raleigh Celiac Support Group
CSA Chapter 108
November 18, 2010 7:00-9:00 PM
Rex Hospital Private Dining Room, Raleigh, North Carolina
Pat distributed Celiac Sprue Association membership applications and welcomed new members to join our national organization. Membership includes a subscription to Lifeline their quarterly publication which provides useful, reliable, and easy-to-understand health and diet information for those on a gluten-free diet. Their web site is www.csaceliacs.org or e-mail at celiacs@csaceliacs.org.
The Meeting Dates for 2011 have been set: January 20, February 17 (at Solas Restaurant), March 17, April 21, May 19, June 16, September 15, October 20 (special location to be announced), November 17, and December 15. All meetings begin at 7:00 PM in the Rex Hospital Private Dining Room, unless otherwise indicated. The focus of the June and December meetings will be for the newly diagnosed.
Special guest for the meeting was Lee Tobin of Whole Foods Market Gluten Free Bakehouse. He gave a brief personal history of his celiac diagnosis in 1996 in Chapel Hill and the eventual founding of the dedicated bakery located in Morrisville, NC. Lee described some of the process necessary to develop and bring products to market. This one bakery supplies fresh baked and frozen gluten-free items to about 300 stores nationwide. Lee noted the Whole Foods Market website lists gluten-free products and has some recipes for special diets. www.wholefoodsmarket.com
Whole Foods Market Gluten Free Bakehouse is trying to meet the growing demand for both gluten-free and dairy-free baked goods. Lee provided a tasting of many current Bakehouse items as well as their new gluten-free/dairy-free sandwich loaf. Lee is looking for feedback on how the new Light White Sandwich Bread is received by our members. His e-mail is Lee.Tobin@wholefoods.com. Lee is looking for comments regarding taste, texture, appearance, shelf life and how much you are willing to pay to purchase a loaf.
Harmony Farms offers our support group a discount of 5% and cards will be distributed. The Raleigh Cel Kids group has quarterly events and they are having a High Tea on December 11 at 3:00 which is open to all.
Pat gave everyone a copy of her recipe for gluten-free/dairy-free Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. Gail mentioned some tips used while traveling in the U.K. this year, but most important is to plan ahead and pack something safe to eat in case of doubt about food content.
A G-F Holiday Cookie Exchange is planned for our next meeting on Thursday, December 16, 2010. Please bring three dozen gluten-free cookies of any kind to share, holiday recipes for cookies or other special items, the name of any purchased product, and a container to carry food home.
Click the gavel for the latest information on the case of the fraudulent Gluten Free Baker.
Food Allergy Poster
Please click the link below to view the Food Allergy Education Poster.
Restaurant owners - please download, print and post in your kitchen to educate your staff!
Please see the following posts about my Petition to Wake County, NC for the requirement of posting a food allergy poster at every restaurant in the county.
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