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Celiac Disease & Gluten-Free Diet Blogs

  • kareng's Blog
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  • Research on South African Celiac Tours
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  • Keating's Not-so-Glutenfree life
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  • Coeliac, or just plain unlucky?
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  • Searchin for a Primary Care Dr. In Redlands That is Knowledgeable about Celiac disease
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  • I love my plant Cactus <3
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  • Michael Fowler's Blog
  • Living in Japan with Ceoliac Disease
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  • MJ
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  • HONG KONG GLUTEN, WHEAT FREE PRODUCTS
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  • JillianC
  • Sugar's Blog
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  • Gluten-Free Sisters :)
  • Eab12's Celiac Blog
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  • Newly Self Diagnosed?
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  • Petroguy
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  • Soap Opera Central
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  • Mr J's Blog
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  • CAC's Blog
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  • Teri Kiefer's Blog
  • happyasabeewithceliac's Blog
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  • Cheryl
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  • donna mae's Blog
  • Colleen's blog
  • DawnJ's Blog
  • Gluten Challenge
  • twins2's Blog
  • just trying to feel better's Blog
  • Celiac Teen
  • MNBelle blog
  • Gabe351's Blog
  • moosemalibu's Blog
  • Coeliac Disease or Coeliac Sprue or Non Tropical Sprue
  • karalto's Blog
  • deacon11's Blog
  • Nyxie's Blog
  • Swpocket's Blog
  • threeringfilly's Blog
  • Madison Papers: Living Gluten-Free in a Gluten-Full World
  • babinsky's Blog
  • prettycat's Blog
  • Celiac Diagnosis at Age 24 months in 1939
  • Sandy R's Blog
  • mary m's Blog
  • Jkrupp's Blog
  • Oreo1964's Blog
  • keyboard
  • Louisa's Blog
  • Guts & Brains
  • Gluten Free Betty
  • Jesse'sGirl's Blog
  • NewMom's Blog
  • Connie C.'s Blog
  • garden girl's Blog
  • april anne's Blog
  • 4xmom's Blog
  • benalexander60's Blog
  • missmyrtle's Blog
  • Jersey Shore wheat no more's Blog
  • swezzan's Blog
  • aheartsj's Blog
  • MeltheBrit's Blog
  • glutenfreecosmeticcounter
  • Reasons Why Tummy tuck is considered best to remove unwanted belly fat?
  • alfgarrie's Blog
  • SmidginMama's Blog
  • lws' Blog
  • KMBC2014's Blog
  • Musings and Lessons Learned
  • txwildflower65's Blog
  • Uncertain
  • jess4736's Blog
  • deedo's Blog
  • persistent~Tami's Blog
  • Posterboy's Blog
  • jferguson
  • tiffjake's Blog
  • KCG91's Blog
  • Yolo's Herbs & Other Healing Strategies
  • scrockwell's Blog
  • Sandra45's Blog
  • Theresa Marie's Blog
  • Skylark's Blog
  • JessicaB's Blog
  • Anna'sMommy's Blog
  • Skylark's Oops
  • Jehovah witnesses
  • Celiac in Seattle's Blog
  • March On
  • honeybeez's Blog
  • The Liberated Kitchen, redux
  • onceandagain's Blog
  • JoyfulM's Blog
  • keepingmybabysafe's Blog
  • To beer, with love...
  • nana b's Blog
  • kookooto's Blog
  • SunnyJ's Blog
  • Mia'smommy's Blog
  • Amanda's Blog
  • jldurrani's Blog
  • Why choosing Medical bracelets for women online is the true possible?
  • Carriefaith's Blog
  • acook's Blog
  • REAGS' Blog
  • gfreegirl0125's Blog
  • Gluten Free Recipes - Blog
  • avlocken's Blog
  • Thiamine Thiamine Thiamine
  • wilbragirl's Blog
  • Gluten and Maize-Free (gluten-free-MF)
  • Elimination Diet Challenge
  • DJ 14150
  • mnsny's Blog
  • Linda03's Blog
  • GFinDC's Blog
  • Kim UPST NY's Blog
  • cmc's Blog
  • blog comppergastta1986
  • JesikaBeth's Blog
  • Melissa
  • G-Free's Blog
  • miloandotis' Blog
  • Confessions of a Celiac
  • Know the significance of clean engine oil
  • bobhayes1's Blog
  • Robinbird's Blog
  • skurtz's Blog
  • Olivia's Blog
  • Jazzdncr222's Blog
  • Lemonade's Blog
  • k8k's Blog
  • celiaccoach&triathlete's Blog
  • Gluten Free Goodies
  • cherbourgbakes.blogspot.com
  • snow dogs' Blog
  • Rikki Tikki's Blog
  • lthurman1979's Blog
  • Sprue that :)'s Blog
  • twinkletoes' Blog
  • Ranking the best gluten free pizzas
  • Gluten Free Product
  • Wildcat Golfer's Blog
  • Becci's Blog
  • sillyker0nian's Blog
  • txplowgirl's Blog
  • Gluten Free Bread Blog
  • babygoose78's Blog
  • G-freegal12's Blog
  • kelcat's Blog
  • Heavy duty 0verhead crane
  • beckyk's Blog
  • pchick's Blog
  • NOT-IN-2gluten's Blog
  • PeachPie's Blog
  • Johny
  • Breezy32600's Blog
  • Edgymama's Gluten Free Journey
  • Geoff
  • audra's Blog
  • mfrklr's Blog
  • 2 chicks
  • I Need Help With Bread
  • the strong one has returned!
  • sabrina_B_Celiac's Blog
  • Gluten Free Pioneer's Blog
  • Theanine.
  • The Search of Hay
  • Vanessa
  • racecar16's Blog
  • JCH13's Blog
  • b&kmom's Blog
  • Gluten Free Foodies
  • NanaRobin's Blog
  • mdrumr8030's Blog
  • Sharon LaCouture's Blog
  • Zinc, Magnesium, and Selenium
  • sao155's Blog
  • Tabasco's Blog
  • Amanda Smith
  • mmc's Blog
  • xphile1121's Blog
  • golden exch
  • kerrih's Blog
  • jleb's Blog
  • RUGR8FUL's Blog
  • Brynja's Grain Free Kitchen
  • schneides123's Blog
  • Greenville, SC Gluten-Free Blog
  • ramiaha's Blog
  • Kathy P's Blogs
  • rock on!'s Blog
  • Carri Ninja's Blog
  • jerseygirl221's Blog
  • Pkhaselton's Blog
  • Hyperceliac Blog
  • abbiekir's Blog
  • Lasister's Thoughts
  • bashalove's Blog
  • Steph1's Blog
  • Etboces
  • Rantings of Tiffany
  • GlutenWrangler's Blog
  • kalie's Blog
  • Mommy Of A Gluten Free Child
  • ready2go's Blog
  • Maureen
  • Floridian's Blog
  • Bobbie41972's Blog
  • Everyday Victories
  • Intolerance issue? Helpppp!
  • Feisty
  • In the Beginning...
  • Cheri46's Blog
  • Acne after going gluten free
  • sissSTL's Blog
  • Elizabeth19's Blog
  • LindseyR's Blog
  • sue wiesbrook's Blog
  • I'm Hungry's Blog
  • badcasper's Blog
  • M L Graham's Blog
  • Wolicki's Blog
  • katiesalmons' Blog
  • CBC and celiac
  • Kaycee's Blog
  • wheatisbad's Blog
  • beamishmom's Blog
  • Celiac Ninja's Blog
  • scarlett54's Blog
  • GloriaZ's Blog
  • Holly F's Blog
  • Jackie's Blog
  • lbradley's Blog
  • TheSandWitch's Blog
  • Ginger Sturm's Blog
  • The Struggle is Real
  • whataboutmary's Blog
  • JABBER's Blog
  • morningstar38's Blog
  • Musings of a Celiac
  • Celiacchef's Blog
  • healthygirl's Blog
  • allybaby's Blog
  • MGrinter's Blog
  • LookingforAnswers15's Blog
  • Lis
  • Alilbratty's Blog
  • 3sisters' Blog
  • MGrinter's Blog
  • Amanda
  • felise's Blog
  • rochesterlynn's Blog
  • mle_ii's Blog
  • GlamourGetaways' Blog
  • greendog's Blog
  • Tabz's Blog
  • Smiller's Blog
  • my vent
  • newby to celiac?'s Blog
  • siren's Blog
  • myraljo's Blog
  • Relieved and confused
  • carb bingeing
  • scottish's Blog
  • maggiemay832's Blog
  • Cristina Barbara
  • ~~~AnnaBelle~~~'s Blog
  • nikky's Blog
  • Suzy-Q's Blog
  • mfarrell's Blog
  • Kat-Kat's Blog
  • Kelcie's Blog
  • cyoshimit's Blog
  • pasqualeb's Blog
  • My girlfriend has celiacs and she refuses to see a doctor
  • Ki-Ki29's Blog
  • mailmanrol's Blog
  • Sal Gal
  • WildBillCODY's Blog
  • Ann Messenger
  • aprilz's Blog
  • the gluten-free guy
  • gluten-free-wifey's Blog
  • Lynda MEADOWS's Blog
  • mellajane's Blog
  • Jaded's Celiac adventures in a non-celiac world.
  • booboobelly18's Blog
  • Dope show
  • Classic Celiac Blog
  • Keishalei's Blog
  • Bada
  • Sherry's blurbs
  • addict697's Blog
  • MIchael530btr's Blog
  • Shawn C
  • antono's Blog
  • Undiagnosed
  • little_d's Blog
  • Gluten, dairy, pineapple
  • The Fat (Celiac) Lady Sings
  • Periomike
  • Sue Mc's Blog
  • BloatusMaximus' Blog
  • It's just one cookie!
  • Kimmy
  • jacobsmom44's Blog
  • mjhere's Blog
  • tlipasek's Blog
  • You're Prescribing Me WHAT!?!
  • Kimmy
  • nybbles's Blog
  • Karla T.'s Blog
  • Young and dealing with celiacs
  • Celiac.com Podcast Edition
  • LCcrisp's Blog
  • ghfphd's allergy blog
  • https://www.bendglutenfree.com/
  • Costume's and GF Life
  • mjhere69's Blog
  • dedeadge's Blog
  • CeliacChoplin
  • Ravenworks' Blog
  • ahubbard83's Blog
  • celiac<3'sme!'s Blog
  • William Parsons
  • Gluten Free Breeze (formerly Brendygirl) Blog
  • Ivanna44's Blog
  • Daily Life and Compromising
  • Vonnie Mostat
  • Aly'smom's Blog
  • ar8's Blog
  • farid's Blog
  • Sandra Lee's Blog
  • Demertitis hepaformis no Celac
  • Vonnie Mostat, R.N.
  • beetle's Blog
  • Sandra Lee's Blog
  • carlyng4's Blog
  • totalallergyman's Blog
  • Kim
  • Vhips
  • twinsmom's Blog
  • Newbyliz's Blog
  • collgwg's Blog
  • Living in the Gluten Free World
  • lisajs38's Blog
  • Mary07's Blog
  • Treg immune celsl, short chain fatty acids, gut bacteria etc.
  • questions
  • A Blog by Yvonne (Vonnie) Mostat, RN
  • ROBIN
  • covsooze's Blog
  • HeartMagic's Blog
  • electromobileplace's Blog
  • Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom
  • Fiona S
  • bluff wallace's Blog
  • sweetbroadway's Blog
  • happybingf's Blog
  • Carla
  • jaru24's Blog
  • AngelaMH's Blog
  • collgwg's Blog
  • blueangel68's Blog
  • SimplyGF Blog
  • Jim L Christie
  • Debbie65's Blog
  • Alcohol, jaundice, and celiac
  • kmh6leh's Blog
  • Gluten Free Mastery
  • james
  • danandbetty1's Blog
  • Feline's Blog
  • Linda Atkinson
  • Auntie Lur: The Blog of a Young Girl
  • KathyNapoleone's Blog
  • Gluten Free and Specialty Diet Recipes
  • Why are people ignoring Celiac Disease, and not understanding how serious it actually is?
  • miasuziegirl's Blog
  • KikiUSA's Blog
  • Amyy's Blog
  • Pete Dixon
  • abigail's Blog
  • CHA's Blog
  • Eczema or Celiac Mom?'s Blog
  • Thoughts
  • International Conference on Gastroenterology
  • Deedle's Blog
  • krackers' Blog
  • cliniclfortin's Blog
  • Mike Menkes' Blog
  • Juanita's Blog
  • BARB OTTUM
  • holman's Blog
  • It's EVERYWHERE!
  • life's Blog
  • writer ann's Blog
  • Ally7's Blog
  • Gluten Busters: Gluten-Free Product Alerts by Celiac.com
  • K Espinoza
  • klc's Blog
  • Pizza&beer's Blog
  • CDiseaseMom's Blog
  • sidinator's Blog
  • Dr Rodney Ford's Blog
  • How and where is it safe to buy cryptocurrency?
  • lucedith's Blog
  • Random Thoughts
  • Kate
  • twin#1's Blog
  • myadrienne's Blog
  • Nampa-Boise Idaho
  • Ursa Major's Blog
  • bakingbarb's Blog
  • Does Celiac Cause Sensitivites To Rx's?
  • delana6303's Blog
  • psychologygrl25's Blog
  • Alcohol and Celiac Disease
  • How do we get it???
  • cooliactic_BOOM's Blog
  • GREAT GF eating in Toronto
  • Gluten-free Food Recommendations!
  • YAY! READ THIS!!
  • BROW-FREE DIET BLOG
  • carib168's Blog
  • A Healing Kitchen
  • Shawn s
  • AZ Gal's Blog
  • mom1's Blog
  • The Beginning - The Diagnosis
  • PeweeValleyKY's Blog
  • solange's Blog
  • Cate K's Blog
  • Layered Vegetable Baked Pasta (gluten-free Vegetarian Lasagna)
  • Gluten Free Teen by Ava
  • mtdawber's Blog
  • sweeet_pea's Blog
  • DCE's Blog
  • Infertility and Celiac Disease
  • What to do in the Mekong Delta in 1 Day?
  • glutenfreenew's Blog
  • Living in the Garden of Eden
  • toddzgrrl02's Blog
  • redface's Blog
  • Gluten Free High Protein
  • Ari
  • Great Harvest Chattanooga's Blog
  • CeliBelli's Blog
  • Aboluk's Blog
  • redface's Blog
  • Being in Control of Your Gluten-Free Diet on a Cruise Ship
  • jayshunee's Blog
  • lilactorgirl's Blog
  • Yummy or Yucky Gluten-Free Foods
  • Electra's Blog
  • Cocerned husband's Blog
  • lilactorgirl's Blog
  • A Little History - My Celiac Disease Diagnosis
  • How to line my stomach
  • sewfunky's Blog
  • Oscar's Blog
  • Chey's Blog
  • The Fun of Gluten-free Breastfeeding
  • Dawnie's Blog
  • Sneaky gluten free goodness!
  • Chicago cubs shirts- A perfect way of showing love towards the baseball team!
  • Granny Garbonzo's Blog
  • GFzinks09's Blog
  • How do I get the Celiac.com podcast on my mp3 player?
  • quantumsugar's Blog
  • Littlebit's Blog
  • Kimberly's Blog
  • Dayz's Blog
  • Swimming Breadcrumbs and Other Issues
  • Helen Burdass
  • celiacsupportnancy's Blog
  • Life of an Aggie Celiac
  • kyleandjra.jacobson's Blog
  • Hey! I'm Not "Allergic" to Wheat!
  • FoOdFaNaTic's Blog
  • Wendy Cohan, RN's Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Cooking Classes
  • Lora Derry
  • Dr. Joel Goldman's Blog
  • The Ultimate Irony
  • Lora Derry
  • ACK514's Blog
  • katinagj's Blog
  • What Goes On, Goes In (Gluten in Skin Care Products)
  • What’s new in hydraulic fittings?
  • cannona3's Blog
  • citykatmm's Blog
  • Adventures in Gluten-Free Toddling
  • tahenderson67's Blog
  • The Dinner Party Drama—Two Guidelines to Assure a Pleasant Gluten-Free Experience
  • What’s new in hydraulic fittings?
  • sparkybear's Blog
  • justbikeit77's Blog
  • To "App" or Not to "App": The Use of Gluten Free Product List Computer Applications
  • Onangwatgo
  • Raine's Blog
  • lalla's Blog
  • To die for Cookie Crumb Gluten-Free Pie Crust
  • DeeTee33's Blog
  • http://glutenfreegroove.com/blog/
  • David2055's Blog
  • Gluten-Free at the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco
  • Kup wysokiej jakości paszporty, prawa jazdy, dowody osobiste
  • Janie's Blog
  • Managing Hives & Gluten Allergies
  • Bogaert's Blog
  • Janie's Blog
  • RaeD's Blog
  • Dizzying Disclaimers!
  • Dream Catcher's Blog
  • PinkZebra's Blog
  • Hibachi Food and Hidden Gluten Hazards (How to Celebrate Gluten-Free)
  • jktenner's Blog
  • OhSoTired's Blog
  • PinkZebra's Blog
  • gluten-free Lover's Blog
  • Gluen Free Health Australia
  • Melissamb21's Blog
  • Andy C's Blog
  • halabackgirl9129's Blog
  • Liam Edwards' Blog
  • Celiac Disease in Africa?
  • Suz's Blog
  • Gluten-Free Fast Food
  • mis_chiff's Blog
  • gatakat's Blog
  • macocha's Blog
  • Newly Diagnosed Celiacs Needed for Study in Chicago
  • Poor Baby's Blog
  • the loonie celiac's Blog
  • jenlex's Blog
  • Sex Drive/Testosterone can be Depleted by Certain Foods
  • samantha79's Blog
  • 21 Months into the Gluten-free Diet
  • WashingtonLady's Blog-a-log
  • James S. Reid's Blog
  • Living with a Gluten-Free Husband
  • runner girl's Blog
  • kp3972's Blog
  • ellie_lynn's Blog
  • trayne91's Blog
  • Gluten-free Lipstick!
  • Nonna2's Blog
  • Schar Chocolate Hazelnut Bar (Gluten-Free)
  • pnltbox27's Blog
  • Live2BWell's Blog
  • melissajohnson's Blog
  • nvsmom's Blog
  • Diagnosed with Celiac Disease and Still Sick
  • snowcoveredheart's Blog
  • Gluten Free Nurse
  • Gluten-Free Frustration!
  • Melody A's Blog
  • novelgutfeeling's Blog
  • Trouble Eating Out Gluten-Free...Good or Bad?!
  • dilsmom's Blog
  • theceliachusband's Blog
  • amanda2610's Blog
  • Pancreas and Celiac Disease Link?
  • epiphany's Blog
  • Patty55's Blog
  • The Latest Gluten-Free Food Recalls
  • kenzie's blog
  • CVRupp's Blog
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Found 22 results

  1. Celiac.com 04/13/2023 - Contrary to popular medical wisdom, a recent study suggests that some celiac disease patients who occasionally ingest gluten may not experience significant clinical symptoms or small bowel damage. A gluten-free diet is currently the only medically accepted treatment for celiac disease, but adherence can be challenging, and many patients report occasional voluntary transgressions. Eating a gluten-free diet lowers the quality of life for most celiac disease patients, many of whom frequently ask if it's okay to occasionally ingest gluten-containing food. To get a better idea of the issue, a research team evaluated celiac patients reporting voluntary and occasional transgressions to their gluten-free diet. The Research Team The team included Luca Elli, Karla Bascuñán, Lorenzo di Lernia, Maria Teresa Bardella, Luisa Doneda, Laura Soldati, Stefania Orlando, Francesca Ferretti, Vincenza Lombardo, Giulio Barigelletti, Alice Scricciolo, Sabrina Fabiano, Maurizio Vecchi & Leda Roncoroni. They are associated with the Cancer Registry Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy; the Center for Prevention and Diagnosis of Celiac Disease, Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Unit, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan; the Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; and the Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy. Celiacs Voluntarily Eat Gluten- The Study Researchers prospectively enrolled 109 celiac patients who reported occasional and voluntary gluten ingestion and a group of patients on strict gluten-free diet as controls. The study involved clinical examination, blood tests, duodenal biopsy, capsule enteroscopy, and a validated food-frequency questionnaire to assess gluten intake. The results showed that 57% of noncompliant patients did not present any histological alteration, and 70% did not present any alteration at capsule enteroscopy. Furthermore, 75% of patients reported no gastrointestinal symptoms after gluten ingestion. The findings suggest that celiacs can achieve a degree of tolerance towards gluten consumption can be reached, and occasional gluten intake may not necessarily lead to significant clinical symptoms or small bowel damage. However, the researchers highlight that strict gluten-free diet adherence is still the best course of action to prevent long-term complications, and more research is needed to understand the mechanisms behind tolerance towards gluten ingestion in celiac patients. Clearly this result runs counter to popular wisdom, and even to some science. The conclusion will likely cause a stir in the celiac and the medical and scientific communities. For people with celiac disease, it's crucial to have a clear picture of the proper parameters of treatment. With so much at stake, for both doctors and, especially patients, it's clear that more research is needed to get a truly clear picture of the effects of minor gluten-consumption on people with celiac disease. Read more at BMC Medicine
  2. Celiac.com 12/13/2019 - I wanted to add some new revelations I've had about cross contamination, including how not to go crazy worrying about it, and what I believe to be the number one way to prevent getting sick from it. There are a lot of posts on Facebook in the Celiac Groups about cross-contamination—let's talk about what it is and why it's bad for those with celiac disease. Cross-contamination is Our Worst Enemy For someone with celiac disease, cross-contamination is our worst enemy. We all know that we can't have gluten—no bread, pasta, etc. We all know that even the slightest amount of gluten can hurt us. Studies have shown that 1/64th of a piece of bread has enough gluten to cause autoimmune problems in celiacs. The FDA has set 20 parts per million (ppm) as the maximum threshold for gluten in something labelled gluten-free. It isn't much. Let's use an example to describe what is happening. I'm going to use a very simple example because it's, well simple. The kids like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chips, and an apple for their lunch. You pull out the bread, swipe the peanut butter and jelly on, and put it in their lunch box. Put the chips into a smaller container, open the fridge, pull out an apple, and call it a day. Here's the issue—if you put the bread for the sandwich on a plate, awesome, except the plate must now be cleaned before you can use it for any gluten-free items. The knife you used to swipe the peanut butter and jelly across the bread likely has crumbs embedded in the remaining peanut butter and/or jelly. Then if you stuck the knife back into the peanut butter and/or jelly they are also likely contaminated and should be used by those with celiac disease. You likely have introduced crumbs into the containers that you cannot get out. Next are the chips—you thought you were safe there—wrong!! If you didn't wash your hands and I'm pretty sure you didn't, you may have also introduced crumbs into the chip bag. If the bag is contaminated with crumbs it is now unsafe for celiacs. Also, did you wash your hands before touching the fridge door? You get my drift. All of this can be controlled if we are careful. But most people don't think about any of this unless they have a food allergy or a family member who has one. You might think this is a little extreme. It might be. But would you say the same thing for someone with an anaphylactic reaction to peanuts? Or tree nuts? Or anything for that matter? But food is a problem for people with celiac disease and such things can be a serious issue for them. Many times celiac reactions aren't immediately obvious but they do come. Sometimes the reactions are even violent—explosive diarrhea or vomiting. They might be more subtle like brain fog, extreme fatigue, or joint aches or any of the other 300+ symptoms associated with celiac disease. Not to mention the longer term damage to the villi in the small intestine which can take 6 to 12 months to repair themselves. With ongoing long term damage they may never recover. Then, really long term there is anemia, malnutrition, and potentially cancer. So continued gluten ingestion, even in small amounts, may have the potential over time to cause cancer in those with celiac disease. Other hotbeds of cross-contamination are: toasters, butter dishes, scratched non-stick pans, wooden cutting boards and utensils, shared fryers, waffle irons, stirring the gluten pasta then putting the spoon in the sauce, gluten pasta water, non-squeeze bottle condiments, kitchens, etc. Bottom line—If it has gluten and you touch it, you must wash your hands or the item before it is safe for a celiac. Cross-contamination is Everywhere Cross-contamination is everywhere unless you are really careful. Most people don't understand it but I'm hoping this gave you a good introduction into where cross-contamination starts and why it is bad. Each time you leave the house, someone that has recently touched gluten will have touched something you are currently touching or are about to touch—door knobs, buttons on the card machines, grocery store carts, seats, computer keyboards, everything. All of it. Washing hands with soap and water before cooking or preparing food is the number one way to prevent this from causing an issue. A recent study suggested that using a common toaster, cooking gluten-free pasta in pasta water previously used to cook pasta, or using a knife that was previously used to cut a cake may not pose a significant risk of gluten contamination. Each scenario tested to below 20ppm for gluten. I'm not 100% sure I'm on board with this study, but it does make me a little less worried about cross-contamination. I would say, however, if you can avoid the such scenarios, do so just to be on the safe side. There are a couple of other scenarios I see talked about often—non-stick pans, separate plates for gluten and gluten-free food, kissing someone that has recently consumed gluten, or simply having prepackaged gluten foods next to pre-packaged gluten-free foods. The non-stick pans and separate plates issue—if you can replace the non-stick pans, great. If not, hand wash and then run the pans and dishes through the dishwasher and they should be safe. Kissing someone who recently consumed gluten, I think you are okay on this one, too, especially if they have a glass of water or other gluten-free beverage before engaging in a lip lock! As a side note, I would not let this disease get in the way of a passionate kiss, EVER! But that's just my bias. If a package of gluten-free food is in a sealed container and the seal is not broken, the food in the package is still gluten-free. I saw a recent post about a college student wanting to take Lysol wipes into class to wipe down desks before she sat down for fear that someone before her might have been eating a gluten snack at the same desk. My answer was first, are you going to be eating off the desk? Second, are you going to be able to wash your hands before the next meal? If the answer to the first question is yes, then yes, take wipes and wipe everything down. But why the heck are you eating directly off a desk in a strange place and maybe you need to rethink your eating habits. If the answer to the second question is yes, then no you don't need wipes. A good hand washing should be sufficient to protect you from any incidental cross-contamination picked up in the outside world. We Have to Live in a World That is Covered in Gluten Cross-contamination is a serious issue in the celiac community that has to be monitored and minimized. At the same time, we cannot let the disease or fear of cross-contamination rule our lives. We cannot be afraid to go out or to do anything for fear of getting sick. There must be a balance. My balance may look different from your balance, but we have to find a way to get to a place where we feel comfortable living our lives without being in constant fear. What I might see as acceptable risk, someone else may not, and that is fine. My whole point is that you have to find a way to be comfortable and not make your life feel like you are living in a gluten-free jail. Balance and the ability to live a full gluten-free life with few restrictions is the entire point of my blog—in addition to providing information about celiac drugs, new studies and talking about celiac disease.

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  4. Celiac.com 08/22/2016 - The issue of cross-contamination keeps coming up in articles, conferences, blogs and every other venue in which celiacs discuss ways of living with our disease. For all the talk there has been precious little, if any, thoughtful analysis, so I felt it was time for one. Some will appreciate this analysis—others will not. For reference, I don't work for the food industry in any way, shape or form, so I'm not presenting arguments to help anyone make money. I just think that the way gluten permeates our food culture, we celiacs have become overly cautious and worried about where the next molecule of gluten may be hiding, ready to attack us, and as a result walk around in constant fear, significantly degrading our overall quality of our life and doing more harm to our health through stress than a rare, chance episode of cross-contamination might actually do. Using the FDA's 20ppm limit as the definition of gluten-free, and some simple, first grade arithmetic, I want to look at the cross-contamination issue and see what's worth worrying about and what's not. Because cross-contamination is a situational, process-related issue, it is best to separate the issue into categories that relate to the situation: a) at home, in food production lines shared with gluten products, c) at the prepared food counter in the local grocery store, d) in restaurants. What's E.coli Got to do With It? Cross-contamination at home is mostly an issue for someone just starting out on a gluten-free life and for those 'blended' families that have some individuals on a gluten-free diet and the rest of the family not. There have been many posts over the years with this sentiment: "I just got diagnosed with celiac disease, I have started on the gluten-free diet and other celiacs are telling me to get rid of most of my cooking utensils, especially wooden spoons, plastic spoons, basting syringes as well as brushes I use with oil and butter." The concern behind this statement is that porous wood and scratches in plastic spoons and syringes or the hairs of a brush can harbor gluten particles that can contaminate our food. A reasonable sounding argument on the face of it, but one that has absolutely no merit when examined in the light of science and reason! E.coli found in beef and salmonella found in chicken are living nasty organisms that multiply and spread and can cause health problems from mild GI upset to death in some cases. And yet there has never been a case of someone throwing away their kitchen utensils after cooking chicken or beef. The utensils—wood, plastic or otherwise—get washed and re-used. If we trust proper washing to get rid of nasty, living, growing organisms that can kill us, there is no reason to doubt that the same proper washing can get rid of some particles of gluten—a non-living, non-growing, non-spreading food ingredient. Playing the devil's advocate, let's assume that our washing left behind a thin layer of wheat flour on a wooden spoon—certainly an amount so small that cannot be seen, else it would have been wiped away. How much flour is that? The flour from one fifth of a grain of wheat is enough to completely cover the spoon. One fifth of a grain of wheat is 16mg of wheat; of which no more than 3mg is gluten. So let's assume we use that wooden spoon to prepare pasta in a 1-quart pot and all the flour on the spoon dissolves into the water with the pasta. That's 3mg of gluten in 1,000grams of water (1-quart = 1,000g of water). That works out to around 3ppm gluten in the pot. That is well below the 20ppm definition of gluten-free in the new FDA regulations; it is actually below any level today's best science can even measure! What's more, since we assumed that ALL the flour on the spoon dissolved into the water, the spatula is from now on, forever gluten-free, just as un-contaminated as a brand new spatula from the store! Moral of the story: either the washing will remove the gluten from the utensils, or the gluten left over will be below the 20ppm limit in the first food cooked with that utensil and leave the spoon completely uncontaminated ever after. So if you want to use gluten as an excuse to get some new cooking utensils, that's OK, but there is certainly no cross-contamination reason to do so. If you are really concerned, take all your utensils, put them in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes and you're done! After all, that's how hospitals used to sterilize syringes before throw-away ones became the norm. Additionally this argument would indicate that a family that cooks both gluten-free and non-gluten-free could use one set of utensils as long as they get washed after every use. To feel more comfortable, one could use two sets of utensils, one for gluten-free the other for the rest. That's False Advertising—I'm Suing You! Cross-contamination concerns for foods from shared lines come up as we read food labels that say: "Prepared on a production line that also processes wheat and tree nuts." A couple of things to start the discussion: Making customers sick is a bad business plan, the only thing worse is having customers sue for severe illness or death. For these reasons food companies that use allergens in their products - wheat, milk, soy, nuts, shellfish, etc., take the precaution of cleaning their production lines between runs of different products to avoid the very cross-contamination that could sicken or kill their customers. However, in our extremely litigious society, even when a company knows its production line is clean and free of cross-contaminants, it is safer to simply slap the label: "Prepared on a production line that also processes wheat and tree nuts" on the product and completely avoid any nuisance lawsuit. Of course this leaves all of us celiacs scratching our heads trying to decide whether it's OK to consume such a product or not. Opinions vary; for my part, I note the label, keep it in mind, but operate on the basis that the company does have a standard process for cleaning their equipment between product runs. With that assumption, the only chance of cross-contamination is in the first few batches of the product to go through the line, batches that most, if not all, manufacturers test and discard if found to be cross-contaminated. Even if such a 'spot' contaminated batch made it through to the market the analysis would follow along the same lines as all other cases in this article. The amount of wheat flour (and therefore gluten) that is left on the processing line must be too small to even be seen, otherwise it would have been wiped away. That small amount spread over several 'units' of the product could only result in a few ppm gluten for each 'unit' of the product. Certainly not a cross-contamination concern. There's Gluten in Salmon! Really? Cross-contamination at the grocery store; primarily a problem in any of the many grocery stores that prepare foods on premises, like sushi and salads or getting fresh-sliced cold-cuts at a deli. Pick up a tray of salmon or tuna sushi - nigiri, sashimi, maki—and the ingredient list includes wheat, but the person that prepared it says they don't use wheat. Pick up a salad that obviously has no wheat in it and yet the label lists wheat as a potential allergen. What is going on? The most probable culprit in all such cases is the packet of condiments 'on the side'. Sushi almost always includes a sealed soy sauce packet or two for people to use if they want. As we celiacs know most soy sauce contains wheat so, the label on the entire sushi container—which includes the soy sauce packets—lists wheat because of the soy sauce. Skip the soy sauce and enjoy your gluten-free sushi! Same argument with a salad—if wheat is listed as an ingredient but there is no obvious wheat in the salad (croutons, bread, etc.) then the wheat listed is most probably in the dressing offered on the side—skip the dressing. Getting fresh cold-cuts at a deli to make sandwiches with your favorite gluten-free bread can raise the question of cross-contamination at the slicer from cured meat products that may contain gluten. First, any reputable deli wipes down their slicer between orders. To add a level of safety, explain the cross-contamination concern and ask the person preparing the order to set aside the first 5 slices—they will always oblige. Any residual gluten will stick to the first few slices and the rest will be fine. A Gluten Fog: Your Local Pizzeria—Not That Scary! We're all getting used to pizza places that have become enlightened enough to add gluten-free pizza options to their menu. They prepare gluten-free dough and cook the pizza in a dedicated corner of their oven or on baking sheets reserved for gluten-free pizzas. Giving them the benefit of the doubt that they spread out the toppings with no cross-contamination—which is easily checked by a few questions—this leaves one more cross-contamination concern. In 'high end' pizza places that roll their own dough for the regular (wheat) pizzas there's flour dust in the air. It would seem to be a valid cross-contamination concern, but the numbers are again, against it—unless the flour dust in the kitchen is so thick you can't see from one end of the kitchen to the other—not likely because flour dust that thick is a fire hazard! So the analysis again reveals a non-issue: the amount of flour dust that lands on a 10" pizza is less than one wheat grain's worth. That's 65mg of wheat, worst case that is 10mg of gluten which translates to less than 10ppm for the entire 10" pizza, again well below the 20ppm definition of gluten-free in the new FDA regulations! So if you're feeling GI distress after eating your favorite gluten-free pizza at your favorite pizzeria, it's probably the pepperoni! Salads at a restaurant are the next big concern because of the increasing tendency to see croutons or pita wedges as part of the salad. Of course you ask for your salad without the gluten item. And wouldn't you know it when the salad comes you see a big pita wedge right on top! Of course you ask that they take it back and bring you one without pita. And you wonder—did they make a new one or just serve you the old one after taking the pita off? Or maybe it's a business lunch with an important client and you don't want to make a fuss and don't even ask for a new salad. This is where my analysis goes a bit too far for some. I will remove the pita or pick around the croutons and eat the salad without a worry about getting 'glutened'. In my scientific brain the case is quite simple and clear: the thing we miss the most about gluten is its sticky property—it's a glue that sticks things together, and makes it possible to have light, airy, crusty baguettes to die for! Well, that same great property is what gives me the confidence to eat that salad. During baking, the gluten is completely bound up in that pita or in the croutons—it is not going to come loose just to contaminate me. It has not been laying in wait for the opportunity to be put on a celiac's plate and launch an attack on my villi—it's just not going to happen, nature does not work that way. So, worry a little less and enjoy a lot more! I leave you with this empirical fact: There was a report back in the late '90s about a 10-year research program that went around the world interviewing people that were in their 90's to try and find a common thread to their longevity. Every factor was considered, food, smoking, physical activity level, genetics, drinking—everything. Once all the data was analyzed there was one and only one, crystal clear, common factor among all these people: they knew how to let go of worry, stress, loss, pain. Regardless of what life threw at them, they moved past it to the other side and kept on going. Don't let unfounded, irrational fear of gluten rob you of your life—move past it!
  5. Celiac.com 09/22/2017 - Misdiagnosed my sophomore/ junior year of High School, 3 years ago, with celiac disease, I became obsessed with the science of this ailment and how it was supposedly affecting me. I was shocked by how little is known about this autoimmune disease and the many gaps in research done on it. One such gap is that of cross-contamination in the household, where it is likely to have a daily impact on those following gluten-free diets. Because of this, I decided to help fill this gap in scientific knowledge with a manageable project based on cross-contamination in the home, asking whether one can share common kitchen cookware that is used with gluten containing foods, or if people, to help maintain a gluten-free diet, need designated ones for their food preparation. Either way that this research played out would be beneficial to the gluten-free community. For example, some families with members on gluten-free diets will spend a lot of money to buy all new ‘gluten-free' designated cookware and utensils to help minimize cross-contamination. Part of the relevancy of this project is economical, as designated cookware can be very costly. Despite the cost, other factors affect the value of this research, including the impracticality of having a double set of kitchen appliances, which would be very bulky and impractical for those with limited space. Another factor that influences the significance of this project is beyond one's home; celiac disease brings a lot of social stress. By assuring there is limited or no cross-contamination from common kitchen appliances after customary washing, these individuals would be able to have some confidence when eating at friends' or families' homes. On the other end, if this research shows that there is cross-contamination with shared supplies it will highlight the need for dedicated ones to maintain a strict gluten-free diet. Just because a gluten-free recipe is used, a given dish may not be genuinely gluten free if there is contamination from cookware. Hazards and Concerns To fully understand the hazards of gluten contamination, a few things must first be established: What is gluten? Who is it harmful to? How and to what extent must it be avoided? How does cross-contamination occur? What is Gluten? The United States Food and Drug Association (FDA) have been trying to define "gluten" for years. The current proposed definition is, "the proteins that naturally occur in a ‘prohibited grain' that may cause adverse health effects in persons with celiac disease."(1) These prohibited grains are any species belonging to triticum, hordeum and secale or more commonly called respectively: wheat, barley, and rye, though other prohibited grains exist as hybrids of any of the three.(2) That being said, not all proteins in these three types of grains are toxic to those with celiac disease as there are two parts to glutens: prolamins, the immunotoxic ones, and glutenins, the safe ones.(3) The prolamins in the three main prohibited grains, wheat, barley, and rye, are gliadin, hordein, and secalin.(4) Who Does Gluten Harm? Gluten is toxic to certain individuals with celiac disease, an autoimmune disease that also goes by the names of: coeliac disease, celiac sprue, nontropical sprue, and gluten-sensitive enteropathy.(5) A Thomson Healthcare Company study estimated that up to 1.5 Million Americans, or one in 133 people, have celiac disease, though other individuals avoid gluten as well, such as those with gluten intolerance, or other ailments where a gluten-free diet is believed to lessen their symptoms.(6) This strict abstention from gluten is because celiac disease cannot be cured, or mediated with medication as yet. The only way to help those affected is by following this strict diet. How and to What Extent Must it be Avoided? Foods that contain wheat, rye, and barley, or any hybrid of these grains contain gluten. Gluten is a very common protein in foods, whether from bread, or as an additive to provide a thicker texture, such as in soups. This versatility makes processed foods, in the eyes of those on gluten-free (gluten-free) diets, something to be wary of. Because of this caution, companies want their products to be certified gluten-free, which according to the FDA calls for Despite current unknowns regarding contamination, a strict gluten-free diet must exclude all foods that contain gluten and minimize cross-contamination. This means from eating out, to staying in, gluten must be avoided. Topical products where gluten is added, such as in some lotions or body washes, should also be avoided. Despite the widespread use of gluten there are gluten-free grains and foods, such as beans, rice, millet, corn, amaranth, and soy. How Does Cross-contamination Occur? Cross-contamination is a term usually directed toward accidental spread of bacteria due to not cooking food, washing hands or materials. However, in this article it refers to the accidental transfer or content of gluten, the protein that is toxic to those with celiac disease. In my personal experience and research on celiac forums, when a member of a family goes gluten-free the family will most likely continue eating a regular diet. In addition, as the average time it takes to be diagnosed from the first onset of symptoms is 10 years in the United States, these families have kitchen supplies that they have been using with gluten.(8) With little public knowledge about celiac disease and going gluten-free, people tend to overlook cross-contamination. Theoretically, in the simple act of making a sandwich with gluten-free bread there are many different ways for it to become contaminated. For example, from a shared jar of peanut butter or jelly with crumbs accidentally getting into it and then dipped out onto the gluten-free bread, or crumbs on the surface it's prepared on sticking to the gluten-free bread. Research Investigation The investigation of common kitchen appliances that are frequently exposed to gluten and cleaned by customary sanitation techniques calls for the conduction of an enzyme linked immunoassay (ELISA) test when using them to prepare gluten-free food. Various well used kitchen appliances, wood and plastic cutting boards, cast iron skillets, both seasoned and unseasoned, Teflon and aluminum pans, and ceramic and glass bowls were contaminated with gluten, using whole wheat flour slurry, and then washed by their standard cleaning technique, either scrubbing with hot soapy water, or wiping with a paper towel and water. Afterward a certified gluten-free substance, in this case millet flour, was added and let sit to allow adherence of any gluten remaining on the ‘cleaned' surface. Figure 1 illustrates the extraction solutions that were made from the samples and injected into the Microwell plates with the anti-body coating and the various washes of the ELISA test. Then, the gliadin, if present, bound to the walls of the wells due to its antibody coating and the wells were washed to eliminate remaining parts in the well. Next, the enzyme Horseradish Peroxidase, or HRP enzyme, adheres post-injection to any gliadin present as an amplifier and is again washed to remove extra parts. Lastly, a 3,3', 5,5'-Tetramethylbenzidine, or TMB substrate was added which turns blue in the presence of a peroxidase, in this case the adhered HRP enzyme, which can only be there if there was gliadin to attach to. This color after a acid stop solution, which turns it yellow, is added is then assessed using a Microwell plate reader for its absorbency which, when compared with a standards curve made from known samples, by the company, will be used to determine the gluten content, in parts per million, of all the samples individually. Results Intuition may lead one to think that well developed standard cleaning techniques for most appliances, and the difficulty in transferring proteins to a gluten-free medium from a surface that has been cleaned, will make gluten cross-contamination unlikely. However, due to factors such as porosity and oiliness, some surfaces may harbor gluten. Typically, far less rigorous cleaning techniques are used on the seasoned cast iron skillet and it is very porous and oily so the gluten proteins have a better chance of binding to it and then transferring to a gluten free medium. Given the test results of the ELISA test, this is mostly true. Despite the logic being the same, and it being the intuitive most likely candidate for cross-contamination a different appliance with the same sanitation technique proved to exceed the gluten parts per million limit where as the cast iron did not. The only absorbency ratings from the samples that interpolated to be greater than the 20 ppm of gluten allowance were two extractions from the Teflon pan. All other ratings, including two other Teflon pan extractions, were below the limit. Conclusion Ninety-four percent of the sample extractions showed less than the 20 parts per million of gluten which is the threshold for something to be declared gluten-free. Teflon had half of its extractions above the limit, as such Teflon should be deemed cross-contaminated. However, the Teflon's other extraction samples had well below 20ppm. This could have been due to the sample's gluten free sample being rather large and thus only part of it could have gotten contaminated (positive cross-contamination) and other parts not (negative cross-contamination). All others samples were classified as gluten-free due to being below the 20ppm allowance. In conclusion, the values of gluten cross-contamination, in ppm, were too small to hinder the integrity of the gluten-free medium in all but Teflon. Thus, to the extent of the experiment done, having tested only eight different kitchen appliances, with only two different sanitation techniques, common kitchen appliances that are frequently exposed to gluten, can be cleaned by customary methods and used to prepare gluten-free food with the exception of Teflon appliances. This research project could be extended by more trials. For example, eight types of common kitchen appliance were used, but only one appliance was used to represent each type. More trials could be done within each type, using different brands, variations in extent of wear, etc. In addition, the only type of contaminant used was whole-wheat slurry. Other forms of contaminant should be tested as well, to show the universality of the cross-contamination, or lack thereof. This should include different gluten-containing substances, as well as some dry and some wet. Unfortunately, this research question will have exceptions as the extent of washing and wear on an appliance is a more subjective issue. This means that even if it is found on a larger scale that certain appliances have been found to be safe for producing gluten-free foods, it should still be avoided when possible for those with celiac disease as if not washed properly; it could go beyond the 20ppm allowance and be immunotoxic to these individuals. Vested interest is always a concern with research, and thus it must be pointed out that no company or university holds any interest in this project and no help was given financially or academically, only that The University of Detroit Mercy allowed me to use their lab for the duration of the experiment and Microwell plate reader. In addition, both sides of the results would prove beneficial, so the data were not interpreted with a bias toward any desired result. Eleanore Dara is a "rising scientist" and is an incoming biochemistry student on a Research Track Major at the University of Scranton in Pensnsylvania. References: "Questions and Answers on the Gluten-Free Labeling Proposed Rule." U S Food and Drug Administration. N.p., 23 Jan. 2007. Web. 31 Jan. 2011. https://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/Allergens/ucm362880.htm Ibid. Amaya-González, et al. "Amperometric Quantification of Gluten in Food Samples Using an ELISA Competitive Assay and Flow Injection Analysis." Electoanaylsis 23.1 (2010): 108+. Wiley Online Library. Web. 8 Mar. 2011. "What Is Gliadin? What Is Its Role In Gluten Sensitivity?." Gluten Free Around The World, Traditional Foods Make Eating an Adventure. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2012. http://www.gluten-free-around-the-world.com/gliadin.html Snyder, Cara et al. "Celiac Disease Coeliac Disease, Celiac Sprue, Nontropical Sprue, Gluten-Sensitive Enteropathy." The National Center for Biotechnology Information. N.p., 3 June 2008. Web. 31 Jan. 2011. Cerrato, Paul L. "Gluten Intolerance: more common than thought. (Complementary Therapies Update)." RN 66.8 (2003): 23. General One File. Web. 28 Mar. 2011. "Questions and Answers on the Gluten-Free Labeling Proposed Rule." U S Food and Drug Administration. N.p., 23 Jan. 2007. Web. 31 Jan. 2011. https://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/Allergens/ucm362880.htm Adams, Scott. "USA - Average Time to Diagnosis = 10 Years - Celiac.com." Celiac Disease & Gluten-free Diet Information at Celiac.com. Scott Adams, 26 July 1996. Web. 16 Feb. 2012.
  6. Hello everyone, My husband had his blood tested, with celiac disease suspected. He is currently doing the “gluten challenge,” and testing in the next week or so is expected to confirm his diagnosis. So, he’s been eating gluten-free since October. Since then, we’ve gotten much of the unnecessary gluten-containing items out of the kitchen (teriyaki sauces, bread, etc.) However, up until recently (his blood tests), we assumed an intolerance, and we didn’t think cross-contamination would be a concern. I’m actually not too fond of bread and pasta anyway, so I’m generally cool with the gluten-free diet. However, I’m not sure how easy a full-gluten-free kitchen will be, because we have a 16-month old daughter. While she’s not picky with her food by any means, she has seems to have already determined that the gluten-free pasta is “not food,” and definitely prefers regular macaroni. Also, my husband usually fixes her multi-grain cereal at breakfast, and I feel like the small flakes get EVERYWHERE. Sooo… is it completely necessary to get her favorite (glutened) food out of the kitchen? And what precautions do I need to take to avoid cross-contamination? I know the other day, I accidentally put a knife that touched a regular (flour) tortilla back into the mayo, thus contaminating the jar. Luckily, I noticed it, and we bought another jar… but I do have concerns that I may not always catch myself. Also, what about cleaning? If gluten touches a counter, will normal kitchen sprays/cleaners work? If gluten touches a pot/pan or spatula, does normal soap and water remove the gluten? Thanks for any advice you can give me!
  7. I have attached pictures of pieces of something that looks to me like rye snack chips that I found in my Great Value Wavy Lightly Salted Original Potato Chips (that are labeled (Gluten-Free). Does anyone know what these could be? I called Walmart and they had me send a piece to the manufacturer (Schearer's in Massillon, Ohio). It took a while to get an answer from them, but after calling back for the third time several months later, I was told by Walmart that Schearer's concluded that it was just potato starch. Does anyone here know what potato starch looks like. To me, the dark chips look porous like bread. They are also much thicker than the potato chips. If it is a gluten containing food, I just wanted to warn people here. I have my doubts that the Schearer's facility has adequate training and other measures to prevent accidental cross-contamination. This may have been a freak accident or I could be wrong about what the dark porous chips are, but I would recommend avoiding their products till this can be further clarified. https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51389423151_224bf86726_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51390160469_ae094e22b4_b.jpg https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51390163249_f2de8d5ca9_b.jpg

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  9. Celiac.com 11/09/2020 - Most people with celiac disease attempt to follow a gluten-free diet. There have been a few studies that indicate that people with celiac disease are regularly exposed to gluten. However, there isn't much good data on the subject. Limited data on real world gluten exposure presents a major roadblock to better knowledge and improved treatment for celiac disease. In an effort to change that, a team of researchers recently set out to estimate gluten exposure on a gluten-free diet using immunoassays for gluten immunogenic peptides (GIP) and to examine relationships among GIP detection, symptoms and suspected gluten exposures. The research team included Jocelyn A. Silvester; Isabel Comino; Lisa N. Rigaux; Veronica Segura; Kathy H. Green; Angel Cebolla; Dayna Weiten; Remedios Dominguez; Daniel A. Leffler; Francisco Leon; Charles N. Bernstein; Lesley A. Graff; Ciaran P. Kelly; Carolina Sousa; Donald R. Duerksen. For their study, the research team recruited adults with biopsy-confirmed celiac disease on a gluten-free diet for two years. Participants kept a diary and collected urine samples for 10 days and stools on days 4–10. They also saved samples of any food they ate during the first 7 days. The researchers then used A1/G12 ELISA to quantify gluten in food, stool and urine. A total of six male and 12 female gluten-free celiac patients completed the study, along with three participants on a gluten-containing diet. Twelve out of 18 celiac patients showed an average of 2.1 mg of gluten per exposure. Individual amounts ranged from 0.2 mg to more than 80 mg. Most gluten exposure was asymptomatic and unsuspected. Most test subjects could not identify when they had eaten gluten. Time between gluten ingestion and excretion varied greatly among individuals. The amount of gluten consumed varied widely, but was typically in the milligram range, which is about 10–100 times less than the amount consumed by people on a non-gluten-free diet. This study shows that people with celiac disease have trouble avoiding gluten entirely, and that they are regularly exposed to various amounts of gluten, usually without symptoms or awareness. Moreover, due to individual variability in the time it takes to excrete gluten from the body, it's very difficult to determine specific exposure times and amounts. The fact that the exposure is almost always silent and asymptomatic, reinforces the findings of a number of previous studies that have pointed out that most people with celiac disease are simply poor judges of gluten-exposure in their own bodies. Studies like this help people with celiac disease to better understand the real world challenges of living with celiac disease and attempting to follow a strict gluten-free diet. These results also reinforce the potential benefits of oral enzymes like AN-PEP to offset the adverse effects of ongoing gluten exposure for people with celiac disease. Clearly further study is needed to determine more details about levels of gluten exposure in would-be gluten-free celiac patients, and ways to help guard against such exposure over time. Read more in Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2020;52(9):1469-1479. The researchers are variously affiliated with the Harvard Medical School Celiac Research Program, Boston, MA, USA; the Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; The Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA; the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada; the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Seville, Seville, Spain; the St Boniface Hospital, Winnipeg, MB, Canada; the Biomedal S.L., Seville, Spain; the Grace General Hospital, Winnipeg, MB, Canada; and with Glutenostics LLC, New Jersey, NJ, USA.
  10. Celiac.com 02/25/2019 - Even when following a gluten-free diet, many people with celiac disease occasionally ingest small amounts of gluten in food. However, researchers don’t have much good data on how that plays out in real life. Testing patient stool and urine is an excellent way to measure the frequency of gluten exposure in celiac patients who are on a gluten-free diet. To get a better picture, a team of researchers recently set out to explore the pattern of fecal and urinary excretion of gluten immunogenic peptide (GIP) during a 4-week period in celiac patients on a long-term gluten-free diet. The research team included Juan P Stefanolo; Martín Tálamo; Samanta Dodds; Emilia Sugai; Paz Temprano; Ana Costa, Ana; María Laura Moreno; María Inés Pinto Sanchez; Edgardo Smecuol; Horacio Vázquez; Andrea F Gonzalez; Sonia I Niveloni; Elena F Verdu; Eduardo Mauriño; and Julio C Bai. They are variously affiliated with the Dr. C. Bonorino Udaondo Gastroenterology Hospital, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Argentina.; the Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute, McMaster University Health Sciences Centre, Hamilton, ON, Canada; and with the Research Institutes at the Universidad del Salvador, Buenos Aires, Argentina. For their descriptive and prospective study, the team enrolled consecutive adult celiac patients who had been following a gluten-free diet for more than two years. All participants filled out a celiac symptom index (CSI) questionnaire to document related symptoms. Patients collected stool and urine samples for 4 weeks. The team designed the collection protocol to measure gluten excretion during week-days and week-ends. For GIP detection, the team used ELISA test for stool (iVYLISA GIP-S ®, Biomedal S.L. Spain) and point-of-care tests (GlutenDetect ®; Biomedal S.L., Spain) for urine. The team found that, regardless of symptoms, celiac patients on a long-term gluten-free diet frequently ingested gluten, especially on weekends. The steady increase in GIP over the month-long study indicate that people may be less vigilant about eating gluten-free, especially on weekends. This study indicates that many people with celiac disease are lowering their vigilance, and accidentally or deliberately eating gluten, whether or not they have symptoms. These results drive home the importance of constant vigilance for people with celiac disease. Source: Digestive Disease Week 2019
  11. How do you recover from mysterious gluten contamination? My guts won't wake up despite hot liquids, stewed vegetables, broth & yogurt (goat)....many days later. Doesn't drive you crazy when you cannot sleuth out how you were glutened? I'm 56, teach high school and been gluten-free for 3 years. Thank you!
  12. Celiac.com 02/02/2017 - Scientists have devised a universal gluten cross-contamination checklist they hope will help to reduce gluten contamination in the food services industries. The newly created food services checklist was compiled after an extensive literature review, input from 11 different experts with PhDs and experience with food services and/or gluten and celiac issues, along with documents from various organizations such as the Gluten-Free Certification Program from the Canadian Celiac Association. The final checklist consists of 88 items divided into 12 sections, which cover everything from building and facilities maintenance, cleaning and ventilation, to employee clothing and hygiene, to food production and transport. The checklist also includes a robust section on planning and communication with an eye toward maintaining a gluten-free facility and supporting gluten-free customers. The tool is notable in that it is the first comprehensive checklist designed to promote a proper understanding of the issues across all manufacturing and food production processes. All of which make it, "an interesting tool since it helps to assure proper understanding of the items, which is crucial for the correct evaluation of conformities/non-conformities situations in loco and ultimately might impact the safety of the food produced in certain establishments," according to the authors. Such an understanding is crucial for making correct on-site assessments of conformities/non-conformities. Properly employed, the checklist might impact, and ultimately improve the safety of gluten-free food across the entire industry. Read more at: mdpi.com and cantechletter.com
  13. Celiac.com 10/26/2018 - Did you know that a new study shows people with celiac disease are more likely to suffer nerve damage? Jonas E. Ludvigsson, a clinical epidemiology Professor in Sweden, discovered that women with celiac disease are 2.5 times more likely to develop neuropathy or nerve damage. There is a real association between celiac disease and nerve damage. "We have precise risk assessments in a way we haven't had before" he stated last year. Yet even Sweden has its quandaries. 60% of women in Sweden who have celiac disease have neuropathy and they do not totally know why! Statistics vary from country to country, and even vary between specialists within that country. Nerve damage is no laughing matter, it presents with numbness and tingling of exterior areas (extremities). Basically, numbness in the nerve endings of the fingers and toes and other frustrating areas. Just try picking up pencils, or something hot out of the oven. If you do not feel the heat you will know that you may have nerve damage. Following a rigid gluten-free diet, however, can alleviate this problem to a certain degree, and that is why we keep repeating the mantra: “Eat Clean & Gluten-Free!” However, sometimes accidents happen, and people who have celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, or dermatitis herpetiformis get exposed to gluten. How to Recover From Accidental Gluten Exposure Kathy Holdman, M.S., R.N. and Certified Nutritional Therapist lists numerous ways to recover after gluten exposure. You need to take into account the amount of gluten exposure, length of time from last exposure, degree of gluten intolerance present, health of the digestive tract, existing inflammation or infection in the body and overall health status. Some people say they can recover in a few days, others say they may experience significant setbacks in their health that lasts weeks to months. For those with positive celiac disease it may take years for complete healing of the small intestine after gluten exposure, although "outward symptoms" may resolve sooner. Nurse Holdman suggests the following 10 tips to help alleviate symptoms from gluten exposure, and hopefully speed up recovery: Drink plenty of water, and this cannot be emphasized enough. Water is an essential nutrient for every cell in the body for proper function. Many people live in a state of chronic dehydration, which of course results in constipation. Then they take something to rid themselves of constipation and take too much and lose potassium, magnesium and throw out the balance of the salts in their body. When you have celiac disease you learn something new every week. Last week an Internist told me, after incurring my second bladder infection in eight weeks, that it could possibly be from the diarrhea following being glutened, and not totally washing myself. That made me a little sick just thinking about it. But, she told me an interesting fact about urinary tract infections and celiac disease. Celiacs do incur more frequent urinary tract infections due to more frequent diarrhea, no matter how meticulously clean we are. Taking four or five "Craisins" with each meal several times a day can limit the amount of bladder infections. I told her that I was also taking Cranberry tablets and she told me to throw them out because they are "useless." She said that you do not need to buy fresh cranberries, as they are "sour and expensive." Just buy a bag of the dried Craisins and eat some either before or after meals. Ingredients in the pure dried cranberries helps prevent bladder infections from occurring. Studies done in several Nursing Homes where many incontinent patients lived were given five Craisins either alone or in a salad twice daily and the decrease in urinary tract infections was nothing less than amazing. Get extra sleep and rest. Sleep is the time your body repairs itself. Avoid strenuous exercise, (the type that causes you to sweat). Exercise in moderation is what I think she wants to tell us. Drink bone broth. It is rich in minerals and gelatin and other nutrients that are soothing to the digestive system and nourishing to the entire body. Another health benefit of bone broth is hydration, and the more liquid intake the better. You can dress up bone broth with onions and garlic to improve the taste. Take epson salt baths. They contain magnesium, a mineral that can help the body to relax. The sulphate minerals found in Epson Salts are detoxifying, and they can stimulate the lymphatic system and support the immune system. Nurse Holdman also urges us to take digestive enzymes which can help modulate the symptoms of celiac disease. Take digestive enzymes. If taken immediately following the accidental consumption of gluten, some people believe that digestive enzymes can help to modulate the symptoms of celiac disease. It is well known that digestive enzymes soothe the stomach lining and ease the abdominal pain. Drink ginger or peppermint tea. They are both known to help relieve nausea and can be soothing to the digestive system. Drink a cup if you are having nausea or other gastrointestinal symptoms. Take activated charcoal. It is an over-the-counter-supplement that may be beneficial if taken immediately after an attack. It helps by binding with the offending food and preventing it from being absorbed into the body. This supplement can bind with medications so be sure to consult your licensed health care professional prior to taking it, especially if you take medications for other diseases or conditions. Eat fermented foods. Who knew!? Possibly the Koreans and their staple Kim Chi, or the Ukrainians/Romanians with their fermented red cabbage coleslaw of course! Fermented foods are high in nutrients that nourish the entire body. Start out with a small amount of fermented food and slowly increase it. Drink nettle leaf tea. It is an antispasmodic with antihistamine properties. It can help relieve muscle and joint pain, and relax your body naturally. Neither gluten intolerance nor celiac disease are mediated by histamine, but some people report that nettle leaf can help relieve symptoms of rash and itching following gluten exposure. It is a gentle diuretic and can be detoxifying. So if you experience dehydration symptoms it is time to drink more water. Get acupuncture treatments. It may relieve inflammation, especially in the abdominal area, and it can be relaxing. Only you can tell how many treatments are beneficial, and you need to take into consideration the cost factor because most health insurance plans do not cover acupuncture. Tips to Help People with Dermatitis Herpetiformis Recover from Accidental Gluten Exposure A suggestion from Me: If you have itching from dermatitis herpetaformis, try Scalpacin. I have been using it for years and nothing stops the itching in such a short time span. Once the sores start to appear, even just a slight "itch" is like a doorbell warning you ahead of time. I apply Scalpacin lotion, which is not a cream, but is a clear liquid. At first it stings but that is how I know that I have an impending outbreak. It is a non-fragrant liquid. You can use it on your scalp without totally ruining your hair style. Don't wash you hair with it, search out the spots, or, if you have a partner, they may be able to help you with the sores in your scalp, and you can point out itchy areas. For dermatitis herpetiformis itch you can also try a mix of baking soda and water by making it into a paste. This is not great for your scalp and hair, but it will ease the itching. It can be a little messy when it dries and the white powder flakes off on your floors, but you do not have to use it for hours at a time; it is a temporary method for temporary relief. You can also ask your physician if he or she will prescribe the prescription drug "Atarax" for you. It is a strong allergy medication and must be taken exactly as directed. It really helps the itch, but it can be sedating, especially when first trying it. Don't over-use the prescribed dosage. I would not suggest driving a car while taking Atarax, but if the itching, scabbing and bleeding have become so severe it definitely is the one allergy medication that helps with the itching from dermatitis herpetiformis. I have tried Benadryl, Claritin and other over the counter allergy medications, and nothing works as well as Atarax. Talk to your family physician about a prescription and read the instructions carefully. Hopefully these tips will prove helpful in the unfortunate event that you ever get cross-contaminated by gluten. I certainly hope this never happens to you!
  14. Celiac.com 10/17/2018 - In the interviews I conducted last year, the Celiac.com viewers shared with me some disturbing stories about how others either sabotaged their gluten-free diet or how their gluten-free requirements are continually scrutinized and doubted. Here are a few examples: A co-worker at my office ate a gluten-containing burrito and thought it would be funny to cross-contaminate my work space. With his gluten-coated hands, he touched my phone, desk, pencils, pens, etc. while I was not at my desk. I came back and was contaminated. I had to take several days off of work from being so sick. The waiter at a restaurant where I was eating dinner asked me if I was really “a celiac” or if I was avoiding gluten as a “fad dieter.” He told me the food was gluten-free when he served it, only to come up to me after I ate the dinner and admit there was “a little” gluten in it. My cleaning people were eating Lorna Doones (gluten-containing cookies) while cleaning my gluten-free kitchen, cross-contaminating literally everything in it. When I noticed I exclaimed, “I am allergic to gluten, please put your cookies in this plastic bag and wash your hands.” They chided, “You have insulted our food. We are hungry and we will eat anything we want to, when we want to.” At a family dinner, Aunt Suzie insisted that I try her special holiday fruit bread. In front of everyone around the table, she brushed off my protests and insisted that I over exaggerated my food sensitivities saying, “a little bit wouldn’t hurt you.” These are but a few of an exhaustive list of situations that we regularly contend with. What can possibly be the rationale for any of this conduct? I’m providing some recent headlines that may impact the attitudes of those we interact with and would like to hear what you think influence this behavior (see questions below). Recently, the New York Times published an article entitled, “The Myth of Big, Bad Gluten.” The title alone casts doubt on the severity of gluten exposure for those with CD (Myth, 2015) In his political campaign, Senator Ted Cruz stated that if elected President, he would not provide gluten-free meals to the military, in order to direct spending toward combat fortification (Wellness, 2/18/16). Business Insider.com called Tom Brady’s gluten, dairy free diet “insane” (Brady, 2017). Michael Pollen is quoted as saying that the gluten-free diet was “social contagion.” Further, he says, “There are a lot of people that hear from their friends, ‘I got off gluten and I sleep better, the sex is better, and I’m happier,’ and then they try it and they feel better too. [It’s] the power of suggestion” (Pollan, 2014). Jimmy Kimmel said, “Some people can’t eat gluten for medical reasons… that I get. It annoys me, but that I get,” and proceeded to interview people following a gluten-free diet, asking them “what is gluten.” Most interviewed did not know what gluten is. (ABC News, 2018). Do headlines like this enable others to malign those of us making our dietary needs known? Do these esteemed people talking about gluten cast doubt on what we need to survive? Humans are highly influenced by others when it comes to social eating behavior. Higgs (2015) asserts that people follow “eating norms” (p. 39) in order to be liked. Roth, et al. (2000) found that people consumed similar amounts of food when eating together. Batista and Lima (2013) discovered that people consumed more nutritious food when eating with strangers than when eating with familiar associates. These studies indicate that we are hypersensitive of what others think about what we eat. One can surmise that celebrity quips could also influence food-related behaviors. Part of solving a social problem is identifying the root cause of it, so please weigh in by answering the following questions: How do you handle scrutiny or sabotage of others toward your dietary requirements? Please speculate on what cultural, religious or media influences you suppose contribute to a rationalization for the sabotage and/or scrutiny from others when we state we are observing a gluten-free diet? Are people emulating something they heard in church, seen on TV, or read online? We welcome your answers below. References: ABC. (2018). Retrived from https://abcnews.go.com/Health/video/jimmy-kimmel-asks-what-is-gluten-23655461 Batista, M. T., Lima. M. L. (2013). Who’s eating what with me? Indirect social influence on ambivalent food consumption. Psicologia: Reflexano e Critica, 26(1), 113-121. Brady. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/tom-brady-gisele-bundchen-have-an-insane-diet-2017-2 Higgs, S. (2015). Social norms and their influence on eating behaviors. Appetite 86, 38-44. Myth. (2015). Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/05/opinion/sunday/the-myth-of-big-bad-gluten.html Pollan, M. (2014). Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/14/michael-pollan-gluten-free_n_5319357.html Roth, D. A., Herman, C. P., Polivy, J., & Pliner, P. (2000). Self-presentational conflict in social eating situations: A normative perspective. Appetite, 26, 165-171. Wellness. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ted-cruz-gluten-free-military-political-corectness_us_56c606c3e4b08ffac127f09f
  15. Celiac.com 10/15/2018 - If you’re on a gluten-free diet for medical reasons, then you’re probably already cautious about eating out. A new study tells us exactly why people with celiac disease and other gluten-sensitive conditions have reason to be very careful about eating out. According to the latest research, one in three foods sold as "gluten-free" in U.S. restaurants actually contain trace levels of gluten. This is partly due to the fact that the gluten-free diet has become popular with many non-celiacs and others who have no medical need for the diet. That has led many restaurants to offer gluten-free foods to their customers, says study author Dr. Benjamin Lebwohl, of Columbia University's Celiac Disease Center. But, if this research is any indication, too many restaurants don’t do a good job with gluten-free. For the study, more than 800 investigators set out to assess the true gluten content of dishes listed as "gluten-free" on menus. Armed with portable gluten sensors, they tested for gluten levels that met or exceeded 20 parts per million, the standard cutoff for any gluten-free claim. Based on more than 5,600 gluten tests over 18 months, the investigators determined that 27 percent of gluten-free breakfast meals actually contained gluten. At dinner time, this figure hit 34 percent. The rise could reflect a steady increase in gluten contamination risk as the day unfolds, the researchers said. Off course, the risk is not all equal. Some restaurants are riskier than others. Unsurprisingly, the biggest culprit seems to be restaurants that offer gluten-free pastas and pizzas. Nearly half of the pizza and pasta dishes from those establishments contained gluten, according to the study. Why is that? Well, as most folks with celiac disease know all too well, kitchens aren’t really set up to segregate gluten, and "sharing an oven with gluten-containing pizza is a prime setting for cross-contamination," says Lebwohl. Also, too many restaurants use the same water to cook gluten-free pasta as they do for regular pasta, which contaminates the gluten-free pasta and defeats the purpose. Moreover, although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates gluten-free labels on packaged food products, there is currently no federal oversight of gluten-free claims in restaurants. The results of the study will be presented today at a meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology, in Philadelphia. Research presented at meetings is usually considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal. In the absence of federal enforcement at the restaurant level, the burden for making sure food is gluten-free falls to the person doing the ordering. So, gluten-free eaters beware! These results are probably not surprising to many of you. Do you have celiac disease? Do you eat in restaurants? Do you avoid restaurants? Do you have special tactics? Feel free to share your thoughts below. Read more at UPI.com
  16. Celiac.com 10/04/2018 - Do a reality check. Remember, this is a choice you have to commit to. If you want to feel lousy for the rest of your life and potentially get worse as time goes on, that’s your choice—but I wouldn’t recommend it for many reasons. The goal is 100 percent. Yes, it is a process, but the ultimate goal is to be 100 percent free of gluten and any other food allergens and intolerances. This is the only way your body will heal, so let’s start the healing journey! Did you know that, as we mentioned earlier, once the gluten intolerant body is exposed to the tiniest amount of gluten it sets off your B cells, which causes an inflammatory response that can take several months to calm down? That’s why the goal is 100 percent. For some food intolerances, such as eggs, for example, you would want to wait at least three to six months then bring them back in and retest to see how the body responds. This is a sensitive experiment, so please work with someone who specializes in this area. As far as gluten, based on what I know and have seen, there is no reason to ever go back to eating wheat. Give it time. Healing takes time. I’ve been on my gluten free journey for more than ten years now, and I have to say I have never purposely eaten gluten but I can sure tell when I get cross-contamination. I’m one of those people who is all in—100 percent—once I make up my mind on something. I guess if you have been seriously ill for a while like I was, you will do what it takes to be healthy again. For some, that’s not the case; it takes many tries to get there and that’s okay, as long as the long-term goal is always in mind. If you are better with shorter-term goal setting, do a sixty-day challenge. Within this time frame you will notice the brain fog getting better. Your body will start adjusting to a healthy weight. In most cases, you will lose the bloating and weight around your middle, as it is typically linked to dysbiosis (overgrowth of harmful bacteria). One of my patients who has celiac disease was overweight by at least forty pounds. She carried most of the extra weight in her midsection. She was only about twenty years old at the time and was having skin rashes, dizzy spells, and nausea. We got her off gluten and within a few months she was a new person. She lost all the extra weight and her skin cleared up. She had no more dizzy spells and now looks amazing! She is committed and can definitely tell when her body gets cross-contaminated with gluten. Don’t be discouraged if it takes a little longer than expected to feel 100 percent. Think of peeling that onion one layer at a time. That’s the journey to wellness I tell my patients about continually. A general rule is: for every year you deal with a health issue, it takes at least a month to start healing. Because everyone is unique, it could take longer for you or it could happen a lot sooner than you think: for example, I spoke with a woman who lost seventy pounds in just a few months after going gluten free and has kept it off for years. And I had one patient who went off gluten and his headaches went away immediately! However, it happens for you, it’s worth it! For me, it took a while because I had so many layers to work through. But I will say, I was seeing a lot better and my eyes started healing within a few months. When I went back to the eye doctor he was blown away at the difference and asked what I had done. I told him I went off gluten for starters! You should have seen the confused look in his eyes. That was the beginning of my amazing journey. Keep a food journal. You may need to keep a food journal for a week or two if you don’t have one already. It doesn’t have to be time consuming. A one-page journal example is included at the end of this book—or you can download one of many different journaling apps on your smart phone or do it online. When working with my patients, I find reviewing their journals to be a very useful tool. The key is to keep track of what you’re eating and how you feel, which is especially important for those who do not get food intolerance panels done. Journaling helps you stay in tune with what you put in our body on a daily basis. It also helps identify the foods that work for you and that offer optimal healing—I call these the medicine foods. We tie emotions into the journals because anxiety is often related to food sensitivity. To take your journal to another level, include environmental influences such as mold exposure, seasonal flare ups, body care products, cleaning products, etc. This is part of a home revamp which we will talk about below. Stick to whole foods to heal the gut. We have options depending on how much inflammation is going on in the gut and, quite honestly, how fast we want to heal. I suggest you drop bakery goods as well as all processed foods and sugar for a while to allow your gut to heal. Eating cooked foods in addition to drinking a quality bone broth is very healing to the gut. This helps calm things down when we are inflamed. A lot of raw foods are awesome but the body has to work hard at digesting them— which isn’t a bad thing, unless you have some inflammation going on in the gut. So, take it easy on raw foods for a while. The Recipes section has some good recipes that use functional ingredients. Treat yourself to exotic organic dark chocolate that is GF. Look for 70 percent or higher. Dark chocolate is full of antioxidants. The darker the chocolate, the less sugar. Keep in mind that chocolate is on the cross-reactive list, in case you have a reaction to it. Some raw treats such as kale chips are a much better choice than potato chips or crackers. I will say when I give into chips I opt for the non-GMO ones that are either baked or cooked in coconut oil. Be on the lookout for healthy meals on your current menus or the menus of friends and family that are naturally gluten free—roasted chicken (without seasoning), baked sweet potatoes and steamed veggies, for example—and make them a staple on your new menus. Surf the internet, watch cooking shows, and browse magazines for ideas you can adapt as you see fit. Karmic Health (www.karmic-health.com) has a great resource and links page with a list of gluten free food companies, blogs, and recipe sites under Holistic Resources. We also have a recipe page. Go through your pantry and refrigerator at home. Make a list of foods and meals already in your diet that are gluten free. Be sure to list condiments, produce, snacks, and other foods. This list will be helpful as you create menus around your new restrictions, and will give you encouragement that you’re already on the right track and have choices! We have a great video under the Media page on www.karmic-health.com with yours truly talking about optimal foods. At the same time, clear out all foods that have gluten, wheat, wheat flour, oats, oat flour, rye, semolina, or modified food starch as an ingredient. If in doubt, throw it away. If you have family members living with you who will not go gluten free, you might consider giving the offending edibles to them to be put in another part of the house while you learn to live and think gluten free. This step becomes very important if you are dealing with celiac disease. With that being said, your toaster can be a problem if you are sharing it with someone who is not gluten free. They do have toaster bags you can purchase to protect your gluten free bread. I personally don’t have gluten in my house—it’s just my husband and myself, which is obviously a lot easier than having a large family. Do what you can to protect yourself. The same goes for pots and pans and utensils. More on this in the cross-contamination section. The goal is to cook for the entire family without using gluten. Most of the time they won’t be able to tell the difference—and they may be surprised they actually like gluten free, healthy meals. They will feel better and the taste might pleasantly surprise them. Ideally, the whole family will join you on this journey from the beginning—at the least at home. We can’t always control how they’ll eat outside the house. In most cases, once everyone understands the importance of going gluten free and its potential for healing, they will be on board. I don’t have any gluten or cow dairy in my house and my husband is fine with it—not to mention a lot healthier because of it. He does have his cheats occasionally, but he does pay for it with a swollen belly. Give yourself permission to eat things you may have restricted from your diet before your diagnosis, as long as you are not experiencing inflammation. Tortilla chips or cookies may not be appropriate for some people, but they are a treat in a GF diet—in small doses, of course. This becomes important with children. As soon as you can get comfortable, opt for healthier snacks. The Recipes section includes some great treats for both kids and adults, as well as a list of wonderful recipe blogs you can find on the internet. The sooner you can get to using functional ingredients, the more quickly you will heal. I see a lot of people in social media groups posting their gluten free food options, but honestly, a lot of those may be unhealthy and full of other inflammatory ingredients. Be careful. An excerpt from Sandi Star’s book Beyond Gluten – A Healing Transition walks you through healthy steps in going gluten free.
  17. I was diagnosed with celiac disease about 2.5 years ago and was living alone at the time. I went gluten-free and lived in a completely gluten free house. I was asympotomatic when diagnosed but noticed improved health, energy, skin, mood, etc. after going gluten free and as time has gone on, it has been worth it to stick to the diet. But I still battle with frustration and anger in social situations where I cannot join others in eating some of my former favorite foods (pizza, bagels, Chinese, etc.). For the most part, I just avoided scenarios like that and was happier for doing so. Now, about a month ago, I moved in with my elderly father to take care of him as my mother has had to go into a nursing home. He loves his bagels and bread and is very messy, making my new living quarters covered in crumbs. I have expressed to him the importance of keeping gluten products contained to avoid cross-contamination but it seems no matter how I explain it to him, he doesn’t understand the importance and thinks I’m over-reacting. He says he doesn’t let the knife touch the bread when he’s putting peanut butter on it, or cream cheese on a bagel, so double dipping isn’t ruining anything. I have bought separate containers of these products now, all labeled gluten-free so he doesn’t contaminate them but I’m not sure I trust he is reading my labels. I have put his bread in a tray and provided another tray that I instructed him to only prepare foods on the contained area, but since I’ve been here, not a day has gone by that I haven’t seen crumbs on every surface. Although my celiac disease was asymptomatic when diagnosed, after years of living gluten-free, I can now notice the negative effects living in a gluten house. My skin has been awful, I’ve been getting headaches (including one migraine that lasted 3 days!), I’m always tired, the brain fog has made it hard to concentrate on anything, and I’ve been so depressed I can literally burst into tears at any moment for no damn reason. When I talk about feeling bad, my family says I’m being dramatic and I’m probably only depressed because my mother is in the nursing home. While yes, my mothers health is upsetting, she’s been declining for years and I’m definitely saddened by it, but this feeling of depression now does not feel tied to that. Or anything really. I don’t feel sad about anything in particular, except feeling misunderstood by my family, if anything. Sorry for the long rant, but I’m feeling hopeless. Does anyone have any advice on how to educate the elderly on this? Or how to help sensitize a family to one person’s needs? Is it possible to teach an old dog new tricks? I don’t want to take away my fathers bread, but I will also not be able to take care of him if I’m stuck in bed with migraines and depression. How can I find balance here??
  18. Hi, my boyfriend has Celiac's, and therefore we have separate toasters (his for gluten-free bread, mine for gluten bread). The other day, I made a slight mistake: I put one slice of gluten bread in his toaster. I didn't toast it (realized the mistake right away and took the slice out, so there shouldn't be incrusted crumbs everywhere inside), but it did definitely go in the bread slot. Is there a way to clean the toaster so that he can keep using it, or should we just get a new one? I am sort of hoping that by using the toaster on gluten-free bread several times, maybe whatever gluten is on the toaster will "stick to" the gluten-free bread, and that the toaster will then be usable again; or something of the kind. Thanks!
  19. I am always amused by the argument that one grain or another is more likely to be contaminated than another, as I believe the real source of danger for contamination is found at mills and processing plants, and is more or less spread out equally for most gluten-free grains. Oats are often cited as having a higher chance of cross-contamination with wheat than other grains because it is often a rotational crop with wheat or barley, and kernels of these gluten-containing grains occasionally get mixed with the non-gluten grains. I do not understand why the same people who make this claim do no also include soy in this category, as it is one of the crops that is most commonly rotated with wheat. In any case, from the knowledge that I have gathered over the years about farming and processing grains, I must say that with most grains there is little likelihood of contamination due to the mixing of two different whole grains (i.e., the rotational crop hypothesis). This is due to the different sizes and shapes of different grains, and the machines which sort them after a harvest. If any grains do get mixed together the amount of actual contamination would likely be extremely low. In Trevor Pizzeys (Vice President of Operations for Can-Oat Milling) October 30, 1998 letter he expresses his belief that celiacs should avoid oats because he finds between 2.1 and 4.1 kernels of barley or wheat in every 4,000 (0.0525% and 0.1025% respectively). He says that this level can legally go up to a maximum level of 10 kernels per 4,000 (0.25%). In either of these scenarios we are talking about very low amounts. Even at these amounts the likelihood that a celiac eating these grains would eat 1 or 2 kernels of wheat or barley on a given day would be very, very low. Also, since most people who eat oatmeal tend to eat the whole oatmeal as a hot cereal, which means they can take very simple additional precautions to make their chances of eating any kernels of wheat or barley practically zero. The obvious way to do this is to look at the oats before you eat them or mill them and pull out any kernels that are of non-oat type. Now we turn to the other part of the argument to scare people away from grains that, taken by themselves, do not cause harm to people with celiac disease. This is the wheat dust in the mill (or during transport, or somewhere else) argument. There are many reasons, both health and safety, why mills take steps to keep dust levels down. Dust contamination is still possible, but I think we are also talking about even lower amounts that we were with the occasional kernel of wheat that pops up in oats, although there is no data that I know of to back this up. I think with whole oats (i.e., oatmeal) people can reduce any possible risk of wheat-dust contamination to almost zero by rinsing off their oats well with water before cooking or milling them. The famous oat study that was done in Finland and published in the NEJM used a source of non-contaminated oats to eliminate any possible factors that could ruin the results of their long and expensive study. It is possible that they could have used regular, uncontrolled Quaker oats for their study and gotten the same results, but again, the reasons for not doing so were to eliminate any possible factors that might affect the results of their study. This is the scientific process, and it is important with any study to eliminate any possible factors which could affect the outcome of the study. Last, there is a danger of contamination which comes from unclean equipment at mills, and at processing plants. This danger is present with any gluten-free grain, bean, etc., that is milled using the same equipment as is used to mill a gluten-containing grain. In other words we cannot speak of only oats with regard to this issue, as rice flour, soy flour, etc., could be contaminated equally in this way. Aside from legislation to require cleaning between milling runs, those who are worried about this need to buy flours from mills which they have researched and found to be gluten-free, or ones that adequately clean their equipment between runs. I think contamination issues are real, but need to be put in perspective with regard to other, perhaps more important issues, like labeling laws and getting agreement between the major celiac organizations in this country with regard to which grains are safe. See Also: Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Dec. 1997 v97n12p1413(4). Do oats belong in a gluten-free diet? by Tricia Thompson.
  20. From Brian Kuhl (bkuhl@dantec.com) of Dantec Corp. - Waterloo, ON, Canada (Celiac.com 06/12/2000) I work for a company that supplies computerized control equipment to the grain handling industry. I have been in grain elevators across Canada and the US. I have limited experience with flour mills. Virtually all grains and bean crops are contaminated, their is little economic incentive for the elevators to fix this problem as most often a small amount of a less expensive crop is contaminating a more expensive one. I have even seen elevators intentionally contaminate certain high price commodities (i.e. bean crops), though to be fair most of this is removed by cleaning equipment at the mills. And if the allowable limits are exceeded the train-car or transport-truck will be rejected by the mill and sent back to the elevator at a considerable expense. Since all grains are moved by the same equipment and this metal equipment is forever wearing out allowing small amounts of amounts of grain to spill into the holding area for another. Also the same equipment is used to move different grains, it is possible for a truck carrying one grain to dump into the same elevating equipment that was just used to carry another, a certain amount of residue is left in even the most well maintained equipment. As someone with mild wheat intolerance (I have never been tested for celiac), I do not worry about this. The intolerance is not an allergic reaction, the miniscule amounts of gluten I would encounter from this sort of thing is miniscule, and I have never had a symptomatic reaction to any oat product. But I am forever reacting to restaurant food that has been dusted with flour, or potato soups that have been thickened with flour. My worst experience is when I was served cream-of-wheat as oatmeal.
  21. The following is a post by Steve Martin (Lucaya@AOL.COM) who has a B.S. in Milling Science, and 10+ years of experience in real world milling, and another 7+ in grain moving and storage. I have been reading with some interest the discussion about oats and cross contamination. The grain storage/transporting infrastructure in the US virtually promises cross contamination of grains. Cleaning processes can separate grains with large size and shape differences. For instance, at the flourmill I use to work at, the wheat would come in with about 0.5% corn and soybeans mixed in, but because of the size difference, they were easy to remove. Oats and wheat, on the other hand, are close to the same size, and much more difficult to remove. I have not worked directly at an oat processing facility, and do not know how well they clean the grains before processing. Some mills I have worked at had the equipment to separate wheat and oats and some did not. I would think that oat mills would be the same. I do know that we will not eat any oat products.
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