A recent study found that 30% of American adults are tempted to try a gluten-free diet – the highest percentage since the consumer research firm, NDP Group, began following the trend in 2009. All healthy eating “habits” seem to go through cycles. From low-fat diets, to avoiding carbohydrates on Atkins, over 100 years of dieting has certainly seen the ebb and flow of what is deemed “healthful” eating. Interestingly enough, the health fad of today seems to be the gluten-free diet.

But, as I’ve mentioned on this blog before, is this trend in “losing weight” on a GF diet really about cutting out the gluten, or is it more about dumping the processed foods that are so often saturated or cross-contaminated with the dreaded protein?

It is no secret to Celiacs that going gluten-free is often about more than just swapping out wheat bread for gluten-free bread. Though it’s great there are some viable gluten-free products out there (especially when kids have to go without the flour), the reason many people are able to heal their Click to continue reading »

Join us in voting for your favorite gluten-free products! We’re happy to announce that voting is now open in our third annual Best of Gluten-Free Awards.

These awards provide recognition and thanks to the best gluten-free products on the market and let the manufacturers know how much we,the gluten-free, celiac community, appreciate their efforts.

You can vote in more than 40 categories ranging from Best Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread to Best Gluten-Free Cookbook. Last year just shy of 10,000 of you voted for your favorite products.

This being Triumph Dining, we’re sweetening the deal. Participation earns you a chance to win prizes including Kindle Fires and Triumph Dining European Dining Cards.

Voting is open through March 31, 2013. The winners s receive a trophy, bragging rights and a Best of Gluten-Free Awards Logo to use with their marketing materials.

Vote by clicking here. See the 2012 winners by clicking here.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a case at Lesley University where students gained huge ground in the crusade for gluten-free eating options. From their petitions, the students found legal support and coverage under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This case set a precedent in which Celiacs and the gluten sensitive can gain coverage. To summarize, if you are dependent upon the food served at a public institution(such as with a required student meal plan or even in jail), the gluten intolerant have food rights to ensure Click to continue reading »

Triumph Dining is excited to be appearing at a bunch of fantastic gluten-free events this year, including these Gluten & Allergen Free Wellness Events, hosted by ECHO Event Solutions.

These events are happening in Atlanta, GA; Charlotte, NC; Raleigh, NC; and New Orleans, LA. Each event is open to the community, and caters to those who avoid multiple allergens, such as gluten, dairy, soy and nuts. Sampling of gluten-free/allergen-free foods starts Click to continue reading »

As I’ve admitted on this blog before, while I love my smart phone, I don’t always put it to good use. I have about three apps, two of which are solitaire and the other is often left untouched. But this latest app I heard about might just deserve top ticketing on my phone – a gluten-free grocery app!

Two sisters in Canada are working to develop an app that will help Celiac’s around the world. The team started their product development after one woman’s 13 year old son was diagnosed with both diabetes and Celiac disease. Overwhelmed by the grocery store and list of “safe” vs. “unsafe” food, the women decided to take action to help others.

The app would allow users to scan a list of ingredients on any given packaged food item to determine whether or not it was safe for gluten-free eating. The app would be particularly useful to shoppers who want to avoid the over-hyped “gluten-free” labels that more and more companies are using as a means to increase advertising revenue and hike up pricing.

Though I think the app is a great idea, I am still wary about cross contamination risks. Those “gluten-free” labels are there to ensure that there is absolutely no risk of gluten sneaking in the product. Unfortunately I’ve found out the hard way that even if an ingredient list appears gluten-free, that’s not always the case.

The women are still developing the app, which could do a lot to help new gluten-free eaters explore the world of food beyond gluten-free specialty items. The app is set to be released in May. For more information, check out their website, http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/glutenguru-app?c=home to support their efforts!

The symptoms of celiac disease differ from person to person, which is one of the reasons it can be so difficult to diagnose in the first place. Some celiacs suffer from terrible gastrointestinal symptoms, others psychological symptoms and some, no symptoms at all. Now, what if your nationality were a factor in the type of symptoms you suffer? Recent research suggests it’s possible.

Researchers in Iran compared the symptoms of celiacs in Iran, Romania and Italy and found variations between the three. This study worked with 323 women and 127 men, all confirmed celiac by endoscopy, small bowel biopsy and positive serology. The study was published in the Archives of Iranian Medicine this month.

The study suggested that upper abdominal symptoms were most common with the European patients whilst Click to continue reading »

At the Gluten & Allergen Free expo in San Francisco last weekend, we spotted lots of kids wearing great gluten-free and allergen-free wristbands. Some of them were so fun and colorful that I’m thinking of getting one for myself!

As adults suffering from serious allergies and intolerances we are usually able to convey our dietary needs to other people – but what about children who don’t have the vocabulary to explain these things? Getting your child one of these wristbands or bracelets is a great way of getting across the severity of an allergy to family, Click to continue reading »

Examiner.com recently published an article of celebrities avoiding gluten. The author writes that she’s still amazed that a number of celebrities who continue to tout eating gluten free as a way to lose weight, but she also concedes that as long as they are talking about the gluten-free diet it benefits those people who eat gluten free for medical reasons.

The lists are broken down into five groups: Celebrities with Celiac Disease, Celebrities with gluten sensitivity/wheat intolerance, Celebrities who eat gluten free by choice, Athletes with Celiac Disease, and Athletes who eat gluten free by choice. Here’s the list:

Celebrities with gluten sensitivity/wheat intolerance

• Malin Ackerman (Actor)
• Bill Clinton
• Miley Cyrus
• Dana Delany (Actor)
• Zooey Deschanel (Actor)
• Cody Gifford (son of Kathie Lee Gifford reportedly needs to avoid gluten)
• Elizabeth Gillies (Actor on Nickelodeon)
• Geri Halliwell (Singer)
• Mariel Hemingway (Actor)
• Juliette Lewis (Actor)
• Ryan Phillipe (Actor)
• Ian Somerhalder
• Terence Stamp
• Billy Bob Thornton (Actor)
• Rachel Weisz (Actor)

Celebrities with Celiac Disease

• Avery Aames (Author)
• Neil Boortz (Radio personality)
• Sarah Joy Brown (Actor)
• Meg Cabot (Author)
• Chelsea Clinton
• Heidi Collins (former CNN anchor)
• Jennifer Esposito (Actor)
• Susie Essman (Actor on Curb Your Enthusiasm)
• Shannon Ford (Miss USA 2011)
• Scott Michael Foster (Actor)
• Rich Gannon’s (NFL Quarterback) daughter, Danielle
• Thom Hartmann (Air America Radio)
• Elizabeth Hasselbeck (“The View”)
• Katherine, Duchess of Kent
• Laura Kaeppeler (Miss America)
• Jilly Lagasse (Daughter of Emeril Lagasse)
• Jessie Lagasse Swanson (Daughter of Emeril Lagasse)
• Dean McDermott (Actor)
• Tenley Molzahan (Bachelorette contestant)
• Dannii Minogue (Younger sister to Kylie Minogue the singer)
• Keith Olbermann (TV personality)
• Emmy Rossum (Actor)
• Aarti Sequeria (Food Network)
• Joe Stanton (Cartoonist who draws Batman, Green Lantern, Archie & Scooby-Do)
• Jane Swift (former Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor)
• Sarah Vowell
• Brandy Wendler (Mrs. Alaska International)
• Amy Wheaton (Wil Wheaton’s Sister)
• Deb Wheaton (Wil Wheaton’s Mom)
• Deborah Ann Woll (Actress) Click to continue reading »

King’s Delight of Georgia is recalling 1,572 pounds of frozen chicken nuggets labeled as gluten-free because they contain wheat.

The product is 8 ounce cartons of “APPLEGATE® Naturals Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets.” The nuggets were packaged on September 19, 2012. The establishment number “P-2617″ is found on the side of each carton. The lot number is 210864 and best before date is 8/28/13. The UPC Click to continue reading »

If you’re ‘lucky’ to have had an official celiac diagnosis, do you feel as though you have received adequate follow-up from your doctor?

Follow-up care is important for testing for t-TG antibodies, ensuring vitamin and mineral levels are normal and anything that tested abnormally prior to diagnosis has gone back within the normal range. It’s also important to ensure that patients are sticking to and coping with their strict gluten free diet. Recent research suggests that the follow-up care celiac patients are receiving is often inadequate and inconsistent.

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota collected data on 122 patients with biopsy diagnosed celiac disease between 1996 and 2006 to look at what kind of follow-up, if at all, they received between 6 months and 5 years after diagnosis. Patients were classified according to how the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) categorizes follow-up procedures.

From 1 to 5 years after diagnosis, the number of people receiving follow-up appointments decreased each year. Of the 113 patients who Click to continue reading »