Literally, one of the most upsetting symptoms of gluten intolerance for some people can be how it affects our moods. For me, personally, one of the biggest changes I saw about myself (and my friends and families can attest to this…) is that my mood completely evened out after I cut out the gluten. After doing a fair amount of poking around in the gluten-free discussion boards and research studies, I have found that I am not alone in noticing a personality change along with my changing dietary choices.

With gluten sensitivities comes the ability (or lack thereof) to process the foods that fuel our everyday lives. So while this means that gluten can’t be digested by our systems (leading to some painful digestive consequences), it also means that essential nutrients are not being absorbed. Without these essential nutrients, our mind and ability to use cognitive reasoning is often one of the first functions to suffer (it’s as if you haven’t been eating in a while – of course you’d get irritable!). Interestingly, many psychiatric disorders have been found to be prevalent in untreated Celiac Disease patients. One study found that 21% of patients in a psychiatric clinic were being treated for depression, when their true problem was suffering from Celiac Disease!

A lot of people think that dietary issues are solely related to the ability to digest foods, but that just isn’t true. Nutritional value of the food we consume plays a huge part in how our whole bodies are affected. Just as a diet solely consisting of ice cream and french fries would be detrimental to a person’s overall health, so too is trace amounts of gluten in a person who suffers from gluten sensitivity. Our bodies are simply unable to process certain foods, and that lack of ability can even block our body from absorbing other essential nutrients!

I recently saw my personality reverting back into my old ways, filled with anxiety and irritability, only to discover I’d been unknowingly eating trace amounts of gluten. Living a gluten-free life is no easy task. But by tossing the processed foods and ensuring no wheat enters our systems, we can keep our whole selves, mind and body, clear and efficient.

Here we go, gluten-free eaters. There’s another company trying to make a rift and a ruckus in the gluten-sensitive community, and it’s name brand is Wegmans Food Markets. Alright alright, all joking aside, I just want to state as a disclaimer that this post is simply an informative news report about a new “gluten-free” line of foods at Wegmans. Wegman’s has informed Triumph Dining that all gluten-free mixes and gluten-free pastas are being produced in dedicated gluten free facilities. They also mentioned that “gluten-free ingredients are investigated and verified, including processing aids and incidental additives and manufacturing environment, processing, scheduling, and  also that good manufacturing practices are evaluated for the potential for cross contact/cross contamination with gluten.”

Since the Domino’s Pizza gluten-free crust didn’t go over very well with a lot of you, this may not please everyone either, but we feel compelled to bring you up to speed whether you love it or hate it.

Without further ado, Wegmans Food Market, a Northeastern grocery chain with about 80 stores, has just announced that in honor of National Celiac Disease Awareness Month they have introduced, what they’re calling, four new gluten-free favorites into their stores. One of these is their corn-based pastas, which supposedly have an appetizing texture and hardly tastes any different than regular pasta. As an added bonus, shoppers can download a dollar-off coupon for the pasta from the Wegmans’ website. All four family favorites are Wegmans’ own brand and include:

• Gluten-free spaghetti, fusilli, penne and elbows, in one-pound boxes that sell for $2.49.

• A vanilla cake mix and chocolate cake mix. Each mix makes one 8-inch round cake layer and sells for $3.49.

• A gluten-free sugar cookie mix, which sells for $3.49 and makes 22 cookies.

• A double chocolate brownie mix for $3.49 that makes one 8-inch square pan of brownies.

This information comes straight from Wegmans’ latest press release (read the whole thing by clicking the link), which was instated May 14^th, 2012. Also, the following statements come from the same press release from Wegmans:

“’We see more gluten-free products every year and the quality keeps improving,’ says Charlie Gardner, category merchant for the Nature’s Marketplace area of Wegmans stores. ‘The gluten-free area has grown from a 12-foot section to several aisles in the Nature’s Marketplace department of the store. In fact, gluten-free foods are found all over our stores – there are about 1,700 different Wegmans brand items alone, from orange juice to ketchup, and they’re easy to spot because there’s a gluten-free wellness key on the package.’

Improvements? I know this addition to Wegmans doesn’t apply to a lot you, but for those of you whom it does, maybe this new line of gluten-free goodies can galvanize you in some way.

I can’t speak for Wegmans’ intentions, but it seems like they wanted to launch these family favorites as an effort to raise Celiac awareness and provide more options to the rising demand for gluten-free foods. One of their nutritionists, who is on a gluten-free diet, points out the benefit of more glutenless foods as it allows families to still bond over eating the same foods and not hinder the experience of such quotidian dialogue as, “Mom, could you pass the spaghetti?” or “Dad, could get me a brownie?”

What do you all think the pros and cons are about Wegmans’ new “gluten-free” products?

And, of course, there are all the other GI troubles that are often linked to undiagnosed celiac disease / accidental glutening – among them one that starts with a big D. So, when a team of researchers set out to look at Body Mass Index at the time of celiac diagnosis, it would seem logical that they would find a high rate of thin people.

It would have, at least…but of course this isn’t what they found at all.

The study looked at records from 187 people diagnosed between 1999 and 2009, mostly females. Of these people, 44% – that’s 83 people – had a BMI of 25 or higher, which is considered overweight. If you’re unfamiliar with BMI, it’s a number representing the ratio of height and weight. You can calculate yours here.

Of those 83 people, 25 had BMIs of 30 or above, indicative of obesity. Compared to the males in the study, females had a wider range of BMI and were also more likely to be obese at the time of diagnosis.

Now, it’s worth mentioning that BMI isn’t necessarily the best indicator of health. Two people of the same height and weight can still have very different overall levels of fitness, can still look very different, etc. etc. However, that’s neither here nor there.

Instead, the biggest takeaway has to be a reminder that there is no such thing as a “typical” celiac. If you know someone who doesn’t think they need to get tested because they aren’t underweight, you’ll want to send this study to them straightaway!

Were you underweight (or overweight) when diagnosed? How did your weight change, after you’d been on a gluten-free diet for a year?

If you’re in Minnesota and have a child, you can now go to Chuck E. Cheese’s and enjoy a celiac-safe gluten-free pizza and gluten-free chocolate cupcake. Hearteningly, Chuck E. Cheese’s is going to extreme effort to ensure that these menu options are safe and uncontaminated.

As the press release explains, “the personal cheese pizza, manufactured by USDA/FDA-approved, gluten-free facility Conte’s Pasta, will arrive to stores in frozen, pre-sealed packaging. The bake-in-bag pizza will remain sealed while cooked and delivered and until opened and served with a personal pizza cutter at families’ tables by the adult in charge.”

There are also single-serving, pre-sealed chocolate fudge cupcakes from Fabe’s All Natural Bakery. You can see both options in the video above, and both are made by GFCO-certified companies.

Kudos to Chuck E. Cheese’s for going above and beyond to ensure a safe experience for all gluten-free children (in Minnesota). As with other test markets, if this one goes well we can expect to see more Chuck E. Cheese locations around the country offering gluten-free pizza and  cupcakes.

Have you tried the pizza? How was it?

Mother’s Day is May 13^th, which is just around the corner. There’s a million and a half options to give our mothers this year, but when it comes to candies, brunch, and gestures, what’s the best gift for our gluten-free moms?

First off, we’d like to dedicated this article to our (gluten-free) mothers out there. I’m sure most moms would rather spend sentimental time with their family or receive a card with flower rather than be surprised with a boat load of indulgent food that will make them wish they hadn’t eaten it the day after, but that’s not to say there isn’t room for a little bit of both thoughtful tokens of appreciation.

Okay, enough with the sappy stuff, let’s get down to brass tax about the glutenless gestures and the sticky sweets you can share with your mom this Sunday

• Cook your mother a nice gluten-free meal at home (maybe even breakfast in bed?)

People who are restricted to a gluten-free diet are practically pushed into having to cook a lot of their meals due to safety’s sake. Gluten-free moms and moms of gluten-sensitive children are no different (of course, this also applies to you dads out there, but you’ll have to wait another month for your empathy). If you don’t already know your mom’s favorite food or meal, maybe you can conspire with others who may know. Otherwise, you can just improvise and whip up a meal full of gluten-free goodies that you know she’ll enjoy. It’s a Dinner-fit-for-a-Queen gesture that’s bound to make her feel appreciated. If you go with breakfast in bed, it can be a Breakfast-fit-for-a-Queen gesture.

•  Buy her a box of gluten-free candy

Note: If you’re buying gluten-free chocolates from a store that selling assorted candy and/or boxes of mixed chocolate pieces, sometimes these boxes contain gluten-free options, but because they are packaged and manufactured with gluten-containing products, they may not be safe for all gluten-free consumers.

Also, earlier this year we posted about how Hershey’s nicely gathered all their gluten-free products together and made a list for the community to reference for convenience. Hershey’s gluten-free list might come in handy for this suggestion of boxed chocolates. Jelly Bellys are also a great little treat as most of them are gluten-free (make sure you check the bag though).

• Lavish your mom by taking her to a special restaurant for dinner

Mom’s deserve the best of the best, so why not excite her with something she would never spend on herself. I’m sure not everyone likes to plan out dinner dates, but maybe this time you can plan ahead to make sure you bring your Triumph Dining Cards, choose a restaurant with stringent gluten-free procedures, a menu lush with glutenless guilt, and a fun time around the table that’ll last everyone a lifetime.

Obviously there’s plenty of ways to express your unconditional love and gratitude this Mother’s Day. A little bit goes a long way, so whatever you choose to do, we hope you enjoy it!

By Bridget

While we all love to see gluten-free items pop up on the menus at our former favorite restaurants, it always makes me a little weary to see that gluten-free pasta as an option, served right alongside the gluten-filled versions. It’s like when people say you can just take the bun off the burger and, voila, it’s gluten-free. For people suffering from full-blown Celiac’s disease, this “solution” is hardly an acceptable remedy. The risk of cross-contamination means that devoted gluten-free restaurants are often the only acceptable eating out options. Just as gluten-free products need to be processed in dedicated facilities, so too should our prepared meals. This means separate, “gluten-free” cookware, down to the meat thermometers and cutting boards!

Well, people living in San Francisco may soon be getting an answer to all their hopes and dreams when it comes to gluten-free eating out. Simone Shifnadel, a trained chef, nutritionist, and fellow gluten-free eater has big plans for the gluten-free community. Her plan is to open a gluten-free shared kitchen, café, and community space, called Zenbelly Kitchen, where bakers and chefs can come together to create gluten-free products in a completely devoted environment. No gluten will ever cross the threshold of the kitchen’s doors!

This new space would be available to members of the culinary community looking to create gluten-free products, but it is also available to those who create products that are naturally already gluten-free (like jams, juices, and chocolates)! The space would also facilitate an organic gluten-free catering company and provide a neighborhood coffee shop, opening itself up to the gluten-free community. The café and kitchen would aim to help educate both the gluten-free clientele, as well as the larger community that would benefit from this new type of shared space.

Shifnadel is a firm believer in food being greater than just for survival, but part of a memory and experience, making us healthier and happier people. Even gluten-free eaters should enjoy fresh baked warm chocolate chip cookies and chocolate cake on their birthday. Her quest for healthy foods that are safe to the gluten-free community has an opportunity to expand through this kitchen, helping her to impart her own knowledge to the community at large.

The kitchen itself is still working to get off the ground. They are in need of funding to purchase production equipment for the kitchen (like stoves and refrigerators), obtain gluten-free certification, and purchase initial supplies and ingredients. They are also still seeking more chefs and nutritionists to get involved in their own ways.

If you’re interested in learning more about this new gluten-free shared kitchen, check out Shifnadel’s catering company by the same name, Zenbelly Catering, at http://www.zenbellycatering.com/.

Let’s see what’s on the gluten-free dinner table this evening: maybe it’ll be rice noodle spaghetti and meatballs, or maybe a zesty quinoa salad with chicken, or perhaps…a half veggie, half sausage gluten-free crusted pizza from Domino’s! Wouldn’t that be exhilarating? Well, now you can have your own whack at any kind of pie from Domino’s now that they have gone on the record to claim that their glutenless crust is “appropriate for those with mild gluten sensitivity,” however, it is not suggested for people with Celiac Disease – discouraging we know.

Before we get your hopes too high, yes, of course, there’s always some kind of catch or folly with such good news as this. I’m sure this progressive step for the pizza industry isn’t as piquant to those who don’t get to reap the benefits, rather it just keeps you a bit cynical and on the edge. The fact that Domino’s only recommends this new concoction to people with mild gluten sensitivity almost nullifies half the gluten intolerant demographic.

As the second largest pizza-making corporation, just behind Pizza Hut and ahead of Papa Johns, Domino’s is required to reveal this information because their gluten-free commodities will still be made in the same kitchen as all the other gluten products (e.g. flour and dough) that are tossed around in their frenetic and fast-food environment. Cross-contamination is almost an inevitable issue and is probably one of the leading reasons for this dietary disclaimer.

We realize this watershed will make some of you feel enthroned and have others of you (needing 0 parts per million) bemoaning at the irrelevance, but we do think this new formula at Domino’s is an exciting stepping stone for the world of gluten-free consumers.

This semi-crowd-pleasing gluten-free solution will be offered at most of their 5,000 locations nationwide, yet will only be available in the 10” size and for about $3 more than a gluten-containing crust. Having been approved by the National Foundation of Celiac Awareness, this new doughy recipe now welcomes Domino’s on board with thousands of other organizations, establishments, and restaurants (Carrabbas, P.F. Changs, and a whole host of independent joints) to help encourage and cater to the gluten- free community.

The founder and president of the National Foundation of Celiac Awareness, Alice Bast, has been quoted saying that, “The NFCA is thrilled that Domino’s Pizza has developed a product that will improve the quality of life for many of the estimated 18 million Americans who are gluten sensitive.” Certainly if someone of her status and respectability can optimistically look at this news then the most skeptical of gluten-free eaters can as well. It’s one small step for man, one 10” cheesy leap for the gluten-free kind.

However, we’ve got even more reason to think that The Melting Pot is happy to have a gluten-free menu. The company that owns them, Front Burner Brands, also owns a fast-casual concept called Burger 21.

Guess who’s gotten a GIG-approved gluten-free menu this Celiac Awareness Month?

Yup, you guessed right. If you’re in the Tampa area, you can enjoy a variety of gluten-free options at Burger 21. According to the press release, there are currently two locations in the Tampa area and five more scheduled for Tampa and Orlando.

The gluten-free menu includes:

• Seven gluten-free Angus beef burgers served on French Meadow Bakery gluten-free buns
• French fries and sweet potato fries
• Fresh salads served without croutons
• A variety of hand-dipped shakes and floats

The nice thing about this is that the Gluten Intolerance Group’s expertise came into play. We all know how difficult it is to be a person who is new to the gluten-free diet, and only responsible for feeding ourselves – thankfully there are lots of great resources out there for us to learn from. For a restaurant, it’s arguably even more daunting to develop safe gluten-free practices and items. So, kudos to Burger 21 for seeking outside help.

As for me, I’m not sure what will happen first: either I’ll find myself in Tampa for some unknown reason (unlikely), or Burger 21 will open up shop somewhere I’m more likely to visit. Either way, they had me at sweet potato fries.

If you’re in the Tampa area, have you tried out Burger 21′s new gluten-free menu? What did you think?

Rest assured, we’re constantly checking for updates — sometimes it just takes a while for something worthwhile to happen in the life of a potential drug therapy. Today, case in point, we’re revisiting a post from 2009, titled Cure for Celiac Disease?. Why? Because we FINALLY have something exciting to say: Alba Therapeutics is going into phase 2b clinical trials, and they’re looking for volunteers.

This particular drug revolves around a compound called larazotide acetate, a tight junction regulator. The compound, at least in theory works by temporarily closing off the junctions in the bowel that – in a quote-on-quote “normal” digestive system – are normally closed anyway. These junctions are supposed to only open to shed dead blood cells, but remain open more frequently in cases of celiac disease. In other words, the drug would plug up the leaks in a leaky gut, and if taken before a meal could reduce the inflammation caused by gluten.

The company has developed a questionnaire to pre-screen people for participation in their eventual trials. If you think you might like to participate in the trials, you can learn more via the website, www.celiactrial.com. Quickly though, in order to be eligible to even be considered for participation you would need to meet the following criteria:

• between the ages of 18 and 75
• diagnosed with celiac disease via either biopsy or capsule endoscopy
• attempting a gluten-free diet for at least 12 months

You can read more via Alba Therapeutics press release.

What do you think? Would you participate in a drug trial (knowing that potentially, you could be assigned to a control group that winds up ingesting gluten)?

Hope you all are embracing Celiac Disease Awareness Month to the fullest. In our Tuesday post, we shared a bunch of ideas and activities you can do to promote gluten-free efforts. For today’s post, we’d like to mix things up a bit and have Olympian Nathan Brannen shed some light about his experience with a gluten-free lifestyle as an Olympic Games middle distance runner.

1.    Can you briefly share your personal story of being gluten-free?

The reason I decided to become gluten-free was a result of my coach. Besides being a world-renowned coach, he is also a world-renowned physiotherapist and suggested that I try a gluten-free diet. This gluten-free practice was something he had been doing for years as an injury prevention strategy.

Gluten is a binder and he found that people that had high-level gluten diets tended to be more injury prone than those who were gluten-free. Physiologically, he found gluten also acted as a binder in the body as well, causing muscle and tissue to get stuck and not move or reacted properly. I figured it couldn’t hurt to try since I had been very injury prone over the last few years. I have found my body to feel much healthier and my injuries have been at a minimum since I switched to a gluten-free lifestyle. I have been gluten-free for just over a year, I feel fit and my running is now stronger than ever.

2.    Please tell us a little about yourself and your career.

At the University of Michigan, my freshman roommate, Alan Webb, and I were the first two sub-4 high school milers to run for the same program in history. By the time I ended my Michigan career, I had won four NCAA titles and ran the second-fastest collegiate indoor mile in history.

After earning a silver medal and winning the Canadian 1500m title in 2006, my 2007 season came to an early halt when I sustained a herniated disc near the base of my spine. After missing five months of training, I opted to have surgery in November. Then began the long comeback to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

The next years were my stepping stones to get me to where I am today – training for my second Olympic team in hopes to once again compete at the Olympic Games. I’ve put in the effort, trained smart, and consistently. I’ve also made a big change to my diet by going gluten-free, which has helped me out immensely as it has lessened my chances for injury.

3.    As an Olympic athlete exercising a gluten-free lifestyle, have you faced any challenges? If so, what are some trick of the trade you’ve learned?

The biggest challenge I face is when I’m traveling around the world racing. It’s difficult to live a gluten-free diet in countries where pasta is a major staple of their pallet. It becomes very tricky to find sustainable alternatives that will not only give me the nutrients I need but also the caloric intake.

The key is learning the foods that are gluten-free or other alternative foods that I can either take with me or find readily when around the world.

4.    I would imagine you’ve been training for the London Summer Olympics. What does your daily training look like? How are you preparing?

My daily training consists of waking up at 7:00 a.m., eating a small snack, then take a 60-90 minute run or do a hard workout on the track. Then I bring my body back down to a vegetative state so I can recover and eat a solid meal. In the evening, I’ll usually take another 35-45 minute run, eat a small snack, stretch 30 minutes before bed, and be in bed by 10:30.

My days are very structured and I try to keep myself on a pretty strict routine and diet. Other normal activities during my day are ice baths for recovery and treatments such as chiropractic, physiotherapy and massage. I also add in 2-3 lifting sessions per week.

5.    What are some of your favorite gluten-free meals that give you the strength and energy to outperform?

My favorite dinner is a spinach salad with strawberries, feta cheese, olive oil and balsamic dressing alongside quinoa and some meat, which usually consists of chicken, steak or salmon. Quinoa is a protein-rich food and is great for athletic recovery. I especially love the taste used in a cold salad with garbanzo beans, kidney beans, tomatoes, feta, spinach, and a dash of salt with a small amount of olive oil.