Going Gluten-Free

[This evening we have a guest post! Meet Bonnie Bucqueroux, journalist, former professor of mine, who rescued me the night I found out I had been rejected from the State News and welcomed me to start The Spartanette blog onine. She defended my blog and its lax views on oral sex and taught me everything I know about the Web. Oh, and if you like Shed Theater, you can thank her for that too -- she taught me to edit video and gave me my Flip Cam. Like me, she's hardcore, yet still knows her way around the kitchen.]

Could your tender tummy be celiac disease?

Over the years, I had run through all of the diagnoses – spastic colon, irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, stress. I tried everything from changing my diet (I lived on nothing but lamp chops and mint jelly for six weeks – baaah!) to meditation and medication, but nothing worked. (Sorry, Jamie Lee, but even Activia didn’t do the trick for me.) I just learned to suffer (and stay close to a bathroom).

Then a year ago, my husband Drew developed an intractable rash. I watched him go on the endless cycle from specialist to specialist with no relief, so I decided to consult with Dr. Google. I soon found information about a skin condition called dermatitis herpetiformis, a hallmark of celiac that appears in adults. I remember his mom telling me that Drew had been diagnosed with celiac as a child – and I had been treated for a severe wheat allergy. The treatment for celiac disease is to stay away from all gluten – the protein found in wheat, barley and rye that makes bread dough made from these grains so wonderfully elastic.

So we went on a gluten-free (GF) diet and marveled as our respective symptoms quickly disappeared. His rash was gone in a flash and I no longer had to deal with constant bloating and gas, along with the mad dashes to the bathroom.

Could you be one of the three million people afflicted with this this auto-immune disorder? Sadly, according to the Celiac Disease Foundation, one out of every 133 people in our country has the disease but nine out of 10 people with the disease don’t know it. In addition to bowel problems, celiac sufferers can exhibit a wide range of symptoms (unexplained weight loss, bone and joint pain, canker sores, pale and smelly stool) – or they may exhibit no symptoms at all.

Determining whether you had the disease can be challenging. Blood tests and biopsies can help confirm the diagnosis. But one of the easiest, cheapest and least invasive ways to tell if you are celiac sufferer is simply to go on a gluten-free diet.

Going Gluten Free

But going gluten-free is easier said than done. In addition to the gluten in breads, pies, cakes, cookies and crackers, the offending substance can be hidden in food products ranging from baking powder to soy sauce to vanilla. Cooking with wheat flour can allow gluten to float in the air in your kitchen, coating plates and eating utensils.

Eating out is always a challenge. Few places specifically accommodate people with celiac by offering dishes that are reliably gluten free. And servers and cooks vary in taking requests for gluten-free food seriously.

Videos That Can Help

I put together these two videos to help. I also post GF recipes on Lansing Online News, my latest obsession. And I promise to make occasional contributions as a guest blogger here if you would like (please also share your recipes in the comments below).

Making Gluten-Free Hearty Whole Grain Bread* – The Bob’s Red Mill mix is available at Foods for Living in Okemos and Better Health in Frandor.

Making Gluten-Free Baking Powder (who knew?)

Gluten-Free Pizza at Guido’s*

Friendly owner Steve at Guido’s is my son, but I would rave about the GF pizzas even if he weren’t. (I highly recommend the Bucqueroux, which features tomato, spinach and feta.)

Links to Other Resources

• Celiac Sprue Association – Check to see if your community has a chapter.
• Cel-Kids – For young people and their families.
• National Foundation for Celiac Awareness – Includes a celiac symptom checklist.
• Celiac Disease Foundation – Excellent information, including how to sign up for research studies.
• Medline Plus – Loads of links from the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.
• Mayo Clinic – Information on diagnosis and treatment.
• MedicineNet.com – Loads of links on the disease.
• American Celiac Disease Alliance – A coalition of groups that offer information and assistance for people with this disease.

*Note to FCC: The Federal Communications Commission recently issued new rules requiring bloggers who review products divulge whether they receive any free goods and other benefits. All I can say is: I wish. Email me if you would like to tempt me with cash or freebies (or to share information on celiac disease and recipes).

Note to faithful visitors: I want to congratulate Rachel for creating Shedding It and Getting It. It is a wonderfully entertaining way to learn about so many important health and fitness issues. (And we all want to follow Rachel’s escapades along the way – and I love her recipes.)

Rachel was a journalism student of mine a few years ago, where she not only displayed amazing talent but a work ethic that makes slaves look like shirkers. She is also a true web visionary. She has caved out her own special corner of cyberspace, and I am so glad to stay in touch with her through his fantastic resource.

Tagged as: baking, carbs, gluten-free, guest posts, health, healthy, Healthy Cooking