Be Free For Me Blog

Since starting BeFreeForMe just a little more than a year ago, I have been amazed by the outpouring of warmth, sharing and compassion of the BeFreeForMe members. There have been members who have been diagnosed with celiac disease for over 15 years that have contacted me to offer their mentoring and support to the newly diagnosed. I’ve been contacted by a grandmother that has children, and grandchildren, with numerous food allergies, as well as years and years’ worth of tried-and-true recipes that she offered to share with a young, scared Mom whose toddler had been recently diagnosed with numerous food allergies. I’ve had teachers contact me asking where they could find the best resources to educate themselves about food allergies and celiac disease, since they had children in their classroom with these diagnoses and they wanted to educate themselves in order to make these children feel as welcomed and involved as possible.

One of the things I hear over and over from people that have food allergies and celiac disease is their amazement over the sense of community and goodness that has come from others that share in the same diagnosis.

I am amazed myself.

This positive energy from the celiac & food allergy community, often through the support groups, has provided me with a positive and more manageable diagnosis, and I will always be grateful.

That is why I want to share with all of the BeFreeForMe members, Show Us Your Goodness, a program sponsored by riceworks® brown rice crisps that will donate $20,000 to an inspiring nonprofit organization or charitable cause.

During this holiday season, I encourage all of you to check out the Show Us Your Goodness website and nominate one of your favorite nonprofit organizations or charitable causes. Your charity can be local or national. Grassroots or established. Recognized or not.

Also, once the three finalists are picked, I encourage you to vote for one of the nominated groups (the voting between the three finalists will take place between March 16th to April 30th . I will also blog about the three finalists once they are picked!).

If you nominate your favorite charity, or you support one of the previously nominated groups, make sure you comment on this blog post and tell us what charitable group you support. Six (Yes…6!) BeFreeForMe members that post a comment will win a FREE CASE of riceworks® brown rice crisps!  The winners will be picked on February 16th, 2010.

Some of the charitable non-profit groups which I have volunteered for and supported are listed at the bottom of this email. All of these charities have in some way helped my health and touched my soul.  I look forward to hearing about your favorite charities too!

Happy Holiday… Be Charitable… Enjoy the Spirit of the Season… and, as always…

Be Free!
———-
Some of My Favorite Charities:

* Michael Carter Lisnow Respite Center
* Food Allergy Initiative
* National Foundation for Celiac Awareness
* Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network
* Canadian Celiac Association
* Celiac Disease Foundation
* Celiac Sprue Association
* Healthy Villi
* Project Just Because

How many times have you called a large food manufacturer to ask if a product is gluten-free? And how many times has the customer service line been closed and your questions have been left unanswered?

According to Katie Lay, from General Mills Health and Wellness Division, “One of the most frequent inquiries our customer service department receives is ‘What products are gluten-free?’”.

To assist those of us needing to eat gluten-freely (and easily!), General Mills has created a new website, LiveGlutenFreely.com (yes… available 24/7!), for their customers living a gluten-free lifestyle. Easily navigated, crisp and packed with information, the website’s goal is to help those living a gluten-free lifestyle determine which General Mill’s products are gluten-free, find out where they can be purchased, as well as discover simple and tasty recipes that can be made with many of these products.

My thoughts? This informative website, along with General Mill’s clear and bold “gluten free” wording on the labels of their 200+ gluten-free products is going to be a hit with the gluten-free set. The path (or should I say supermarket aisles) are now clear for those on a gluten-free diet to easily determine which readily available and affordable General Mill’s products are gluten free. It is important to note however, that all of us living a gluten-free lifestyle must always take responsibility to read the ingredient listing, or look for the words “gluten-free” on a product label, prior to purchasing or eating any item. (This is true for any allergen or dietary concern as well).

While on the website I also signed up for the LiveGlutenFreely electronic newsletter containing recipes, and any new gluten-free product information. These newsletters will be sent directly to my inbox every other month. I can’t wait to get my first edition.

Hopefully this website will be the benchmark of how large conglomerate food manufacturers share their product’s gluten-free information.

And to General Mills… thanks.  Your commitment to the gluten-free community has not gone unnoticed!

Be Free!
Kathleen

P.S. See BeFreeForMe’s recipe section for a Sour Cream Coffee Cake Recipe I made  using Betty Crocker Yellow Cake Mix and Cinnamon Chex Cereal… delicious!

This article hit the nail on the head when it comes to celiac disease (as well as food allergies). The writer details how schools, restaurants and supermarkets everywhere are changing their ways and making it easier for those with celiac disease and food allergies to cope, exist and even become joyful when it comes to the simple things in life.

This article actually made me smile. It’s proof that I am not the only one that does a “happy dance” in a supermarket aisle when a new “gluten free” or “allergen free” food is found, or how “hugging a box of gluten free Chex Mix” seems like a totally normal thing to do.

Hey, gluten-free happiness is contagious… and I’m glad it’s being spread along.

I want to spread the word about the New England Celiac Conference that taking place in Marlboro, Massachusetts on Saturday, October 3, 2009 from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.

The Healthy Villi Support Group and the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center are sponsoring this fantastic event.   The conference features speakers, workshops, cooking demos, vendor sampling and product sales.

I have been asked to speak at the conference and will be providing a workshop on “Saving Money while Shopping Gluten Free” – besides being excited about speaking, I can’t wait to meet you all “face to face”! Other speakers include physicians that will be speaking about managing celiac disease, what is involved in participating in celiac research and a newly diagnosed workshop. There are also many cooking workshops.

I have been an attendee at the Healthy Villi meetings in the past, but this larger, regional conference is going to be the biggest and most interactive yet!

And don’t worry about toting along your gluten-free snacks … Along with a delicious 100%  gluten-free lunch and snack breaks, there will also be vendor tables that will showcase tons of gluten free samples and info!

I hope to meet as many BeFreeForMe members at the conference as possible!  Note: Marlboro, Massachusetts is right on Route 495, and just exits away from the Route 495 / Route 90 (Mass Pike) interchange. It is a quick and easy ride from Western Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island.

For more information and to register, checkout the Healthy Villi website or the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center website.

I hope to see all you Northeastern celiacs in Marlboro on October 3rd!
Be Free!
Kathleen

They may look a whole lot shiner, blemish-free and prettier, but the USDA says the vegetables of today are packed with far less nutrients than their counterparts 50 years ago. Yup – according to the Natural Food Merchandiser – the USDA reports that store-bought vegetables are not as good for you as they were 40-50 years ago, which were packed with far more nutrients back then than they are now.

Why? The crops of today are often bred for size and color, and not nutrients. It seems that crops today are designed to survive 1,000 mile road trips and as a result, their nutritional value has sacrificed.

Is this a reason to start planning your Spring 2010 garden? Or a reason to stake out claims in community garden initiatives or co-ops? More important, do we all need to start taking vitamin supplements to stave off flu symptoms this coming winter?

Being allergen and gluten-free I eat tons of vegetables.

I don’t know about you all, but give me back the dings, blemishes and scars of my veggies – and while you’re at it, give me back the nutrients too.

BeFreeForMe has been nominated to the Shine A Light Initiative!

Shine A Light is a program that rewards everyday small businesses that inspires to help others, while keeping an entrepreneurial spirit.

The Shine A Light initiative is sponsored by American Express, in partnership with NBC Universal. They are inviting folks to nominate and vote for an inspiring small business that strives to assist others and give back to their community.

This is a perfect opportunity for those in the celiac and allergen free communities to make a difference and have others take notice! The three finalist judges are talk show host and entrepreneur Ellen DeGeneres, fashion designer and entrepreneur Diane von Furstenberg, and MSNBC’s small business expert and host JJ Ramberg.

To support BeFreeForMe’s nomination, click here, and read our profile. If you would like to support us, and further the awareness of food allergies and celiac disease, click on the “Support this Story” button in the left column. Please note that in order to submit your endorsement, you will have to register (it is quick and easy though and they promise not to spam!). 

BeFreeForMe would use the award grant money to further the awareness of celiac disease and food allergies, as well as provide medic alert bracelets / identifications to anyone financially in need.

Thanks ahead of time for your vote! Please note that you need to vote by September 13th (Sunday)!

Whenever food allergies or gluten-free lifestyles are mentioned on TV it brings more awareness and justification to the lifestyles that millions of people, like you and me, are living everyday. Hearing the words gluten-free or allergen-free on TV, especially on cooking-themed shows, gets me so excited that “our” lifestyles are getting more main stream every day!

But just in case you are not glued to the TV set, the following summaries and links bring you up to date on the latest buzz and recipes that makes gluten-free and allergen-free living a prime time event! 

Top Chef Masters (Bravo TV)
In the August 5, 2009 episode the chefs were asked to cook for Zooey Deschanel who can’t eat any meat, fish, eggs, dairy, soy or gluten.   The result?  Recipes prepared by the celebrity chefs that look awesome and are fit for company or fancier meals. Many of the recipes are noted as being a challenge to prepare, and contain ingredients that may not fit the bill for an everyday supper. However, they all look super delicious! These recipes include:

Quinoa Pasta with Salsa Verde, Gremolata and Tomatoes

Spicy Grilled Eggplant with Lentil Salad and Cashew Sauce

White Gazpacho with Grapes and Vanilla Oil

Corn Tamales with Chile-Braised Beans, Braised Greens, and Glazed Mushrooms

Strawberry Champagne Soup – Strawberry Rice Ice Cream and Almond Brittle

Emeril Green Episode (Discovery Chanel)
Who doesn’t love a gluten-free pizza party? On July 16, 2009 another mention of gluten-free living and recipe development can be found on an Emeril Green episode, where he makes Italian specialty dishes for a newly diagnosed celiac and her husband. Emeril says he has just the recipes so that this couple will have a pizza party to remember. Some of these unforgettable recipes are:

Gazpacho

Italian Salad

Gluten-Free Pizza Dough, White and Red Pizzas

Gluten-Free Pasta Primavera

Emeril Green Episode (Discovery Chanel)
Another mention of gluten-free living and recipe development appeared on April 27th, 2009 on another episode of Emeril Green, where he makes New Orleans favorites, san the gluten. The New Orleans Style Pecan Pie looks so good!

Gluten-Free Chicken Etouffee

Stewed Tomatoes and Okra

Skillet Cornbread

New Orleans Style Pecan Pie with Gluten-Free Crust

Martha Stewart Living / The Martha Stewart Show:
There are many mentions of allergen and gluten free recipes in the last year of Living, Martha Stewart’s magazine and cooking show. Make sure you check out the allergen-free Cinnamon Toastie recipe from BabyCakes in NYC, as well as these other noteworthy and yummy recipes including:

Gluten-Free Chocolate Layer Cake

Hazelnut-Vanilla Shortbread

Polenta “French Toast”

Allergen-Free Cinnamon Toasties

It looks like MLB is starting to take note that celiacs and other gluten free folks are baseball fans too!

Aramark, a leader in providing food services to stadiums and arenas, as well as health care institutions, universities and school districts, and businesses has confirmed that they are putting a gluten-free confession stand in Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies.

The gluten-free concession stand will carry hotdogs, chicken sandwiches, burgers, brownies and yes folks, even gluten-free beer!

My thoughts? This is a homerun for the gluten-free community!

Hot-diggity! I’m going to start “the wave” here in Boston… I think in our enthusiasm all of us celiacs could get this wave going coast-to-coast!

My mouth dropped when I read the advice Dear Abby gave to a woman wanting to know the etiquette on inviting a guest over her house for dinner who has food allergies.

Abby’s advice: Invite the person over less often!

This is the actual copy of the question and answer in the Dear Abby column on Friday, July 17, 2009:

DEAR ABBY: Our daughter’s landlady — I’ll call her Martha — has become very close to our family. Martha and her husband are included in most of our family’s social events.

My problem is Martha is allergic to garlic and cannot eat anything cooked with it.

Abby, we are Italian. We grew up eating garlic and cook just about everything with it. My husband and I are locking horns over the fact that I feel it’s an imposition to be expected to accommodate one person by omitting a key ingredient in a dish. When you’re cooking for a lot of people who are accustomed to the way certain foods are prepared, I feel it is inconsiderate for someone to expect me to leave an ingredient out. What do you think? — MAMA “MIA” IN N.Y.

And Abby’s answer…

DEAR MAMA “MIA”: I think you should prepare a garlic-free extra dish for Martha — something not too difficult to make, like a salad — or invite Martha over less often.

What?!

Here is the most widely syndicated newspaper columnist in the world, whose column is published in about 1,400 newspapers worldwide, and has a daily readership of more than 110 million people – telling someone to invite a close family friend with food allergies over less often! I actually had to go back and read this over and over again, very slowly, to make sure I didn’t miss something and I read it correctly.

Even Abby’s advice to make something “not too difficult” for the close family friend, “… like a salad” is also an insult! To invite someone as a dinner guest and then offer just a “simple” salad, while everyone else is feasting on a huge Italian meal is just wrong! Shame on you Abby. I think you need to start reading Miss Manners column regularly.

What advice should Abby have given to MAMA “MIA” in N.Y.? Here are a few tidbits I think she should have passed along:

– While making your Italian pasta sauce make a small sauce pan of your delicious sauce san the garlic. You don’t need to make a second garlic-free version of every single dish you are making, but since you invited Martha for dinner, but make sure you offer Martha something more than just a salad. Martha is your guest (and your friend) and will surely appreciate the extra efforts.

– When you invite Martha for dinner, ask her to bring one of her favorite dishes that she can enjoy and everyone else can share with her too. Who knows… maybe everyone will enjoy her garlic-free dishes as well!

And lastly MAMA “MIA”, chances are that you, or someone in your large family, will someday become aware that they also have some type of food allergy or celiac disease. So you may want to start thinking now about how you can make some changes to those accustomed to recipes!  (P.S. And don’t worry gluten-free pasta isn’t all that bad!)

What do you think Abby should have given for advice?

Note: I gave Abby my two-cent worth and you should too! Email her today! Note: In the body of your message refer to the 07/17/09 column and the advice she gave to MAMA “MIA” in NY.

According to an article in Rueters.com, recurrent mouth ulcers, like canker sores, may suggest celiac disease. Even more surprisingly, in 5% of celiacs it may be the only symptom that occurs. For these celiacs that suffer from canker sores, they tend to reappear in times of stress and are associated with viral infections, food allergies and other conditions.

In the study, the celiac patients did not respond well to conventional mouth ulcer meds. However, those that started a strict gluten-free diet showed significant improvement within 2-6 months.

This breakthrough is important because it may assist medical doctors, including dentists, in recognizing celiac disease in more patients.

 On a mission to spread celiac awareness & diagnosis, I am going to make sure that I mention this finding to my dentist during my next visit.  Please join me!