Things to be thankful for with celiac disease April 23, 2008

I was looking at some gluten-free granola bars I just bought that are made by Bakery on Main.  Bakery on Main makes a tasty gluten-free granola cereal which I wrote about in this blog and used in an energy bar recipe.  I ordered the granola bars from glutenfree.com.  I haven’t tried them yet, I just received them last night.  I’ll review them in the future.  But I was looking at the ingredient list and I noticed that they don’t contain high fructose corn syrup.  I’ve been more aware of this sweetener lately.  You can check it out for yourself but I think it is unnecessary and could be harmful to my health.  I am staying away from it.  This got me thinking that the gluten-free diet is very healthy and it is something I am thankful for.  I thought it would be fun to start a list of things we are thankful for.

I am thankful that:

• My diet is full of vegetables, fruits, gluten-free grains and is healthy
• I was finally diagnosed
• The cure for celiac disease a healthy diet and doesn’t include medications
• More manufacturers are making products that are gluten-free
• I’ve been able to help other people with a gluten-free diet and that other people have helped me

Please add some things that you are thankful for, I’ll add them to the list.

Hard to diagnose Celiac Disease April 15, 2008

You’ve probably realized that celiac disease can be very hard to diagnose. Doctors and patients can agree on this fact. It is easier to diagnose in patients suffering the typical symptoms but there are patients who are really suffering who are atypical, latent or potential celiac victims. I read a very good article about the subject on an Australian food intolerance website called Foodintol. It brings up some good points and may be helpful to you if you are not feeling well and struggling to explain why.

The article brings up the fact that greater awareness leads to better understanding. It is very important to be diagnosed by a physician for many reasons. If you begin a gluten-free diet without diagnosis you would have to start eating gluten again in order to obtain a correct diagnosis. If you have celiac disease you have an auto-immune disease and you may develop other auto-immune diseases. With a certain diagnosis of celiac disease your physician can be on the lookout for the beginnings of other symptoms.

In the May issue of Outside magazine there is an opinion article (The Big Idea) by Gabriel Sherman titled “My Body Is Not a Temple”. He talks about being fed up with nutrition and exercise fads. He talks about the “wheat-allergy fad.” He says: “For the few diagnosed with celiac, the condition requires a strict gluten free diet. But according to the N.I.H., the condition affects only 1 percent of the population. You wouldn’t know this, given the arms race of wheat-free cookbook and gluten substitutes now under way.”

I would like to disagree with him on many points. Yes, the percentage of the population with celiac disease is small, 1%, but that is over 3 million people in the U.S. alone. It is estimated that for every one person who has been diagnosed there are another 7 who have celiac disease but are not diagnosed. Undiagnosed celiac disease can be very detrimental to your health – with increased chances of cancer, osteoporosis and other problems not to mention the fact that you may feel terrible. You probably have little or no chance to improve your fitness or enjoy the many activities in the great outdoors, which is what Outside magazine is all about.

Another point is that the increase in awareness, products and cookbooks is wonderful for anyone who has celiac disease. In the past patients with celiac disease were sometimes told to eat bananas and rice. Can you imagine eating that diet? Bette Hagman did so much for celiac disease with her research into making gluten free breads, desserts and other dishes. She dedicated her life to improving the quality of life for celiacs worldwide. The awareness of celiac disease has prompted food producers to begin coming out with some good gluten free options for us. It has also lead to labeling laws which make it so much easier to pick gluten free foods. Mr. Sherman probably has never read a label and tried to determine if the ingredients include anything that could contain gluten. He probably has never been faced with the problem of which sports supplements he safely consume. What will I take with me on that hike – no sandwich? No cereal for a quick breakfast?

The article in Outside ends up with Gabriel Sherman’s opinion that we’ve lost our reason. If he thinks that awareness of celiac disease is without reason he should do some more research into the matter. It is a serious disease.

Dr. Peter H.R. Green: The Relationship of Malignancies and Celiac Disease April 12, 2008

Peter H.R. Green, M.D. is the author (with Rory Jones) of the book “Celiac Disease A Hidden Epidemic”. He is also the director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University.

I’ve posted other blogs with exerpts from his book (here and here).  Here is a new one regarding cancer and celiac disease. 

High risk malignancies for patients with celiac disease include:

1. Thyroid cancer
2. Adenocarcinoma of the small intestine
3. Lymphoma
4. Esophageal cancer-mainly squamous
5. Melanoma
6. Malignancy in childhood

What is the risk? 

1. Long-standing celiac disease.  The greatest risk for malignancy is before a patient is diagnosed, expecially if the patient has long-standing celiac disease.
2. Believing you have “outgrown the disease.”  Celiac disease is a lifelong illness.
3. Not adhering to a gluten-free diet.  The continuing ingestion of gluten – i.e., noncompliance to the diet, either intentional or unintentional – is the major risk factor for malignancy.

Question:  What will happen if I eat one slice of pizza?  Answer:  You will rev up your immune system and no one knows the exact results of this.  It may make getting better difficult or impossible.  If you have one “hit” of gluten – as small as one-eigth teaspoon — you are going to get an inflammatory response and immune reaction that lasts a certain period of time — the half-life of the inflammatory mediators.  In other words, the inflammatory response and white cells called into the area will be active for a period of time and then fade off.  With persistent “hits” of gluten, the inflammation and response never fade and the intestine never has time to heal.

A gluten-free diet is considered protective against the development of malignancy.  While there is no evidence that a gluten-free diet will cure an established cancer, persistent gluten ingestion is one of the risk factors and may affect healing.

The risk factor is reduced after three to five years on a gluten-free diet, except in the case of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.  There, the risk persisted in several studies despite the gluten-free diet. 

Dr. Green has much more regarding celiac disease and malignancy in his book.  I’ve only shared part of it.  You can purchase his book at your local book store or at Amazon.  I recommend the book for anyone with celiac disease as an excellent resource for any questions you may have regarding the disease.

Sweet and Sour Slaw April 9, 2008

Everyone will love this slaw.  It has a peanut sauce which is delicious.  It is a good dish to take to a potluck.  I add red bell peppers (sliced thin) and sliced green onions to make it tastier and more colorful.  Sometimes I add cooked chicken, cut up, for a main dish salad.  Use wheat-free tamari sauce in place of the soy sauce to make it gluten free.  This salad contains plenty of vitamins, fiber and protein for your active lifestyle.

 

Sweet and Sour Slaw

From Jane Brody’s “Good Food Gourmet”

6 servings

 

Preparation tips:  The dressing can be premixed and combined with the cabbage and pepper flakes several hours before serving but add the peanuts at serving time.

 

Dressing:1/3 cup rice vinegar or cider vinegar ¼ cup natural peanut butter (smooth or crunchy) 3 tablespoons brown sugar ½ tsp. salt, or to taste (optional) 1 Tbsp. Soy sauce 1 tsp. oriental sesame oil

Salad:7 to 8 cups (about 1 ¼ lb.) shredded green cabbage Red pepper flakes to taste (optional) ½ cup dry-roasted unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped

 

1. Place the dressing ingredients in a blender, and process them on low until they are well mixed.
2. About 1 hour before serving, place the dressing in a large bowl, and add the cabbage, 2 cups at a time, tossing the ingredients after each addition.  Then stir in the pepper flakes (if you are using them).  Cover the bowl, and chill the salad for 1 hour, tossing it every now and then.
3. At serving time, add the peanuts, and toss the salad once more.  Use a slotted spoon to serve the slaw.

 

Optional:  I add cut-up, cooked chicken breast and sliced red bell peppers sometimes for a full meal.

 

This is good for a pot luck, everyone loves it.

Easy, Tasty Soup April 5, 2008

I made this easy, hearty soup last night.  It couldn’t be easier, just put all of the ingredients in a soup pot and cook for about 20 minutes.  It is full of protein with chicken and beans and vegetables.  I added a package of spinach which I washed and chopped just before serving the soup.  This recipe is from a good resource for sports nutrition, “Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook”. She is a registered dietitian (RD) who specializes in nutrition for exercise and health. 

Chicken & Black Bean Soup

 From Nancy Clark’s “Sports Nutrition Guidebook”

 4 chicken breasts, skinned & boned

5 cups chicken broth or water (I use 2 cups broth and 3 cups water)

2 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 tomatoes, chopped (I used 1 can diced tomatoes)

½ onion, chopped

3-5 cloves garlic, crushed

2-16 ounce cans black beans, rinsed & drained

1 tsp. Oregano

optional: 2-4 cups cooked pasta; 2 oz. Grated cheddar cheese; ½ cup marsala wine (I also added one package of washed and chopped spinach just before serving.)

 

• 1. In a large stock pot, place the chicken breasts, broth, carrots, tomatoes, garlic, beans and seasonings (and wine) in the water or broth. Cover and bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes or until done.
• 2. Remove the chicken pieces from the broth and set them aside to cool. Keep the broth warm over low heat. (Optional: add the cooked pasta).
• 3. Dice the chicken into small pieces. Return it to the soup and heat it through.
• 4. Garnish with grated cheese and red pepper flakes, if desired.

 

4 servings, 300 cal. Per serving.

Carb = 33 g, protein = 35 g, fat = 3 g