The CeliAct Blog

Last week we discussed eating gluten-free while in China, India and Japan. Well, as tasty as gluten-free Asian food can be, not all of us can fly off to Asia on a whim. Many of you wrote in and asked for tips on preparing these dishes yourselves rather than ordering them in foreign countries. We’re happy to oblige! While there are many naturally gluten-free foods in Asian cuisines, a lot of Asian cooking relies upon ingredients that are likely to contain wheat or barley. For the home cook who has been diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, cooking Chinese or Japanese dishes may feel daunting since so many familiar brands of condiments are off […]

Read more

If you have celiac disease, eliminating gluten from your diet is the single most important thing you can do for your health. However, when you eliminate gluten from your diet, you inadvertently eliminate beneficial elements of your diet as well. When you adopt a gluten-free diet, it is also important to identify the key nutritional factors that existed in your gluten-containing diet. Ignoring key nutritional factors missing from your diet can be dangerous. Supplements to help curtail nutrient deficiencies are important, and fiber should be the next priority. In past posts we’ve discussed some good sources of gluten-free fiber and the importance of fiber in preventing or remedying constipation. But what happens when you find […]

Read more

Asia is the biggest continent on Earth and home to at least 60% of the world’s population. Asia’s cultural diversity has given rise to a truly incredible variety of cuisines, and within those cuisines a tremendous number of naturally gluten-free delicacies. It is important to remember that while wheat has never played as critical a role in Asian cuisines as it does in the Western diet, and many Asian dishes have been traditionally gluten-free, cheap wheat flour has become increasingly available, and it is being used more and more, so it’s always a good idea to ask your server about ingredients. Here, we will focus on eating gluten-free in three countries: China, India, and Japan. […]

Read more

Fall means pumpkin. Pumpkin lattes, pumpkin donuts, pumpkin pies. Pumpkin picking and carving. Pumpkin décor on every front stoop and in every store. This seasonal favorite is naturally gluten-free and truly is a secret celiac superfood. It is packed with beta carotene (245% of the recommended daily allowance per cup of mashed pumpkin) and fiber (11% of the RDA). Pumpkin flesh is a good source of potassium and Vitamin C. It even contains a surprising 2 grams of protein per cup! The seeds of the pumpkin are truly superfoods, too. They are rich in manganese, tryptophan, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, protein, zinc and iron. The seeds contain a wide range of forms of antioxidant Vitamin E, […]

Read more

For some time now, manufacturers, such as CeliAct, have been able to send their products to laboratories to be tested for gluten and other allergens. However, if someone wanted to take things into their own hands and test food, supplements or health and beauty products on their own, it simply cost too much and was too much trouble to deal with a lab. Well, things have changed drastically in recent years. Now testing for the presence of gluten is something that can be done at home or at a restaurant while on the go! In this blog post, we’ll fill you in on all of your options… – The EZ Gluten® Test Kit was developed […]

Read more

Nearly every parent worries a little at Halloween – whether it’s about high fructose corn syrup in their kids’ candy, stranger danger, or food coloring. But parents of kids with celiac disease have a whole lot of extra worry this time of year. Their child’s pail of seemingly innocuous candy corn and chocolate bars is a minefield of hidden and not-so-hidden gluten, the ingestion of which is dangerous for a gluten-sensitive gut. Even older gluten-savvy teens may not know which popular candies are safe and which aren’t. In this post, we’ll try to take some of the worry out of Halloween by identifying safe gluten-free candy options for kids and adults alike. – Keep in […]

Read more

I think we can all agree on one thing. The gluten-free diet sure does take a toll on your selection of alcoholic drinks. Being able to order and enjoy a beer is one of the simple pleasures of life (or so I’m told), and having that taken away from you can be the toughest part about this diet we’re all forced to follow. We all cope with it differently. Some stop drinking. Some take up an interest in wine. Some take their chances with hard liquor. For me, it’s hard cider, and brands like Strongbow, Woodchuck and Angry Orchard are some of my favorites. After all, cider looks like beer, it has roughly the same […]

Read more

Celiac disease can be one of the toughest things to diagnose. So many times I hear about people going to several doctors and being diagnosed with all kinds of ailments before they are finally diagnosed with celiac disease. My story was a little different. Within minutes of telling my doctor the symptoms I was experiencing, she accurately guessed that it was celiac disease. Sure enough, blood work and an endoscopy proved her right. Why was it so easy in my case? I was, and am, a type 1 diabetic. Astoundingly, celiac disease affects as much as 10% of type 1 diabetics. What exactly is the connection between these two diseases? Let’s take a look at […]

Read more

Coconut flour is one of the least known gluten-free flours out there. It is made of desiccated coconut after the oil has been removed. Then, the nearly oil-free coconut meat is finely ground into a powder that can be used for baking. Not only is coconut flour gluten-free, but it is extremely high in fiber and low in carbohydrates. 100 grams of coconut flour contains 154% of the RDA for fiber! It also contains a whopping 19g of protein. As a food that is low in digestible carbohydrates and low-glycemic, it is also appropriate for people who are monitoring their blood glucose or following a restricted carbohydrate or glycemic index diet for weight loss. Well, […]

Read more

  We’re proud of the way the CeliAct Blog has grown in 2012, gaining a larger readership (that’s you) and covering a wider range of topics related to celiac disease and nutrition. We love helping spread awareness and empowerment among celiacs, and we love when you, our readers, comment on posts to share your thoughts. So, we wanted to take a minute to share the ten most popular blog posts from the CeliAct Blog for the first half of 2012, just to make sure you didn’t miss any! Which post was your favorite? – Taking Domino’s Gluten-Free Pizza to the Lab – Is It Really Gluten-Free?When the controversy over Domino’s gluten-free pizza was stirring in […]

Read more

We all agree that the gluten-free diet is one of the toughest diets to follow. For most of us, veering from a strict gluten-free diet by just a hair can have horrible consequences. Well, since we spend so much of our energy focusing on the diet, it can be VERY difficult to take on another diet by choice, such as a diet for weight loss. Unfortunately though, people with celiac disease still need to manage their weight and overall health just like everyone else. The good news? We’re here to help you achieve your goal of a low calorie, gluten-free diet. – If you’re like many people, you’ve tried various ways to lose or maintain […]

Read more

“What’s the story with buckwheat? It can’t be gluten-free, right?” I can’t count how many times I’ve heard some variation of this question. It’s reasonable enough to assume something called “wheat” contains gluten… but that assumption is, fortunately, wrong! Buckwheat is actually not related to wheat at all, and is yet another gluten-free grain that is safe for celiacs and quite nutritious. While many people associate buckwheat with pancakes, this grain has many more delicious uses… – What Exactly is Buckwheat?   Buckwheat is not a “cereal” or a “grass” (the classifications of most familiar grains) but instead is related more closely to plants such as sorrel or rhubarb. The name “buckwheat” is believed to […]

Read more

Spelt has to be one of the most widely misunderstood, confusing grains out there when it comes to public perceptions regarding gluten-free diets. How many of you, when informing others about your gluten intolerance or celiac disease, have been greeted with offers of spelt-based breads or have been asked questions about whether you can eat spelt? As spelt has grown in popularity, it has become associated with “wheat-free” diets due in part to claims made on the packaging of some spelt breads. However, wheat-free is not the same as gluten-free… and it’s questionable whether spelt can even be considered wheat-free at all! So is spelt safe for us to eat? –   What Is Spelt? […]

Read more

Herbs and spices are simple. They are usually ground, shredded or whole seeds or leaves. No gluten there, right? Well, not so fast. While bottled herbs and spices that contain just one ingredient are almost always gluten-free, there are a few secret sources of gluten that may be lurking in your spice cabinet. Here are 3 surprising facts about gluten in herbs and spices… – Asafoetida (hing), a common spice in Indian cooking, nearly always contains wheat flour.Asafoetida is a powder made of dried gum of a root called ferula. It is known for its unpleasant smell and its delicious oniony, garlicky flavor. It is an important part of many Indian dishes. Although the powder […]

Read more

Coffee’s just a bean, roasted and ground and exposed to hot water to make a delicious beverage… Right? Well, yes and no. In its purest form, coffee is indeed just a humble bean. And for celiacs, unless gluten-containing flavorings are added in its processing or it is otherwise cross-contaminated, coffee is a safe gluten-free beverage to enjoy. However, there are some healthcare professionals and celiac patients who are surprisingly skeptical about the safety of coffee for the celiac body. So what’s the deal? Coffee is surely gluten-free. So what’s the commotion all about? Let’s explore. – Chiropractor David Clark is getting attention for a YouTube video in which he proposes that gluten and coffee are […]

Read more