Gluten-Free Mexican Food: What’s Safe and What Isn’t
The CeliAct Blog
Top 10 CeliAct Blog Posts from the First Half of 2012
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 […]
Dieting on a Gluten-Free Diet: How to Count Calories Once and Then Forget About It
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 […]
Is Buckwheat Gluten-Free? Yes, But Proceed with Caution
“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 […]
Spelt: When “Wheat-Free” Does Not Mean “Gluten-Free”
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? […]
The Gluten in Your Spice Rack: 3 Surprising Facts
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 […]
Is Coffee Really Safe for Celiacs?
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 […]
Are Oats Gluten-Free? For Some Celiacs, the Answer is “No”
One of the greatest debates in the world of gluten-free living is whether oats are safe for people with celiac disease to consume. For many years, celiacs were told that the list of grains they should avoid were “wheat, barley, rye and oats.” It was assumed that oats should be avoided as diligently as wheat should. Only recently has this advice started to change, but the debate still rages. Wrapped up in the argument over oats are many myths and misunderstandings about this humble, fiber-rich grain. Let’s get to the bottom of this once and for all… – Oats, also known as avena sativa, are an extremely nutritious cereal grain. The portion of the grain […]
Celiac and Constipation: Why It Happens and How to Fix It
When most people think about celiac disease, “diarrhea” is one of the first symptoms that comes to mind. Constipation rarely comes to mind. Even doctors frequently do celiac blood testing for patients whose primary symptom is diarrhea, yet anecdotally it seems that constipation rarely raises red flags for them. However, research has shown that about 15% of celiac patients with gastrointestinal complaints experience constipation. A 2012 study suggests that any person experiencing constipation that doesn’t respond to laxatives should be tested for celiac disease. Constipation is no mere inconvenience. It can reduce the body’s ability to eliminate toxins and can contribute to gastroesphageal reflux. It can cause symptoms such as pain, fatigue and anal fissures. […]
2 More Gluten-Free Grains You’ve Never Tried
In our previous post, 3 Gluten-Free Grains You’ve Never Tried, we explored nutritious gluten-free millet, amaranth and sorghum. But if you thought those were the last of the nutritious “ancient grains” you can incorporate into your cooking, think again! We’re back with two more types of grains (or “pseudograins”, which are technically the edible seeds of grasses) that can add flavor, creative flair, and essential vitamins and minerals to your diet. This time we’re going to look at teff, a grain often associated with Ethiopian cooking, as well as quinoa, a South American crop that’s quickly growing in its popularity and availability. – Teff is a grass that is native to Ethiopia and produces an […]
3 Gluten-Free Grains You’ve Never Tried
Brown rice, white rice, corn… Does the list of gluten-free grains in your diet stop there? You might be surprised at all of the nutritious grains you’re missing out on. While rice and corn are the basics that most celiacs start out with, few gluten-free folks are aware of the more exotic and nutritious gluten-free grain options that are available to us. The following ancient grains are nutritious staples in many parts of the world but less well-known in the Western world. Although these grains are not as common in the American diet, they are all available for purchase on the internet or through health food markets. One of them is even easy to grow […]
6 Steps to a Gluten-Free Tax Deduction (and Writing Off Thousands of Dollars of Gluten-Free Groceries on Your Taxes)
Is the cost of gluten-free groceries breaking the bank? Well, you may be in luck because there is actually a gluten-free tax deduction. Since gluten-free food is medically required for people with celiac disease, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) actually makes the difference in cost between gluten-free food and “regular food” a legally deductible medical expense. Too few of us know about this wonderful perk that can significantly help us deal with the excessive costs of gluten-free food. It may be months until you have to do your taxes again, but that makes this the perfect time to learn how you can benefit from a special tax deduction every celiac should know about. After all, […]
Your Essential Guide to the Gluten-Free Vegetarian Diet
When you have just one dietary restriction, such as having to avoid gluten, figuring out what to eat can be overwhelming. When you have multiple dietary restrictions, such as gluten-free and vegetarian, it can seem truly daunting. Even in our increasingly food-savvy world, many people hear “gluten-free” and their first response is: “What on earth can you eat?” A surprising number of people have a similar response when they hear about vegetarianism. So when the topic of gluten-free vegetarians is broached, many people are clueless about whether one can be healthy as a vegetarian without eating gluten and have little idea what gluten-free vegetarians eat. Well, we’re not only going to tell you that it […]
How to Save Money on a Gluten-Free Diet: 6 Money-Saving Tips
Gluten-free groceries are notoriously expensive. In fact, a study showed that gluten-free specialty foods are 2.5 times more expensive than their “regular” counterparts! If you go to a restaurant and order their gluten-free pasta, it will surely be one of the most expensive items on the menu. When you go to the liquor store and buy a 6-pack of gluten-free beer, the price is often similar to the more expensive microbrews. As if the gluten-free diet wasn’t hard enough! Luckily for us, there are many ways to cut down the cost of living gluten-free. From how you plan your grocery list to where you shop, there are many opportunities to trim excess fat from your […]
Gluten-Free Athletes: How the Gluten-Free Diet is Changing Sports
Gluten-free athletes appear to be popping up all over the place today. What’s up with that? For athletes who have celiac disease, like collegiate hurdler Shelby Kaho, the benefits of a gluten-free diet are obvious. A gluten-free diet led Shelby to become stronger and faster after being diagnosed with celiac disease. Once she started following a gluten-free diet, her nutritional status improved, as did her athletic status. What is less obvious is why so many non-celiac athletes are choosing gluten-free diets. There have been so many stories in the news about athletes claiming better performance when removing wheat, barley and rye from their diets. What gives? – The Number of Gluten-Free Athletes is Growing […]