The CeliAct Blog

As we’ve mentioned in the past, one of the things that makes a gluten free diet so difficult is that eating is such a social activity. In fact, it is probably the second most social thing we do as humans. The most social thing we do? That’s easy – drinking. And let’s face it. Having to give up beer makes drinking pretty darn difficult at times. Well, just as we’ve seen an explosion in gluten free dining options lately, there has also been an explosion of gluten free drinking options! So since summer just started and many of you will be looking for a nice beverage for your BBQ, your trip to the beach, or […]

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Food labels can be deceiving. You’ve looked at enough of them to generally know what you’re looking at, but it can still be hard. No wheat – check. No barley – check. No rye – check. Comparing labels is something you’ve become an expert in because you look at them before you eat everything. But you may not know how to look at labels past determining if foods are gluten free or not. And gluten free eating and nutritious gluten free eating are a whole different ballgame. Protein is a prime example – it’s an essential part of your gluten free diet, but the amount on a label doesn’t always tell the full story. Not all […]

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The Department of Agriculture officially did away with the Food Guide Pyramid we’re all so familiar with last week and replaced it with MyPlate. The thinking goes that a plate is much easier to refer to than a pyramid. After realizing that I don’t have any pyramid-shaped dishes in my kitchen, I think I agreed with them. MyPlate is similar to a pie-graph that divides the plate into the portions they recommend for the American diet. Classes represented on the plate are Vegetables, Proteins, Grains and Fruits, with a side serving of dairy recommended as well. –   What are the Differences Between the Pyramid and MyPlate?   The “Breads, Cereals, Rice and Pasta” group […]

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How has the gluten free diet contributed to the hottest winning streak in professional tennis right now? It’s pretty simple actually. Novak Djokovic is absolutely destroying his competition in 2011 and is single-handedly dominating the sport of tennis. All on a gluten free diet. Djokovic is undefeated in 2011 and has won 39 matches in a row. Of those 39, four were against Rafael Nadal and three were against Roger Federer – the two traditional beasts in the sport.   Why on Earth is this Significant?   Djokovic was not always such a stellar performer on the court. The young Serbian was actually pretty middle-of-the-pack. What changed? – Last August he was diagnosed with gluten […]

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May is Celiac Awareness Month. All month I’ve booted around the idea of writing something creative and groundbreaking to celebrate how far celiac has come, and how much exposure it’s gained over the past decade. But I couldn’t really think of much. As you probably know by now, I myself do not have celiac disease. You can read why I blog gluten free, but beyond that, I want to make it clear how glad I am to be a part of the celiac community, helping to gain greater exposure for the disease. I’m one of the lone “outsiders” that blogs gluten free – but I know where celiac has been, and how awesome it is […]

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So I recently went home to visit my parents for the weekend. Going home is always a treat because my mom still LOVES to make me amazing gluten free meals (not to mention gluten free cookies, pancakes, cupcakes… you name it). Where else can I get a completely gluten free Thanksgiving dinner? A Passover Seder? A homemade birthday cake? Not many places. As much as my mom likes to cook for me, she still likes to take her nights off (and I don’t blame her!). This happened to be one of those nights… – We were all getting ready to go to Famous Pizza, a nearby pizza place that has great gluten free pizzas, when […]

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By deciding to follow a gluten free diet, you lost something far more important than just some of your favorite foods. You lost the sources of most of your fiber. But what’s so good about fiber, and why do you need it? Fiber doesn’t serve one function specifically – it’s helpful for many reasons. In fact, it can help prevent a number of immune and gastrointestinal complications. Interestingly, the recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 20-35 grams, but the average American’s intake is just 10-12 grams. So, deficiency is common in most Americans – and because celiac puts grains, cereals, and flours off-limits, it makes your job that much harder. Fiber reduces the risk of coronary […]

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Do you sometimes feel like you’re the only one in the world with celiac disease? The feeling that you’re alone with this life-altering disease can sometimes be worse than celiac itself! This feeling of loneliness is only exacerbated by the fact that celiac disease drastically affects the way that you eat. When you think about it, eating is one of the most social things we do as humans. Going on dates, being a guest at someone’s house, going to parties, grabbing lunch with a colleague or friend—these are all common social interactions that revolve around eating. Not being able to eat like “everyone else” can make you feel left out and even ostracized. This doesn’t […]

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You need to eat gluten free, but did you know that the products you’re buying may not be gluten free? Shocking, right? Gluten free product labeling has been important for as long as celiac disease and gluten intolerance have existed, but it’s been neglected for just as long. In 2004, and again in 2007, the FDA was tasked with standardizing gluten free labeling. Both times it seemed like a priority, but the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA, 2004) ignored barley and rye – these gluten-containing grains currently do not need to be identified in products. Again, standardization hit a roadblock during the 2007 initiative, as well. The delay in standardization has left […]

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Now I know this is one of the most overused sayings – but if I had a nickel for every time that someone felt sorry for me for having to follow a gluten free diet, I’d be rich. For those of you following a gluten free diet, you know exactly what I mean. Every time your celiac condition or gluten intolerance comes up with your peers, it is almost always followed by expressions of sympathy and discussions of how happy that person is to be among the world’s gluten tolerant. When I explain celiac disease or gluten intolerance to people (as I normally do when I go out to eat with them), they always say […]

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Your friends are throwing around ideas for where they want to sit down for dinner on Saturday night. You want to make suggestions, but it’s difficult because your options are limited. Dining out gluten free is really difficult, especially when it’s a social event (often the case). I have my personal favorite places, and my friends are great at catering to where I can and can’t eat. Luckily for us, there are places that are gluten free friendly and are also big hits with the gluten-eaters out there. P.F. Chang’s is definitely one of those places. –   Here’s the Scoop on P.F. Chang’s   Gluten Free Hub recently did a review of P.F. Chang’s. […]

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When you found out you had to follow a gluten free diet, you probably had some anxiety. How were you going to eliminate major staples like bread, pasta, and cereal from your diet? The reason why it’s so difficult is because these foods are omnipresent throughout the average American diet. For the cereal-eater, breakfast becomes tough. For the sandwich-eater, lunch becomes challenging. For the pasta-eater, dinner becomes a struggle. The fact is, carbohydrates are important—and these grain-based foods are the ones most people are familiar with.   The Importance of Carbohydrates and Differentiating Between Good and Bad Carbohydrates provide energy to every cell in your body. Without them, your body won’t function. There are 2 […]

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My journey with celiac disease began when I was 16. After several months of weight loss, chronic fatigue and stomach issues, it was a pretty easy diagnosis for the doctor to make. Not long after my diagnosis with celiac, I had the opportunity to study and travel all over the world, exploring gluten-free dining in Israel, Jordan, Chile, Turkey, Italy and Brazil. It wasn’t until after I graduated from college that I started to research celiac disease and how it affects our bodies – even when we adhere to a strict gluten-free diet. – Observing the Gluten-Free Industry from Infancy   Over the last decade, I’ve seen the emergence, and eventual explosion of the gluten-free […]

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