Fulfilling the requirements of both the Canadian and U.S. government standards for gluten-free (http://glutenfreehelp.info) facility certification is no easy task. Ask Beth Armour of Cream Hill Estates, Canada.

Cream Hill Estates routinely undergoes painstaking and expensive tests to eliminate any and all possibilities of cross-contamination. The complicated and demanding process begins with the transportation of the select seed and crop of specific farmers via “proper” vehicles to the gluten-free facility.

The cost of the select seed is high. It is 99% pure, with only one non-oat seed per 25,000 seeds of oats. The fields must be proven gluten-free for three years with additional standards met such as distance to other lands and ditches. Inspectors visit regularly.

“Cream Hill Estates uses only equipment dedicated to further the process by high pressure air and industrial vacuum to eliminate any possibility cross-contamination,” Beth says. “Their trucks and storage bins are handled the same way.”

Cream Hill Estates tests their products at various stages in the lengthy and expensive process, and they are also tested at a laboratory certified by the Canadian government.
The Canadian Celiac Association (CCA) has established a specific standard for growth, harvesting, and processing oats in Canada of 20 parts per million (ppm). Beth Armour says her oat flakes test under 5ppm. http://www.creamhillestates.com/

Adding gluten-free oats to a celiac person’s diet (http://glutenfreehelp.info/celiac-or-gluten-sensitive) is another test. It can be tolerated successfully with a gradual approach in recommended dosages. The additional fiber and health benefits will be a welcome addition to the celiac patient’s diet. It’s recommend that a quarter of a cup of dry rolled oats be the maximum for adult consumption.

Dr. Peter Green, MD, the head of the Celiac Disease Research Center at Columbia University (http://glutenfreehelp.info/gluten-free-info), recommends annual blood tests as well as “appropriate timed” biopsies for celiac patients who decide to add oats to their diet. Dr. Green supports the attempt to add oats to the gluten-free diet for additional fiber and increased variety.

Watch the video review I did on these Cream Hill Estates products here or below.

Tina Turbin
www.glutenfreehelp.info

It seems to me that tea is typically gluten-free unless it has additives, but the teabags could possibly have gluten ingredients. Here a re a few familiar names which you may have on your shelves:

Lipton’s Green Tea: The decaf is perfect when you want to enjoy the taste of green tea without the caffeine jolt in the evening. I called the company and they verified their tea is gluten-free.

Trader Joe’s

Teavanna

Celestial Seasonings

Yogi Pure Green Decaf (certified organic): Their flavored teas may have barley malt, but not the pure teas.

Salada Green Tea

Tazo

Bigalow teas at times do use barley in some flavors, so you may want to avoid them. 

For information about several tea manufacturers’ products check out: http://www.glutenfreeinsd.com/beverages.html

Tina Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

Some people accomplish extraordinary things. When they do, it’s nice to recognize them and applaud them for their accomplishments. Tina Turbin is one of those people. She’s well known by many of you because of her involvement in the celiac community.

Who is Tina Turbin?

Tina is an activist in two main fields: 1) She actively works to make improvements in children’s literacy and education, and 2) She works diligently to raise awareness about celiac disease. She speaks regularly on these topics on national radio shows and writes articles and columns for a wide variety of publications and websites. You can learn more about Tina at http://TinaTurbin.com.

Why the “Congratulations!”?

Tina wrote the award-winning children’s picture book Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy. iSTORYTIME (the iPhone App Developer for Dreamworks) has recently signed to turn the DVD of this book into a children’s book app. This production is unique because its the first of its kind to have sign-language interpretation added for the deaf to assist this under-served population.

Imagination Publishing Group President Alan Wayne said, “I’m pleased to say that this is the first of many apps to be created through iStorytime for the Danny the Dragon series.” Profits from the sales of the Danny the Dragon DVD are donated to the Blossom Montessori School for the Deaf. Learn more about her books, DVD, and what she does to help celiacs at her website.

Congratulations Tina!

Connie Sarros

www.gfbooks.homestead.com

Why is that it’s more difficult to get enough fiber in a gluten-free diet? Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye, grains which are high in fiber. Rice flours and the starches commonly used in gluten-free diets are lower in fiber than many gluten-containing grains. Luckily, you can still get plenty of fiber from other sources than whole wheat.

One grain I highly recommend is quinoa. It is a great source of fiber and can be used in many tasty dishes your child will be sure to enjoy. Not only is quinoa high in fiber, yielding seven grams of fiber per serving, as an added bonus, it’s also high in protein with a whopping fourteen grams per serving. Check out quinoa flour which is great for making pizza dough and bread.

Brown rice is also a great alternative to gluten-containing alternatives with three grams of fiber per serving. Brown rice retains the most nutrients of any variety of rice; whereas white rice loses some of the nutrients while it’s processed, brown rice holds onto its nutrients and fiber. This high-fiber substitute can be enjoyed in soups, puddings, and stir-fries, as well as on the side.

An important way to provide enough fiber in your child’s diet is by feeding him lots of fruits and vegetables, which are thankfully gluten-free. A simple salad, containing spinach leaves, broccoli, carrots, and tomatoes, adds seven grams of fiber to your family’s dinner. Apples make a great, high-fiber snack for your celiac child at school. For dessert or along with a meal, a fruit salad can add three to five grams of fiber. I also recommend dates, which have around four grams of fiber per serving.

So how much fiber is recommended for your child? Your child needs daily the number of his age in years plus 5 to 10 grams. For example, a 5-year-old would need between 10 and 15 grams of fiber (5 years plus 5 to 10 grams).

Tina Turbin

      There are several organizations in the United States which are researching the disease and working hard to raise celiac awareness and support. One such organization is the Celiac Disease Research Center at Columbia University, headed by Dr. Peter Green, MD, a Professor of Medicine at the University. He is personally responsible for the diagnosis of 2,400 people with celiac disease every year and is dedicated to increasing the celiac diagnosis rate in the United States.

     A higher rate of diagnosis yields a higher rate of support, Dr. Green says. This means more and more grocery stores and restaurants offering gluten-free foods and gluten-free cooking to gluten-intolerant consumers. Abroad, there are more gluten-free options available because there are more people diagnosed with gluten intolerance or celiac disease. For instance, every pizzeria in Sydney, Australia offers gluten-free pizza, made with gluten-free flour.

     Why is America way behind in celiac awareness? It probably has something to do with the fact that celiac disease is the only autoimmune disease that the government doesn’t support with research grants. Centers such as Dr. Green’s Celiac Disease Research Center are one-hundred percent dependent on charitable donations or university funds. Even though diagnosis is slightly up for celiac adults, this isn’t enough to raise awareness and bring relief for the three million people who suffer from celiac disease, nearly ninety-seven percent of whom don’t even know the cause of their painful symptoms. With increased diagnosis, we will surely see increased support, and soon the celiac community will be able to enjoy the same quality of life and food and cooking options which is enjoyed by, for instance, the lactose-intolerant community.

Tina Turbin

Tina Turbin

     Why is America way behind in celiac awareness? It probably has something to do with the fact that celiac disease is the only autoimmune disease that the government doesn’t support with research grants. Centers such as Dr. Green’s Celiac Disease Research Center are one-hundred percent dependent on charitable donations or university funds. Even though diagnosis is slightly up for celiac adults, this isn’t enough to raise awareness and bring relief for the three million people who suffer from celiac disease, nearly ninety-seven percent of whom don’t even know the cause of their painful symptoms. With increased diagnosis, we will surely see increased support, and soon the celiac community will be able to enjoy the same quality of life and food and cooking options which is enjoyed by, for instance, the lactose-intolerant community.

Tina Turbin

     Says Dr. Peter Green, MD, Professor of Medicine and head of the Celiac Disease Research Center at Columbia University, a higher rate of diagnosis means a higher rate of support. Dr. Green personally diagnoses 2,400 people a year at his center and works hard to raise awareness in the medical community so that doctors across the country will be able to recognize and test for the symptoms of celiac disease.

     Although celiac diagnosis is on the rise, this is only among adults, leaving out the many children who suffer from gluten intolerance and from misdiagnosis. It is common for children to experience what Dr. Green calls a “brain fog,” leading to troubles in school and symptoms of psychiatric children’s disorders such as ADD, ADHD, and depression. It is not unusual for a celiac child to be mistakenly diagnosed with a psychiatric problem improperly administered medical drugs.  

     This is why Dr. Green and other celiac advocates are working harder than ever to raise celiac awareness. Although diagnosis is slightly up among adults, this is not enough. The diagnosis statistic must be fully reverted among children and adults. This is the only way to bring broad-scale relief and gluten-free awareness to this country.

Tina Turbin

Dr. Peter Green, as many of you know, is the Director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University Medical Center and one of the most outspoken and highly-respected professionals in his field.  Elizabeth Hasselbeck is a daytime talk show host who is well-known for her efforts to raise awareness about celiac.

What exactly is celiac disease then? It is an autoimmune disease caused by an allergic reaction to the component of wheat, barley, and rye, called gluten, which can affect the entire body. There are many painful symptoms which are confused for the symptoms of other diseases, and most doctors, uneducated in celiac disease, fail to diagnose it correctly.

Why is it that you and your doctors probably haven’t heard about celiac disease? Although the amount of research on celiac disease is growing, it depends entirely on the generosity of benefactors for its funding. Without these charitable donations, there would be no way to continue this research and the efforts to raise awareness. Out of the estimated fifty autoimmune diseases that have been discovered by doctors, it is the only one for which research isn’t supported by the U.S. government.

Despite the lack of funding, thanks to the hard work of celiac disease advocates, there has been some progress made in the fight to raise awareness. In 2003, an unofficial group of celiac community leaders came together to help persuade Congress to pass a law which would require food labels to include information about allergens. The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act was signed into law on August 3, 2004, greatly helping those who suffer from celiac disease or who are gluten-sensitive to shop for gluten-free groceries. When this was achieved, the need for a permanently established advocacy organization was seen, and this advocacy group became the American Celiac Disease Alliance (ACDA), which continues to this day to represent the celiac community to Congress.

Thus, strides have certainly been made in respect to helping the celiac community, but this isn’t good enough. After all, out of the three million Americans who are estimated to have the disease, only about three out of every hundred of them have been diagnosed. I am one of the lucky three who discovered the cause of the physical, and emotional, agony sufferers of celiac disease go through. I spent years going from doctor to doctor, getting test after test, trying a variety of suggested solutions, but with no answers and no relief. That’s when I began my own research. It was a long, hard road, and I’m determined that no one else have to follow it—if they’re even able to.

That’s why I support centers such as Columbia University’s Celiac Disease Center and the ACDA, but I’ll tell you something—they’re going to need more than just my own support. They need the advocacy and financial support of the government in order to end the suffering of three million of its citizens.