It’s been over two years since I finally found out what was destroying my body from the inside out. I had a history of stomach problems and when my symptoms became bad enough to feel justified going to the doctor, was told that I had gastritis, which is essentially an enflamed stomach lining. Antacid medications were prescribed and I was sent on my way. The medications seemed to work at first, but eventually my symptoms came back. Each time my “gastritis” came back, it was worse than the time before. I felt bloated, my head hurt, I was nauseous, and my insides felt like they were on fire. My skin also reacted by producing patches of red, itchy, flakiness. Around 2003, the symptoms began to include mind­crushing migraines. To combat the migraines, a neurologist put me on an anti­seizure medication and told me to stop eating yogurt, bananas, chocolate, and to eliminate caffeine from my diet. I did as I was told but my stomach problems and migraines continued.

By the Spring of 2006 my health had deteriorated to the point that my body finally had enough. What felt like another attack of “gastritis” quickly evolved into fever, and sharp, stabbing pains on the right side of my abdomen. I ate antacids like candy to no avail, and had to sleep sitting up otherwise I’d wake up choking on stomach acid. I was admitted into the ER and went through a battery of tests, which indicated inflammation in my stomach (a shocker!) and small intestines. They attributed it to gas, gave me yet another script of antacid medication and sent me on my way. The medications didn’t work at all and I continued to get worse.

By June of 2006 I began to lose weight. In addition to the pain, headaches, nausea, and bloating, I began to experience new and disturbing symptoms. I could no longer look at computer screens without feeling dizzy, and everything that moved produced a visual tail. I started to feel like I was losing my mind, or tripping on some kind of hallucinogen.

Food began to scare me, since many things I ate made my symptoms worse. In the course of three months I dropped from an unhealthy 212 pounds to 165 pounds. I still sought out the help of doctors, now mainly gastroenterologists, who once again put me through a variety of tests. I had an MRI, CAT scan, at least 20 different blood tests, an endoscopy, a colonoscopy, parasite tests, and neurological tests.

Nothing produced answers. Frustrated physicians began to blame me for my symptoms, telling me that I needed to seek the help of a psychiatrist or a counselor. There was nothing more disheartening to be told that all your physical symptoms are in your head, that the pain and discomfort you are feeling are not real. I’ve got to admit that I did a lot of praying during those months.

By the end of October 2006 I began to experience excruciating pain when I had a bowel movement, which was often accompanied by fresh blood. I again returned to the hospital, only to have physicians shove their fingers in my anus, which was extremely painful due to my rectal tearing, as well as a bit embarrassing as I’m sure those of you who’ve had the same procedure know, and told that there was nothing wrong with me. It wasn’t until I brought in a picture of my toilet bowl filled with blood did my gastroenterologist begin to explore possible dietary causes of my symptoms. One of which was a test for gluten­ antibodies. I asked him why and he informed me that I may have something called Celiac Disease. Celiac Disease, he said, was an auto­immune condition created by the body’s inability to digest gluten. Gluten was a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and possibly oats.

Although my test came back “inconclusive,” I decided to try and avoid eating gluten anyway. What could I lose? I was desperate. I had taken every medication given to me, as well as put myself through a variety of herbal dietary detoxification regimens, and stupidly enough, even fasted. Nothing helped. However when I eliminated gluten, I quickly noticed results. Within three days my rectal bleedingstopped, and in a few weeks I was having pain­free bowel movements! However, gluten had taken its toll on me. When I visited my mother for Christmas of 2006, she began to cry as soon as she saw me. The last time she had seen me I was over 200 pounds, so seeing me at 145 pounds must have been quite a shock! We cried together and I told her not to worry, because I felt that I had finally found out what was killing me. As I avoided gluten my health began to slowly improve.

Once I started researching gluten and Celiac Disease, I found that my negative physiological reactions to non­gluten foods were caused by a condition called “leaky­gut syndrome.” In people with Celiac Disease, gluten creates an auto­immune condition where the body begins to attack the villi (hair­like structures lining the intestines used for moving food particles and facilitating the absorption of nutrients), eventually flattening them. As conditions become worse, the intestines become severely inflamed and eventually begin to tear and create fissures. My intestines had been so damaged by my disease, that large, undigested food particles began seeping through the cracks in my intestinal walls into my blood stream. Once there they were attacked by my immune system and labeled as “intruders.” If you don’t know how the immune system works, once it identifies something as an enemy, that information is communicated to the rest of the body. The result was that I began to have allergic reactions to many of the things I ate, but especially nuts, seeds, and dairy products.

Severely damaged intestines also produce neurological conditions. Not only did I have a hard time looking at computer screens, something of a liability when in graduate school, but when I closed my eyes I saw what looked like strobe­lights flashing in my peripherals. Stores with a lot of visual congestion, like bookstores, made me dizzy. I was also seeing trails. When I moved my arms, even slowly, a visible trail resulted. It was worse with cars, birds, and anything else that moves. But worse than all of that was

the fogginess I felt in my mind. It was so hard to concentrate on anything that I suffered chronic headaches from the strain of trying to focus my attention. To sum it all up, it completely SUCKED!!!

It’s been over two years of healing now and I’m still not feeling as good as I did before I became ill. Some days are much better than others, but in general I always feel a little bit off. However, I feel unbelievably better than I did when things were at their worse, so I’m extremely grateful. I’m sure it took many years to have led to how sick I became, so it will most likely take quite a while to repair the damages. I eventually accepted the reality that there was no magic pill to make me instantly better. I realized that the rest of my life would be somewhat of a dietary challenge, especially when it comes to traveling. But as some wise person once said, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I’m sure as new gluten­free products are introduced and awareness of Celiac Disease increases, living with dietary restrictions such as mine will get easier and easier. I just hope that I’m able to help as many people as I can have an easier time adjusting to gluten­free living.

­Travis Sky Ingersoll

Great Resources and Links:

Check out my Gluten Free Cooking Blog. It has tons of useful information, recipes, product sampling, restaurant reviews, and tips to living a gluten free life. And it’s FREE!

http://www.travsgoneglutenfree.blogspot.com

Here’s my ever-growing list of used and approved Gluten Free cookbooks, GF products, and related products:

Trav’s Gone Gluten Free’s Amazon Store

Helping Hands Books is a social venture aimed at contributing to youth development:

http://www.helpinghandsbookstores.com

Miranda Jade

GlutenFreeHelp.info

Studies have shown that one of the main reasons why some celiac patients can’t stay gluten-free is that they don’t have a support group to encourage and help them; on Gling.com, users can build a network of supportive friends. After setting up a profile, users connect with gluten-free restaurants, bakeries, and companies as well as with GF friends they’ve already known or with brand-new ones. Don’t have any gluten-free friends? You can make some on Gling.com; soon enough, you’ll have plenty of GF friends you can even connect with in real life, say, at your favorite local GF bakery that you also found on Gling.com. The other three tools comprise comprehensive listings of gluten-free recipes, food product information, and locations, such as bakeries and stores which sell gluten-free fare.

Gluten-free websites, such as Gling.com and my own GlutenFreeHelp.info, make the gluten-free lifestyle less of a challenge. For those who don’t belong to a support group, an online community such as the one on Gling.com can offer similar benefits. It can be tough living gluten-free in a gluten-filled world, but with these websites, you feel instead that you’re part of an exciting adventure.

Tina Turbin

http://www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

As a children’s author, researcher, and humanitarian, I have been growing increasingly alarmed at the growing number of autism diagnosis. Whereas in the 1980s, a study shows that 4 in every 10,000 children exhibited signs of autism, a study conducted recently by Cambridge University’s Autism Research Center showed that approximately 1 in 60 children have autism. Several years ago, I myself was diagnosed with celiac disease, caused by a reaction to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye, after many years without proper diagnosis for my painful symptoms. I am now happily gluten-free and pain-free. Lucky to have been correctly diagnosed and had my symptoms handled with the natural treatment of a gluten-free diet, I am passionate about helping children to avoid the same pain of misdiagnosis and to find natural remedies for their health problems. According to a recent article on NaturalNews.com, one such natural remedy for autism is calcium Bentonite clay. I had to share this information!

The use of Bentonite clay has been rising in popularity in autism treatment centers. Calcium Bentonite clay, also known as “Living Clay” and one of the most sought-after for its healing properties, has a particularly strong negative ionic charge which magnetically attracts positively-charged substances such as bacteria and metals, for example, and absorbs them, eliminating toxins from the body. It is used both internally and externally and is a rather simple procedure.  In autism treatment centers, Bentonite clay baths are used to safely remove metals and toxins from the body to increase the chances of success when used in conjunction with other therapies.

As autism diagnosis increases, so does the controversy over its causes. Most researchers seem to be searching for a genetic factor, but others are showing evidence of environmental causes. “There`s really the role for something in the environment that could be triggering someone who is genetically susceptible,” says Dr. Gary Goldstein, a child neurologist and director of the Kennedy Krieger Institute, located in Maryland.

The research supporting the impact of environmental toxins has spurred the search for detoxification therapies that can remove them from our systems.  Already large numbers of doctors are recommending chelation and detoxification programs in conjunction with behavioral therapy for autistic children, noting that with these toxins removed, other therapies are more effective. Chelators are substances that fix themselves to heavy metals. Chelation therapies are typically effective, but they’re expensive and carry a higher risk of side effects such as headache, diarrhea, fatigue, fever, and cramps, particularly for children. Calcium Bentonite clay is considered more effective and safer for children.

While many autism clinics are citing successful results with clay therapy, its use isn’t being promoted to doctors due to the fact that clay can’t be patented by the pharmaceutical companies.  Similarly, celiac disease affects 1 out of 100 Americans, and since its treatment is simply a gluten-free diet—requiring no pharmaceutical products, doctors are failing to recognize the symptoms of the disease and diagnosis it correctly, leaving only three percent of celiacs properly diagnosed. However, just as in the cause to increase celiac and gluten-free awareness, by taking it upon ourselves to promote natural therapies for children’s autism, we will surely bring about increase awareness about the effectiveness of calcium Bentonite clay treatment, just as I’ve witnessed awareness of celiac disease and gluten-free grow a great deal over the years.

Tina Turbin
www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

I am honored to share with you and up close and personal interview with founder, owner and chef Roni Piterman. She has devoted her days  (and nights) to helping others in need of a gluten-free diet in a very special way and has really expanded. This is a woman who knows her business!

Please do enjoy this interesting interview.

QUESTIONS FOR RONI PITERMAN

GF Meals by Your Dinner Secret

First of all, are you Celiac?

No I’m not. However I treat my son’s ADHD using diet intervention. He does not eat gluten, casein, soy protein, preservatives, nitrates, nitrites, artificial colors or artificial flavors.

Please share what your company, Your Dinner Secret-GFMeals, is and provides.

gfMeals by Your Dinner Secret provides delicious, convenient gluten and casein-free entrees and baked goods that are shipped nationwide to customers’ homes, vacation destinations, colleges, camps and to grandma’s house.

Is the business name GFMeals or Your Dinner Secrets? Can you describe each please?

Your Dinner Secret is our company name. gfMeals is our brand and our web site.

What inspired you to create your food service company?

Originally Your Dinner Secret was a local meal assembly store in Los Angeles where busy people could enjoy an ever-changing menu of high-quality, family-friendly, frozen, ready-to-cook meals that came with simple cooking instructions. We started that business because we believed that busy moms needed an easier way to quickly put a quality dinner on the table.

Were you already familiar with the food business? If so, in what way?

We were not previously in the food industry. I have a background in marketing and PR. I’m a self-taught cook. Cooking and great food has always been my favorite hobby.

Any specific reason that you provide meals for individuals on a gluten-free and/or casein-free diet?

Shortly after opening our doors we found out that a gluten and casein-free (GFCF) diet was helping recover children with autism. We wanted to help. We knew about celiac disease too. We immediately contacted local autism and celiac organizations and told them about our idea to start a GFCF business and everyone was overjoyed. They explained to us that quality, good-tasting GFCF was very limited. As we researched it more, we realized that the diet could help my son too. During Summer 2007 we tested the concept both in the business and at home. It became a blessing all the way around.

Please share with us how your service is assisting those who have children with autism.

Tina, you know how challenging gluten-free life can be. Well, it’s several times more difficult when you have one or more children with special needs who need to be both gluten and casein-free. We understand that children with autism generally have limited tastes and are texture-sensitive. We know, first-hand, how life-changing the GFCF diet is. We aim to take a bit of the stress out of people’s lives and make this gluten and/or casein-free life easier.

Can you share a real story which has “touched” you?

There are really too many to choose just one. The greatest blessing this business has given me personally, other than leading me on a path to help my own son, is that I have mentored hundreds of parents of newly diagnosed kids on how to implement a GFCF diet at home. Eliminating gluten and/or casein from one’s life is a daunting undertaking. I believe that I have given many people comfort and helped them relax and obtain an “I can do it” attitude. I even share with them a Family Guide to Living Gluten and Casein Free. It’s posted on my site at http://www.gfmeals.com/Articles.asp?ID=158. It’s actually titled The GFCF Diet: A Powerful Piece of the Recovery Puzzle.

Your company was created in Los Angeles. Have you established any other facilities around the country?

We have a fulfillment facility in Missouri. Up until now we have only sold our gfMeals direct to customers. However, we are getting ready to push into supermarkets. So watch out, Tina. I’m going to need help getting the word out.

How does the process of ordering a meal work?  Please share the quick, step-by-step process that explains how one orders from your website, down to receiving it at one’s door.

Customers place orders via phone by calling us toll-free at 888-700-5610. However, the majority of our customers simply order on our Web site atwww.gfMeals.com. Our Web site is very easy to navigate. We provide package, case and individual item ordering. Clearly listed for every menu item on our site are the following: item name, photo, price, description, ingredients, nutrition and cooking instructions. We ship our food frozen, in a cooler with dry ice. The food arrives completely frozen. Our baked goods are baked. Our entrees are frozen in a ready-to-cook state and come with simple cooking instructions.

How can someone order your product from another state or far away?

Just call or place an order at www.gfMeals.com.

What are your particular “popular” meals, products or best-sellers?

Our most popular entrees are Chicken Tenders, Meatballs and American Turkey Meatloaf. Our best selling baked goods include our Faux Buttermilk Sliced Bread, Plain Bagels and Chocolate Zucchini Muffins.

Tell me about this new multi-seeded sliced bread. What makes this product stand out so much?  And what is it made out of?

It’s truly tasty, full of nutrients, egg-free and has great texture.

INGREDIENTS: Water, whole grain millet flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, sweet rice flour, organic evaporated cane juice, flax meal, xanthan gum, pectin (from citrus), sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, egg replacer (potato starch, tapioca starch flour, leavening (calcium lactate, not derived from dairy), calcium carbonate, citric acid, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, methylcellulose), yeast, salt, aluminum-free baking power, olive oil.

Do you work with or have involvement with any celiac support groups? If so, how are you involved?

I am supportive of CDF (Celiac Disease Foundation) and CSA (Celiac Sprue Association).

What sort of expansion plans can we look forward to in the future?

We’re moving into supermarkets and other venues, so look for gfMeals in your local markets and ask the store managers to start carrying gfMeals.

Do you have any other gluten-free or celiac-related areas that you are interested in branching out into?

I’m not quite sure what you’re asking here. I can tell you that our customers have many different types of auto-immune and/or inflammatory conditions, not to mention general food allergies.

For my last question – tell me—if you could share any one thing broadly with others, what would you like to share?

I would like to share that gfMeals by Your Dinner Secret is a family-run business that is on a mission to make your life more delicious. Our products are very high-quality and very delicious. We want to be around for a long time so please help us spread the word.

Thank you for this opportunity.

Tina Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

There seems to be a number of sites on travel.  Karen reached out to me to share a bit about her travel site and here is her story as well:

Tina,

I launched a website almost exactly two years ago to address this specific challenge: traveling safely on a gluten-free diet. My son, who was diagnosed with Celiac before he was even two years old, is now almost seven. We had taken a Caribbean vacation and had realized there wasn’t really any place to share our feedback with other Celiacs looking to plan safe and fun vacations with gluten-free family members…and few places to go to GET feedback when in the initial planning stages of a trip.

Two years ago I launched my own gluten free website to help people find restaurants, grocery stores, hotels/resorts, and cruise ships around the world that accommodate gluten-free diets. It is a review-based site, with dining and travel reviews submitted by people all over the country — and the world. We have over 800 reviews, and they are organized geographically to make it easy to access the ones most relevant to you. In fact, we just added new and improved search technology to allow users to narrow their search down to the city/town or zip code level — and map the results.

We also have a section of our site called Gluten Free Restaurant Menus ( http://www.glutenfreetravelsite.com/restaurants ) dedicated to listing some of the best national and regional chain restaurants with gluten-free menus (with direct links to those menus).

So all told, our site helps users find thousands of great places to safely dine gluten-free around the world. I hope you’ll find it useful Tina!

Karen Broussard

http://www.glutenfreetravelsite.com

Tina Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

It’s not every day that you find a resource book that both parents and children can read for valuable information about celiac disease. Katie Chalmers has achieved this with her unique picture book, Mommy, What Is Celiac Disease?

After a child’s celiac diagnosis is made, there comes the inevitable talk when Mommy, Daddy, or both must explain what this means and how it will change their family. Mommy, What Is Celiac Disease? depicts in unique illustrations and creative dialogue, full of unique similes that children will connect with, this crucial conversation between a newly diagnosed celiac girl and her Mommy. Not only does the book fully describe the disease, even defining gluten, and explain the gluten-free diet and the lifestyle changes it requires, but it also exudes an optimism, giving parents an example of the positive attitude they should take with their kids.

The book is not only a valuable resource for celiac kids and their parents, but for other family members, friends, teachers, school administrators, and more.  It explains the disease in an informed way without complicated and scientific jargon, earning the praise of various celiac experts and writers.

Katie Chalmers not only authored the book but, a freelance graphic designer, she illustrated it as well. Shortly after being diagnosed with celiac disease, one of her twin daughters tested positive, and Chalmers made sure to explain the disease clearly and in a positive light. Her picture book does just that and ensures that other parents will be able to follow in her successful footsteps.

I highly recommend this book for anyone with a celiac child in their life. I am also very pleased to share her delightful website http://www.katiechalmers.com where you can easily purchase the book.

Tina Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

b.a.

I’m very pleased to share my interview with Elizabeth Goldenberg, President of Onespot Allergy, of onespotallergy.com, full of useful information on the topic of food allergies, food safety and children and much more.

Nowadays many people are faced with food allergies, and you provide an incredible website/service which helps people to avoid such allergens. What led you to create your site?

It’s true that many more people have food allergies these days.  The most recent studies report that they affect five to ten percent of the population.  I recently crunched the numbers for peanut and tree nut allergic individuals in the U.S., and the figure was 4,587,905 individuals.

I have two sons, and my younger son was diagnosed with allergies to peanuts and tree nuts in 2002 when he was two years old.  I take things very seriously and I love to come up with custom solutions for everyday problems.  After handling his allergy for one year, I realized that I’d created a system that kept him safe and prepared.  I started my company in 2009 (once he was in school full time), and I now sell those safety products on http://www.onespotallergy.com.

Do you personally have any food allergies?

I don’t have any food allergies, and my husband and older son don’t either.  I’m familiar with restricted diets, since I’m vegetarian and I don’t eat wheat, dairy, or sugar.  Since my restrictions are based on personal choice, I don’t take the precautions to avoid all traces of those foods, which you need to take when you’re Celiac or food allergic.

I’m curious to know, how did the EpiPen come about?  Was this your idea or did you work with another company/person to create this product?

The EpiPen auto-injector has been around for a long time.  It was developed for the military to allow soldiers to inject themselves with medication to treat exposure to nerve agents. Although it’s a patented medical product, the inventor Sheldon Kaplan never received any royalties for his invention and lived a modest life.  Smaller vanity auto-injectors are now coming on the market, but I don’t think they’ll be successful.  People want to stay with what’s familiar to them, what emergency workers are trained to use, and what they trust.  I’ll continue to use the EpiPen brand auto-injector.Please tell me about the EpiPen and how it works.

An EpiPen is an oval barreled cylinder with a super fine needle that slowly delivers adrenaline into muscle when the safety cap is removed and pressure is put on the tip.  A severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) involves either a severe drop in blood pressure or the failure of two or more organ systems.

It’s adrenaline that helps stabilize a person having a severe allergic reaction by increasing blood pressure, and supporting the heart beat and lung function.  Many people are familiar with adrenaline’s use with people who are being revived after a heart attack.

Can you share any life-saving stories regarding the EpiPen that customers have shared with you?

The best time to use the EpiPen is within five minutes of the start of a reaction. I have heard first hand that using one can provide immediate relief.  It’s still essential to go directly to the emergency room after using an EpiPen, since it’s not necessarily the end of the allergic episode.  The medication works for only 20 minutes, and more doses or other medications may be required to stop the reaction.  Anyone who has needed to use an EpiPen tells me that they lost all fear of it, since the relief from their reaction was so profound.

What are the contents of the food allergy safety kit and how does it benefit the consumer?

I think of my safety products in three categories:  EpiPen accessories, training materials, and allergen avoidance products. I make allergy safety videos explaining each product, and my complete allergy safety video library is on my home page www.onespotallergy.com and individual videos are also loaded onto my product pages.

If all of the products in the safety kit are used, you have in my opinion a complete system for living safely with food allergies.  Below you will find a photo of the food allergy safety kit which includes:

• The customer’s choice of EpiPen belt or holster for wearing one or two EpiPens. I also sell belts for Twinject users (another brand of injector). This is to be worn at all times when away from home.
• A super strong magnetic hook to hold your belt in a designated location when you’re not wearing it.  I compare your EpiPen to your fire extinguisher or first aid kit:  You need to know where it is when you need it, not run around looking for it.
• An EpiPen training pen.  This works like a real injector, but doesn’t contain the needle or medication.  You use it over and over to show others how to deliver life saving medication, and to teach allergic individuals how to do it themselves.
• An allergy safety training video which includes a segment on using an EpiPen or Twinject injector properly.
• My emergency protocol and 911 script card and the following three tools to avoid exposure by cross-contamination:
• Color coded food allergy labels to mark items (water bottle, lunch kit, table setting) for the allergic person’s use only.
• Color coded towel clips to mark bathroom towels and dish towels for the allergic person’s use only.
• A single brush toothbrush holder.  This may sound odd, but the bathroom is a huge source of cross contamination both of germs and food allergens.  Anyone avoiding all traces of a particular food should store their toothbrush away from anyone else’s brush.
• A tin storage kit for keeping everything together.

I also sell a basic allergy safety kit, for people allergic to bees, medication, latex, or anything else.  It contains everything but the last three products I mentioned.

I just sent a food allergy safety kit to a woman whose son was just diagnosed with food allergies. She joined my Facebook group too http://www.facebook.com/OnespotAllergy and now has all the products she needs to be prepared plus access to a world wide community of people sharing their knowledge and experience.

Being that I’m Celiac, I’m interested to know if your products also assist those who are allergic to gluten?  Please elaborate on which ones are applicable to Celiacs.

People who are Celiac may be interested in my avoidance products, specifically the labels and towel clips.  Since the gluten-free and food allergic communities overlap, I post articles on my Facebook page about gluten free living from time to time too.

I see that you also carry an organic lip balm that is free of allergens. What are some of the common allergens that are usually in most lip balms?

My lip balm is peanut oil and tree nut oil free.  It’s common to find sweet almond oil or shea butter in lip balm, lotions, and cosmetics.  I obtained the material safety data sheet to verify the source of the tocopherols in the lip balm, since they’re sometimes derived from soy, another allergen.  One member of my food allergy community on Facebook pointed out that beeswax can have corn allergens in it, since bees are often fed corn syrup to get through the winter.  There’s a lot to think about with food allergies, even when it comes to cosmetics.

Do you have a food-allergy friendly recipe that you can share?

I have a nice breakfast cookie recipe that my kids love.  If you’d like to do a gluten-free version, I’d love you to share it with me.  I make amazing crème caramel and brownies (the best you’ve ever tasted), but those recipes are top secret.

What is your favorite overall food-allergy friendly cookbook that you’d like to recommend?

I think Cybele Pascal has a wonderful bakers’ handbook, and she’s doing a great job sharing information about allergen free gluten free baking.  I don’t have a copy of it yet, but she posts her recipes from time to time, and a lot of them look wonderful.

Please tell me about the food-allergy friendly placemats.

So many people browse the placemats!  It’s important for people with food allergies to eat off an allergen-free surface, and you never know what was on a table before you sat down.  I carry wipes to clean the table, but that can be awkward in someone’s home (imagine sitting down at your mother-in-law’s home and asking if you can wipe down the table).  One way to ensure a clean surface is to bring a placemat along.  I found one that’s reusable, completely non-toxic, and it rolls up to fit in a diaper bag.  I’m going to find a version that’s suitable for older children.

In addition to your website, are your products available via doctors or medical professionals as well as drugstores?

Right now, my products are only available online or by calling my company. I’m refining the product line, and including some wholesale products.  One day I’d like to see my products in drug stores, but that’s a little while away.  I network with doctors, since my site is the best place to send their allergic patients for safety products, safety tips, and personal support.

How might customers in the US obtain your products? Out of the US?

About half of my customers are in the US, and the rest are in Canada.  United States customers hit the US flag in the top right corner of my site to pay in U.S. funds.  Clicking the Canadian flag takes you to my .ca site, where transactions are processed in Canadian funds.  I ship throughout North America for $9.95 or less.  I’m happy to ship anywhere else in the world at cost,  and I do have a repeat customer in the U.K..

This leads me to another question, do insurance providers cover the costs of the food allergy safety kit or EpiPens?

EpiPens are covered by medical insurance usually.  I also keep the receipts and claim any uncovered portion when I file my tax return.  Unfortunately the safety products aren’t covered by insurance.  I’d ask an accountant before making a deduction at tax time, but it may be possible to deduct them as medical expenses.

Through your OneSpotAllergy.com marketing efforts, do you ever visit with schools and/or school conferences or trade shows to enlighten about your products?

I do share my safety tips and products with schools and child care facilities.  I also display at carefully selected events.  I’m interested not only in reaching the food allergic population, but the greater community, to help build more awareness and understanding.

I’m booked to address a conference in October for home child care providers, and I’m donating my time.   I reach a lot of people directly through Facebook and Twitter, where I post constantly about allergy safety.

What does the future hold for OneSpotAllergy.com?

The future looks great for Onespot Allergy!  The company is now in its second year, and sales are growing.  I’m looking into refining and expanding the medication belt category.  Some very significant companies have noticed me, and we’re looking at how we can support each other’s businesses.  I’m adding non-perishable allergy-friendly food to my product line and travel accessories.  I’ll also continue to develop my role as a food allergy safety expert and advocate, and I plan to consult with businesses wishing to break into this market.

I noticed that you lend your opinions and reviews towards other products/books/services.  On which products may one find a review by you?

I have been approached a few times to sample products, and when time allows, I’ll write a review.  They’re usually food allergy related products, like a cook book, allergy safety cards, or a food product.  It’s wonderful that people now come to me to test their products!

I can see that you’re a busy woman, what is the day of “Elizabeth Goldenberg” like?

I’m up very early to walk/feed the dog, hang out with my kids, make them breakfast and get them ready for the day.  A lot of people assume that I work from home, but I actually have office space downtown, and I’m in the office from about 9:30 to 5 every day. Although I leave my office at 5, I’m online and available to customers until about 11 p.m., since people contact me from all over the world. I called one customer back only to learn that it was 12 hours later in her time zone, and I woke her up at 3 a.m..

Some days, my focus is filling and shipping orders.  Other days, I’m writing my blog, newsletter, or an article.  I never know what’s coming in by phone or online, and I need to be very flexible and responsive.  This week a newspaper columnist messaged me while I was at lunch.  Once hour later, she’d conducted the interview, and the photographer met with me the next morning.

Do you have any other projects or activities in the works that you’d like to share?

I’m very involved in supporting the United States Department of Transportation’s proposal to eliminate peanut service from airlines.  Flying with peanut or tree nut allergy is a very dangerous situation.

This is a role I never anticipated filling, but no one else was holding the torch, and I didn’t want the opportunity to be missed for this change to happen.  My previous career as a lawyer really helped me understand the rules and legislation, and hopefully make some persuasive arguments.

I’d really appreciate it if your readers would visit the petition page and complete the 3 second signing process.  On the right side of the petition page, there are buttons to share the petition by e-mail or Facebook with their friends and family.  The petition can be found at: http://www.change.org/petitions/view/banning_peanuts_from_airlines.

And my final question is for YOU – if you could share any one thing broadly with others, what would that be?

Avoid your allergen completely, even in trace amounts.  Wear your EpiPen on your body (rather than carrying it in a bag or keeping it nearby) and use it within 5 minutes of the start of a serious reaction.  Practice emergency drills regularly.  Delay costs lives.

Thank you Elizabeth!

Tina Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

Win a free autographed book now!

My name is Shelly Stuart. I am a registered nurse and I have been working for 21 years in a variety of areas, including gastroenterology and inflammatory bowel disease. About 6 years ago, I was finally diagnosed with celiac disease after many years of suffering with symptoms. I am writing this post today to share some of my story, my mission to increase awareness about gluten intolerance, and I would like to share some information about my new book, “Gluten Toxicity”.

My Story

Prior to being diagnosed with celiac disease, I was misdiagnosed and given a variety of explanations for my vague symptoms for most of my life. Unfortunately, even when the symptoms were obvious, misdiagnosis still occurred. For example, I was misdiagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome when I had classic celiac disease symptoms for 5 years prior to my diagnosis.

Eventually, I diagnosed myself by doing my own research and initiated a gluten-free diet to see if it provided symptom relief. Successful, I approached a gastroenterologist and confirmed my diagnosis.

This lack of awareness put me at risk for complications and at risk for a false negative test result since consuming a gluten-free diet prior to diagnosis can lead to false negatives. Unfortunately, many others have been put at risk due to the same experience. Delayed diagnosis is very common in many countries. Sadly, this often leads to an
increased risk of developing many health complications.

Once I became aware of how common gluten intolerance is and how it flies under the radar of medical health professionals, I knew there was a role for me to fulfill. Too many people are suffering and some end up with permanent damage due to a late diagnosis. Sadly, this damage (psychological and physiological) is preventable and for those
affected, it should have never occurred. Awareness about gluten intolerance needs to be on the radar of every health professional when they are assessing patients and the public needs to be aware of all of the tests that are available.

My Mission

With gluten intolerance on my radar, I decided to start a blog to increase awareness and I have been actively increasing awareness on Twitter and Facebook as well. I also started a business as a Celiac Nurse And Gluten Intolerance Consultant in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. As time passed, I recognized the need for a book
that I could use as a resource to increase awareness, increase diagnosis, and to help others who are diagnosed and having problems. I also wanted to share everything I have learned about living a gluten-free lifestyle. As a result, my book, “Gluten Toxicity” was created.

My love for my family has been a powerful motivator for the creation of this book. Gluten intolerance is very prevalent in my family. Therefore, this book is my gift to my current and future family members (grandchildren, great grandchildren, etc). I feel that this guide provides the information they will need to get diagnosed and to help improve their health once diagnosed. For many years to come, my infinite love and guidance can be passed on through this book.

Many are suffering and quite likely many are dying globally due to undiagnosed celiac disease, dermatitis herpetiformis and non-celiac gluten intolerance. This breaks my heart when I think of grandparents being lost due to dementia or illness, couples dealing with infertility or pregnancy issues (potentially leading to loss of a baby), mothers and fathers struggling with illness, children with cognitive disabilities affecting their ability to achieve their potential in life, and many others who are suffering with a variety of misdiagnoses.

This is what I visualized while I wrote this book. I am hoping that my book will help others to recognize that a link may exist between their symptoms and the ingestion of gluten. Recognition, diagnosis, and a gluten-free diet may be all that is needed to increase their quality of life and end the suffering.

My Book, “Gluten Toxicity”

“Gluten Toxicity” provides a comprehensive checklist of symptoms, in depth analysis of the diagnostic tests, an outline of the gluten-free diet, tips to help with a new lifestyle adjustment, and recommendations to consider when complications arise. Helpful checklists will assist people to keep track of blood test results, and tasks to help with healing.

For people who are already diagnosed, my book offers many tips to help with the gluten free lifestyle and has multiple suggestions for people who are still suffering with symptoms despite the maintenance of a gluten-free diet.

My hope is that my resource guide, “Gluten Toxicity” will help others to navigate the maze associated with gluten toxicity and to help them live life to the fullest.

If you are interested in purchasing a paperback copy of “Gluten Toxicity: The Mysterious Symptoms Of Celiac Disease, Dermatitis Herpetiformis, And Non-Celiac Gluten Intolerance”, please see more information at http://www.celiacnurse.com. My book is available as a paperback from Amazon in the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Germany. If you would prefer an e-book version of “Gluten Toxicity”, please see the E-Book from my blog.

A post with highlights From “Gluten Toxicity” can also be found at my
blog: http://celiacnurse.com/highlights-from-my-book-gluten-toxicity-the-mysterious-symptoms-of-celiac-disease-dermatitis-herpetiformis-and-non-celiac-gluten-intolerance/

Thank you very much for your support and thank you Tina for the opportunity to share my story on your lovely and very informative blog.

Shelly Stuart, R.N., B.Sc.N.                                      Don’t forget you can win a free autographed book now!

Tina Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

PROPOSED FOOD ALLERGEN/GLUTEN LABELING REGULATIONS IN JEOPARDY

Celiac and allergy groups have joined together in response to the strong opposition of the beer industry over the proposed regulatory changes by Health Canada. Below are some of the press releases in the news:

http://www.prweb.com/releases/Celiac-Disease-Allergens/Food-Beverage-Labelling/prweb4999184.htm

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/January2011/24/c4892.html.

Please pass this along to your colleagues and friends in Canada or any media contacts you may have.

1. Please call Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s office at (613) 992-4211 today!

2. Join Allergic Living’s write-in campaign:

http://www.allergicliving.com/petitions/food-labelling/

3. Contact your Member of Parliament. Click here to find your local MP:

http://www2.parl.gc.ca/parlinfo/compilations/houseofcommons/memberbypostalcode.aspx?menu=hoc

Thank you for your help!    Shelley Case, RD    www.glutenfreediet.ca
Consulting Dietitian, Case Nutrition Consulting
Author of Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide
Medical Advisory Board: Celiac Disease Foundation, Gluten Intolerance Group, Canadian Celiac Association

scase@accesscomm.ca

Tina Turbin

I think we just died and went to “Pizza Heaven.” Take a look at these pictures, and you’ll see the kitchen at work testing The Gluten Free Bistro’s GF pizza crust.

The taste of this crust is light in texture yet hearty and healthy. I don’t know how they did it, but it’s good!

The whole grain vegan crust is artisan handmade, par baked and then frozen, packed on site.

The Gluten Free Bistro currently supplies these pizza crusts to Boulder- and Denver-area restaurants, enabling celiacs and gluten-sensitive individuals to dine in comfort and safety at local restaurants.

You can order online at www.theglutenfreebistro.com, and for a discount, enter www.glutenfreehelp.info

This company is a group effort involving three women with backgrounds in health, nutrition, and, as a result, food. Kelly, the only one to be diagnosed celiac after 15 years of severe symptoms, and her correct diagnosis changed her life.

Their products (they also have GF fettuccini) are unique for the combined interest of these women in nutrition. Each product not only provides flavor but also vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber. They aim to help the celiac rebuild after deficiencies through their healthy product line.

The bistro’s flour blend is brown rice flour, buckwheat flour, sorghum flour, tapioca starch, organic coconut flour, and xanthan gum—in their proprietary blend, of course.

As a side note, the package suggests taking the frozen crust and topping it with your own topping and popping it in the oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  We changed the recipe slightly since we’re not a restaurant, and we placed the frozen crust on the oven racks and  pre-baked the crust slightly for about seven minutes at 400 degrees. Then we loaded it up and popped it back in the oven on the pizza clay stone for about 15 minutes. The time really depends on how high you load the pizza and what toppings you use. See our recipe, images and details.

Tina Turbin
www.GlutenFreeHelp.info