I Love Writing, Cooking and Eating Gluten Free!
I thoroughly enjoy sharing with you interesting gluten-free information
and of course, gluten-free recipes too.
April 23rd, 2012
Just because a grain is supposed to be “naturally” gluten-free, doesn’t mean that it is!
Gluten is a protein found in the grains wheat, barley, and rye, and is inherently lacking in grains such as oats, buckwheat, quinoa, millet, soy, sorghum, flaxseed, rice, and amaranth seed. However, a study tested 22 of these “naturally” gluten-free grains, and 7 of them had a gluten amount higher than 20 ppm, which would disqualify it from being labeled as gluten-free under the proposed FDA guidelines. One type of soy flour tested had nearly 3,000 ppm of gluten, two millet flour products had an average of between 305-327 ppm, and the sorghum flour had a mean average of 234 ppm. Four of those seven products didn’t have allergen advisory statements.
Why is this? Most likely due to cross-contamination during processing and because companies aren’t testing their final products for gluten.
According to Dr. Mercola of http://mercola.com, several autoimmune disorders, not just celiac disease, can be “significantly improved by avoiding grains,” and eliminating grains from your diet can also decrease your risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, Type 2 Diabetes, and cancer.
This is due to the fact that, as Dr. Mercola explains, “grains and sugars are inherently pro-inflammatory and will worsen any condition that has chronic inflammation at its root – and not just inflammation in your gut, but anywhere in your body.” In his experience, about 75-80% of all people benefitted from going grain-free.
If you decide to continue eating inherently gluten-free grains, look for grain products that are certified gluten-free by such organizations as the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO).
Tina Turbin
www.GlutenFreeHelp.info
k.m.
Resource:
Mercola.com: Beware: ‘Gluten-Free’ Foods are Often Contaminated http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/08/03/glutenfree-foods-are-often-contaminated.aspx
Tags: autoimmune disorder, celiac, celiac awareness, celiac children, celiac disease, celiac kids, gluten intolerance, Tina Turbin, Tina Turbin researcher
Posted in Allergies, Celiac Disease Center, Diabetes, Gluten-Free and Allergy Tests, Gluten-Free Products, Gluten-Free Research, Health, Helpful Information, Medical Research, Tina Turbin | No Comments »
April 19th, 2012
For a fun family night make hamburgers and it is a treat for the whole family! Make them as spicy as you like.
INGREDIENTS:
Enough ground beef for 4 medium sized hamburgers.
1/4 onion chopped up very small.
2-3 tbs (depending on how spicy you like your food) Cajun Choice blackening spice.
DIRECTIONS:
Put all meat into a mixing bowl (make sure your meat isn’t frozen at all!)
Add onion and mix well.
Add all of the Cajun choice blacking seasoning and mix well.
Divide the meat evenly and make 4 round burgers. Make sure burgers aren’t too thick or else you will have a hard time cooking them. When you cook burgers they get thicker naturally so you can make them pretty thin.
Heat in a pan over medium heat about 1tbs olive oil.
Once oil is warm add all hamburgers.
Cook for 2 min on medium heat on 1st side.
Flip all burgers onto the other side and cook on medium heat for another 2 min.
After this turn your heat down to low and let the burgers cook through.
Cooking the burgers on high on both sides will trap in the flavor and make your burgers juicier.
If you are really into spicy food like me you can sprinkle some more of the blackening spice on top of the burger after you flip it onto its second side.
Depending on how thick your burger is and how you like your meat (medium, medium rare, etc) the time will vary.
If you are new to cooking and aren’t sure take one of the burgers off onto a plate or cutting board and cut into it from the center to one of the sides. this way you can check to see how pink it is in the inside.
Make sure all your burgers are the same thickness so they cook evenly.
Tina Turbin
www.GlutenFreeHelp.Info
k.m.
Tags: celiac disease, gluten free, gluten free diet, gluten free foods, gluten-free companies, Gluten-Free Cooking, Gluten-Free Recipe, Gluten-Free Recipes, Tina Turbin
Posted in 20 Minute Recipes, Beef Dishes, Dining Gluten Free, Fun Food, Recipes, Tina Turbin | No Comments »
April 16th, 2012
Currently a popular method of celiac testing is a blood test, but some people with celiac disease can get blood testing multiple times and the results will nevertheless be negative. In fact, this method is inaccurate 80 percent of the time, according to Dr. Datis Kharrazian, Blood Chemistry Seminar instructor and the formulator for Apex Energetics, Inc. supplements.
According to researchers, blood testing is inaccurate due to the fact that the autoimmune response doesn’t occur in the blood stream, but in the small intestine, as the immune system attacks this organ’s absorptive finger-like structures called villi which line the inside. Thus, for the sake of reliability, it’s been stated that testing should be focused on the gut. It turns out that the immune cells which surround the gut also can be located in large numbers in the stool, making a stool anti-gliadin antibody test a reliable alternative to blood testing.
Stool testing may not only more accurate than blood testing, it can also be more convenient. One doesn’t need a doctor’s prescription for the test, which can be conducted in the privacy of one’s own home with an online-ordered kit from EnteroLab, which according to its website, is “a registered and fully accredited clinical laboratory specializing in the analysis of intestinal specimens for food sensitivities.” Enterolab offers the Anti-Gliadin Antibodies Stool Test as well as additional tests which may be ordered which may be important diagnostic tools for celiacs or gluten-sensitive people.
The anti-gliadin antibodies stool test, so easily available to the public, is a great stride forward for the celiac community. Talk with your health care provider today about this alternative to celiac blood testing.
Tina Turbin
www.GlutenFreeHelp.info
k.m.
Resource:
Tags: autoimmune disorder, celiac awareness, celiac children, celiac disease, celiac kids, gluten, gluten intolerance, gluten-free food, Tina Turbin, Tina Turbin researcher
Posted in Celiac Disease Center, Gluten-Free and Allergy Tests, Health, Helpful Information, Helpful Tips, Medical Research, Tina Turbin | No Comments »
April 12th, 2012
A salad staple in my family, balsamic and oil dressings are easy to make and good for you too. Try with this amazing lamb chop recipe for the main course
INGREDIENTS:
1 sprig fresh oregano
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 c olive oil
¼ c balsamic (or red wine) vinegar
DIRECTIONS:
Combine and enjoy.
Tina Turbin
www.GlutenFreeHelp.info
k.m.
Tags: gluten, gluten free, gluten free diet, gluten free foods, Gluten-Free Cooking, Gluten-Free Recipe, Gluten-Free Recipes, Tina Turbin
Posted in 20 Minute Recipes, Dining Gluten Free, Easy Recipes, Recipes, Tina Turbin, Veggies/Sides | No Comments »
April 9th, 2012
Dr. Andrew Wakefield, who published a study in 1998 about the possible link between autism and vaccines which was subsequently questioned and discredited by the medical community, has defended his work in an interview on CNN.
Dr. Wakefield’s work has been discredited over the past several years, and ten of the eleven doctors who were involved in the study have removed their names from it. The Sunday Times reports that Dr. Wakefield “changed and misreported results” in his research, according to “confidential” medical documents and interview with witnesses.
Dr. Wakefield’s study was published in February 1998 in The Lancet medical journal, causing widespread concern among parents that the MMR vaccine—for measles, mumps, and rubella—was linked to autism. According to The Sunday Times, the impact of the article was “extraordinary,” with vaccination rates decreasing from 92% to less than 80%, while “herd immunity” from measles occurs when 95% of the population has been vaccinated.
After a British journalist, Brian Deer, published the results of his investigation calling Wakefield’s study an “elaborate fraud,” Wakefield denied these allegations as false in an interview on CNN with Anderson Cooper. Wakefield continues to stand by his findings, saying that the results have been replicated in studies in five other countries and that Deer has received financial support from a pharmaceutical company. Check out the link below to see the interview yourself.
CNN Video Clip
Tina Turbin
www.GlutenFreeHelp.info
b.a.
Tags: autoimmune disorder, celiac, celiac awareness, celiac children, celiac disease, gluten, gluten free, gluten free diet, gluten free foods, gluten free help, gluten intolerance, gluten sensitivity, Gluten-Free Cooking, Gluten-Free Doctor, gluten-free food, gluten-free kids, Gluten-Free Products, glutenfreehelp, healthy snacks for kids, Tina Turbin, Tina Turbin researcher
Posted in Allergies, Autism and Gluten, Autoimmune Disorders, Children, Gluten-Free and Allergy Tests, Gluten-Free Research, Health, Helpful Information, Helpful Tips, Kids Illnesses, Medical Research, Real -True Stories, References, Tina Turbin | No Comments »
April 7th, 2012
It’s always an honor to be recognized for your work. I don’t think anyone could deny that statement and recognition from your peers is always a grand experience. With Danny the Dragon receiving non-stop recognition since its release, I keep thinking it can’t get better. A few months ago, I received confirmation that my eBook about my other undeniable cause Celiac Disease and Gluten-Free living Gluten and Your Aging Body had not only been nominated, but won a Silver Medal for eBooks in the Florida Publisher’s Association’s President’s Book Awards.
The Florida Publisher’s Association is a collection of publishers, self-publishers, authors, publishing industry friends and publishing vendors from Florida founded in 1983 by Betty Wright with the intent of giving Florida’s growing group of book publishers an opportunity for education and networking. In 2005, then-President of the group Dinah Arnette decided to start recognizing the authors and publishers of the group in honor of their 25th anniversary, establishing the FPA President’s Book Awards. The tradition continued and in 2011 they decided to open the competition up to the public for the first time.
I cannot express fully how honored I am to be a part of this incredible group and to be featured among the other winners. To have two books recognized for excellence by my peers in the publishing and writing industry is the greatest honor I could ever ask for.
Thank you, FPA and thank you colleagues. It truly is a great honor.
Tina
www.GlutenFreeHelp.info
Tags: autoimmune disorder, celiac awareness, celiac disease, gluten free help, gluten sensitivity, Gluten-Free Products, glutenfreehelp, Miranda Jade, Miranda Jade Turbin, Tina Turbin, tina turbin author, Tina Turbin researcher
Posted in Book Reviews, Books To Read, Gluten-Free Products, Helpful Information, Helpful Tips, Miranda Jade, References, Tina Turbin | No Comments »
April 2nd, 2012
There is a common and characteristically celiac symptom that people should be aware of—dermatitis herpetiformis (DH), also known as the “gluten rash.”
According to the Canadian Celiac Association, DH is “a blistering, intensely itchy skin rash.” It’s usually symmetrical in shape and is most commonly located on the elbows, knees, buttocks, and upper back. According to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology (AOCD), people can experience the rash on other parts of the body and severity can vary.
Celiac patients with DH also often experience mild or no gastrointestinal issues, although villous atrophy (damage to the villi of the lining in the small intestine) will most often be present.
The AOCD describes the basic DH cycle, which usually consists of a burning feeling on the affected area, followed by water blisters which tend to get scratched off, followed by scabbing and healing, which takes one to two weeks, then a new outbreak of these bumps or blisters. According to the AOCD, “DH is a lifelong condition, but remission may occur in 10 to 20 percent of patients.”
For a diagnosis, usually a skin biopsy is performed and sometimes some blood testing. And the treatment? The gluten-free diet, of course, although drug options are also available to suppress symptoms.
With an increase in awareness about DH among the public as well as in the medical community, we can look forward to a higher diagnosis rate and better long-term health among celiacs.
Tina Turbin
www.GlutenFreeHelp.info
b.a.
Tags: autoimmune disorder, celiac, celiac children, celiac disease, celiac kids, gluten, gluten free, gluten free diet, gluten free foods, gluten free help, gluten intolerance, gluten sensitivity, Gluten-Free Baking, gluten-free companies, Gluten-Free Cooking, Gluten-Free Desserts, Gluten-Free Doctor, gluten-free food, gluten-free kids, Gluten-Free Products, Gluten-Free Recipe, Gluten-Free Recipes, gluten-free snacks, glutenfreehelp, Tina Turbin, Tina Turbin researcher
Posted in Allergies, Autoimmune Disorders, Gluten-Free and Allergy Tests, Gluten-Free Research, Health, Helpful Information, Helpful Tips, Kids Illnesses, Medical Research, Read About Company, Real -True Stories, References, Tina Turbin | No Comments »
March 31st, 2012
Being celiac, I am constantly checking the ingredients of products I come by to see if I can ingest them or not. I have become quite good at this over time and as my knowledge of gluten has truly expanded.
One point which still baffles me is the topic of medications. I can hardly understand what those long named ingredients are in the first place. How can I understand if gluten is in them?
Steve Plogsted, a reputable pharmacist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital of Columbus OH, has made this easier for all of us to get a good grasp on this subject. He is the amazing man behind glutenfreedrugs.com.
Steve Plogsted expends his efforts for the celiac community on his own time. This is truly commendable.
I suggest you check out this site and be sure to check the ingredient lists of all medications, drugs, antibiotics, etc you encounter. Don’t ever worry about coming across as “annoying” when asking your pharmacists if your prescription has any gluten in the ingredients. They are there to help you and I always find they are more than happy to. If not, high tail it out of there and head to another pharmacy. Your health or the one you care about is at risk.
As a reminder, one drug may be gluten free one day and your next visit for the same drug or even a refill may have had a new ingredient or a change to the formula. Always, be on top of things, and ask each time and get your questions clarified.
In good health,
Miranda Jade Turbin
www.GlutenFreeHelp.info
Tags: celiac awareness, celiac disease, gluten free, gluten free help, gluten intolerance, gluten sensitivity, glutenfreehelp, Miranda Jade, Miranda Jade Turbin
Posted in Allergies, Gluten-Free Research, Health, Helpful Information, Helpful Tips, Miranda Jade, References | 1 Comment »
March 30th, 2012
Seeing as today is my Birthday, I wanted to share with you all a personal story of mine. It has now been 5 years since I was diagnosed with celiac disease. My health is back to normal and although I still struggle from time to time I am doing so much better.I hope my following story helps you or someone you know. The best gift for me is helping fellow celiacs and those with gluten sensitivity.
Dermatitis Herpetiformis (DH) is “a blistering, intensely itchy skin rash.” It’s usually symmetrical in shape and is most commonly located on the elbows, knees, buttocks, and upper back. People can experience the rash on other parts of the body, and severity of symptoms can vary.
I unfortunately not only have celiac disease but also have DH. Staying off of gluten really is the only lasting solution for DH. I do my best to stay away from gluten but with a busy life and sometimes eating on the go I occasionally consume gluten unknowingly.
Recently I had a DH outbreak that was probably one of the worst I have ever had. Many small patches all over my back and one right in the middle of my chest. No only was it embarrassing but also extremely uncomfortable.
I knew I needed to find a solution for future if I ever accidently consumed gluten. I first tried using cortisol cream for the itching. It did help a little with the pain but it didn’t help the blisters go away. A few of the blisters opened up and were extremely painful so I thought to put Neosporin on them. It once again helped with the pain but they were not going away.
At this point I was stuck to wearing very covering clothes and putting band aids over the open blisters. Being only 22 years old this was even more devastating. I had to turn down social events due to the DH.
I did some research and my mother, Tina Turbin, put out a message on the celiac listserv to see if we could come up with any solutions. The feedback we got was absolutely amazing. So many people had the same problem as me and had solutions. I felt a sense of relief.
I decided to get a prescription for Dapsone seeing as it seamed to me to be the best fit. Although Dapsone is a very strong drug and should be used sparingly I figured it was the perfect match for me because it is quick acting and I don’t eat gluten purposely ever so I knew I wouldn’t have to use it often at all. I like to keep things natural as much as possible in my life so this was important for me.
I got my little jar of Dapsone cream and followed the directions exactly. Two times a day I applied a thin layer to the areas of the DH outbreak. Not only did it relieve the pain but within 3 days of using it I saw a huge change in the appearance of the DH. I only used it for at total of 5 days because I wanted my body to be able to fight the DH on its own as much as possible. The DH is almost gone now and I am not getting any more outbreaks whereas before it was as if it was spreading all over me.
I know there are many people with Celiac disease who have DH. I hope my story helps you or someone you know. I am going to go eat some gluten free cake now!
Miranda Jade Turbin
http://www.GlutenFreeHelp.info
Tags: autoimmune disorder, celiac, celiac disease, gluten free diet, gluten free help, gluten sensitivity, Miranda Jade, Miranda Jade Turbin, Tina Turbin
Posted in Allergies, Gluten-Free Research, Health, Helpful Information, Helpful Tips, Kids Illnesses, Medical Research, Miranda Jade, Miranda Jade Turbin, Real -True Stories | 2 Comments »
March 29th, 2012
Chocolate Piping
I made shapes of hearts and ovals but really any shape can be made. These gluten-free, soy-free chocolate “designs” can be used on tops of cupcakes, cakes, served with a cup of cappuccino or with a small bowl of fruit for a classy dessert.
Make sure you make the piping thick enough.
INGREDIENTS and SUPPLIES
1. ½ package (5 oz.) of Enjoy Life Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
2. Parchment triangles
DIRECTIONS
- Place chocolate in pan on low heat and stir with a wooden spoon constantly or place in a Pyrex cup in microwave for 30 seconds at a time and stir at each break.
- Take a piece of waxed or parchment paper and tape it to your cookie sheet (or counter top like I did) – draw the shapes you desire.
- Roll your triangles into cone shapes.
- Once melted you’re ready to fill your parchment paper triangles but make sure the tip is very small, allowing a little chocolate out. Roll over the top of the parchment and gently squeeze.
- Place in refrigerator or freezer. Peel off gently. Enjoy.
Miranda Jade Turbin
www.GlutenFreeHelp.info
k.m.
Tags: celiac children, GF food services, gluten free, gluten free diet, gluten free foods, gluten-free companies, Gluten-Free Cooking, Gluten-Free Desserts, gluten-free food, gluten-free kids, Gluten-Free Products, Gluten-Free Recipe, Gluten-Free Recipes, Tina Turbin
Posted in 20 Minute Recipes, Child Friendly Recipes, Children, Cookies, Cup Cake Parties, Desserts, Easy Recipes, Fun Food, Gift Ideas, Holiday, Ice Cream, Kids in the kitchen, Tina Turbin | No Comments »
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