Over thirty years ago, Mr. Ritt opened a bakery in Philadelphia that would later become a gluten-free establishment and gain a dedicated fan base among the gluten-free community. It’s no surprise that after closing his bakery’s doors, Mr. Ritt was met with the demands of his enthusiastic customers who couldn’t do without his tasty creations. Lucky for us, in response to their feedback, he developed a variety of mixes, which can now be conveniently ordered online. We had the opportunity to test some of these mixes, and we were quite satisfied.

Mr. Ritt makes a wide assortment of gluten-free mixes, allowing the gluten-free community to make all sorts of baked goods, from cookies and cakes to baguettes, pizza crust, and hamburger buns. The mixes are excellent, with great flavor, versatility, and quality ingredients.

The All-Purpose Buckwheat Flour Blend is a high-fiber and high-protein mix. This one is ideal for baked goods with a flavor that’s stronger than chocolate chip cookies, according to Mr. Ritt’s website. Pizza and Italian lovers can use the Multipurpose Italian Bread and Pizza Crust Mix, which is not only gluten-free but also egg- and dairy-free.  This mix is good for hamburger and hotdog buns as well as pizza crust.

Waffle-lovers, rejoice! Mr. Ritt’s Buttermilk Waffle Mix can be used for not only waffles, which were the mainstay of Mr. Ritt’s bakery for years, but also pancakes and even a tempura mix.

If you’re a fan of soft pretzels, as I am, you’ll love the Quinoa Bread and Pretzel Mix, a delicious mix that’s not only free of gluten, egg, and dairy, but made with quinoa flour, rich in protein and fiber. As far as I know, it’s the only soft pretzel mix celiacs can make at home!

Mr. Ritt has used his impressive experience to enable us to reproduce his cherished goods in our kitchen with versatile, nutritious, and delicious mixes. What’s more, Mr. Ritt says more are coming. I highly recommend his products for your gluten-free baking needs!

Miranda Jade

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

k.m.

The symptoms of celiac disease cover a wide range and are variable from person to person, but according to the Canadian Celiac Association, there are some symptoms that seem to be particularly common among celiac children.

These are: vomiting, irritability, behavioral changes, delayed growth or puberty, short stature, and dental enamel abnormalities.

According to Celiacs, Inc., the symptoms of celiac disease usually manifest in children after three to five months after they first ingest gluten, but this period of time may be shorter (“as short as one month”).  Their website lists additional celiac symptoms commonly found in children, such as a large abdomen, abnormal stools (large, pale, or floating), flattened buttocks, and acute diarrhea and dehydration.  Older children will experience “more subtle” symptoms such as: poor appetite, poor growth, and anemia.

Miranda Jade
http://www.GlutenFreeHelp.info
b.a.

Celaic disease, which has a wide variety of symptoms in itself, often is attended by other health conditions. According to the Canadian Celiac Association, for this reason, it’s recommended that people with celiac disease symptoms or a family history of celiac disease get tested for the following associated conditions:

-Osteoporosis
-Type 1 diabetes mellitus
-Other autoimmune disease (such as autoimmune hepatitis or autoimmune thyroid disease)
-Down syndrome
-Turner syndrome
-Lymphoma

Miranda Jade
http://www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

b.a.

The spirit of the giving season, I want to bring your attention to a fundraiser I’m helping promote this week for a great gluten-free cause. This week only, giving just $2 of your hard-earned money will go toward providing scholarships for children to attend a gluten-free summer camp hosted by the Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF) next summer in Southern California.

But this week, donating $2 doesn’t mean you’re just donating $2…This week through Sunday, December 25, Gluten-Free Saver has partnered with Van’s Natural Foods to raise money to send children to next summer’s CDF-sponsored summer camp, and Van’s is matching all donations up to $1,000! The goal is to raise $2,000 – and when you donate $2, you’re really contributing $4. You can read more about the fundraiser here: www.glutenfreesaver.com.

The summer camp will be held in San Bernardino in Southern California from July 30 to August 3, 2012, and it’s open to all 7-15 year old gluten intolerant and gluten-sensitive children – not just those diagnosed with celiac disease.

Sure, receiving gifts this time of year is always fun, but the feeling of knowing that your generous donation of just $2 can bring a tremendous amount of joy to a young child… well, now that’s priceless.

Please help reach the goal of donating $2,000 to the Celiac Disease Foundation this week. Every $2 helps. YES! I want to help send a child to a gluten-free summer camp and donate $2 right now!

P.S. 100% of all donations will go directly to CDF.

P.P.S. If you’re feeling extra generous this holiday season, you aren’t limited to donating just $2 – you can give as much money as your heart desires!

Miranda Jade

GlutenFreeHelp.info

I am celiac. Let me clarify,  I am a highly (and I mean highly) sensitive to “greens”celiac- such as barley grass and wheat grass, so please do read on and get a new take on this very topic and my new view as of this recent testing.

First of all I have a wonderful team in Los Angeles and Florida that assisted me through this particular testing. I wanted feedback and I wanted it from all people, with all sorts of particular body needs or not.  So, this was quite a unique company to review as we elicited a number of kids and athletes to really put it to the test.

Let’s dive a little into Macro Life first. A caring mom, Sylvia Ortiz wanted to help her son loose some weight and out of this desire resulted in the original Macro Greens.  Her son lost 35 pounds, dropped down to 12 % body fat and then Sylvia lost 60 pounds as well.  Since that time Macro Greens® was named the most successful product ever in retail sales over a five-week period at Whole Foods chain markets. Wow!

The owners profess that Macro Greens is non-allergenic, nutrient-rich and will optimize the body’s pH and  surpasses the nutrition of five servings of fruits and vegetables. They also state that if used daily one will experience increased energy, weight loss, increased mental clarity, balanced blood sugar, strengthened immune system and improved digestion. So that was worth testing out for sure. Read on and let’s see what we discovered on a one on one basis here in LA and FL.

Miracle Reds® (a delicious red powder) is stated as being the a superfruit anti-aging blend providing immense antioxidant protection. They go on to share that it will locate and diminish unstable free radicals that damage healthy cells and cause premature aging. Now I am all for that! It has some of my favorite fruits: Goji, Pomegranate, Acai, and Mangosteen.

They also had us test their 3 bars: Macro Green Chocolate and Cinnamon Bar, Miracle Reds Berri Berri Bar and Macro Green Apple Lemon Ginger Bar. Let me just say now that everyone (yes everyone) who tested these found them to be absolutely scrumptious. Of course there are always those that prefer chocolate over fruit or fruit over chocolate (me) but that was the only side comment was, if they had to choose. But they don’t so they loved them all. They are a quick boost of energy, loaded with the greens or the reds, great fiber (which we celiacs NEED) and some protein to top it off. Kids of all ages loved the bars. The athletes (I am speaking triathletes and marathon runners) felt they were a  perfect after train smack or even a mid day snack. Two of the men said they would start buying them now without a doubt.

Ok, so now let’s look at the Macro Green testing:

“Tina, this was the best before training boost of anti oxidants I have ever had.” – One of my athlete testers

“ I can not say enough positive things about both the powders, Macro Greens and Miracle Reds. My husband drank it before heading off to work and he felt much better all day long. I gave it to my kids after school with their snack and they “DRANK IT” and I actually noticed they fell asleep better each eve. I used it  in my water during my work-out and I did not get the wiped out feeling I always get after heavy cardio”- Mother of two celiac kids

I can say that I loved the taste and did not get the terrible troubles I usually get from Barley. I loved knowing I was getting a load of nutrients without having to pop a load of pills. I actually cut down on my minerals. I can overall say it felt like CLEAN food. I can say that if I drank the Macro Greens every day I started to get tummy distress but as I initially said I am HIGHLY sensitive to barley grass. Some celiacs are. So I cut back. I also made some grain-free, gluten-free cookies with the greens. We call them Macro Cookies. I am not sure if heating them destroys any or All of the benefits so I made them in the dehydrator as another test. We call these Raw Macro Cookies

Now let’s discuss these delicious Miracle Reds. Let me share a very special story. One lady was just out of the hospital and was under a lot of stress and lacked decent nutrition before entering. She had little money and little after care. We delivered the reds in single serving packets to her for her ease in taking them. She was told she would be in bed a good 2 weeks healing. After 8 days on the Miracle reds she called me to tell me she felt life like again, for the first time in ages.

I also had several moms and dads call me with all sorts of stories exclaiming how pleased they were with the flavor, the benefits and ease in taking them etc. It was a winner!

The Miracle Reds and Macro Greens come in single serving packs as well as canisters of 30, 10 and a 2 ounce container to test without a big commitment.

According to the owners Miracle Reds® and Macro Greens® are among the most popular whole food supplements currently sold at most supermarkets and specialty health food locations we all know and shop at. After conducting this test, I can see why!

I really am very pleased to have been able to have tested this company’s products and the extremely positive outcome. I am also more pleased to say that this company is one of the finest we have tested in the past two years as far as supplements. These products are top quality, care and consideration for the public’s health and well being.

Please do yourself a favor and try them out: http://www.macrolifenaturals.com/

Tina Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

k.m.

     There are many ways to enjoy gluten-free pizza. You can buy it pre-made, make it from scratch at home, or order it in a restaurant. You can find recipes for pizza dough and various combinations of toppings in gluten-free cookbooks and gluten-free websites. American restaurants such as Uno Chicago Grill, with 200 locations, serve gluten-free pizza. You can look up restaurants that accommodate gluten-free patrons with gluten-free pizza online through gluten-free restaurant websites.

     An easy way to make gluten-free pizza is by buying already-prepared gluten-free pizza crusts which your child can top with his favorite toppings. Whole Foods Gluten Free Pizza Crusts come two to a package. They are thick, almost like a deep-dish crust, chewy, and tasty. You can also make your own pizza crust from pre-made mixes or by making your own mix from gluten-free pizza dough recipes. Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix makes two 12-inch gluten-free pizza pie crusts. It tastes delicious, and you can even fold the crust over easily. If necessary, you can make the crust egg-free. Some pizza crust recipes, which you can find online or in gluten-free cookbooks, can be rolled out, just like traditional wheat dough, and can be made thin (new York style) or thick (Chicago style), versatility that your celiac child will enjoy. Then you and your child just need to load it with his favorite toppings and stick it in the oven.

Tina Turbin

Tina Turbin

You can make whole grain gluten-free breads, crackers, and muffins at home with delicious gluten-free recipes. I recommend making double at home and freezing the rest to conveniently add them to your child’s lunches to reduce preparation time. As “dessert,” you can make fruit kabobs or make gluten-free muffins and cookies at home with your celiac child. Avoid filling your child’s lunch box with packaged, processed sweets and refined carbohydrates.

It’s important to make sure your child understands the importance of avoiding foods with gluten. He needs to understand that he never trade foods with his friends. You can let his teacher and cafeteria staff  know about his diet needs so they can keep an eye on him. If possible, explain to your child’s friends (and their parents) how important it is that your child eat his own special foods, explaining that he might become quite ill from eating their lunches.

Finally, change things up so your child doesn’t get bored and can get the nutrients he needs in a well-balanced diet. I recommend leftovers such as homemade soups, macaroni and cheese, and lasagna, which have high nutritional value and can add variety to sandwiches and other lunch staples. Using leftovers also saves lunch preparation time and can be cost-efficient as well.

Tina Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

Make sure before you take your celiac child out to dinner that the two of you eat a high-protein snack about an hour before you think you’ll be ordering your food. The hungrier you are, the more likely you will make a mistake. If you absolutely must go to the restaurant hungry, bring a gluten-free snack for your child and a snack for yourself.

Choosing the right restaurant is an important part of successfully eating out gluten-free. There are many celiac-friendly restaurant directories online. I recommend calling the restaurant when it’s not busy and speaking with the manager or chef, or both.  If you’ll be dining Italian, call ahead to see if you can bring your own pasta along. Many Italian restaurants are happy to do this.

Learn how to speak to the server. Make sure he is standing near you and can hear you clearly. Although celiac disease isn’t an allergy, it’s usually easiest to explain to your server that your child has food allergies. Always tell your server to tell the chef that your child is allergic to wheat. If your server doesn’t seem to understand, you’ll need to speak with the manager or chef. You’ll need to ask the server or chef a lot of questions.

Ask your child to pick out several items on the menu that look good, and let him know that you need to ask questions about these first because they may not be safe to eat. Make it clear that his first choice, or even his second choice, may not be okay to eat. Have your child pick out simple dishes without sauces.

Finally, make sure to warn the server about cross-contamination and its dangers. Let him know that your child’s food must be prepared on a clean surface with clean utensils. Most chefs will not realize the risks of cross-contamination unless these are made clear to them.

Going out to eat with your celiac child requires some work and planning ahead, but you’ll find that you and your child will get the hang of it in no time!

Tina Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

One of the reasons why the length of time can be prolonged before relief is experienced is that mastering a gluten-free diet takes time. It’s not unusual to make some mistakes as you change your child’s diet to gluten-free. Also, avoiding cross-contamination of gluten can be a challenge at first.

Other food intolerances can influence the celiac child’s recovery period. It is common for celiac patients to have other food intolerances and food allergies beside a gluten allergy. Lactose intolerance is a common side effect of celiac disease. Luckily, as the intestines heal on your child’s gluten-free diet, these intolerances should improve, but this too can take several months.

Celiac disease can also cause deficiencies in vitamins and minerals due to intestinal damage, which prevents proper absorption of nutrients. As a result, untreated celiac disease has also been linked with depression, thyroid disease, and diabetes. Many celiac patients will not feel totally better until these illnesses have been treated.

If your child has been diagnosed with celiac disease, it’s important that he sticks to the gluten-free diet even if he doesn’t feel results right away. Learning that the recovery time varies can be encouraging for you and your celiac child. Before you know it, your child will begin to see and feel relief and will be well-grooved into his new gluten-free way of life.

Tina Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info