It isn’t every day that I come across a fresh, baked-to-order, gluten-free dessert like Madrid Coffee Cakes by husband-and-wife (Sergio and Lia) team committed to making delicious baked goods for their customers.

Sergio comes from a long line of bakers. When he was only 9 years old, he started helping in his father’s bakeries in Madrid, Spain. He had a passion for baking and trained under master pastry chefs and bakers and eventually led his father’s bakery team at the young age of 17. When Sergio moved to the US, it was only right for him to open his own shop following family tradition. With Sergio being the man in the kitchen and Lia handling all the business side of the bakery, this husband-and-wife team were ready to roll!

Sergio and Lia noticed in their customers a growing concern about eating gluten and listened to their frustrations over not being able to find tasty gluten-free treats. They knew they had to find a way to make their famous baked goods enjoyable to all. After educating themselves in the safety precautions of producing gluten-free items, Madrid Coffee Cakes came up with gluten-free baked goods that not only were gluten-free but also grain- and dairy-free!

My taste-testing team and I had the pleasure of testing the Madrid Coffee Cakes. If I could describe them a word, I would say: delicious, homemade taste, comfort food at its finest. Ok, maybe that’s more than one word, but you get the idea. The newest flavor, lemon-poppy, was my favorite. The last time I had something that was lemon-poppy flavored it was a gluten-filled lemon-poppy muffin, which I recall got me quite sick. To be able to eat something so flavorful that was not only gluten-free but also grain- and dairy-free brought me, my mouth and stomach much joy.

My entire testing team loved all the flavors. We noticed a slight lemony flavor in each one of the coffee cakes. It was refreshing and not something you would expect. Although these cakes are gluten-free, grain-free and dairy-free, they definitely have sugar in them. They don’t call them cakes for no reason. If you are in the mood for something sweet and delicious, these cakes could be just what you are looking for.

Madrid Coffee Cakes takes to heart all their customers and you can really tell this by all the close attention they give to customer satisfaction. European desserts have made a name for themselves as being the best for a reason, and you can taste why in Madrid Coffee Cakes.

Click here to check out Madrid Coffee Cakes and to see all their different flavors. Be sure to take advantage of their individual portion cakes while you still can!

Miranda Jade Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

To read the Q and A I did with Madrid Coffee Cakes click here.

Apple pie is a classic dessert, perfect for any special occasion or holiday. This gluten-free, grain-free version is made from raw ingredients and is dairy-free. Make sure to top it off with some delicious dairy-free Coconut Whipped “Cream.”

Step 1: Pecan Crumble (Prepare first.)

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ c pecans (pieces or whole)

2 tsp honey

1 ½ tbsp cinnamon

1 ½ tbsp carob powder

½ tbsp date sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Grind ingredients in a food processor until finely textured, but don’t overgrind or else they’ll release too much moisture (about 15-2o seconds grinding depending on equipment).

2. On a Teflex dehydrator sheet, lay out the mixture so that it is as thin and evenly spaced as possible.

3. Dehydrate for 4-5 hours.

4. Reserve crumbles for later use.

Step 2: Apple Piece Sauce

INGREDIENTS

½ tsp clove, ground

2 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp allspice

2 tsp vanilla extract

½ c cashews, soaked 3 hrs

1 tsp orange peel, fresh or dried (You can find it dried in spice sections of most gourmet markets.)

¼ tsp cardamom

¼ c currants (or raisins)

¾ c water

1tbsp agave (or date paste)

½ tsp salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Using a very high-powered blender, blend all of the above until very smooth.

2. Keep the mixture reserved in the blender for later use.

Step 3: Coconut Whipped “Cream” (Prepare third.)

INGREDIENTS

3 medium young Thai coconuts, meat only (3/4 to 1 c meat total)

½ c coconut oil, firm

1/8 c agave

2 tbsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Blend all the ingredients in a high-powered blender until very smooth.

2. Place into a storage container and refrigerate for later use. (Stays good for up to 3 weeks.)

Step Four: Apple Filling (Prepare last.)

INGREDIENTS

4 medium apples, cored and cut into large pieces (optional: soaked in Kahlua or rum)

½ tsp sea salt (brings out the sweetness)

1 tbsp lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

Just before serving, pulse the ingredients listed above a few times in your food processor just to roughly chop the apple pieces to a chunky consistency.

Step Five: Apple Pie Assembly

1. Re-blend the apple pie sauce on a continuous run for 1-1 ½ min. to warm the mixture.

2. While blending, in a serving casserole dish (1-c size) or large ramekin, place the pulsed apple filling leaving about an inch from the top for the crumble.

3. Spoon 2-3 tbsp of the crumble over the apple.

4. Add a dollop of the Coconut Whipped “Cream” over the center of the crumble.

5. Garnish the dish with some chopped fresh mint or some nutmeg!

Enjoy!

Miranda Jade Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

k.m.

Beth Hillson is a name you hear often in the gluten-free community. When I was sent her new gluten-free cookbook to review I was very excited. Who exactly is this gluten-free master Beth Hillson? That’s the exact thought I had. Before reading Beth’s cookbook ” Gluten-Free Makeovers” I got to get a few of my questions answered about Beth.

Read below for the interview and stay tuned for the review in two weeks!

When were you diagnosed with celiac disease?

I was diagnosed in 1953 and again in 1976.  I was a small child when I was diagnosed the first time.  They took away all my food and fed me bananas for several weeks, or maybe it was months.  Gradually, my mother introduced new foods – - leaving starches including corn, rice and potatoes – - until the very last.  I was on this diet for 3 ½ years.  When everything was added back, the doctor told me I was cured.  No one mentioned the word, “gluten.”   When symptoms returned,  I went from doctor to doctor complaining about my stomach.   Each one diagnosed me with a different ailment – - “nervous stomach,” psychiatric problems, lactose intolerance, and IBS.  It took several years and a second biopsy before I was rediagnosed with celiac disease.  This time the doctor knew that gluten was causing the problem but he didn’t fully understand the diet.  Corn Flakes and Rice Krispies were on the list of foods I could eat.  He even told me that beer was fine.  So I educated myself.  I went to culinary school to understand how foods are prepared and how to replace the gluten in the recipes.  It was my only choice unless I wanted to eat baked potatoes and naked burgers for the rest of my life.

What was the hardest part for you switching over to being gluten-free?

There was nothing available by way of products or resources when I was diagnosed.  My cravings motivated me to teach myself how to cook and bake gluten-free.  If I wanted a cake, I had to recreate it with gluten-free ingredients.  But I always viewed this as a challenge rather than a liability.  A positive attitude and a good support system turned this from a dire prognosis to a culinary adventure.   It’s a journey I’ve been on ever since.

How has the gluten-free community changed since you were diagnosed with celiac disease?

We’ve gone from zero to sixty miles an hour in this industry since I was diagnosed.  I can’t even begin to describe all the changes.  But here’s an example.  When I created Gluten-Free Pantry in 1993, we were still thinking that 1 in 1,000 people had celiac disease.  The possibility that many others had gluten sensitivity was not even in the picture.  I often said I could stand on the street corner in Manhattan with a plate of my Chocolate Truffle Brownies and never come across another celiac, even if I stood there for a full day.  Today, I can’t go anywhere without running into half a dozen people with celiac disease and another dozen who are gluten intolerant.

You took the gluten-free world by storm, baking out of your own home and evolving into a successful business. Tell us in your own words what this whole process was like for you.

I guess I was a pioneer.  The business came out of a need.   I was making baking mixes so I could quickly whip up a bread or pancakes or a quick bread when I wanted something good to eat.  (After all, freshly baked has always been the way to go.)  Then it occurred to me that I could save some money on ingredients if I bought a 50 pound bag of rice flour.  Once it arrived, I knew I had to find a few other people to share the mixes with or I would never use up all that flour.  I had no idea the business would take off the way it did.  For the first three years, I was working night and day just to keep up with demand.  I couldn’t imagine marketing my products proactively.  The company was growing more than 30% per year just by word of mouth.  That’s amazing when you’re a little business.

What was your purpose in selling your first gluten-free company?

I became disheartened when so many entrepreneurs began copying my products.  Mix companies were showing up everywhere.  There must be over a hundred of them today and each one has a sandwich bread, a pizza mix, a brownie, a cupcake, and so on.  They all  claim they started the business because there was nothing good out there.  But honestly, there are plenty of great mixes now.  When I started Gluten-Free Pantry there truly was nothing else available for gluten-free consumers.   I wish people would copy the pioneering spirit instead of copying each other and create products that are a unique and fill a void in our lives.

When I created the company, I was a lifeline for our customers.  The first time we moved to a larger location, the phone lines were down for nearly a day and people freaked out, fearing we had gone out of business!  I’ll never forget when a customer called the local police to check on us and someone came to find me.  I had that kind of connection to our customers and I felt I had a commitment to help them live well on a gluten-free diet.  But, by the time I sold the company, I did not feel that way.  I knew our customers had other choices.  I didn’t feel like I was letting people down.

What did you do with your “free time” after that?

I spent time with my elderly parents until they passed away.  Then I went back to school to get an MFA in creative writing and wrote a memoir as my thesis.  It’s still in process, but I hope to publish it one day soon.  And then I wrote a cookbook, “Gluten-Free Makeovers.”

On your website, glutenfreemakeovers.com, you have a section called “baking basics” where you help many people who are having trouble baking gluten-free. You must enjoy helping others be successfully gluten-free in their own kitchens. What inspired you to start glutenfreemakeovers.com?

I think “makeover” is my mantra.  I have always looked at ways to recreate favorite foods so we can enjoy them.  It was the concept that led me to create the GF Pantry and the recipes in the cookbook and on the web site.  I really do enjoy helping people.  This is a challenging lifestyle, but not impossible, especially with all the variety these days.  As long as people view this as a challenge and understand the rewards are delicious, safe foods, they will happily embrace the gluten-free lifestyle.  I can’t begin to describe the feeling I get when I see someone smile because they baked something delicious or tried something yummy that I fed them.  This is as good as it gets.

You have quite a record of cooking and baking. Was this something you always had an interest in?

Coming from a childhood where I ate bananas seven different ways, I have always been hungry for good food and great variety.  I think that childhood experience heightened my culinary curiosity.  When I was a kid, I trolled the neighborhood looking for handouts, for things that were not allowed on my diet.   I visited my friends’ homes and checked out their refrigerators.  I asked the mothers what they were serving for dinner and hinted boldly that I might like a taste.  I bought candy at the penny candy stores in my neighborhood.  (Sugar was another thing I couldn’t have.)  Food became intensely interesting to me.  That hungry still persists.

You recently published a gluten-free cook book “Gluten-Free Makeovers” published by Da Capo Press . What inspired you to do so?

I have gathered so many great recipes since I started Gluten-Free Pantry and then after selling it and writing recipes and articles for Living Without Magazine.  I wanted a place to organize them.  And, frankly, they are good recipes.  I wanted others to enjoy them, too.  By the way, I cook from my own cookbook all the time and so does my sister who was diagnosed with celiac disease seven years ago.

How did you choose which delicious recipes would be included in your cook book versus those which would not be?

I picked recipes that filled a void – - favorite family traditional dishes, wonderful cakes and cookies that I thought we should all have.  After I set up an outline and chapters, some of the recipes had to be shelved.  I had way too many.  But that’s good news.  Now I have enough material for another book someday.  In addition, people are always sending me their recipes to make over.  That’s fun, too.

You have come up with so many gluten-free recipes, any plans on another cook book in the future?

Perhaps I will do another cookbook.  I think the big deterrent is that there are so many cookbooks out now.

Anything else you want to share?

Lots of people are intimidated by gluten-free cooking and overwhelmed by the diet and lifestyle.  I encourage people to give it a try and not be discouraged.  Take baby steps at first.  By that I mean start with a couple of mixes from a company you’ve heard about and trust.  Become accustomed to the way gluten-free flours handle and branch out slowly.  Find a cookbook (hopefully mine!) and try one or two recipes just to get started baking from scratch.  Next thing you know, you’ll be making your own flour blends and making over mainstream recipes just like I do.  Just keep a positive attitude.

Miranda Jade Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

I like to make these at barbecues and in place of French fries as a healthier alternative. They are gluten-free and grain-free. They also make a great side dish.

INGREDIENTS:

½ c orange juice

¼ c oil

(optional) ½ tsp of:

ground ginger

garlic

salt

pepper

Cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Combine orange juice and oil and reduce by simmering over the stove.

3. Add seasonings.

4. Thicken over the stove. Add cayenne pepper if you’d like.

5. Cut sweet potatoes into “fries.”

6. Bake approx. 25 mins on a greased dish. Toss halfway through with ingredients.

Miranda Jade Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

k.m.

Before reviewing all the delicious flavors of Madrid Coffee Cakes, I wanted to get a feel for the company and what makes them so unique. Read their interview below and stay tuned for their product review in two weeks!

So you have this wonderful bakery in Marlborough, Massachusetts and are now selling delicious gluten free baked goods on line. How did you get into baking?

I guess you could say—the old fashioned way. Sergio comes from a long line of bakers. He started helping out at his father’s bakeries in Madrid, Spain when he was just 9-years-old! He was trained by master pastry chefs and bakers as an apprentice and eventually led his father’s bakery team when he turned 17.  After relocating to the states, Sergio opened up his own shop, following with family tradition.

Tell us how you got into Gluten Free Baked items?

Our Gluten Free line emerged organically. Being a small family-owned bakery, we have a very personal relationship with our customers. At the bakery, we listened to disheartened customers who had eliminated gluten from their diets describe their frustration at not being able to enjoy any of our goodies. We took a step back and identified many of our traditional family recipes that were inherently grain free, many of them already customer favorites. Once we identified a few favorite recipes, we educated ourselves about how to safely produce gluten free items using top-notch isolatory methods.

We couldn’t have expected the response! Our Gluten Free products, especially our Coffee Cakes, exploded with popularity. They were already favorites amongst our customers, but now that we could serve the Gluten Free community, folks were driving in to see us from adjacent states and began asking us to ship our special Coffee Cakes across the country.

I understand you are a husband and wife team. Now that is exciting! Who does what in the business or do you share the roles?

It’s definitely fun! We are very lucky to work as a family. It is not too far from the way Sergio grew up, in his family’s business.

The division of labor is simple- Sergio is the artist. I take care of the nuts and bolts. He is quite the perfectionist when it comes to the execution of his recipes and takes much pride in preparing every cake himself—from measuring ingredients to including a little thank-you note in all of the packages.

I actually fell into this bakery-business, business, because of him. I help take care of the stuff behind the scenes. Including getting the word out there. A role that works out quite well- since I TRULY believe these cakes are amazing (eat a slice every day, actually), and Sergio is much too modest.

Being that there is a European connection here, please tell us how that has influenced your bakery and on- line gluten free baked items.

European traditions really influence all of our products to the core. Sergio learned everything he knows about the profession from European masters! The bakery actually serves the same recipes that Sergio made in his family’s bakeries back in Spain. That including the Santiago Coffee Cake that started our gluten-free online product line.

I am sure this has set you apart from the usual bakery. What are the gluten-free baked items you feature for our celiac and gluten sensitive individuals?

Our Coffee Cakes are definitely the stars. We currently have them in 8 varieties:

The traditional Tarta de Santiago (Almond), Chocolate Almond,  Coconut-Almond, Lemon-Poppy Almond, Almond Anise, Hazelnut, Chocolate Hazelnut, and Pistachio-Almond. In the fall, we also offer a Pumpkin-Almond, which is amazing!

In addition to the coffee cakes, at our physical bakery, we also offer:

Pistachio Chocolate Rochers

Almond Chocolate Rochers

Almond Florentines

Coconut Macaroons

Are these common bread/cakes in Europe? If so, tell me us a bit of the history of gluten free baked good in Europe.

All of the Coffee Cakes are original creations that emerged from the perfection of the Classic Almond cake. This type of cake (based on Almond) has been a classic in Spain for thousands of years. In Spain, it is traditionally enjoyed as supper with coffee, tea, or milk. It’s also enjoyed as an after lunch treat (the heaviest meal of the day), usually accompanied by either coffee or “agua ardiente” (strong digestive liquor).

Many European recipes are based on the combination of a few quality ingredients, where the process of combining these ingredients is the key to complex taste. This approach leads to recipes that are potentially free of specific allergens (in our case both Gluten and Dairy), since recipes don’t call for mile-long lists of ingredients, processed foods, etc.

I see you use no dairy in your gluten free cakes. Is this also a need or preference in Europe?

Both Gluten and Dairy intolerance is a growing concern in Europe, certainly. Many traditional recipes are now being re-discovered because of these concerns. In our case, the traditional recipes and methods that are the base for our products were inherently grain and dairy free. We think that this explains the Coffee Cakes’ amazing genuine tastes. We didn’t attempt to “re-create” recipes to “convert them” into Gluten Free or Dairy Free items, and firmly believe that these Franken-foods often fall short of the original.

I always associate desserts with being a guilty pleasure. You state on your site that you are sure your coffee cakes are the healthiest coffee cakes we will ever enjoy. In your estimation makes yours the healthiest?

I think the key to the healthiness of our Coffee Cake line is the simplicity and quality of ingredients. All of our cakes are not only Gluten/Grain and Dairy Free, They are also 100% natural, free of leaveners, and free of any added fat! At the same time, they all have a substantial protein content and are high in heart healthy Omega 3s.

You also don’t use leaveners yet your cakes are incredibly light and fluffy. They really were a hit with my testers! Tell us what you use to make them rise?

The short answer is- science. Sergio is a bit fascinated with the interaction of ingredients on a scientific level. He meticulously created the Coffee Cake recipes, combining ingredient proportions down to the last milligram with the purpose of making sure that ingredients combine in a way that creates “strength” in the dough allowing the egg to rise on its own.  What can I say? The man is passionate.

Do you have future plans you can share in adding any more delicious gluten free baked items? Any other European baked items which may be added to your gluten-free choices in the future? You are on the east coast yet you are shipping all over. Is there any particulars we nee to know about ordering or shipping from you?

Sergio is always developing new taste combinations. Like I mentioned, the Pumpkin-Almond Coffee Cake will be available on the website in the Fall. It has the most amazing “fall” taste! In addition to that, we’re working on getting our goodies on the shelves of quality stores, cafes, etc.

We DO ship all everywhere in the Continental U.S., Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico! We’ve developed a custom shipping system that ensures that cakes make it to any of these destinations fresh and intact. It all starts with baking the cakes AFTER folks order them from our website. Compared to cakes that you might buy off of a store shelf, which were made sometimes months before you open them, it makes for an incredibly fresh product. Most cakes also make it to their final destination within 3 business days. Something most customers don’t know is that even though all of our Coffee Cakes are 100% natural, they have an incredibly long shelf life. They stay moist, fluffy, and fresh—on your kitchen countertop—for weeks! It all comes down to that ingredient combination science Sergio loves so much.

Last but now least is there anything else you’d like to share or say?

Just that, we’re really grateful to all of the folks that are giving us a try and are choosing to support our small family business. We are overjoyed by the appreciation customers have for our artisan goods!

Miranda Jade Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

What a delicious springtime treat! This recipe comes from Laura Waldo, author of the blog, Living Gluten and Grain Free (http://ourplacelivingglutenfree.blogspot.com). Make some extra strawberry filling and serve it as a parfait, topped with whipped cream and some fresh strawberry slices, in stylish glasses.

Serve it for dessert after having this amazing recipe! Flank Steak with Chimichurri sauce

Strawberry Filling

INGREDIENTS:

2 c fresh organic strawberries, tops removed, sliced

1 c raw cashews

2 tbsp gluten-free vanilla extract

½ c raw honey

1 pinch sea salt

1 c coconut oil, melted

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place all ingredients into a blender in the order listed and blend until smooth and creamy (approximately 3 mins).

2. Carefully pour into your favorite cooked pie crust and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

Laura’s Favorite Grain-Free Crust

Laura’s favorite grain-free crust was developed by Dr. Bruce Fife. She says this fast and easy pie crust doesn’t require a mixer or food processor and makes a perfect 9-inch pie shell.

INGREDIENTS

½ c sifted coconut flour

½ c almond flour

2 eggs

½ teaspoon raw honey (optional)

¼ c butter, melted

¼ tsp sea salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, whip the eggs.

3. Add all other ingredients and mix until well-incorporated.

4. Using your hands, press dough into a 9-inch pie plate forming a crust.

5. Pierce pie shell all over with a fork, or use pie weights if desired.

6. Bake 15 mins, until the edges start to brown.

7. Remove from oven and cool.

Thanks again to Laura Waldo, author of the blog,

http://ourplacelivingglutenfree.blogspot.com

Tina Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

k.m.

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.

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.

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.

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.