Sept. 15 meeting

Hi Everyone,
Pasting the email I just sent to the group. Email me at GIGgainesville@gmail.com if you'd like to come, please, since the deli asks for a rough head count. Thanks!

Janet

Hi Folks,

Wow, you snooze you lose. Jason's Deli had nearly every evening in Sept. booked, so I had to go with Monday, Sept. 15 at 6:00.  Let me know if you can make it, please, and we'll catch up with what's been going on with everyone and have some chow. I heard something on their hold music that was some announcement about chicken nuggets for kids that are gluten-sensitive. I wonder what that means, or how it's cooked?

Anywho, there was a request to discuss some of the associated conditions that go along with celiac disease like issues with thyroid, candida, etc. and strategies people use for coping with that. A good chunk of us have something other than issues with gluten...should make for good discussion and maybe we can come away with new ideas, or at least fresh perspective on the frustrations.

Please tell me if you think you can make it, and hope to see you there! I figure we can squeeze in one more meeting before the holidays too, even if it's just a dinner out somewhere.

Hope everyone's summer is wrapping up well!
Janet

Zoe's Kitchen

Hello All,

Summer's been a bit slow, but we just had a dinner meeting, and I'm pasting a portion of the summary email I just sent to our group. Kudos to Zoe's Kitchen!

"Just a few of us were able to make it to Zoe's Kitchen, but it was a fun time covering things ranging from the ridiculous and uninformed things that GI docs in our community are still saying (sigh) to plants that are edible, to dreams and plans for communities of sustainable and healthy living! Food was not bad, and I must give props to Zoe's Kitchen staff. I called midday to see if they'd set a table aside for us, and was told they didn't do that. However, manager said they would, and indeed they did. But they'd also coached all their staff to change gloves for our orders, and generally seemed interested in trying to help and offer the best service. Pretty cool! "

We'll be looking at a Fall meeting sometime soon... in the meantime, if you have not visited www.TheDr.com, the amount of information and presentations that Dr. O'Bryan is part of is staggering. A great resource; one of the biggest gluten free advocates. Of course there are many more, but his seem to show up in my inbox more regularly than anything else!

Happy what's-left-of summer! Back at you soon, hopefully.
Janet

Wheatgrass?

Hello, Everyone! Happy 4th of July and all that it means for our country and those who are serving it!
Been a while; there's always a summer lull. However, I did want to share this piece of information that I'm pasting from a recent post from Dr. Tom O'Bryan, who you can learn more about at www.theDr.com. He's a huge advocate in the world of gluten free eating, celiac disease, and gluten sensitivity, and has newsletters you can sign up for. I encourage you to take a look and get on the mailing list. Everything he sends is informative and thought-provoking.

Meanwhile, I'm pasting a paragraph from an email I received this week from him:

Is it okay for a person with a gluten-related disorder to drink wheat grass juice?
Yes and no. It's generally thought that the genes for gluten proteins are selectively expressed only in the endosperm of the wheat grain and not in the vegetative tissues. As long as no heads are formed on the young wheat, then the leaves should be fine. Once heads have formed and flowered, there is potential gluten protein synthesis going on. Grass harvested before ~15-20 days after sprouting usually should be okay and not have any heading-out, but a visual inspection of the entire crop for heading is necessary.

 
So, grow your own? Yes, and harvest early. Say no to commercial wheat grass juice unless you speak with the grower and confirm the harvest age.

Now it's Janet again. Wishing you a happy summer, and more to follow! 

Janet

P.S. Those of you who are local ( and I suppose those not), please remember there is a large gluten free facebook page for Gainesville FL where people post fantastic information! It's Gluten-Free Gainesville. I don't do much with our page for the Gluten Intolerance Group Gainesville Branch because it can be accomplished through that page.  

Updates and links and such!

Hi Folks,
For those who weren't able to attend our  meeting a few weeks ago where Dr. Mary Smith, a Licensed Psychologist came to talk, it was thought provoking. The stance she chose to take in her presentation is that a new diagnosis and a major life change is a major stressor, and focused her talk on the ways to understand and manage the stress reaction. I have some handouts and her business card, should anyone wish to contact me. It's not the same, by any stretch, as hearing the talk, but she did also say that if there was enough interest, she'd be willing to consider a short-term (like maybe 8 weeks) group for people wanting help dealing with the adjustment.

And moving on, here are some interesting links folks have sent me (thanks, Jill!), with the heads up that I have not yet had time to look at them all:

 http://www.glutenfreeschool.com/2014/05/13/gluten-free-restaurant-menus/ (one about gluten free restaurant menus)

Here's a virtual expo : http://www.glutenawayexpo.com/

New magazine called Food Solutions:   http://www.glutenfreegigi.com/food-solutions-magazine/
which appears to have a focus on gluten and allergy free eating, and the list of contributors looks to include some of the more reputable, well-known names in the GF community.

Here's an interview with Dr. Fasano:   http://www.tenderfoodie.com/blog/2014/5/1/dr-fasano-on-new-gut-autoimmune-research-autism-clearing-up.html  
(and just as an aside, a You Tube search with the expert's name will probably yield more interviews than you can shake a stick at!)

And as always, especially if you're in Gainesville, there is a very large Gluten-Free Gainesville Facebook page with a pretty supportive group of people and a huge variety of useful posts and good finds. Our Gluten Intolerance Group Gainesville Branch has a Facebook page, but that was before I knew about the other group page, so what I post on mine is minimal.

A peaceful and meaningful Memorial Day to you all,
Janet

Why I'm Eating Gluten Free

Hi Everyone.
I'll be the first to admit that I don't do Pinterest and know little about it, but borrowing this link from a post on the Gluten Free Gainesville Facebook page. Hope the link works. It's a series about why I am and am NOT eating gluten free. Pretty powerful.

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/492018328013174991/

Gluten in Medications

I heard from someone from the GIG Ocala branch from a source they trust that Armour Thyroid has gluten in it. I checked with the GIG home office to see if they'd heard anything, and was told this (pasting):

This website is a good resource on medications.   Armour thyroid is listed here as gluten-free; I would trust this information.  However, just as is the case with foods, ingredients (fillers) may change at any time, so an individual with doubts should be advised to contact the manufacturer.

http://www.glutenfreedrugs.com/list.htm

SO, overall, just a good reminder that if you take medications or supplements, it's always advisable to check with the manufacturer to see if there is gluten in the fillers.Things change, unfortunately sometimes at the speed of light! Even more specifically, since not everyone knows from "gluten," specify any fillers derived from wheat or barley or containing malt (rye pretty unlikely!). 

Just a friendly reminder. I've had more than one conversation over the years with people who were sickened by medications.

Thanks, All!

Janet

Summary of Gluten Free Living conference talks that I attended

Hello Everyone,  am simply pasting below the email I just sent to the Gluten Intolerance Group, Gainesville FL Branch. Please email me at GIGgainesville@gmail.com if you'd like the notes (see caveats below!)

Hi all,

Still working on getting notes scanned so I could email them, but the talks I attended were these, so let me know if you'd like me to try to get you the notes.  Caveat:  they're the notes I took, so may not all be complete/accurate, due to interruptions, things I missed due to them talking fast, child crying, etc.

1. Expect the Unexpected:  Be Prepared for Any Nutritional Challenge that Comes Your Way, by Pam Cureton, RD, LDN.  She's worked with Dr. Fasano for over 20 years. Her talk touched on what if you're gluten free and not feeling better; being GF in healthcare facilities; gaining weight on GF diet; and GF disaster planning.

2. The Do's and Don'ts of Raising a Gluten Free Kid by Amy Leger, the Family Editor of Gluten Free Living magazine. This was looking at ways you can empower your child to advocate for themselves at various ages/developmental stages, and touched on 504 plans and what you can expect when you have to get the school involved in meeting your child's dietary needs.

3. GF Diet: Should We Be Concerned by Anne Lee, Ed.D., RD, LD, who is director of nutritional services at Schar. In a nutshell, she touched on the changing market in gluten free breads/products; labeling laws; and practical points

4. Dr. Alessio Fasano was the Keynote: Spectrum of Gluten Related Disorders: People Shall Not Live by Bread Alone. He went over the major milestones in the research in terms of the diagnoses of celiac disease. Way too much to try to summarize, but the takeaway is that more research is increasingly pointing to gut microbiomes as a key player in who develops celiac and who doesn't, when the genetic predisposition is there. If you ever get a chance to hear this man speak, I highly recommend it!

5. Dispelling the Myths of the Gluten Free Diet by Amy Ratnor, Editor of Gluten Free Living magazine. Went over several myths about the diet. I'm not sure if it was her presentation or my listening and note-taking skills, but my notes are the sketchiest here. Happy to share, regardless, as long as you understand there may be some gaps.

6. Panel of Experts:  Most of the above and more answered audience questions. I've jotted notes on it all, and it covered a variety of thing from Gluten Free Certifications to when family is not gluten free, to travel, to baking.

The editor did tell me they hope to do this conference annually, and probably in Florida around this time. VERY cool. :-)

Thanks for the RSVPs to the May 12 meeting. I now have about 12 folks committed to attend, which makes me feel better about having a speaker. Hope you all can make it! Please let me know, as Dr. Smith will want to know how many are coming.

See you soon!
Janet