Beyond Rice Cakes

My blog has moved to Celiac Princess

I've decided to change my blog to a more sophisticated design and focus a little more on health. Please change your bookmarks to www.CeliacPrincess.com. Same great content, just a new and improved design!

Thanks and keep reading!
Vanessa

Celiac Disease: Share Your Health Care Story

Do you have a health care horror story? Has your health insurance failed you? Did your insurance company deny coverage of a celiac blood test or endoscopy? Have you gone to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription medication only to find out that it isn’t covered and going to cost you a fortune? Would you like to see a dietitian for nutritional counseling but your insurance won’t cover it and it is too expensive to pay for out of pocket? If you answered yes to any of these questions, I need your help!

As part of the national health care reform team, I’m looking to show lawmakers and the media how patients with chronic conditions like celiac disease are in desperate need of changes to the health care system to help them better manage their health on a daily basis.

I’m working with Health Care for America Now, a national coalition made up of more than 700 organizations representing nearly 30 million people. The goal is to win comprehensive quality, affordable health care in 2009.

So, if you have a story, please share it. Your story will put an incredible human face on this very complex public policy issue and truly help America move towards a health care system that works around the clock for people with chronic diseases.

To share your story, please download the Share Your Story Template. Fill in as much of the information as you are comfortable with and then email the responses back to me at vanessa.maltin@gmail.com. 

Gluten-Free Feast at Fogo De Chao

Valentine’s Day is a really special day that typically reaches at least one peak of the night around dinnertime. However, often time people with celiac disease or other food allergies find dinner to be the low point of the night…but not this year! My fabulous boyfriend Eric made reservations at Fogo De Chao in Washington DC for our Valentine’s Day Feast.

Over the years I’ve heard about Fogo De Chao a number of times, but usually in reference to a wonderful meat coma you’ll feel after eating more than a dozen different types of meats. The lunch and dinner menus feature unlimited servings of 15 different delectable cuts of fire-roasted meats, a lavish buffet of gourmet salads and fresh-cut vegetables, and a variety of Brazilian side dishes. The side dishes included Brazilian cheese bread, crispy parmesan polenta, fried plantains and garlic mashed potatoes. All four are gluten-free and incredibly delicious…but more about that later!

Knowing how sensitive I am, Eric was sure to call ahead to find out exactly what I could eat. The manager he spoke to was thrilled to inform us that I could eat everything on the menu except for one chicken dish (the chicken marinated in beer). He said to ask for him upon arrival and he’d make sure we were taking care of.

When we were seated at the restaurant our server immediately knew to inform me about chicken and even made sure that the kitchen made a replacement so that I could enjoy all 15 meat dishes. YAY!

The meal started off with the gourmet salad bar. At first I decided I wasn’t going to eat any salad because I wanted to save room for the meat, but after taking one look at the salad bar, I knew I had to give in! Fresh mozzarella cheese balls, marinated tomatoes and artichokes, roasted peppers, smoked salmon, and grilled asparagus were just a few of the items on the salad bar. Each had a distinct flavor profile that left me wanting more and more. Honestly, I could have eaten just the salad bar and cheese bread and been 100% happy!

But…of course, I had to have the meat. Just seconds after we signaled that we were ready for our meat courses to begin, we had servers approaching our table with the finest cuts of beef, lamb, chicken and pork. To name a few: prime rib, lamb chops, leg of lamb, rib eye, filet mignon, top sirloin, bottom sirloin, beef ribs, pork chops, slow roasted sausage…and my special chicken that was perfectly marinated with fajita spices and garlic.

My favorite part of the entire meal was definitely the Brazilian Cheese Bread. It was the most soft, fluffy and sinfully delicious bread I’ve had in years and I actually asked the manager if I could buy a package of it. Sadly, the answer was no, but maybe if enough of us ask for it, they’ll start packaging and selling it! The bread is a simple recipe that includes yucca flour, parmesan cheese, butter, eggs and salt. I’m going to try to recreate it, so be sure to check back soon for the recipe!

So, what's the bottom line? Yes, it is kind of expensive to eat at Fogo De Chao. Dinner is $49.99 per person, but I promise it will be the best $49.99 you'll spend on a gluten-free meal! Here are the locations: Austin, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, Beverly Hills, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Baltimore, and Indianapolis.

So my Valentines Day was filled with love, laughter and delicious food! Thank You Eric for being the best boyfriend ever and knowing the most direct path to my gluten-free heart...cheesebread!

Gluten-Free Pizza: Uno Chicago Grill Launches GF Pizza Crust

Even though I've been on a gluten-free diet for more than five years and totally don't miss most of the starchy foods I used to eat, the one thing that I still crave is a good pizza...especially when I'm out to dinner with a group and everyone else is ordering pizza!

Well... the Pizza Gods have answered my prayers! Uno Chicago Grill is now offering its gluten-free pizza at all locations nationwide! That means more than 200 restaurants in 29 states now have gluten-free pizza! Woohoo! And, it tastes pretty good too! The Washington DC Gluten-Free Dinner Club visited the Unos in Bethesda last week and everyone agreed that the pizza was fabulous!

UNO CEO Frank Guidara says that Uno's takes food allergies very seriously and since pizza is the  restaurant's signature dish, they  wanted to offer a gluten-free pizza that "all of our guests could enjoy while dining at Uno."

Additionally, Uno has added the gluten-free cheese and pepperoni pizzas to their already extensive gluten-free menu, which includes delcious seafood, chicken and beef dishes, as well as a few fabulous salads. So, hurry on down to your local Uno for a gloriously gluten-free meal!

Delight Magazine: Delightful Food & Delightfully Fun

I am a loyal subscriber to Cooking Light, Gourmet and Bon Appetit magazines. I anxiously await their arrival in the mail and I read them cover to cover as soon as they arrive. I always tear out the pages with the most delicious sounding recipes and spend several hours every month figuring out how to convert the recipes into gluten-free alternatives. It usually turns out tasting delicious, but I always sigh and wish that I had an amazing magazine--one that looks as good as the more well known cooking magazines--that is filled with recipes and tips for food that I can eat!

My hopes and wishes came true when I met Julie Luse, the publisher and editor-in-chief of Delight Gluten-Free Magazine. I met Julie a few months ago and we became instant friends and colleagues.  The first time I spoke to her on the phone, I could immediately feel her incredible passion for helping people with food allergies and intolerances and what I loved even more was how she longed to make these folks feel "normal." She didn't want to create just another newsletter or pamphlet. She wanted a real, honest to goodness magazine that could compete with the major food magazines. And, that's exactly what she's produced!

Now, I'm obviously slightly biased. In only a few short weeks of working together and sharing ideas, Julie asked me to be her Food & Lifestyle Editor. I enthusiastically accepted and feel honored, blessed and just incredibly lucky to be writing and working for such an incredible magazine!

Delight is truly a resource that everyone with celiac disease, gluten intolerance and other food allergies can use to enhance their lives and learn to make food that is AWESOME!! Inside the magazine you'll find gourmet recipes, SemiHomemade meals, Gluten-Free on a Budget ideas, healthy and fresh fully-illustrated recipes, all with suggestions for gluten-free, casein-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, soy-free and rice-free diets! Whatever your food issue might be, there is an answer...with mouth-watering photographs to go along with the recipes! And, don't forget the travel section, filled with fantastic ideas for traveling the world on a special diet!

I'll stop here because it's time for you to pick up a copy of Delight Magazine for yourself. The magazine is available in grocery stores across the country or you can subscribe online at the Delight website. Almost 10,000 people have already snatched up a copy and they're going fast! So be sure to check out the website today!

And...for all of you gluten-free food vendors out there....be sure to send me updates about new products and hopefully I'll be able to feature all of you in the magazine! You can reach me at the magazine at vanessa@delightgfmagazine.com.

Happy reading!

Study links Celiac to Increased Risk for Lymphoma

A study published in the January 2009 issue of the journal Gastroenterology finds that patients with celiac disease and their family members have an increased risk of developing lymphomas. 

Researchers from the Bethesda-based National Cancer Institute and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden evaluated 60,000 patients with lymphomas and found that patients with celiac disease were five times more likely to develop a lymphoma, compared with patients who did not have the autoimmune disease. Family members of people with celiac disease were two times as likely to develop a lymphoma.

Before we get into more study results though, let's back up to make sure you actually understand what lymphoma is. According to the National Library of Medicine, lymphoma is a cancer of the immune system. There are several different types, but the type most closely linked to celiac disease is called non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Typical symptoms of Non-Hodgkins lymphoma include:

• Swollen, painless lymph nodes in the neck, armpits or groin
• Unexplained weight loss
• Fever
• Soaking night sweats
• Coughing, trouble breathing or chest pain
• Weakness and tiredness that don't go away
• Pain, swelling or a feeling of fullness in the abdomen

Laboratory tests will help your doctor determine if you have non-hodgkin's lymphoma. The most common treatments include chemotherapy, radiation therapy and bone marrow transplant.

Although it remains unclear what the actual link between celiac and lymphoma is, the researchers speculate that celiac disease leads to inflammation and that inflammation drives the development of lymphomas. 

The researchers suggest two key messages from the findings. First, that early detection of celiac disease can help decrease the risk of developing lymphoma. This was evident when researchers examined the link between celiac and lymphoma in the 1970s and compared it to rates today. Finally, people with a family history of celiac disease have a higher risk of developing lymphoma, which may suggest an "underlying mechanism that leads to both celiac disease and lymphoma.

So what's the bottom line? Get tested for celiac disease and if you're positive, routinely test your family members. An early diagnosis and treatment with a gluten-free diet could help prevent developing cancer later in life.

Voluntary Recall of Gluten-Free Cafe Meals

Below is a note from the Hain Celestial Group about the voluntary recall of some Gluten-Free Cafe meals that may be affected by recent peanut butter and peanut paste issues.

The health and safety of our customers is of paramount importance to us. We have stringent quality assurance procedures in place for all Hain Celestial products.

You may have seen recent media coverage regarding peanut paste and peanut butter. Our Arrowhead Mills® and MaraNatha® peanut butters are produced in the United States. These products do not contain peanut butter produced by the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA).

We have identified one Health Valley® product produced by a contract manufacturer which sourced peanut products from PCA, and we are voluntarily recalling certain lot codes of this product although there have been no reported illnesses.

The product is Health Valley Organic Peanut Crunch Chewy Granola Bars, lot codes 13JUN09, 14JUN09 and 28JUN09

PCA announced on January 29th it had expanded its recall. As a result of this expanded recall, we are voluntarily recalling certain Ethnic Gourmet® and Gluten Free Café™ frozen entrées since they include peanut ingredients sourced from PCA.

These products include:

•  Ethnic Gourmet Chicken Pad Thai 10 oz UPC code # 18687-70054 lot codes beginning with “WC7”

•  Ethnic Gourmet Pad Thai with Shrimp 10 oz UPC code# 18687-10411 lot codes beginning with “WC7” and “WC8”

• Ethnic Gourmet Pad Thai with Tofu 10 oz UPC code # 18687-10402 lot codes beginning with “WC7” and “WC8”

•  Gluten Free Café Asian Noodles 9.2 oz UPC code # 70795-03504 lot codes beginning with “WC8”

Please call us at 1-800-434-4246, Monday-Friday, 7am-5pm Mountain Time if you have any of this product in your possession.

The health and safety of our customers is of paramount importance to us. We have stringent quality assurance procedures in place for all Hain Celestial products.

You may have seen recent media coverage regarding peanut paste and peanut butter. Our Arrowhead Mills® and MaraNatha® peanut butters are produced in the United States. These products do not contain peanut butter produced by the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA).

We have identified one Health Valley® product produced by a contract manufacturer which sourced peanut products from PCA, and we are voluntarily recalling certain lot codes of this product although there have been no reported illnesses.

The product is Health Valley Organic Peanut Crunch Chewy Granola Bars, lot codes 13JUN09, 14JUN09 and 28JUN09

PCA announced on January 29th it had expanded its recall. As a result of this expanded recall, we are voluntarily recalling certain Ethnic Gourmet® and Gluten Free Café™ frozen entrées since they include peanut ingredients sourced from PCA.

These products include:

•  Ethnic Gourmet Chicken Pad Thai 10 oz UPC code # 18687-70054 lot codes beginning with “WC7”

•  Ethnic Gourmet Pad Thai with Shrimp 10 oz UPC code# 18687-10411 lot codes beginning with “WC7” and “WC8”

• Ethnic Gourmet Pad Thai with Tofu 10 oz UPC code # 18687-10402 lot codes beginning with “WC7” and “WC8”

•  Gluten Free Café Asian Noodles 9.2 oz UPC code # 70795-03504 lot codes beginning with “WC8”

Please call us at 1-800-434-4246, Monday-Friday, 7am-5pm Mountain Time if you have any of this product in your possession.

Brittle Bones: Study finds kids with celiac have low bone mineral levels

My mom and I both have celiac disease. And like many of you reading this blog post, we've both experienced a number of celiac-related complications. The most debilitating for my mom has been her struggle with osteoporosis.

My mom eats calcium constantly. She is always drinking milk, eating yogurt and cheese and doing everything she can to up her calcium levels, including taking Boniva. But 45 years of having undiagnosed celiac disease has left her with bones like a 90 year old...and believe me...she is nowhere near 90 years old. Lets just say she's at least 30 years away from that and even with her brittle bones,  she is still energetic, gorgeous and the coolest mom ever!!

Nonetheless, every time my mom goes to her doctor, she leaves saying how much she wishes she had found out about celiac earlier in life so she could prevent the ever aching bones and fear of what will happen to her body as she ages.

Hopefully as we learn more about celiac disease, doctors will be able to diagnose children earlier and conduct routine screening for bone density problems to prevent kids from growing up with brittle bones. And, the good news today is that thanks to new research, we may have evidence to suggest why doctors should in fact be screening their patients for low bone mineral content.

A new study published in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition finds that children diagnosed with celiac disease should be screened for low bone mineral content, largely because these kids are at risk of developing early osteopenia.

Researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia evaluated 44 children with celiac disease and 338 healthy kids. The compared the results of bone mineral tests and found that kids with celiac disease had significantly lower levels of bone mineral content than their healthy counterparts.

So what's the moral of the story? The researchers suggest that newly diagnosed children with celiac disease could benefit from screening for low bone mineral content, especially if they have a low body mass index. Parents...if your kids have celiac, get them screened!

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Swirly Chocolate Fudge

I love fudge. When I was a little kid I used to beg my mom to take my little sister and me to Pier 39 in San Francisco just to go to the Fudge House. Dont' get me wrong, I loved seeing all of the sea lions on the pier and taking in the beautiful San Francisco Bay views, but my underlying reason was always for the fudge. I would have my mom purchase two flavors: peanut butter and chocolate. Instead of eating them separately, I would cut off small pieces of each flavor and put them in my mouth together. I thought it would taste like a Reece's Pieces, but it was soooooo much better!!

When I moved to Washington DC about  eight years ago, it became increasingly difficult to get fudge from the San Francisco Fudge House. So I started fooling around in the kitchen and playing with different fudge recipes that tasted close to my favorite fudge. The Marshmallow Fluff website has some pretty basic recipes for No Fail Fudge that I like to make. Below is my recreation and "jazzed-up" version of the No-Fail Peanut Butter Fudge! I know you'll LOVE IT!

Peanut Butter Swirly Chocolate Fudge
makes 2.5 pounds of fudge

2 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 stick butter or margarine
1 can (5 oz) non-fat evaporated milk
1 cup Marshmallow Fluff
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk chocolate chips

1. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan and set aside.

2. In large saucepan combine first 5 ingredients. Stir over low heat until blended.

3. Increase the heat to medium, bring to a full-rolling boil being careful not to mistake escaping air bubbles for boiling. Boil slowly, stirring constantly for 5 minutes.

4. Remove from heat, stir in peanut butter and vanilla extract until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips gently. Be sure to only stir until they are swirled in, not fully incorporated.

5. Pour into the greased pan and cool.

6. Remove from the pan and slice to serve.

Gluten-Free Top Health Blogger--VOTE for ME

To my loyal readers,

Thanks to many of you, I've been nominated for the People's Health Top Health Blogger Award for all of the blog posts I've written about celiac disease and gluten-free living. You've shared your amazing stories with me, contributed and given me amazing ideas....and now I really need your help!! Please click the button below to vote for my blog to win!! It just takes a minute and it would mean the world to me!

And....to give you some incentive, if you do take the time to vote, let me know by sending me an email at vanessa.maltin@gmail.com...Once the voting is over I'm going to have a raffle and one lucky winner will get a batch of my famous Double Chocolate Chip Gluten-Free Cookies!

Thanks so much in advance!
Best,
Vanessa

Rising Medication Costs & Gluten in Medications

A new report from the Washington, DC-based Center for Studying Health System Change finds that one in seven Americans under the age of 65 went without a necessary prescription medication in 2007, largely because of skyrocketing drug costs.

Now, you're probably thinking that the report applies to people who are uninsured...at least that's what I thought when I first looked at the report. But the study actually found that even people with private health insurance provided by their employers went without much needed medications. In fact, one in 10 working Americans with employer-sponsored health insurance chose not to take a prescription drug in 2007, up from only 8.7 percent in 2003. Why? According to study researchers, the most common reasons were rising drug prices, the introduction of new and more expensive specialty medications to the market, and "skimpier drug coverage that shifts a greater share of costs onto patients."

How does this affect people with celiac disease and those on a gluten-free diet? It's simple and it actually hit me right in the pocketbook just a couple of months ago.

I had what I thought was really good health insurance provided by my employer. But one case of pneumonia later and I found out it wasn't all that fabulous. My doctor prescribed an antibiotic to me that she described as a "bull-dog" to knock out the infection. She had also recently prescribed the same drug to another celiac patient and had already verified with the company that the medication was in fact gluten-free. Yay! What a sense of relief!

I took the prescription to the pharmacy, provided them with my insurance card and waited 20 minutes for it to be filled. When they called my name, I was thrilled and couldn't wait to swallow the first pill and get on the road to feeling better. But as the pharmacist rang me up, my jaw dropped and I almost started crying. The total for one prescription was $187.36. I couldn't believe it. I politely asked the pharmacist if she had run it through my insurance since I always paid $15 for every prescription. She kindly said yes and informed me that the medication was a tier 2 drug (or something like that) and that my insurance would only cover a small percent unless my doctor could prove that I had to take this particular drug over a less expensive alternative like a generic.

So thus began a chase to track down my doctor, explain the situation and try to get the insurance company to cover the antibiotic. The first problem we ran into was finding a medication that we could verify was gluten-free. I'm allergic to penicillin and all of its relatives and my doctor was unsure about the inactive ingredients in a lower-cost generic antibiotic. She waited about 12 hours to hear back from the drug company before telling me that I had to start taking the medication. The pneumonia was a worse predicament than possibly having a reaction to the gluten. So, this lower-cost alternative still cost me $56, but well, that's better than the original price.

Roughly 24 hours after I started taking the medication, my good friends at the Drug Information Center at St. Johns University College of Pharmacy were able to verify that the drug was gluten-free and safe for me to continue taking.

So, what's the moral of the story? First of all, we desperately need health care reform in the United States so that everyone has access to quality, affordable coverage. We need regulation of the insurance industry so everyone with celiac and other chronic diseases can have easy access to safe, gluten-free medication at the same prices as other drugs. Until that happens, here are a few great resources that will help you quickly determine the gluten content of medications:

Gluten-Free Drugs:
a site maintained by Columbus Children's Hospital
www.glutenfreedrugs.com

American Society of Health System Pharmacists
An organization of 35,000 pharmacists working in hospitals, Download the Gluten in Medications Flyer for information about how you can help your pharmacist and doctor find safe drugs.
www.ashp.org

Now, you're probably thinking that the report applies to people who are uninsured...at least that's what I thought when I first looked at the report. But the study actually found that even people with private health insurance provided by their employers went without much needed medications. In fact, one in 10 working Americans with employer-sponsored health insurance chose not to take a prescription drug in 2007, up from only 8.7 percent in 2003. Why? According to study researchers, the most common reasons were rising drug prices, the introduction of new and more expensive specialty medications to the market, and "skimpier drug coverage that shifts a greater share of costs onto patients."

How does this affect people with celiac disease and those on a gluten-free diet? It's simple and it actually hit me right in the pocketbook just a couple of months ago.

I had what I thought was really good health insurance provided by my employer. But one case of pneumonia later and I found out it wasn't all that fabulous. My doctor prescribed an antibiotic to me that she described as a "bull-dog" to knock out the infection. She had also recently prescribed the same drug to another celiac patient and had already verified with the company that the medication was in fact gluten-free. Yay! What a sense of relief!

I took the prescription to the pharmacy, provided them with my insurance card and waited 20 minutes for it to be filled. When they called my name, I was thrilled and couldn't wait to swallow the first pill and get on the road to feeling better. But as the pharmacist rang me up, my jaw dropped and I almost started crying. The total for one prescription was $187.36. I couldn't believe it. I politely asked the pharmacist if she had run it through my insurance since I always paid $15 for every prescription. She kindly said yes and informed me that the medication was a tier 2 drug (or something like that) and that my insurance would only cover a small percent unless my doctor could prove that I had to take this particular drug over a less expensive alternative like a generic.

So thus began a chase to track down my doctor, explain the situation and try to get the insurance company to cover the antibiotic. The first problem we ran into was finding a medication that we could verify was gluten-free. I'm allergic to penicillin and all of its relatives and my doctor was unsure about the inactive ingredients in a lower-cost generic antibiotic. She waited about 12 hours to hear back from the drug company before telling me that I had to start taking the medication. The pneumonia was a worse predicament than possibly having a reaction to the gluten. So, this lower-cost alternative still cost me $56, but well, that's better than the original price.

Roughly 24 hours after I started taking the medication, my good friends at the Drug Information Center at St. Johns University College of Pharmacy were able to verify that the drug was gluten-free and safe for me to continue taking.

So, what's the moral of the story? First of all, we desperately need health care reform in the United States so that everyone has access to quality, affordable coverage. We need regulation of the insurance industry so everyone with celiac and other chronic diseases can have easy access to safe, gluten-free medication at the same prices as other drugs. Until that happens, here are a few great resources that will help you quickly determine the gluten content of medications:

Gluten-Free Drugs:
a site maintained by Columbus Children's Hospital
www.glutenfreedrugs.com

American Society of Health System Pharmacists
An organization of 35,000 pharmacists working in hospitals, Download the Gluten in Medications Flyer for information about how you can help your pharmacist and doctor find safe drugs.
www.ashp.org

Quality, Affordable Coverage for All...Including People with Celiac!

Over the last five years, I’ve heard a lot of stories about how hard it is to get diagnosed with celiac disease. Some patients complain that their doctors refuse to test them. Some can’t get tested because their insurance won’t cover the $140 blood test plus the nearly $1,000 endoscopy.  Those without insurance simply can’t afford testing.

Others who have high quality health insurance and received the proper testing and an accurate diagnosis struggle to follow a strict gluten-free diet because they haven’t received proper instructions from a skilled dietitian or a nutritional counselor. Why? Because their insurance will cover the expensive testing, but won’t cover the $17 nutritional counseling session. It’s sad, right?

When I was diagnosed with celiac five years ago, just one session with a dietitian would have changed my life. I was a junior in college at the time, living in a dorm room with little access to fresh, natural food. I was like a prisoner to my college dining hall, where I could eat nothing except for white rice and coffee. It took me months to figure out what was safe and unsafe for me to eat at school and even longer for me to figure out cooking for myself. With the help of my wonderful family and friends (especially my mom), five years later, I’m happy, healthy and a fabulous cook!

But not everyone has the same support that I did. That’s why it is so important that we see major health care reform in 2009. President Obama has said it numerous times and now it’s time for all of us out there with celiac disease and other chronic conditions to let our voices be heard. How, you ask?

Health Care for America Now (HCAN) is the national grassroots campaign organizing millions of Americans to win a guarantee of quality, affordable health care for everyone in the United States. HCAN believes that the government should act as a watchdog, setting and enforcing rules on the private insurance industry so it cannot continue to charge patients more or deny care based on age, gender, chronic disease or a pre-existing condition. Everyone in the United States should have a choice of public or private health insurance with comprehensive benefits that meet our needs and with costs that are affordable based on a family’s ability to pay. 

HCAN is made up of community members, nurses, doctors, small business owners, patients, faith-based organizations, patient advocacy groups, and seniors, all working towards comprehensive health care in America. This means quality, affordable health care for you!

To date, more than 175 members of the 111th Congress as well as President Obama and Vice President Biden have already signed on to the HCAN principles for reform. Now it’s your turn! Read more about HCAN and how you can get involved with health reform that will change your life at http://www.healthcareforamericanow.org.

Others who have high quality health insurance and received the proper testing and an accurate diagnosis struggle to follow a strict gluten-free diet because they haven’t received proper instructions from a skilled dietitian or a nutritional counselor. Why? Because their insurance will cover the expensive testing, but won’t cover the $17 nutritional counseling session. It’s sad, right?

When I was diagnosed with celiac five years ago, just one session with a dietitian would have changed my life. I was a junior in college at the time, living in a dorm room with little access to fresh, natural food. I was like a prisoner to my college dining hall, where I could eat nothing except for white rice and coffee. It took me months to figure out what was safe and unsafe for me to eat at school and even longer for me to figure out cooking for myself. With the help of my wonderful family and friends (especially my mom), five years later, I’m happy, healthy and a fabulous cook!

But not everyone has the same support that I did. That’s why it is so important that we see major health care reform in 2009. President Obama has said it numerous times and now it’s time for all of us out there with celiac disease and other chronic conditions to let our voices be heard. How, you ask?

Health Care for America Now (HCAN) is the national grassroots campaign organizing millions of Americans to win a guarantee of quality, affordable health care for everyone in the United States. HCAN believes that the government should act as a watchdog, setting and enforcing rules on the private insurance industry so it cannot continue to charge patients more or deny care based on age, gender, chronic disease or a pre-existing condition. Everyone in the United States should have a choice of public or private health insurance with comprehensive benefits that meet our needs and with costs that are affordable based on a family’s ability to pay. 

HCAN is made up of community members, nurses, doctors, small business owners, patients, faith-based organizations, patient advocacy groups, and seniors, all working towards comprehensive health care in America. This means quality, affordable health care for you!

To date, more than 175 members of the 111th Congress as well as President Obama and Vice President Biden have already signed on to the HCAN principles for reform. Now it’s your turn! Read more about HCAN and how you can get involved with health reform that will change your life at http://www.healthcareforamericanow.org.

Gluten-Free Beef Pot Pie

Pot pies are one of the best winter time meals. They are filled with meat, vegetables and a hearty tomato sauce and leave you feeling warm and satisfied. At first, I was somewhat intimidated by the thought of making a gluten-free pot pie crust, but it actually turned out to be rather easy!

Gluten-Free Beef Pot Pie
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cups button mushrooms, diced
1 pound ground beef
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup potato starch (corn starch will also work)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon Italian seasonings
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions and mushrooms are tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add beef and cook, stirring and breaking beef into small pieces, until meat is no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook, stirring frequently until meat mixture is thickened, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in frozen green peas and cook, stirring occasionally just long enough to heat peas, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together brown rice flour, tapioca flour, potato starch, parmesan cheese, Italian seasonings and baking powder. Make a well in the middle of the bowl and pout in butter and milk. Stir together just until the dough forms. Do not over mix. 

Pour meat and vegetable mixture into int four 8 ounce ramekins or one large corning wear dish. Spoon dough on top (either equal amounts on four dishes or all on the large dish). Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until topping turns a golden brown.

Study Verifies Link Between Celiac & Thyroid Disease

Research to better understand celiac disease is underway around the globe. With each published study we learn more about how the autoimmune disease affects patients and how groundbreaking therapies may, in the near future, make it easier to manage a gluten-free diet.

This fall there was one study in particular that peaked my interest.

The research was published in the October issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism and examined the risk of thyroid disease in patients with celiac disease.

Before I get into the results, let's take a step back and understand what thyroid disease is, how it is diagnosed and treated.

The thyroid is a small gland located in the middle of your lower neck. Its primary purpose is to control your body's metabolism by producing hormones that regulate the amount of energy the body needs to use in order to maintain a functioning metabolism rate.

There are several different types of thyroid disease. Autoimmune Thyroiditis, also known as Hashimoto's thyroiditis, is the most common type of thyroid condition. Patients with this type of thyroid disorder experience enlarged thyroid glands that do not produce enough hormones. This causes the body to use energy slower than normal.

Conversely, Graves Disease causes hyperthyroidism, which is when the thyroid is overactive and produces too much hormone. This causes the body to use energy much faster than it should.

The most common symptoms of thyroid disease are similar to those associated with celiac disease and include:

• Fatigue
• Abnormal menstruation
• Weight gain or loss
• Dry and coarse skin & hair
• Depression
• Intolerance to cold
• Irritability
• Muscle weakness
• Tremors
• Vision problems (eye irritation)

Although anyone across all ages, races and genders can develop thyroid diseases, women are five to eight times more likely to develop a thyroid complication than men.

Now, back to the study so you can better understand how this might relate to you or a person you know with celiac disease!

For the study, researchers from the Department of Pediatrics at Orebro University Hospital in Sweden evaluated 14,021 patients with celiac disease and 68,068 healthy individuals. After thorough evaluation, the researchers found that patients with celiac disease were 4.4 times more likely to develop hypothyroidism, 3.6 times more likely to develop thyroiditis and 2.9 times more likely to develop hyperthyroidism than their healthy counterparts.

If the data amongst adults wasn't enough to shock you, the data was even more shocking for children. Celiac children were 6.0 times more likely to develop hypothyroidism, 4.7 times more likely to develop thyroiditis and 4.8 times more likely to develop hyperthyroidism!

The researchers concluded that celiac disease is in fact related to thyroid disease and that patients with celiac disease are more likely than healthy individuals to develop hypothyroidism, thyroiditis, or hyperthyroidism.

So what does this mean for you? If you experience symptoms that you think might be linked to thyroid disease, talk to your doctor immediately. There are several treatments available, so as always, don't wait...get tested!

Gluten-Free Laughing Cow Risotto

Some nights there just really isn’t time to plan ahead for dinner! This month I’ve had 5 business trips and have spent more nights in hotels than at home, so my refrigerator is pretty empty! Last night I was desperate for something that was filling and somewhat nutritious, so I made my favorite standby risotto and  dug through my freezer to find a bag of frozen green peas to add at least a little bit of a vegetable to my meal!

As I opened the refrigerator to get out chicken stock, my eye caught a package of Lite Laughing Cow Garlic & Herb cheese. The cheese is naturally gluten-free and has only 35 calories per triangle piece. The light bulb went on in my head and I decided to use the cheese as an extra creamy flavor in my risotto. It was thick, creamy, filling and absolutely delicious!!

Gluten-Free Laughing Cow Risotto

6 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup yellow onion, diced
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
3 cups vegetable stock
1 cup frozen peas
2 cups dry white wine
3 triangles Laughing Cow Garlic & Herb cheese
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

In medium-sized saucepan heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Sauté onions and garlic in oil until they begin to brown. Add rice and remaining olive oil and allow to brown for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Slowly add vegetable stock one cup at a time and allow liquid to absorb before adding more. After adding 3 cups of vegetable stock, add in frozen peas.

Add in white wine gradually, allowing time for liquid to absorb.  After adding second cup of white wine stir in Laughing Cow Garlic & Herb cheese. Allow cheese to melt for about two minutes while stirring constantly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Once cheese is fully melted and liquid is absorbed, remove from heat. Allow to cool for 2-3 minutes before serving. 

For more information about Laughing Cow Cheese, please visit www.thelaughingcow.com/

Some nights there just really isn’t time to plan ahead for dinner! This month I’ve had 5 business trips and have spent more nights in hotels than at home, so my refrigerator is pretty empty! Last night I was desperate for something that was filling and somewhat nutritious, so I made my favorite standby risotto and  dug through my freezer to find a bag of frozen green peas to add at least a little bit of a vegetable to my meal!

As I opened the refrigerator to get out chicken stock, my eye caught a package of Lite Laughing Cow Garlic & Herb cheese. The cheese is naturally gluten-free and has only 35 calories per triangle piece. The light bulb went on in my head and I decided to use the cheese as an extra creamy flavor in my risotto. It was thick, creamy, filling and absolutely delicious!!

Gluten-Free Laughing Cow Risotto

6 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup yellow onion, diced
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
3 cups vegetable stock
1 cup frozen peas
2 cups dry white wine
3 triangles Laughing Cow Garlic & Herb cheese
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

In medium-sized saucepan heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Sauté onions and garlic in oil until they begin to brown. Add rice and remaining olive oil and allow to brown for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Slowly add vegetable stock one cup at a time and allow liquid to absorb before adding more. After adding 3 cups of vegetable stock, add in frozen peas.

Add in white wine gradually, allowing time for liquid to absorb.  After adding second cup of white wine stir in Laughing Cow Garlic & Herb cheese. Allow cheese to melt for about two minutes while stirring constantly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Once cheese is fully melted and liquid is absorbed, remove from heat. Allow to cool for 2-3 minutes before serving. 

For more information about Laughing Cow Cheese, please visit www.thelaughingcow.com/