WWW: New Technologies Inspire Celiac Advancement

Do you remember just a few short years ago when having a blackberry was considered "high tech" and only seen amongst the staff of Microsoft or Google. Do you remember when people made plans a week in advance and stuck to them because there were no cell phones to cancel last minute or change the plan??

Thanks to great strides in technology, millions of Americans now walk down the street with their hand-held palms completely engrossed in the latest stock quotes or trying to respond to frantic emails about what needs to be done that very second. There is always someone on a cell phone and during office hours there is rarely a time when we are not all connected to the big WWW (world wide web).

Although for many of us, the Internet has made our lives a hustle and bustle at all hours of the day, for the celiac community, the Internet has provided a new and exciting platform to spread awareness, share gluten-free recipes, educate medical professionals and connect celiacs to other celiacs across the country.

There are YouTube videos, public service announcements, online newsletters, Facebook & MySpace groups, message boards, online vendors and countless other resources on the WWW for celiacs. Here are a few of them:

RevolutionHealth.com

The most recent development is AOL Founder Steve Case using his more than 20-years of experience with the Internet to help educate Americans about celiac disease. Earlier this year, Mr. Case launched RevolutionHealth.com, which was founded to transform how people approach their overall health and wellness. By putting individuals at the center of their own healthcare, Revolution Health will help patients make informed choices and offer more convenience and control over their individual healthcare decisions.

The Revolution Health board of directors is chaired by Mr. Case, and its members include former Secretary of State Colin Powell; former Fortune 500 CEOs Jim Barksdale, Frank Raines, Carly Fiorina and Steve Wiggins; leading venture capitalists/financiers Miles Gilburne, Jeff Zients, John Delaney and David Golden.

Revolution Health currently is focused on:

• RevolutionHealth.com: The cornerstone of Revolution Health is RevolutionHealth.com, a free, comprehensive health and medical information site, specifically designed with the Family's Chief Medical Officer — women and other caregivers — in mind.RevolutionHealth.com offers best-of-breed health information as well as more than 125 online tools aimed at helping individuals take control of their well-being. Revolution Health has partnered with more than 50 companies and teamed with a number of leading health nonprofits and experts to make its innovative approach to health a reality.
  
• Insurance: Revolution Health is an unbiased source that enables consumers to easily browse and compare health insurance products, then puts consumers in touch with trusted brokers. Revolution Health provides these services, as well as benefits solutions for corporate America, through its affiliate Extend Health.

On June 19th, NFCA Spokeswoman and CNN Newsroom Anchor Heidi Collins interviewed Mr. Case about RevolutionHealth.com. Mr. Case spoke about celiac disease and the joint efforts of NFCA and Revolution Health to educate people about celiac disease and the gluten-free diet through the Internet and how to galvanize millions of people to get tested.

As a result of the interview, more than 102,000 people visited NFCA's website to learn about celiac disease and thousands filled out the NFCA symptom checklist to show their doctor. (www.doihaveceliac.org).

Bloggers

Talk about community building! The number of celiac bloggers increases by the day! There are people across the country writing daily about their experiences with the gluten-free diet. They offer advice for managing celiac, tips for delicious gluten-free recipes, commentary on new resources and tons of other useful information. Here are some of the most widely read celiac blogs:

Celiac Chicks:
Kim and Kelly (the Celiac Chicks) both have 9-5 office jobs in New York City and somehow manage to maintain one of the most incredible celiac websites out there. Because these girls have two of the most dynamic personalities, they decided to drastically change the "boring" nature of online celiac resources and start a WWW site with enthusiasm! So they started www.celiacchicks.com, as a way to "share our finds and save you the trouble of trial and error."

The celiac chicks try to keep all of the items they review to be gluten-, corn- and dairy-free because Kelly is sensitive to all three. They provide information on everything including: events, conferences, food and restaurants. Kim and Kelly have been amazing supporters of the NFCA and have helped us keep our website in tip-top shape!
www.celiacchicks.com

Gluten-Free Goddess:
Karina Allrich is by all definitions, a Gluten-Free Goddess! Not only does she post incredible gluten-free vegetarian recipes on her blog, but she also contributed the most delicious recipes to the first edition of Beyond Rice Cakes! Karina is also an amazing designer! She has a whole line of clothing and aprons available online. My personal favorite says "Gluten-Free Cupcake." I have the apron and t-shirt and wear them any chance I get!
glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com

Gastrogirl:
Jacqueline Gaulin of RevolutionHealth is GastroGirl. Now, I know this sounds like a horrible title for a totally cool girl, but Jacqueline owns her title! She keeps people updated on all gastrointestinal diseases and cures for them and has become an active member of the celiac community. She puts a quirky spin on things to help people be less embarrassed to talk about gross things like diarrhea and gas…..On May 4, 2007, she participated on a cooking team at the NFCA Washington, D.C. Gluten-Free Cooking Spree and cooked up a fabulous gluten-free meal! She had so much fun at the event, that she now calls herself a gluten-free wanna-be! So make sure to read her blog to learn about someone who is gluten-free simply because it is the "cool thing to do!!"
http://gastrogirl.blogspot.com/2007/05/confessions-of-gluten-free-diva-wanna.html

Gluten Free Girl:
Shauna James is the GlutenFreeGirl. She started her blog in April 2005 about being diagnosed with celiac in order to share her experiences and stories. Today her blog records her love of food—fresh ingredients, unexpected flavor combinations and seasonal fruits and vegetables. And…for those romantics out there, the blog has turned into a love story. About a year after she started her blog, Shauna fell in love with a chef, who has turned his restaurant gluten-free! So to get some amazing recipes and read a true love story, check out Shauna's blog.
glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com

Other Gluten-Free/Celiac Blogs:
Gluten-Free Fun: http://glutenfreefun.blogspot.com
Gluten Free Journey: http://www.glutenfree-journey.blogspot.com/
Allergic Girl: http://allergicgirl.blogspot.com/
Digestive Diva: http://www.digestivediva.blogspot.com/
Gluten A Go Go: http://glutenagogo.blogspot.com/
Gluten Free Babe: http://www.glutenfreebabe.com/
Don't Need No Stinkin' Wheat: http://www.collegeceliac.blogspot.com/
Gluten-Free Gastro-Gnome: http://gf-gastrognome.blogspot.com/
Sorry, I Can't Eat That: http://glutenfreegabfest.blogspot.com/
I Am Gluten Free: http://www.iamglutenfree.blogspot.com/
The Vegetarian Celiac: http://www.vegetarianceliac.blogspot.com/
Gluten Free MappyB: http://www.glutenfreeindc.com/

National Foundation for Celiac Awareness:

And don't forget the NFCA Website!!

NFCA has pulled together a variety of resources to help you get diagnosed and then manage the gluten-free diet.

For Patients and Healthcare Providers:

• Celiac Sprue Fact Sheets
• NFCA Brochures (to give your doctor)
• Information on Celiac Testing
• Dietary Guidelines (books, recipes, Ask-the-Chef, etc.)
• Celiac Symptoms Checklist
• Support for Patients and Families
• Celiac Centers for Excellence (listing of major celiac centers)
• National Awareness Campaign (ways to get involved)

So make sure to visit www.CeliacCentral.org for more information and to find more ways to become an active member of the celiac community!