NFCA: A Wealth of Resources

Are you a newly diagnosed celiac patient? Have you been diagnosed with celiac for what feels like a million years and are still looking for help? To help all patients with celiac disease and of course their family and friends, the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness has worked tirelessly to develop a repertoire of resources that can help everyone! So come one and come all to www.CeliacCentral.org. Whether you are a child going to school, a parent trying to plan a gluten-free birthday party, a young adult, college student, adult, seasoned chef, doctor or dietitian, there is information waiting for you!

Symptoms Checklist. Do you think you may have celiac disease? Are you trying to get a family member or friend tested? If so, the NFCA symptoms checklist is the perfect place to start. Simply click on the various symptoms and receive a printer-friendly form to take to a doctor. The form provides you with the latest information on celiac testing, including the blood test and small intestine biopsy. Give this form to your doctor to be sure he orders the correct tests! Not only is the symptoms checklist a tool for you or your loved ones to get diagnosed, but also the responses collected are helping the NFCA correlate symptoms to diagnosis. This data will help all of us better understand the disease and how it affects our bodies. www.DoIHaveCeliac.org

Celiac Survival Guide. Are you already diagnosed with celiac disease and look for help with managing your daily gluten-free diet? The NFCA Celiac Disease Survival Guide is a comprehensive guide for living a happy and healthy gluten-free lifestyle. The guide provides suggestions for food choices during the early healing process and also explores the fast-expanding marketplace. There is even information about pizza and beer, birthday party planning and the best tasting products on the market! Medical tips are also provided, as well as a step-by-step guide for ensuring ongoing health. www.celiaccentral.org/What_is_Celiac_/Celiac_Survival_Guide/416/

Gluten in Medications. Do you know all of the ingredients in all of the medicines that you take? Probably not! Current United States regulations do NOT require manufacturers to label the inactive ingredients in drugs. These inactive substances are called excipients and can be any one of a number of starches including wheat, corn, potato or tapioca. To learn all about the inactive ingredients in medications, download this short and simple flyer that the NFCA developed with the help of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. You can download an extra copy to give to your local pharmacist as well. www.celiaccentral.org/What_is_Celiac_/Gluten_in_Medication/434/

School Lunches. Are you the parent of a child with celiac? If so, this resource is for you! With the help of the United States Department of Agriculture, the NFCA developed guidelines to help children and parents navigate their school's meal program. The guidelines explain federal laws and provide step-by-step instructions for getting a child special gluten-free meals at school. www.celiaccentral.org/What_is_Celiac_/School_Lunches/464/

Related Diseases. Celiac disease is directly related to several other diseases and conditions. The NFCA has worked with leading researchers and organizations to provide the latest information on how celiac disease and the gluten-free diet is related to these conditions. Diseases include: Dermatitis Herpetiformis, Type 1 Diabetes, Thyroid Disease, Infertility, Osteoporosis, Depression, Sjogren's Disease, Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, Intestinal Cancer, Peripheral Neuropathy, Down Syndrome, Turner Syndrome, William Syndrome, Liver disease and migraine headaches. www.celiaccentral.org/What_is_Celiac_/Related_Diseases/98/

Gluten-Free Cooking Sprees. Mark your calendars and sharpen your knives! If you love food, be sure to check the NFCA website for a Gluten-Free Cooking Spree near you! Watch top doctors, chefs and dietitians compete to cook the best gluten-free food! And, the best part is that you get to eat it too! Cities for 2008 include San Francisco, St. Louis, Washington, DC, Buffalo, Boston and West Palm Beach. www.celiaccentral.org/Events/Gluten_Free_Cooking_Sprees/331/

Cooking Videos. Watch NFCA's Gluten-Free Cooking Show Alternative Appetites 24/7 on the website. I'll teach you to cook delicious food that no one will ever guess is gluten-free! All of the recipes are super easy and even a college boy could master these techniques! Current episodes feature pizza, risotto and of course the Brazilian Cheesebread Company. www.celiaccentral.org/Other/Alternative_Appetites_1/466/

These are just some of the amazing resources available at the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. Be sure to visit www.CeliacCentral.org to see even more fabulous documents and articles that can help you live the fullest and most delicious gluten-free life!