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Going Gluten Free
Gluten in Your Medications...Gluten-Free Labeling...And Cupcakes for a Cause
Posted by Alicia Woodward on May 9, 2012
Over the past several days, we've been closely watching a national bill that was recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) and Nita Lowey (D-NY). The Gluten in Medicine Identification Act of 2012 (HR 4972) would require pharmaceutical manufacturers to label the source of drug ingredients - a huge issue for those who are gluten free. Unfortunately, the bill didn't make it out of committee (because it didn't get a Republican sponsor). ( More )
Recent Blog Entries
It's Your Right!
Posted by Alicia Woodward on May 2, 2012
In honor of Celiac Awareness Month, Living Without has drafted a Celiac Bill of Rights. We believe that safe food products are the right of every American who is living with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.
We should be able to rely on the federal government to provide uniform labeling standards. We should be able to rely on manufacturers to produce food products that are safe from gluten contamination and to label them clearly and accurately. We should be able to rely on airlines, buses and trains to accommodate gluten-free travelers.
( More )
Kindness Matters
Posted by Living Without editor Alicia Woodward on April 25, 2012
I've been traveling lately, which means spending time in busy airports and on crowded planes. While on these trips, I happened to witness several episodes of wildly inconsiderate behavior.
There are thousands of children with special dietary needs who are traveling with their families on airplanes. So often the world is not a safe place for our kids. Can't it at least be a kind place? ( More )
Who's Your Favorite GF Blogger?
Posted by Living Without editor Alicia Woodward on April 18, 2012
May is National Celiac Awareness Month, an excellent time to highlight our cyberspace heroes - the gluten-free bloggers who are helping us make gluten-free living easier, healthier and much more fun. Who are your favorite GF food bloggers? What sites do you enjoy most - and why? We'll compile a list of your favorites and ours and share their stories (and website links) during the month of May. ( More )
Dig In! Taste Gluten-Free Inspiration
Posted by Living Without contributor Jules Shepard on April 11, 2012
When it comes to living gluten free or with food allergies, it's easy to get stuck in a food rut. Want to dish up some real meal excitement? These new products will inspire and delight.
Several weeks ago, Living Without contributor Jules Shepard scouted out the Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, California. Her mission was to find the best and tastiest new products for Living Without readers. This is her third report on exciting items about to hit grocery stores near you.
"I love discovering companies that do food right, where you can taste their passion in their products. Expo West is the perfect opportunity to find these companies - and to actually get to know the people behind the brand a little better," says Jules. ( More )
New Gluten-Free Bread and Pizza!
Posted by Jules Shepard on April 4, 2012
There's hardly anything more exciting to those living gluten-free than news about new gluten-free staples like bread and pizza. Living Without contributor Jules Shepard scouted out the best new products at this year's Natural Product Expo West in Anaheim, California. Here's her report on the delicious and exciting new products about to appear in grocery stores near you. ( More )
First Bite. Giving Gluten to Your Baby.
Posted by Christine Boyd on March 26, 2012
Can the timing of gluten introduction reduce the chances that your baby will develop celiac disease?
When I was a new mother with celiac disease, I had an endless list of questions. The big one: When should I first feed my baby gluten?
My oldest daughter, now almost 4, was 27-months-old when she first had gluten. At snack time on her first day of preschool, she ate Nabisco graham crackers washed down with undiluted apple juice. I still wasn't sure if it was the "right time" to start gluten and, a bit nervous, I considered sending her in with a gluten-free snack. But my husband, who doesn't have celiac disease, felt firmly that she didn't need a special snack when she didn't technically have celiac disease or food allergy. She could now verbalize to us if she wasn't feeling well, he argued. We'd keep a close eye on things. ( More )
Take a Bite! The Best New Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free Food Bars
Posted by Living Without contributor Jules Shepard on March 21, 2012
The Living Without team recently attended Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, California, where we spent three days walking through vast halls that contained over 6,000 exhibitors. It was a search mission - a real treasure hunt. Our goal was to find exciting gluten-free and allergy-friendly new products to share with our readers.
This week's blog focuses on the best new food bars on the market. For those with food allergies and celiac disease, food bars are a life-saver when traveling, faced with unfriendly menus and when hunger hits between meals. Let's check out some of the tastiest, most impressive new bars, flavors and product lines from Expo West! ( More )
Nuts! Romance and a Nut Allergy
Posted by Living Without contributor Nathan Comp on March 14, 2012
Living Without contributor Nathan Comp writes that his life has changed since falling for girlfriend Emily, who is allergic to nuts. "Dating a nut-allergic girl has made me more sympathetic, if not compassionate, toward those with food allergies. I thought it was lame in the mid-1990s when airlines stopped serving peanuts. As a former cook, I would get irritated when a food-allergic customer made a special request. I chided my sister for hiding the peanut butter in the basement when her peanut-allergic friend visited. All that has changed. My affection for Emily has softened my heart. It’s taught me to walk in someone else’s shoes." ( More )
United We Stand! Medical Experts Unite for Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity
Posted by Living Without editor Alicia Woodward on March 7, 2012
Last week, leading doctors, scientists, researchers in the field of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity announced the formation of a new group. This is promising news for the gluten-free community. At last, our medical and scientific experts are uniting to speak with one voice for the betterment of all those who are gluten free. ( More )
Egg Allergic? Here's a Safe Way to Color Easter Eggs
Posted by Living Without editor Alicia Woodward on February 29, 2012
They say necessity is the mother of invention. This is certainly true when it comes to food allergies and sensitivities. The creativity and inventiveness of the celiac and food-allergy community is noteworthy and, frankly, marvelous. ( More )
Have You Heard This One?
Posted by Living Without editor Alicia Woodward on February 17, 2012
If you're living gluten free, chances are you've received interesting feedback about your special diet from friends, family, coworkers, acquaintances and dining companions. Even well-meaning relatives can chime in with choice statements like: Come on now. A little gluten won't hurt you! ( More )
Are You Anxious?
Posted by Living Without editor Alicia Woodward on February 15, 2012
Did you know that gluten can prompt anxiety in certain people? The psychological implications of ingesting gluten for those with gluten sensitivity and celiac disease are not well known. Yet celiac experts report a connection between eating gluten and experiencing mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, mood disorders, cognitive problems and even autistic behaviors.
Why bring this up now? The tragic news about Whitney Houston and her purported use of benzodiazepines, prescription drugs commonly prescribed for anxiety. ( More )
Take a Bite!
Posted by Living Without contributor Jules Shepard on February 8, 2012
This is the third report by cookbook author Jules Shepard about the wonderful, new gluten-free foods hitting the market. Jules scouted the Winter Fancy Foods Show (in San Francisco) for us a few weeks back. Look for these products in your favorite grocery stores or online. Remember that you - the customer - can influence much of what's on the store shelf, simply by inquiring. ( More )
What's New? More Gluten-Free Products at the Fancy Foods Show
Posted by Living Without contributor Jules Shepard on January 30, 2012
Here's Jules Shepard's second report on the most innovative, healthy, allergy-friendly new foods on the market. ( More )
The Beauty of Substitutions
Posted by Living Without editor Alicia Woodward on January 25, 2012
Did you catch the news about Paula Deen, the Southern queen of high-calorie cooking, being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes? She confessed that she’s had the condition for three years yet she doesn’t plan to change her cooking style to accommodate it. Just eat smaller portions, she told Matt Lauer in her interview on the Today show. What a golden opportunity she had to tell the world about the beauty of ingredient substitutions! ( More )
Fabulous, Exciting, New Gluten-Free Products!
Posted by Living Without contributor Jules Shepard on January 18, 2012
Living Without contributor Jules Shepard just returned from scouting out the Fancy Foods Winter Show, the West Coast's largest specialty food and beverage event. Jules put in a lot of hard work hunting down the latest and greatest products for us. Here's the first of her several reports on the most innovative, healthy, allergy-friendly new foods on the market today. ( More )
Young Life Lost Needlessly to Food Allergy
Posted by Living Without editor Alicia Woodward on January 11, 2012
Little Ammaria Johnson was allergic to peanuts. The 7-year-old student at Hopkins Elementary School in Chesterfield, Virginia, died last week after ingesting the allergen and suffering an anaphylactic reaction. ( More )
What's on Your Plate in 2012?
Posted by Living Without editor Alicia Woodward on January 4, 2012
Every January 1st, do you make well-intended resolutions that seldom last? Me, too. But this year, I swear it's going to be different. Here's how I'm going to try to put the extra-special into my special diet. ( More )
Is There Gluten in Your Meds?
Posted by Living Without editor Alicia Woodward on December 28, 2011
A few weeks ago, The Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association posted a study where manufacturers of 41 nonprescription medications were contacted to see whether or not their products contained gluten. ( More )
Current Issue: Jun/Jul 2012
Cover Story:
Gluten-Free Pasta-bilities