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Feb/Mar 2010

Features

Must-Do's for Newly Diagnosed Celiacs

If you’ve just been told that you or a family member has celiac disease, it’s likely your head is spinning with information overload and you’re in a daze of disbelief. A celiac diagnosis isn’t the worst thing but it can feel like the end of your world—at first. Fortunately, it’s never been easier to embark on a special-diet lifestyle. Follow these tried-and-true steps to be on your way to a happier and healthier gluten-free life.

Good Medicine for Fibromyalgia Symptoms

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In the early 1990s, Melody Swan, a graphic designer, was enjoying a New Mexican dream of a life. She lived on a ranch, ran her own successful business and was the proud mother of a teenage son. Then a normal event in the life of women her age—menopause—left her laid up on a friend’s couch. The change of life brought with it such a severe case of fibromyalgia that Swan could no longer run her ranch or her business. She sold one, shuttered the other and sent her son to live with friends.

Specialty Culinary Oils Add Antioxidants to Your Diet

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Using culinary oils adds natural plant compounds (like antioxidants) and other health benefits to your diet. Nutritionists say that for optimal wellbeing these good-for-you oils (low in saturated fats) should make up between 20 to 35 percent of total daily calories. Healthy fats help your heart beat stronger, your immune system work better and your skin stay moist and dewy. Plus they can add not-so-subtle sophistication to your menu. Where to start? Here’s help deciphering what’s good in the growing selection of oil products. From allergy-friendly health perks to flavor nuance, these oils are our top picks.

Romantic Allergy-Friendly Chocolate Desserts

Diane Kittle was a professional baker when a celiac diagnosis forced her to give up working with flour. “Baking was my passion,” she says. Happily, Kittle found a way to have her gluten-free cake and eat it, too. Two years ago, she opened Dee’s One Smart Cookie, a bakery that specializes in gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free and peanut-free goodies.

Departments

Life Story

Straight Talker: Celiac Disease

Celiac disease, a genetic autoimmune disorder, is a hypersensitivity to gluten, the protein in wheat, barley and rye. With symptoms that can mimic many other health conditions, millions of Americans (about 1 in 100) have the disease but 97 percent remain undiagnosed. For years, Heidi Collins was one of them. The popular television anchor of CNN Newsroom, Heidi Collins is a serious journalist who covers hard topics every weekday morning. She recently took time to talk with editor Alicia Woodward about living gluten free.

A Nose for Trouble: Peanut-Detecting Dogs

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Concerns about anaphylaxis kept the Gensel family and their peanut-allergic son Billy from staying in hotels while traveling. It hovered over the prospect of playing at friends’ houses due to this deadly food-allergy. Billy missed out on holiday parties and the family reunions. But now, Billy cites travel as one of his favorite activities as Remy the family peanut-detecting dog checks out the hotel rooms and sniffs plates of food for Billy’s meals. This past summer, Karen Gensel, Billy and Remy embarked on a five-week trip where Billy was able to enjoy experiences that had previously been off limits.

So Good

Favorite Gluten-Free Recipes

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My home has always been filled with the happy sounds of cooking and baking. Years ago when I first learned I had to live gluten free, I feared my kitchen would be silent. But thanks to culinary pioneers like Beth Hillson (founder of Gluten-Free Pantry), Bette Hagman (the original gluten-free gourmet cookbook author) and Steven Rice (founder of Authentic Foods), I figured out how to adapt all the traditional recipes from my culinary training so that I could enjoy them once more. These recipes are my most requested, the tasty gluten-free, dairy-free results of years of happy collaboration. And that’s music to my ears.

Gluten-Free Party Picks

Just in time for Super Sunday and March Madness, we share some allergy-friendly (gluten-free and dairy-free) recipes to satisfy the big sports-fan appetites at your house. Of course, you don’t have to be watching football or basketball to enjoy these munchies. Quick and easy to prepare, they’ll score points at any gathering. Welcome guests with tasty nibbles of comfort food—fingerling potato slices topped with bacon, avocado and sour cream or dairy-free sour cream substitute.

House Call

Iron Deficiancy and Celiac Disease

Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency in the world. The World Health Organization estimates that up to 700 million people suffer from lack of this important mineral. Could you be one of them? If you have celiac disease, you are at risk. (A common manifestation of celiac disease is iron-deficiency anemia.) Vegetarians are also at risk. (People on a strict vegetarian diet have a difficult time maintaining healthy iron levels because vegetable sources of iron are more difficult to absorb than animal sources.)

Pediatric Allergies Q & A - Egg Allergy and More!

Pediatric allergists answer your questions about food allergies, eczema, epinephrine, flu vaccines and teenage kissing.

Research Roundup: Depression, ADHD, and More!

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Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide and better strategies to prevent it are sorely needed. Studies have shown that people in Mediterranean countries have lower rates of mental disorders, including depression, than those in northern Europe. Perhaps it's a “synergistic” combination of omega-3 and other unsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants and other plant-based substances, with natural folates and other B vitamins, that together “may exert a fair degree of protection against depression,” they write.

Rub It In: Sensitive Skin

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There are definite health benefits to do-it-yourself skin care, particularly for those who are sensitive or allergic. You can customize your home-prepared product to meet your specific needs, easily avoiding ingredients that are known allergens. And because you are in control of exactly what goes into it, you can be sure the final result is non-irritating and safe for you.

Try it

Living Without Favorites: Lundberg Family Farms Organic Brown Rice

The world of eating gluten free just got a little bigger, thanks to Lundberg Family Farms. Introducing couscous made with organic brown rice.

Living Without Favorites: Gluten-Free Pizza for Grownups

If you're craving pizza, bypass the gummy cheese and tomato sauce and reach for Perfectly Pesto Pizza.

Living Without Favorites: Pitter Patties’ Toddler-Size Meals

No more guilt about fast food. Pitter Patties’ toddler-size meals are a boon to busy moms and hungry little ones. This finger-lickin' food, a blend of wholesome ingredients, comes in three gluten-free varieties: Vegan, Yammy Chicken (a sweet combo of hormone-free chicken, yams, apples and brown rice) and Spinach Patch (a vegetarian mix of spinach, mushrooms, ricotta cheese and eggs).

Living Without Favorites: French Meadow Bakery's Gluten-Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Want a better reason to get out of bed in the morning? Try French Meadow Bakery's Gluten-Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread for breakfast.

Read it

Living Without Books: Hold the Cheese Please, A Story for Children about Lactose Intolerance

Food issues can range from uncomfortable (lactose intolerance) to deadly (peanut anaphylaxis). Kids with allergies and sensitivities need to make smart, safe decisions and friends and family need to be supportive. Here are two new children’s books that can help.

Living Without Books: Gluten-Free Baking Classics

Gluten-Free Baking Classics for the Bread Machine (Agate Publishing) by Annalise G. Roberts is a little book packed with big info.

Living Without Books: Healing Foods, A Shopper's Reference

You may be buying produce that’s fresh, organic and grown locally. You may be reading labels to avoid allergens and additives, sodium and fats. But if you want to take the next step in selecting the very best foods for wellbeing and everyday vitality, check out An A-Z Guide to Healing Foods, A Shopper's Reference (Conari Press).

Living Without Books: Celiac Disease, A Guide to Living with Gluten Intolerance

Are you looking for tips for gluten-free traveling, dining out or raising a celiac child? Three healthcare professionals team up to present Celiac Disease, A Guide to Living with Gluten Intolerance (Demos Medical Publishing).

Food for Thought

Acting Out: Food Allergies

A former member of the Blue Man Group goes center stage about growing up with food allergies and how it connects with his work in the theatre.

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Editor's Note

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Grapevine/Tender Touch

Ask the Chefs