A Canadian Celiac Blog

It’s time again for me to talk with Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com about articles she has published and information she has provided to us over the past month.

Ellen and I opened our conversation talking about Starbucks and their statement on the safety of their stores for someone who needs to eat gluten free. Ellen hopes they would want to be a leader in gluten free as they have been in other aspects of their business, but it appears that’s not the case at the moment.

Does Starbucks Offer a Gluten-Free Guarantee?

I’m always fascinated with the approaches that researchers take to solving the puzzle of celiac disease. Ellen presents us with work being done on a vaccine which will hopefully allow our bodies to tolerate gluten.
Researchers Work to Create Vaccine to Allow Celiacs to ‘Tolerate’ Gluten

Ellen and I discuss the uses for a genetic test you can take at home to identify those at risk of developing celiac disease.
New At-Home Saliva Test Rules Out Genetic Risk of Developing Celiac Disease

A new study looks at the role dietary fibre plays in young children and how it effects their risk of developing celiac disease by age 13.
Increased Dietary Fibre Intake Before Age Two Linked to Lower Celiac Disease Risk

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Celiac Kid Stuff – https://www.celiackidstuff.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

I’ve been using the app Find Me Gluten Free on my phone for more than five years, but I always had some reservations about how to interpret the information I was finding. I decided to go right to the top and speak with the app’s creator Jason Elmore.

The app – Find Me Gluten Free has listings from around the world for restaurants, cafés and bakeries that offer gluten free food. Jason, himself celiac created the app as a place to list and review restaurants that offer gluten free.

I was able to ask Jason all my questions including how to best utilize crowd-sourced reviews and information. I’m often not very confident in the reviews of people I don’t know because I’m unsure of their level of understanding of the gluten free diet. I was pleased to find out that Jason not only had some great tips for reading through the reviews, but the app has incorporated some features to both allow the user to better evaluate the review/reviewer and set a standard for safety.

I encourage you to download the app, use it, and write reviews so the entire gluten free community can benefit from your experiences. If you have any further questions for Jason, or just want to send him some encouraging thoughts you can email him at –

jason@findmeglutenfree.com

You can also follow Find Me Gluten Free on Instagram @findmeglutenfree.

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Celiac Kid Stuff – https://www.celiackidstuff.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

The beginning of February is my opportunity to again speak with Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com about studies and articles she has brought to our attention over the past month.  Ellen and I spoke about the findings of Dr. Diana Mager and her team at the University of Alberta regarding food insecurity in families with a celiac child or children. This is something I covered in a recent podcast with Dr. Mager and something that will help shape the response of Celiac Canada to this issue.

Food Insecurity for Celiac Children | A Canadian Celiac Podcast 

Cost of Gluten-Free Diet Contributing to Food Insecurity

Ellen was able to give us a firsthand introduction to a link between Liver Disease and Celiac Disease that was looked at in a recent study.

Celiac Disease Linked to Chronic Liver Disease

We also talked about the new recipe phenomenon called egg bites or breakfast cups, which can easily be made gluten free. Ellen has given us the recipe from a trusted gluten free bakery near her. As well, we noted that M&M Food Markets has added a new gluten free dinner entrée to their extensive list of gluten free food.

Recipe Alert! Breakfast Egg Cups by Wild Poppy Bistro & Bakery
New to M&M Food Market Introduces Thai Chicken Peanut Curry

Ellen mentioned Celiac Canada’s webpage regarding information for healthcare professionals in managing patients with celiac disease, which many people have found helpful in dealing with their doctors.

www.celiac.ca/healthcare-professionals/management/

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Celiac Kid Stuff – https://www.celiackidstuff.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

I always get excited to speak with a guest who can fill in some of the blanks in my knowledge about food insecurity for Celiacs in Canada. I work with Celiac Canada to help educate foodbanks to be able to serve our community better. Dr. Diana Mager and her team at the University of Alberta have, in the past, taken a great interest in the nutritional needs of celiac children in Canada (Podcast Episode 292 – https://bit.ly/Ep292CeliacKidsFoodGuide). More recently Dr. Mager and her team have completed a cross-Canada survey of families to determine the food insecurity issues in families with celiac children. Her article was recently published in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition and even made the front cover! You can read the abstract here – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39467010/

Given the causes we know for food insecurity, Dr. Mager was able to identify other issues that were making it difficult for families to maintain a healthy gluten free diet for their celiac children.

You can follow Dr. Mager and her team on Instagram @conquer_celiac.

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Celiac Kid Stuff – https://www.celiackidstuff.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

It’s the beginning of a new month and a new year, which makes it a great time to chat with Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com. On this episode Ellen and I talk about some big picture issues including a study regarding public policies and quality of life for celiacs around the world.

Public Policies vs Quality of Life for Celiacs

We look at one county in the UK that is changing the way celiacs are able to buy and have assistance with the purchase of gluten free food – is this just an experiment in one area to see what might happen on a national scale?

Bah Humbug! UK Scrapping Revered Gluten-Free Food Prescription Subsidy for Celiacs!

The Low FODMAP diet is again a topic of discussion as many celiacs are using it to over time, identify what might be causing them digestive issues once they are established on the gluten free diet.

Low-FODMAP Diet | Hope for Celiacs with Ongoing Symptoms?

Ellen introduces us to a new study using MRI technology to measure the impact of the gluten free diet on celiacs and compares it to those eating a standard diet. The study looks at newly diagnosed celiacs and then again at the same group after one year on the diet. Some interesting conclusions that could only be seen with MRI technology.

MRI Technology Measures Impact of Gluten-Free Diet on Celiacs

We also spoke about my recent podcast with Caleigh McAulay RD from Celiac Canada regarding people who are not celiac, but are eating a gluten free diet – how does this affect us?

Gluten-Free as a Trend | A Canadian Celiac Podcast

Recently Selena DeVries RD who is a good friend of both the podcast and The Celiac Scene, re-branded. You can find her now on –

Instagram –    @celiac_made_simple

Website –   www.selenard.com

Facebook –  Celiac Made Simple

We also spoke about making sure you were signed up on the email list with Celiac Canada to receive current information from them. You can do so by going to the website celiac.ca  and scroll down on the home page to sign up.

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Celiac Kid Stuff – https://www.celiackidstuff.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

Recently, I spoke with Melissa Secord and Caleigh McAulay, RD after they attended the International Symposium on Celiac Disease held in Sheffield UK this fall. During that conversation Caleigh mentioned a presentation that she found very interesting by Anne Lee, RD. The presentation was titled “Is the Gluten-Free Diet Always Portrayed Negatively”.

I was interested to speak to Caleigh about this with a consideration as to who is eating gluten free besides those of us with celiac disease. Caleigh breaks it down for us and looks at the pros and cons of an expanded population eating gluten free. As well we talk about other people who feel the gluten free diet helps their medical conditions.

The research magazine from Celiac Canada regarding insights from the International Symposium is due to be mailed out before year end. I’m excited to read more about some of the scientific breakthroughs and testing of treatments for celiac disease. Very hopeful information at this time of year.

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Celiac Kid Stuff – https://www.celiackidstuff.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

It’s hard to believe it’s December, but it’s another great opportunity to speak with my good friend Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com. Ellen and I chat about things that she has published on her blog over the past month.

We start by talking about the podcast conversation I had with Celiac Canada’s Melissa Secord and Caleigh McAulay RD attending the International Symposium on Celiac Disease held in Sheffield UK earlier this fall. We talked about new paths to diagnosis, the 20 ppm standard for gluten free as well as the role of the different support groups internationally. Celiac Canada Report on International Celiac Symposium | A Canadian Celiac Podcast

Ellen tells us about a Spanish study to identifies that many healthcare professionals have a lack of knowledge about celiac disease and the gluten free diet. SPAIN: 96% of Public Health Workers Want More Training in the Gluten-Free Diet

We also start a discussion about the reliability of information sourced from ChatGPT particularly to answer questions about celiac disease and the gluten free diet. Should We Trust ChatGPT for Gluten-Free Diet Advice?

Both Ellen and I have good news stories about prices for gluten free meals and foods (this was a surprise!). Six Mile Pub Drops Surcharge for ‘Gluten-Free’ Menu Items

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Celiac Kid Stuff – https://www.celiackidstuff.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

It’s been a busy year for Celiac Canada and one highlight has to have been Melissa Secord and Caleigh McAulay RD attending the International Symposium on Celiac Disease held in Sheffield UK earlier this fall.

Both Melissa and Caleigh returned with so much information regarding ongoing and upcoming research along with best practices from other countries. Melissa shares with us some new theories for better diagnosis as well as questioning some ideas we have held as fact. Caleigh presented a poster on behalf of Celiac Canada regarding our recent State of Celiac Survey and learned so much from the many sessions and from other dietitians in attendance.

Celiac Canada was well represented by Melissa and Caleigh, and I was thrilled to have an enlightening conversation with them about their experiences at the Symposium.

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Celiac Kid Stuff – https://www.celiackidstuff.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

It’s the beginning of November and that means I get to catch up with my friend Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com. Ellen and I speak about the petition being circulated by Celiac Canada regarding a tax benefit to help with the cost of the gluten free diet. This important petition must be signed by November 10^th, so if you haven’t signed and it’s before November 10, please follow the link, and send it on to friends and family – there’s strength in numbers!

Petition to Change the Way Celiacs Receive a GF Food Tax Credit

Recently there was a very broad recall of frozen waffles and pancakes which included some gluten free products and many different brands. Please check the recall notice that Ellen has posted and open your freezer to make sure you don’t have any of the contaminated packages – this is very important.

National Recall: Various Brands | Gluten-Free Waffles | Listeria Monocytogenes

Cindi Little, the Everyday Gluten Free Gourmet has posted a very interesting article about the wheat starch flour blends that are currently being imported from Europe. Ellen and I have a lively discussion. I’ve used the wheat starch, and you may have already eaten it in some commercial gluten free foods.

What are We Going to do About Wheat Starch?

Have you ever wondered about the “Gluten Friendly” claims on a restaurant menu. Selena DeVries, a Registered Dietitian gives us her take on the term, as well, Ellen and I share our opinions.

Why I Love ‘Gluten-Friendly’ Menus

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Celiac Kid Stuff – https://www.celiackidstuff.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

On this podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Nicole Byrom a Registered Dietitian who works with Celiac Canada. Nicole is changing hats for this podcast to another of her interests – Everything Disney!

You can also find out more about how Nicole may be able to assist you and your family on your celiac journey at www.freshstartnutrition.ca

Here are the helpful links Nicole sent me –

Gluten-Free Dining in Walt Disney World: https://youtu.be/6dr4vpDFMDM

Gluten-Free Dining in Disneyland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJqw6Fnalqk

Email for special diet in Disney:  Special.Diets@DisneyWorld.com

Everything you need to know: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/en_CA/guest-services/special-dietary-requests/

Erin McKenna’s Bakery NYC:  https://www.disneysprings.com/dining/erin-mckennas-bakery-nyc/

Gluten-Free Churros: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/en_CA/dining/animal-kingdom/nomad-lounge/

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Celiac Kid Stuff – https://www.celiackidstuff.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com