Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –
This week have the immense pleasure of speakers to campers who attended two celiac kids’ camps, one in Kelowna BC and the other the Rod McDaniel Celiac Kids Camp outside of Calgary. The kids were very animated about their camp experience and got very excited when we chatted about food and the friendships they have made. My thanks to Selena DeVries RD, who organized the Kelowna Camp and you find her website at www.healthbean.ca, as well Cheryl Richmond, who organized the Calgary camp and Cinde Little who helped with the camp, and setting up the interviews with the campers.
I have links to a couple of the recipes from Selena and the BC Camp for you.
Cauliflower tater tots – https://www.sarahremmer.com/easy-cauli-tots-recipe/ (adapted to be GF)
Banana bread – https://food52.com/recipes/23573-grain-free-banana-bread

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

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

Facebook – @acanadianceliacpodcast

Twitter – CeliacPodcastCA

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

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

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

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

     (search Sues Gluten Free Baking)

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com

My Thoughts –

What fun it is to talk to kids about celiac disease and how they’re coping.  As parents of kids who have to eat a gluten free diet, we are often more concerned than they are.  At a summer camp, the kids are able to just be kids.  They don’t have to explain their diet or any limitations they might have, to anyone.

I remember when I organized a similar camp and was able to let the campers step away from being different and just be have fun.  Once, I made double the dessert we needed for dinner, cream puffs to be exact – and once everyone had eaten one, I gave them the option of having a second or taking them outside and having a food fight with them.  Gasp! – I understand gluten free food is expensive and it is shameful to waste it, but kids who eat normal food, seem to be able to have food fights, sanctioned or not!  It just seemed right to me to allow the campers the same fun.  It was great to see their faces when I announced the possible food fight.  They weren’t even sure what a food fight was. 

I told them the story of when I was a kid and my Mom had a great idea of a gift I could give my brother for his birthday.  A can of whipped cream – not to eat to but to have a food fight with.  We each got our raincoats on in the front yard, and were each armed with a can of whipped cream.  We ran and sprayed the whipped cream and has so much fun.  When we were each out of ammo, to my surprise, my Mom handed my brother a second can.  This was his real birthday present – running after his little sister and making a mess. 

My food fight inspiration is a memory I will never forget, and for some of my campers, years ago, I know it was the highlight of their week at camp also.  Childhoods are made of memories.  Memories that fill us with joy as we grow older and have our own children.  Selena, Cheryl, Cindi, and all the camp helpers have made some lifelong memories for these campers.  Who knows, they may be making one of the recipes for many years, or take up archery as a sport, or keep their camp friends on Facebook forever.  We just have to let them grow up to find out.

Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –

This week I have a very personal conversation with Erin, a gluten free blogger about her struggles with mental illness.  We often talk about the roller coaster of emotions after a diagnosis and starting a gluten free diet, but Erin’s experiences became more life-altering.  Anxiety and Depression became a way of life, with celiac disease and the gluten free diet always playing a part.  Erin gives some great coping advice that we can all use, regardless of how much we are swayed by our emotions and state of being.  You can find Erin online at glitzandgf.com, on Instagram at glitzandgf and on Facebook at Glitz & Gluten Free 

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

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

Facebook – @acanadianceliacpodcast

Twitter – CeliacPodcastCA

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

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

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

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

     (search Sues Gluten Free Baking)

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com

My Thoughts –

It’s hard to write a follow-up my conversation with Erin.  I’m always impressed when someone can be so personal and honest.  I share something of myself in every podcast and every blog.  Most bloggers use their blogs for just that, to share.  It’s the personal honesty that meant so much from Erin.  Mental illness is still something many people don’t want to discuss, if it’s about themselves.

This conversation reminds me of the issues I’ve come across when I’ve done peer counselling for the CCA.  It’s often denial as opposed to honesty that comes through.  I remember my denial at the beginning – “they can’t mean no gluten, it must be just some reduction in gluten”.  Those words come into my head often when I talk to people and find them playing mind games with themselves to try and avoid the work it takes to be gluten free. 

Eating gluten free is not conventional, we are often seen as outcasts, is all the fussy eating really necessary?  Denial is the easy emotion to fall back on.  If you don’t accept the diagnosis, I mean really accept it, not just say you do, the consequences can be serious.  The best example of this is those people who cheat, maybe they admit it, maybe they don’t.  They are prepared to put up with the discomfort, pain and other inconveniences of being glutened, because they think they’re different and can get away with eating a bit of gluten.  They make excuses.

My experience with these excuse makers usually ends in them accepting the diet, but it’s after more damage, more pain, more missed family get-togethers and more “giving-in” to what other people think about celiac disease.  The option is knowledge and self care.  Find out as much as you can about the condition and the diet, share with others, practice best food and health choices everyday and get help when you can’t do it alone, and that goes for your mental state of well being also.  Self care is all of you, your diet, any other medical conditions and your mental health – it’s you all rolled into one – you – and you’re special!

Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –
This week I set out to get some answers about plant based burgers. They seem to be everywhere, but I didn’t know anything about them. I called on Registered Dietitian Selena DeVries for help. Selena has been on past podcast episodes, and she does a great job breaking down the nutrition and ingredients in the new plant based burgers. I took it upon myself to try one on the barbeque at home, to get my reaction as well as those of my husband and daughter. Listen after the interview with Selena to hear my opinion about cooking up one of these burgers at home and trying it for the first time.
You can find Selena online at www.healthbean.ca or email her at selena@healthbean.ca.

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

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

Facebook – @acanadianceliacpodcast

Twitter – CeliacPodcastCA

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

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

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

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

     (search Sues Gluten Free Baking)

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com

My Thoughts –

I do get excited about new foods.  I can’t remember if this was something that happened prior to my diagnosis, or it’s a phenomenon of being on the gluten free diet and always on the look out for new food options.

I remember when I first started going to the national conferences for the Canadian Celiac Association.  At the time, I lived outside of Canada, so I arranged a family visit and time at the conference to be able to learn more about how to cope.  I brought Deanna with me to a conference that had a children’s program in Hamilton and she met another celiac girl of a similar age, who also had a celiac mother.  The girls became fast friends, and I couldn’t have predicted it, but they always told each other when they found new foods.  Imagine, two young girls, under age 10 spending the time to talk about food finds. 

When I first heard about the plant based burger, I dismissed it as something that was likely not gluten free, and only available at fast food outlets, which was problematic for me.  I was wrong, the new burgers are gluten free and are now widely available.

Having said that, just because something is gluten free, available and others seem to like it, doesn’t mean it’s for me.  This was one time that I could have the new latest thing, and I wasn’t very impressed.  What does that say about me and my diet, and my love of food.  I think it says I’ve become picky as I’ve grown in my gluten free diet.  Just because I can have something, doesn’t mean I should, or that I should like it.  I hope you try the plant based burgers, maybe it fills a gap for you and is something you can add to your diet.  It’s a personal thing, and that’s just fine with me.

Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –

It’s now the beginning of August, and I’m thrilled to be introducing a new recurring episode to the podcast.  The first episode of every month with be an informative discussion with Ellen Bayens of The Celiac Scene.  Ellen searches the internet (and everywhere else) to find informative articles and studies about celiac disease and the gluten free diet.  She summarizes them and passes them on to us on her website, on facebook and also in her newsletter. 

This week we chatted about –

The new Gluten Challenge Guidelines from the CCA,

Working towards a Diagnosis without a Biopsy,

A Study about the amount of gluten to feed small children,

Restaurants charging you for bringing food, and gluten free haircuts.

You can find out more at www.theceliacscene.com where you can also subscribe to the newsletter.  The facebook page can be found at www.facebook.com/TheCeliacScene

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

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

Facebook – @acanadianceliacpodcast

Twitter – CeliacPodcastCA

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

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

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

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

     (search Sues Gluten Free Baking)

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com

My Thoughts –

I’m very excited to share the first in my series of discussions with Ellen about the articles and studies she has found on celiac disease and the gluten free diet.  Both Ellen and I have taken it upon ourselves to continue to learn about our condition.  In doing so, we meet lots of people and are often asked for our advice.

The advice we give to a specific situation might be similar, but our experiences with it are different.  Everyone with celiac disease has to find their own ways to cope and what works for me might not work for you and vice versa.

What I find interesting when I speak with Ellen is that she’s been giving advice and interacting with other celiacs for about as long as I have.  Between us, we’ve counselled hundreds of people on an individual basis, we’ve spoken to groups, we’ve organized events and we’ve been the go-to person for “expert” advice.  I hesitate to use the word expert, as neither Ellen nor I have any scientific training on the subject, but we’ve learned as we gone, walked the walk and taught others to do the same.

The intent of these monthly podcast roundups with Ellen is to put our heads and our experiences together to interpret and add our comments to the very informative studies and features she brings to our attention.  I hope you enjoy listening, as much as I enjoy recording them.  Chatting with a friend on an interesting subject for a purpose – I’ll leave it at that!