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

James King was a past recipient of the James A. Campbell Memorial Research Award from the Canadian Celiac Association. His research involved a study of the many previous studies that have been done world-wide on the incidence of celiac disease.  James discussed with me the method of his study along with some of the results.  He mentioned an interactive map that is available online, so both the public and researchers can check on many of the studies used in their research.  If you have feedback for James you can email him at jamking@ucalgary.ca and find him on twitter at @jamesa_king. You can access the map, along with James’ presentation from the Canadian Celiac Association virtual conference in May at the following link – https://ucalgary.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=126de8e4d8794c7a998d035d1a7583d3

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

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

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

My Thoughts –

My celiac diagnosis happened late in 1995.  At the time, I came to believe that celiac disease was not of much interest to researchers and the pharmaceutical community.  There weren’t any medications on the horizon to combat the condition or even the symptoms.  We were only about 1% of the population, so it didn’t feel like we had much clout with the doctors, let alone the scientists involved in research.

After attending a few Canadian Celiac Association conferences, I saw that the CCA was awarding grants to scientists for research.  As I continued over the years to attend the CCA conferences, I sat in on the presentations of much of the funded research.  As a member, I was proud to know that this research was made possible by an organization I was supporting. 

In more recent years, the pharmaceutical companies have joined the game with prospective innovative medications that just might allow our body to not go into battle with itself when gluten enters the picture.  I have been privileged to have interviewed some of the scientists involved in this endeavour for the podcast. 

I had always thought that celiac disease could never be a money maker for the big drug companies, so if there was no profit, we’d be left out in the cold.  I suppose, in a cynical way, this is actually true, but I’m also realizing there is much research that can be done to improve both detection and quality of life without actually having a medication for celiac disease.  This, I think is where the promise lies currently.  The understanding of celiac disease from a scientific perspective can only be a positive thing for us and our community.

It’s in our best interest to have celiac specific research done, and that’s where the CCA and the James A. Campbell Memorial Research Fund comes in.  Over the years our member chapter has contributed to this valuable fund, but I should remind you that if this is something you’d like to support, you can make a donation, large or small to the CCA and direct the money specifically to this fund.  The work that James King has done will benefit our community, and just think, there are other future researchers out there with an interest, or a plan, or a theory, that are just waiting to contribute knowledge to the scientific database to help us all.

Thanks again CCA!

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

Mia Kennedy is now a contributor to theceliacscene.com.  Mia is a university student who was diagnosed with celiac disease in here early teens.  Mia will be writing articles for theceliacscene.com talking about her experiences of being a teen, then young adult with celiac disease.  I couldn’t resist digging deeper into her article with a series of questions.  My daughter is a similar age to Mia, and is also in a relationship.  I asked her to read Mia’s article and she was happy to share her thoughts and perspective with me as well.  Here’s the link to Mia’s article for Ellen and The Celiac Scene.

https://theceliacscene.com/musings-mia-dating-celiac-disease/

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

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

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

My Thoughts –

Talking to Mia got me thinking about how I would have handled a diagnosis of celiac disease, had I been diagnosed years before my thirty-fifth birthday.

I knew there was something wrong in my late teens.  I regularly had stomach troubles, but after a mild back injury, that caused me to spend more time off my feet, I was never quite the same.  My symptoms weren’t consistent; they came and went.  My inquires with doctors reflected the on and off symptoms.  To me, that explained why I tested negative for everything the doctors thought might have been causing my pain and discomfort.  I learned to live with it.

Had I actually been diagnosed as a teenager, it’s hard to say how I would have dealt with becoming and staying gluten free.  Back then, gluten free was much harder to find, but I suppose, I’m more concerned with what my attitude would have been.  Thinking through day to day life, I can confidently say I wouldn’t have been as well-adjusted as either Mia or Deanna were as teenagers and are now young adults.

Thinking of the hypothetical lets me reflect on the impact the Canadian Celiac Association has had on my adult life.  As a resource for medical and lifestyle information, the CCA is my go-to.  I don’t think my attitude, confidence and clarity for and about the diet would come close to what it is today, without the CCA.  It’s impossible to know how my gluten free life would have worked out if I’d been diagnosed 25 or 30 years earlier.  What I can say is that both Mia and Deanna had the benefit of all the CCA had to offer, not only in resources, but in establishing knowledge about celiac disease with the medical community, as well as the community at large.  They were diagnosed in a world that was curious and somewhat accepting of the gluten free diet; they just had to take the lead for their personal health.  I’m proud of both of them, they are the kind of twenty-something celiacs I don’t know whether I ever could have been.

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

On this episode I caught up with an old friend who had a gluten free bakery about 20 minutes out of town from my bakery, and we often chatted and supported each other.  My bakery has been closed for a number of years now, and initially Rita closed hers as well.  For quite some time, Rita has had a stall at our local farmer’s market here in Kingston on Sundays selling her baked goods.  Over the stay at home Covid-19 times, the market has adapted in simple, but effective ways to allow Rita to continue to bake for her customers.  I thought this was a good chance to talk to a respected commercial/home baker about baking bread.  Seems everyone is dabbling in baking bread while they are off work.  Gluten free bread is a completely different challenge.  Rita and I talk about the different kinds of bread, some of the baking tips we have and give encouragement for those thinking about taking the plunge, to jump right in.  The link for the Kingston Memorial Centre Farmers’ Market is –

http://www.memorialcentrefarmersmarket.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

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

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

My Thoughts –

I love making bread, the ingredient that most people fear is the temperamental yeast, but I think that’s the part I love.  The way it froths up, the smell, the magic of it.  For me, making bread is as pleasurable as eating it.  My favourite breads to make are baguettes and bagels.

If I’m ever in a bad mood, or a little down because I’m bored, I bake bread.  It lifts me up.  My problem with bread these days is eating it.  It tastes great, but you’ll know if you listen to my other podcast, that I’m on a weight loss journey and homemade bread is something I have a hard time saying “no” to.  My solution is to bake for others.  I know three senior ladies who I often bake for, and they love receiving bread, so does my adult celiac daughter who lives fairly close to me.  Before evening pulling the recipe to start, I have a plan to give most of it away.  So far this is working for me.

Over years, I have had many conversations with a wide range of celiacs about baking bread.  It’s never just about wanting the bread, and wanting to create something from your own kitchen.  Some of the feelings revolve around gluten free bread being harder, with more ingredients, and a higher probability that it won’t turn out as you might expect.  When this happens, and it happens to all of us, not only are we annoyed that our creation doesn’t meet our expectations, but we’re frustrated that our bread is different, and that we are different. 

As in most endeavours, attitude has a great deal to do with outcome.  If you can research different recipes, use the correct equipment and ingredients, you’re half-way there.  Often, for a new recipe, the other half is out of our hands.  Gluten free baking can be fickle.  The temperature of the room, the humidity, how the flours were stored, the age of some of the ingredients, the pans we use, if we used a powerful enough mixer, or let the dough rest.  All of these can contribute to a less than spectacular outcome.

My best advice – don’t start with sourdough – but do start with a recipe recommended from a friend or trusted cookbook or website.  I publish some of my recipes at www.suesglutenfreebaking.com.  Decide you may have to make a recipe a couple of times to make it work best for you.  The first time, prepare the recipe exactly as printed, remember, baking is chemistry.  Next time, you can add a spice, seed, raisins or nuts to customize the taste and texture.  The important thing is to try.  The smell and taste of your bread will be worth it – maybe not on your first attempt, but it won’t take long to truly enjoy your own homemade breads.

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

Once again this month, I have the pleasure of speaking with Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com to discuss some of the information and articles she brought to our attention lately.  She presented a few research studies looking at links between celiac disease and Type I Diabetes, Inflamatory Bowel Disease, as well as the role some environmental chemicals might play in the incidence of CD in children.  We discuss the difficult daily decisions faced by asymptomatic celiacs, who don’t suffer stomach issues when they ingest gluten, and how that adds another level to the disease.  The topic of food scarcity for those with allergies or on special diets is highlighted by a US article, and we discuss its relevance for us in Canada, as well as strategies Ellen and I use on our not so frequent grocery outings.  As well, Ellen introduces us to Mia Kennedy who will be a twenty-something contributor to both theceliacscene.com and the podcast.

Here are the links to Ellen’s Articles –

• Never OK to Cheat on the Gluten-Free Diet
• Pre-screening for Celiac Disease Suggested for Asymptomatic Diabetics
• Toxic Chemicals Correlated with Celiac Disease Diagnosis in Children
• Introducing Musings by Mia – Youth Contributor to The Celiac Scene
• Linked? Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Celiac Disease?
• How Food Shortages Can Affect the 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

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

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

My Thoughts –

During this episode of the podcast, Ellen and I talked about people who had asymptomatic celiac disease.  The more I think about it, the more I realize how difficult it would be coping with celiac disease when you can’t even tell you’re affected.  Most of us have spent years with debilitating symptoms; symptoms that have dictated how we live our lives, how we travel, often stopped us from sharing time with friends or family, often left us fatigued, concerned and in pain.  The idea of not having to endure those symptoms seems very appealing, but there’s another side to that coin.

Without feeling like you were sick, would you ever have sought treatment?  Would you ever have undergone the myriad of tests to rule out other conditions?  Would you ever take your supposed diagnosis of celiac disease seriously?

I can’t answer any of these questions.  My diagnosis came as a blessing to me – finally I had an answer.  It’s difficult to know what I would have done, had I never asked the question, never sought an answer. 

When I had my bakery, and knowing a couple of asymptomatic celiacs, I always said, they were the hardest people to keep on the diet, because they didn’t suffer if they ate gluten.  Now, I realize it’s a deeper issue.  It appears on the surface that they can treat their diagnosis as “take it or leave it”, but the reality is that by not taking it seriously, they are setting themselves up for big risks.

I suppose I’m glad my body is able to tell me I’ve done something wrong, I’ve eaten something wrong.  It’s a heavy price to pay, but I think for me anyway, it’s better than being asymptomatic.