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

As a follow-up to Episode 148 I speak again with Dr. Diana Mager from the University of Alberta as she and her team have formulated a gluten free food guide for children that more meets their specific needs.  Currently they are recruiting families of newly diagnosed children (less than one year, and between the ages of 5 and 18) to participate in a study to look at the effects of the enhanced food guide.  Participants will be given one-on-one education and other resources regarding the nutritional needs of children with celiac disease and how those needs differ from the general population.  Here’s the link to find out more – https://conquer-studies.weebly.com/

As well, Dr. Mager’s group is also conducting a study to gather family friendly recipes which will make up one of the resources to accompany the food guide.  If you have a recipe that might be suitable, you are asked to open the link and complete the survey.  You can find the link at redcap.link/GFcookbook.  You can also contact Dr. Mager directly at mager@ualberta.ca.

You will hear Dr. Mager mention the Conquer studies. Conquer stands for – Celiac disease Outcomes in Nutrition, Quality of life, and Emerging Research. You can follow the Conquer team on Instagram @conquer_celiac and on twitter @conquerstudies.

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

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

My Thoughts –

Often when we think of research studies for celiac disease, we get uncomfortable with the thought that just maybe as a participant you might have to ingest gluten.  This, to me, is intolerable.  What I have learned is that the research organizations aren’t fans of making anyone sick either. 

In speaking with different researchers, I’ve learned there are many ways that we, as a community can contribute to the body of knowledge that will make our lives better.  In the case of Conquer, you don’t need to have a newly diagnosed child, just a family friendly recipe to contribute.

A few years ago, I was approached to participate in a study that required a small sensor to be implanted under my skin.  At first, I dismissed the idea, but when I received the second request (apparently, I met some very specific criteria), the material mentioned the research was part of a larger effort to identify individuals at risk of having a stroke.  A couple of years earlier, my father had a stroke, and I was familiar with the impact it had on our entire family.  I decided to participate in the study.

On reflection, it’s clear to me that if you, or a family member could possibly benefit from the research being done, you are more likely, even compelled, to participate in a study.  When I was editing the audio for this episode, I stopped to reflect on my statement that this research could help an entire generation – what I meant was an entire generation of celiac kids.  We often don’t realize the impact of poor nutrition on our bodies till years later, but if enhancing the nutrition of children with celiac disease helps them have better outcomes in areas of stature, fertility, and bone health to name a few, this study and participation in it is well worth any outlay of effort.

Dr. Mager and her group are careful to ensure all participants come away with a better understanding of the health needs of a celiac child.  Sounds like a win/win to me.

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

It’s time for a deep dive into everything we can learn about our food from the packaging and labelling, that isn’t just the ingredients.  I speak with Nicole Byrom, RD for the Canadian Celiac Association about how to read a nutrition facts label, including serving sizes and vitamin sources.  Nicole explains the mystery around best before dates and when not to buy or use a dented tin.  Sometimes we can find a gluten free claim as well as a may contains – seems like a contradiction, but Nicole explains what we are actually looking for in the packaging claims, as well as which ones don’t pertain to our gluten free diet.  Everything you didn’t know you that you didn’t know about product labels.

Here’s some links that Nicole mentioned –

Presentation on Labelling –

CCA-Labelling-Document-OCT21-1027_1-3.pdf (celiac.ca)

Nicole’s Gluten Free Granola Bars –

How to Read a Food Label to Make Sure a Food is Gluten Free –https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_XXjiTnatY&ab_channel=CanadianCeliacAssociation

What Does 20ppm Mean in a Gluten Free Diet –

Article About Understanding Food Labelling in Canada –

Understanding Food Labels in Canada – Unlock Food

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

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

My Thoughts –

When we receive our diagnosis of celiac disease, or gluten intolerance, the first thing that sinks in for most of us is the food we can no longer eat.  It takes time to appreciate that food without gluten is our medicine.

At the same time, we are constantly hunting for foods that are labelled gluten free – this takes away the fear of being glutened.  Over time, we become more comfortable with the diet, reading ingredients, trying new recipes and venturing to new restaurants.  This process takes time and patience.

At some point during this food re-discovery journey, I had a lightbulb moment.  I’m sure this isn’t unique to me, likely everyone going gluten free experiences this ah-ha moment.  I remember, it was a bag of gluten free pretzels, I had checked for the gluten free claims and even read the ingredients when my eyes shifted to the nutrition facts table.  This was long before I operated my bakery and become involved with developing the information in the facts tables on my labels.

I was shocked!  How could a handful of gluten free pretzels have so many calories.  Sodium, I could understand, I do like my salty snacks, but fat, was a shock.  Pretzels are baked, not fried, how could they have so many calories.  Nicole did mention not to dwell on calories, but I began to question my gluten free food choices.  I would even go so far as to compare our gluten free foods to their wheat versions.  What I found was that in many cases, gluten free food had more fat, calories, and sodium than the wheat versions.  Oh yes, and fewer nutrients.  How could I have been blissfully enjoying my yummy pretzels while not considering their nutritional makeup?

I didn’t have an answer, but I did start to look closer at the nutrition facts on the foods I began to rely on.  I regularly compared them to their wheat counterparts.  Ours were often higher in the three numbers I looked at first – calories, fat, and sodium, and even when they seemed to be on par, our foods lacked in the nutritional benefits.  It’s a continuing journey, but I am trying to make my gluten free diet healthier, one food choice at a time.  If our food is our medicine, I want mine to be optimum (or at least the best choice at the time).

Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode – Ever since I sat in on a virtual presentation from the Canadian Celiac Association featuring Christine Nesbitt, I’ve been anxious to have a longer conversation with her.  Christine was an elite speed skater who won numerous medals for Canada over a very distinguished career.  After many years of suffering unexplained digestive issues, Christine was diagnosed with celiac disease.  She explains how her diagnosis effected her skating, her travelling and being a part of a very competitive team.  Christine’s story is rich with reminders that celiac disease can be controlled and shouldn’t stop us from accomplishing anything we’re willing to put our best effort towards.

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

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

My Thoughts –

I’m not an athlete, never have been, unless you include two seasons on the high school badminton team.  I do, however, admire anyone with the dedication to put in the hard work it takes to be competitive in any sport.  Christine chose a very challenging sport and excelled in it.  It’s understandable that switching to a gluten free diet while training and performing at such a high level would have its difficulties.

I thought Christine’s look back as to how she could have handled the situation better was very insightful.  In her case, getting more of the team organizers in step with her situation, and doing more research on gluten free in the locations of competition events were the things she was able to identify.

We all know the diet is hard, but if, now knowing more about how to cope gluten free, what would each of us have done differently at the beginning?

I gave it some thought, and I realized I didn’t take the diet seriously enough at the beginning.  In one instance, I vividly remember taking my daughters to a swimming lesson, I had a granola bar because oats don’t have gluten in them.  I’m sure most of us can see where this story is going.  I got glutened because the granola bar was not gluten free, but I didn’t know any better.  The ride home after swimming lessons was slow and painful.  I couldn’t understand how I could feel so bad so quickly and struggled to make it back home safely.

My lightbulb moment came when my daughter was diagnosed a couple of months later.  There was no messing around with the diet, we were all in.  As a Mom, I was the authority on the diet, and knew I had to look after myself, in order to be able to feed her properly to keep her healthy. 

I suspect many of us, whether it be from a lack of knowledge, or indifference, take some time at the beginning to get it right.  In Christine’s case she was expected to race, at an elite level while she was still figuring the gluten free diet out.  That is a monumental task.  As I said earlier, I admire the dedication of athletes, but in Christine’s case, it took grit, stamina and change of lifestyle to continue training and competing in a sport she loved after her diagnosis – something to be truly admired!   

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

On this episode I’m at the Gluten Free Garage, which is large food show in Toronto.  I’ve attended the show previously with the podcast, but this year, I was helping at the booth for the Canadian Celiac Association.  The CCA booth was a place for attendees to drop off gluten free food donations.  This is something that was done in previous years by Jessica Danford, but she wasn’t able to be at the event this year, and the CCA was happy to help.  If you would like more information on gluten free food donation, visit the CCA’s website www.celiac.ca and search Save Me For Gluten Free. 

I took the opportunity at the food show to speak with some of the interesting people I met.

I spoke with Carmen Luongo from Shar Gluten Free and he was able to let us in on some new upcoming products.  I highly recommend their Twin Bar – each package contains three packs of two bars.

I met Robyn Harrison of Robyn’s Gluten Free Baking Courses.  You can find out more about Robyn at www.glutenfreebakingcourses.com.

Gaston spoke with me about celiac research being done at McMaster University.  You can find out more and sign up for their research newsletter at www.mcmasterceliacclinic.ca/research.

It was great to see Josh from the Bakery at St. Anne’s Spa at the show.  I’ve been to the bakery in the past, and everything I tried there was terrific.  You can find out more about the spa at www.steannes.com.

Terry from the restaurant Riz was excited to tell me about Riz moving to a new location with an expanded gluten free menu.  The new location will be opening in the next few weeks.  Their website is www.rizglutenfree.com.

Gluten Free Fest is a Food Show being put on by The Gluten Free Collective in Kitchener Waterloo on September 18^th.  You can find out more at www.glutenfreefest.ca.

I met Vanessa Sarraino who has just released a new cookbook called Celiac Sweeties.  You can find out more at www.vanessacarraino.com or to order the book, you can call her directly at 647 654-0023.

It was nice for me to catch up with Derek from Camp Celiac.  Last year, I helped out with the food and menu for camp and I’m looking forward to the kids coming again this year.  Space for this special camp is filling up fast.  You can find out more at www.celiaccamp.ca.

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

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

My Thoughts –

When I operated my gluten free bakery, it was always exciting to attend food shows and sell product.  Every show was different, but the constant was the tremendous amount of work involved prior to the show, during the show and after the show (when everyone involved was exhausted).  Because gluten free food normally doesn’t contain preservatives, it was important to bring the freshest food to the show, provide samples and make sales.  Food shows are so much work for the businesses selling, but they should be fun and exciting for the attendees – and the Gluten Free Garage is just that!

Food shows fall into a few very different categories –

• Presentation of foods to industry and stores to encourage them to put the product on their shelves.
• Local food festivals in communities to encourage tourism and community spirit.
• Specialty food shows showcasing a particular type of food, by industry, ingredients, nationality or diet.

Clearly gluten free food shows fall into the specialty food category.  The clear difference with our food shows is that the attendees are required to eat a special diet and this interaction gives the attendees the opportunity to see new products and hopefully taste them as well.  The tasting is critical for the gluten free consumer.  Let’s face it, most loaves of bread look alike and some of the more perfect looking ones, are not the most pleasing to eat, so the opportunity to taste before buying is important and often the best way to build a customer base.

I was very impressed with the companies I saw at the Gluten Free Garage.  Many were new to me, and I suspect covid issues have something to do with that.  Ingredients, recipes and even packaging has improved since I operated my bakery.  Hats off to all those bakers and cooks who prepared for weeks, got up early to bring their food to the event, stood at their busy booths all day and then had to make the exhausting drive home again before taking care with any product that remained.  These efforts are not unique to gluten free bakeries, but they are required of gluten free bakeries and businesses more than similar businesses in the gluten world.  Well Done – Exhibitors for bringing the food, Ronnielyn for organizing the event, and the generous attendees for their food donations!

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

I speak on this podcast with Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com about the articles, studies, and interesting stories she has presented to us this past month. 

We spoke about a family who had one child suffering with IBD and a second diagnosed with IBS.  This conversation became about the differences between the two conditions and how the diagnosis and treatment of IBS and IBD have advanced substantially over the past decade.  On the subject of children, we looked at the benefits of having support systems within the celiac community not only for celiac children, but also for the parents of celiac children.  This support is important, soon after diagnosis, as well as on an ongoing basis.  A recent study to find a biomarker that would be able to measure how children were responding to a gluten free diet led Ellen and I to a discussion of using or mis-using TTG numbers to indicate healing and the adherence to the gluten free diet.

Ellen put in a special word for Michelle, of Michelle’s GF Kitchen as during May she was working with the Edmonton Chapter to help with ideas for some gluten free meals.

As always, Ellen and I speak about food, and on this occasion, it was gluten free fish and chips and why they cause such a stir in our community.

I received an email from a listener of the podcast who gave me more current information about a labelling issue I got wrong on a previous podcast.  We all make mistakes, but if we can come away with the correct information, we’re all better for it.

NEWS FROM THE CELIAC SCENE

• Stanford’s Children Health a Model for Psychosocial Support for Children With Celiac Disease
• Study Explores Potential Biomarker for Celiac Disease in Children
• Brother & Sister – One with IBD; One with CD
• Follow Michelle’s GF Kitchen – Celiac Advocate, Gluten-Free Chef / Cook
• Maps to Hundreds of Restaurants Celiacs Trust across Vancouver Island
• Celiac-Safe Fish, Chips, Onion Rings, Poutine across Vancouver Island

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

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

My Thoughts –

I get lots of emails, with having a few websites, and running an online store, I hear from a wide variety of people, many of whom want to sell me something.  I think most of us are very used to the unsolicited emails that find their way into our inboxes on a regular basis.  When I received Tamara’s email, I remember I was quite rushed with something and only skimmed over it.  It wasn’t till the next day that I gave it a good read.  She included links to current labelling information and was very thorough in her question of some information I gave on a recent podcast.

I love feedback.  Whether it’s a quick note to say you liked a particular episode, or maybe your story was similar, maybe you have a suggestion for an upcoming episode, or maybe, like Tamara, you want to call me out for something, I love receiving your thoughts.  So often I speak to experts on some aspect of celiac disease or the gluten free diet.  I purposely have a conversation at my level of understanding when I’m speaking with doctors or dietitians, and hopefully, that level suits my listeners as well.  What I often enjoy most are the conversations I have with everyday celiacs, or those who are struggling with some aspect of the gluten free lifestyle.

I rarely get an email like the one from Tamara, but we all know we aren’t right about everything all the time.  I think what I like most is the fact that one of my listeners felt comfortable enough to question something I said – the way you might question a friend who said something that made you pause and think.  I’m glad I made you pause and think Tamara, and I’m glad you made me pause and re-think.  Thanks for that!  If you have feedback for me, please email me at acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com.