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

Two weeks in August was the culmination of a many hours of work by dedicated volunteers to make Camp Celiac 2022 happen.  I was a member of the Menu Committee and along with others we worked and re-worked a menu for the camp that would be exciting for celiac and non-celiac kids alike.  The force behind camp celiac is Carmen, a member of the Ottawa Chapter of the Canadian Celiac Association.  Carmen spent the most time of the two weeks at camp.  I, and a few others were there for designated days.  Once the hard work of the menu was completed, we reached out to gluten free food partners to supply some of the specialty food.  Our food partners were amazing with their donations, that allowed us to present meals that were enthusiastically enjoyed by all.  For more information on Camp Celiac you can go to their website https://www.campceliac.ca/  You can also join the Camp Celiac facebook group.  If you’d like more information on volunteering for next year, or if you are interested in what it takes to start a camp for celiac kids near you, please email me and we can start a conversation – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com.

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 –

If you’ve been listening to the podcast for a while, you’ll know that Camp Celiac is not the first celiac camp I’ve helped with.  There are many different formats for a summer camp that cater to the special dietary requirements of children.  There are day camps, half-day camps, sleep over camps for kids with a variety of special needs, including a special diet.  Many of these camps rely at least somewhat on the efforts of volunteers. 

Each of these different types of camps have a few things in common.  Firstly, to give the children a typical “camp” experience, regardless of their limitations or dietary requirements; secondly, to help campers feel part of a group that is more than just a restrictive diet; and, thirdly to encourage campers to make friends with other campers who they wouldn’t have crossed paths with (or at least not having had much in common).

In the case of Camp Celiac, everything outside of the dining hall is the full-on camp experience.  Campers partake in all sorts of activities and challenge themselves personally, and as part of a group to achieve things that maybe they wouldn’t, or couldn’t have tried outside of camp.

The concept of making friends is, I think the most important thing campers can achieve during their stay at camp, any camp.  In the case of Camp Celiac, a camper may not have ever met another celiac child, let alone one that enjoys polar bear dips and archery.  Being a kid with celiac disease, or non-celiac gluten sensitivity is hard.  These kids need all the support they can get.  Some of the best support is from their peers.  Just as our kids won’t tell us some of their most personal thoughts, but will talk for hours with their close friends, some of the discomfort of growing up gluten free is best shared with a friend, one who uniquely understands.

Having seen celiac kids at the beginning of their camp week and comparing it to the personal growth that has taken place by the end of camp, the experience gives kids more confidence in themselves, their condition and their diet.  Just like the memories from camp, these positive changes can last a lifetime.

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

On this episode I have the pleasure of speaking with Kasia, the Owner of Pilling Foods, as well as Gayle, the Digital Marketing Manager.  I have only just learned of Pilling Foods, but I think it will be a game-changer for gluten free bakers and households in Canada in the very near future.  Pilling Foods sells dry ingredients including flours, flour blends and seeds, with all products carrying the CCA Certified Gluten Free Symbol.  Kasia explains some of the procedures and testing the products go through before they are sent out to stores and customers.  The link to the store is www.pillingfoods.com/.  Now, is definitely the time to check your gluten free cupboard and stock up for your holiday baking.

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 accept that I am probably more on top of the gluten free ingredient market in Canada than most people on a gluten free diet.  There was a time when testing certificates did not accompany flours when they were ordered by bakeries or larger production facilities.  That may seem hard to believe, since we’ve come so far in the pursuit of safe gluten free food. 

When I go into a grocery store looking for gluten free flours, I never know what I’m going to find.  Usually there will be a couple of flour blends and maybe some other starches or flours, packaged in very small packages, sometimes with and sometimes without a certification on the package.  That’s not to say that any of these ingredients are not safe on a gluten free diet, but unless I trust the brand, it’s hard to trust the product.  As well, one company has different facilities for gluten free and standard, so in the store, you must look carefully at a package to make sure it says gluten free (this frustrates me to no end!). As consumers, we would like to know, but can’t count on, stores understanding the importance of certification and labelling.

What do you do when you find a product that contains gluten mixed in with the gluten free foods?  I always get fearful that a new celiac who isn’t as experienced in label reading will think it’s gluten free, take it home and get sick.  When I have time, I go to the front of the store and ask for the manager on duty.  We then take a walk to the gluten free section, I thank him for the number of products they have on the shelves for us, then point out the offending item.  Every time I get a positive response – they want to do the right thing.

My concerns aren’t usually for me.  I’ve been at this a long time and can make a safe decision from most labelling.  Having shopped with newly diagnosed celiacs, I can understand their frustration with the different forms that gluten can come in (as in malt), and how it can hide in compound ingredients (for instance, soy sauce).

For someone newly diagnosed, or a celiac child helping the family to buy and use their food, the certification logos make all the difference.  Kasia mentioned trust.  We can trust in the certification logo, and we can trust in companies that use it.  I’m very happy that Pilling Foods has made a commitment to certification on everything they sell.  Trust and safety go a long way for celiac consumers.

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

For many of us, September means the kids go back to school, and that means family meals pivot to include school lunches and snacks.  On this episode Registered Dietitian Selena Devries gives us some great suggestions on how to get your kids to eat healthy gluten free lunches and snacks.  We chat about sandwiches, all things dipped, back at home snacks, and even suggestions to streamline family dinners.  Here’s some links to check out for more information –

http://www.healthbean.ca/ where you can sign up for Selena’s newsletter and other resources

Instagram celiac_dietitian where you can follow her and ask questions on Tuesdays

https://pranaorganic.ca/  the granola Selena mentioned

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 –

Both of my daughters are now out of school and living their lives as adults, but it’s not hard for me to remember back to the frustration of school lunches.  As the girls got older, they took on making their own lunches, which relieved some pressure off me, and was a better bet that the food they took would be eaten.

School lunches for a celiac child are a big concern.  Packing up a lunch, not knowing if it’s going to be eaten in the safe, non-contaminated state it was packaged in, is just the beginning.  Preparing the teacher and your child for pivots from regular school days when there might be birthday cupcakes, or a pizza lunch was a big stressor.  Changing schools, often meant changing friend groups and I think as parents we worried more than the kids.

There are some things I learned sending school lunches with my celiac daughter.

• Send food that looks fun to eat.
• Don’t send unrecognizable foods that others might find weird – yes kids can be cruel.
• Prepare finger foods, so even picky eaters can graze.
• Send extra gluten free dessert, to allow for sharing if your child wants to.
• Avoid the standard sandwich, as it is often difficult to eat and can make an embarrassing crumby mess.
• Prepare de-constructed items, to allow the child to put things together to their liking while sitting with their friends.
• Make sure to send foods with lots of flavour, the gluten free diet often gets a bad rap for being bland.

Hopefully, you’ll find one or two of my suggestions make the dreaded school lunch preparation and anxiety easier to handle.  Something I learned as my daughter got older was that I seemed more stressed about her meals than she ever did (even now).  I guess it’s a parent thing, so just take a deep breath, make a plan, be prepared to pivot, and don’t forget to ask for feedback and suggestions from your celiac child.  The gluten free diet can be hard, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun.

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

During my recent conversation with Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com, she introduced me to Karen Joseph who works for ASSE, an international student exchange program based in the US.  One of Karen’s responsibilities is to find host families for incoming students who require a special diet for health needs.  Karen is uniquely qualified for this task as she is the mother of a now adult son with Type I Diabetes and Celiac Disease.  She understands the gluten free diet and spoke to me of the importance of finding host families who are prepared to support a student with celiac disease.  Karen has lots of stories of the students she has placed and how they made the gluten free diet work for them in a new country, hosted by a new family. 

If you are interested in hosting a student from abroad, or have a student at home who may be interested in studying abroad, you can find out more information at –

• Direct contact:  Karen@asse.com
• In Canada:  canada.asse.com/contact-us
• United States:  asse.com/contact_by_email_phone

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 –

As I mentioned during the podcast, I’ve met with lots of parents of celiac children.  It goes without saying that we all want the best for our kids.  “The Best” takes as many different forms as there are families.  Increasingly, families are trying to give their kids a view of the world that’s bigger than their own neighbourhood, or city, or even country.

I was fortunate to have travelled with my family as a child and young adult.  I still vividly remember things I saw on trips when I was quite young.  The urge to travel, to see new things and experience new cultures was something I have always enjoyed.  After my husband I were married, he took a job in Bermuda.  We were both so excited for everything we’d learn and experience.  Both of our daughters were born in Bermuda and have fond memories of living there. 

Living in a different place and immersing yourself in a new to you culture is something that takes time and acceptance.  You must be prepared to accept the culture and traditions of a new place, and the people from your host country should be accepting of you and willing to share their country and themselves with you.  Our growing family spent fifteen years in Bermuda.  Looking back, I can see that it took us years to truly fall in love with Bermuda, its residents and its way of life.

What I can see from the student exchange programs I’ve done research on through my podcasting is that all the time and effort it took us to become familiar with a new culture is part of the formula built into exchange programs.  We learned a great deal from our Bermudian friends, just as a student will learn from a host family.  We made an effort, to see and experience the sites and history of our new Island, just as a student will, while accompanying their host family on short trips during the school year.  We fell in love with the Island and its people.  Just as I’m sure exchange students whether coming to your country or travelling abroad with develop affection for their host country which will last for the rest of their lives.  My family and I are richer and more well-rounded because of the time we spent in Bermuda, just as international exchange students will be from their experiences.