Tina Turbin
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010
The body has its own digestive enzyme for gluten known as dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPPIV). When this enzyme is supplied, it greatly assists in the hydrolysis of propy peptidase assimilating proline-rich proteins. “What’s this?” you ask?
Read on:
Now this may all sound like a foreign language to you but let me clarify what it all means. These are the exact “remnants” that can cause severe troubles for the celiac.
The DPPIV enzymatic activity actually assists in breaking down the difficult to digest peptides.
Reports in the July 1993 American Journal of Physiology says that the sequence of digestion which leads to partial digestion of gluten proteins exasperates the gastrointestinal condition and one of the enzymes required to break down these peptides has been identified as DPPIV. The lack of this enzyme in the small intestine prevents this digestion and can result in an immune response which inflames the small intestine.
There’s additional support from the October 2002 Journal of Physiology Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology stating that DPPIV was instrumental in the breakdown of the gluten’s peptides. The possible strategy for celiac sprue has been recognized through enzyme therapy. Up to now only a strict adherence to a gluten-free diet has been the only therapeutic option.
In the May 2007 Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology, the researchers made note and confirmed that gluten intolerant individuals definitely have a deficiency in the necessary gluten digesting enzymes.
There are a number of new products on the market currently offering supplementation with products containing DPPIV such as Metabolic Response Modifiers (MRM), Gluten-Free™, and Enzymatic Therapy to name a few.
Any celiac is warned that to date, a strict adherence to a gluten-free diet is the only prescription to follow for optimum health and repair of the delicate tissue lining of the small intestine and the villi.
There may be hope with new research into this area of enzymatic therapy and DPPIV.
Tina Turbin
www.GlutenFreeHelp.info
Tags: celiac, celiac sprue, gluten, Gluten enzymes, gluten free, gluten free diet, gluten proteins, gluten-digesting enzymes, gluten-free research, gluten-intolerant, gluten’s peptides, Tina Turbin researcher
Posted in Autoimmune Disorders, Gluten-Free Products, Gluten-Free Research, Health, Helpful Information, Helpful Tips, Medical Research, References, Tina Turbin | 2 Comments »
Monday, August 23rd, 2010
Celiac disease in America affects three million citizens, but only one out of every hundred of its sufferers has been diagnosed. The average American has never heard of the disease, and it doesn’t occur to the average American doctor to test for it.
There are several organizations in the United States which are researching the disease and working hard to raise celiac awareness and support. One such organization is the Celiac Disease Research Center at Columbia University, headed by Dr. Peter Green, MD, a Professor of Medicine at the University. He is personally responsible for the diagnosis of 2,400 people with celiac disease every year and is dedicated to increasing the celiac diagnosis rate in the United States.
A higher rate of diagnosis yields a higher rate of support, Dr. Green says. This means more and more grocery stores and restaurants offering gluten-free foods and gluten-free cooking to gluten-intolerant consumers. Abroad, there are more gluten-free options available because there are more people diagnosed with gluten intolerance or celiac disease. For instance, every pizzeria in Sydney, Australia offers gluten-free pizza, made with gluten-free flour.
Why is America way behind in celiac awareness? It probably has something to do with the fact that celiac disease is the only autoimmune disease that the government doesn’t support with research grants. Centers such as Dr. Green’s Celiac Disease Research Center are one-hundred percent dependent on charitable donations or university funds. Even though diagnosis is slightly up for celiac adults, this isn’t enough to raise awareness and bring relief for the three million people who suffer from celiac disease, nearly ninety-seven percent of whom don’t even know the cause of their painful symptoms. With increased diagnosis, we will surely see increased support, and soon the celiac community will be able to enjoy the same quality of life and food and cooking options which is enjoyed by, for instance, the lactose-intolerant community.
Tina Turbin
Tags: celiac diagnosis, celiac disease, Celiac Disease Research Center, Columbia University, Dr. Peter Green, gluten free, gluten-free awareness, Tina Turbin
Posted in Autoimmune Disorders, Celiac Disease Center, Children, Dr. Peter Green, Gluten-Free Research, Gluten-Free and Allergy Tests, Helpful Information, Kids Illnesses, Medical Research, Tina Turbin | 2 Comments »
Monday, August 16th, 2010
Recent research is now indicating that there may be a link between Autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and other developmental and child psychiatric disorders and an allergy or sensitivity to gluten. Gluten is a protein found in barley, rye, and wheat, and it is estimated that millions of Americans have a sensitivity or allergy to it. Gluten intolerance can affect the entire body, leading to a variety of troubling physical as well as mental symptoms.
Upon a change in diet, various developmental disorders have been documented to lessen in some cases. Some of the disorders the symptoms for which were relieved are autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), attention deficit disorder (ADD), non-verbal learning disorder (NLD), and pervasive development disorder (PDD).
These studies which link gluten intolerance to autism and other child mental disorders have noted that gluten-sensitive children will also display physical symptoms such as bloating, frequent gas, constipation, diarrhea, dark shadows under the eyes, excessive sweating, and pale skin. These physical problems can clue parents into whether their autistic or ADHD child may have a gluten allergy.
So what can you do if you suspect that your child has a gluten allergy? Thankfully, a gluten allergy can be confirmed with a simple blood test. Also, gluten can also be eliminated from the diet and then the child observed for improvement. It is important to check with your doctor before significantly changing the child’s diet.
Tina Turbin
Tags: ADHD, autism, celiac children, celiac kids, child pyschiatric disorders, gluten sensitive children, gluten sensitivity, Tina Turbin
Posted in Autoimmune Disorders, Children, Gluten-Free Research, Helpful Information, Helpful Tips, Kids Illnesses, Medical Research, Tina Turbin | 2 Comments »
Monday, August 9th, 2010
As more and more people are diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, awareness for the disease will increase, leading to more and more proper diagnoses. It is estimated that only three out of every hundred sufferers of celiac disease has been correctly diagnosed. In addition to increased diagnoses, the availability of gluten-free foods will increase. Gluten-free cooking and gluten-free recipes are becoming more and more prevalent in the United States, leading to gluten-free substitutes for foods like pasta, soy sauce, flour, and breakfast cereals. In countries where celiac diagnosis is high, it is common for restaurants to serve gluten-free foods as well. For example, in Sydney, Australia, every single pizzeria serves gluten-free pizza. As diagnosis increases in the United States, there will be more celiac and gluten-free support by restaurants, as well.
Tina Turbin
Tags: celiac awareness, celiac diagnosis, celiac disease, gluten allergy, gluten awareness, gluten intolerance, gluten-sensitive, Tina Turbin
Posted in Autoimmune Disorders, Celiac Disease Center, Dr. Peter Green, Gluten-Free Research, Gluten-Free and Allergy Tests, Helpful Information, Kids Illnesses, Medical Research, Tina Turbin | 5 Comments »
Saturday, August 7th, 2010
Enjoy Life Foods® is not a company unknown to most gluten-free consumers, but there were things about the company that I didn’t know.
Enjoy Life Foods® (ELF) was founded in early 2001 with a purpose to support a product line free of gluten as well as the 8 most common allergens: wheat, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, fish, and shellfish.
With a purpose as star high as that, it took a bit of work to be able to deliver products palatable and delicious. I for one know what it’s like to try and bake without even half of the most common allergens—difficult!
I personally taste-tested their soft-baked cookies, granolas, snack bars, chocolate chips, trail mixes, chocolate bars, and bagels.
I’ve been using the chocolate chips for years and these are the most common chips I choose to use in my recipes and those listed on my website (http://glutenfreehelp.info). I never have physical troubles nor do my “allergic” friends with these chips.
The granolas were fantastic and bursting with flavor. We also tested them as the base for our homemade trail mix and in granola cookies. The soft-baked cookies were moist, and we all agreed they were light in flavor, offered in a number of flavors.
Most people do not know about the man behind all this, Scott Mandell. As part of a class assignment at the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, he came up with the notion that those with dietary restrictions sacrifice flavor and nutrition in foods. Scott and his team came up with a business plan with good nutrition and great taste for people on a restricted diet. In 2001, he raised money to build a dedicated GF facility to start his company and develop products. Enjoy Life Foods® has been named to Inc. Magazine’s 500/5000 List of Fastest Growing Private Companies for three years in a row from 2007 through 2009.
Enjoy Life Foods® teamed up with Fair Winds Publishing to launch a GF allergy-friendly cookbook entitled, Cookies for Everyone! You can be assured of allergy-free cookies, brownies and bars that are safe and delicious. Each of the 150 recipes are gluten-free and allergy-friendly (NO: wheat, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg or soy). All readers will also learn how to use naturally allergy-free ingredients and substitutes to add extra richness, texture and nutritional content to any cookies and bars without losing the taste. This is a company that cares and is doing something about the growing needs of celiac and allergic individuals. They already have another book planned to be released in January, Cupcakes and Sweet Treats.
Tina Turbin
www.GlutenFreeHelp.info
Tags: celiac, celiac disease, enjoy life, enjoy life foods, gluten free, gluten free diet, gluten free foods, Gluten-Free Baking, gluten-free chocolate, gluten-free companies, gluten-free cookies, Gluten-Free Cooking, Gluten-Free Desserts, gluten-free granola, Gluten-Free Products, gluten-free snacks, product reviews, reviews, Tina Turbin
Posted in Allergies, Books To Read, Children, Cookies, Dining Gluten Free, Food Companies to Know About, Fun Food, Gift Ideas, Gluten-Free Products, Gluten-Free Research, Health, Helpful Information, Helpful Tips, Kids in the kitchen, Read About Company, Read About Products, Real -True Stories, Review- GF Companies, Tina Turbin, Travel Gluten Free, Videos, Videos to Watch | 10 Comments »
Friday, August 6th, 2010
In my work as a children’s author, researcher, and humanitarian, I am always looking for ways to help people with celiac disease or who are gluten-sensitive by raising awareness and making the gluten-free diet easier to maintain. Therefore, I’m incredibly excited to announce the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America’s 2010 campaign, which you can find out more information about at the following link: http://gluten.net/events.php. This campaign will help to spread awareness about celiac disease and gluten intolerance by partnering up with restaurants that offer gluten-free foods.
According to GIG, the 2009 campaign was an extraordinary success, which helped people all over learn about gluten intolerance and the gluten-free diet. By partnering with GIG this year, your organization will be included under the media campaign listings as well as on their website—free of cost! When you become a sponsor, contributing toward the cost, you will get your logo featured on the literature in restaurants.
Last year, they sent out over 5,000 pieces of literature to 196 restaurants, including a number of
chain restaurants, in the U.S. and Canada, and they estimate that the campaign reached 1.6 million people alone during Celiac Awareness Month—a very impressive number!
Tina Turbin
www.GlutenFreeHelp.info
Tags: celiac, celiac awareness, celiac awareness month, celiac disease, chef to plate, dining out gluten-free, gluten, gluten free, gluten free diet, gluten free foods, Gluten-Free Restaurants, maintaining gluten-free diet, Tina Turbin researcher
Posted in Allergies, Dining Gluten Free, Dining Out- Gluten Free, Events, Fast Food- Gluten Free, GF Services, Health, Helpful Information, Helpful Tips, References, Tina Turbin, Travel Gluten Free | 9 Comments »
Monday, August 2nd, 2010
Summer camp is a cherished summertime tradition for children. Just because your child eats gluten free doesn’t mean he has to suffer without summer camp this year. There are actually some camps that specialize in the gluten-free diet, which you can find online; other camps specialize in other restricted diets, such as for diabetic children. You don’t have to choose a special camp for your child, though, as he may want to go to the same summer camps as his friends.
Just as you had to meet with your child’s teachers and school administrators regarding his diet, talk with counselors and cooks in advance regarding your child’s gluten-free diet. Find out who’s in charge of meals and talk to them, in person if possible, about the details he’ll need to know. I recommend giving them a copy of a gluten-free cookbook and some articles about celiac disease and the gluten-free lifestyle, so that they’ll be able to refer themselves to these resources when they need it. Make sure to allow plenty of time before camp starts to let the camp staff prepare for the diet specifications. Don’t forget to discuss food preparation and serving techniques so they can avoid cross-contamination. Additionally, I recommend sending food along, if the camp’s regulations allow it, so your child has his favorite gluten-free snacks and also some gluten-free flour mixes, for example, which the whole camp can enjoy in gluten-free brownies, cookies, and cakes.
It’s essential, as much as the camp’s personnel have been enlightened about gluten-free living, that your child understands his own dietary needs as much as possible. This will give him ultimate control in his gluten-free diet. Tell him the questions to ask about food preparation to prevent cross-contamination, make sure he knows how to read food labels, and teach him the synonyms for gluten.
Tina Turbin
Tags: celiac children, celiac kids, gluten-free kids, gluten-free summer camp, gluten-free tips, Tina Turbin
Posted in Children, Helpful Information, Kids Illnesses, Tina Turbin | 4 Comments »
Sunday, August 1st, 2010
Cookies are good and can satisfy a little sweet desire now and then, but Jo-Sef gluten-free cookies really hit the spot! This is a company built on love and determination to keep a couple’s son eating normal foods after being diagnosed with celiac disease. After a year of fruitless doctor visits and restless nights, a celiac diagnosis was enough to turn a family kitchen into a “test” kitchen for gluten-free recipes.
The cookies that Jo-Sef now successfully sells are a few of the results from those days nine years ago. Jo-Sef simply delicious “Sandwich O’s” are much like an Oreo ® yet come in vanilla, chocolate, and absolutely over-the-top cinnamon, three choices for our heart’s desire, all with a creamy, velvety filling.
The Cookie Squares, too, come in three flavors and are already known not only for their flavor but for optional uses such as “pie crust” solutions. For the child in all of us, and for our kids, we have Jo-Sef Chocolate or Vanilla Cookies. When it comes to animal cookies, theirs are truly flavorful, with a delicate and wholesome flavor. Kids will love them. Many already do love these whimsical little bites.
Jo-Sef recognizes gluten is not the only issue facing many individuals, and without compromising flavor, their products are free of dairy/casein, nuts, lactose, eggs, trans-fats, and preservatives. They are also kosher, processed in a dedicated gluten-free facility, undergo ELISA testing, and are certified by the CSA (Celiac Sprue Association) to be free of gluten.
This is a one of a kind flavor, one of a kind company and the products are out of this world delicious.
Little Side Note: I crumbled up the vanilla cookies and used them in a pie crust for my apple pie. Wow! People were raving about the flavor: www.josefsglutenfree.com.
I give this company a BIG thumbs up!
Tina Turbin
www.GlutenFreeHelp.info
Tags: celiac, celiac disease, gluten free, gluten free diet, gluten free foods, gluten-free companies, gluten-free cookies, Gluten-Free Cooking, Gluten-Free Desserts, Gluten-Free Products, gluten-free snacks, jo-sef, jo-sefs, product reviews, reviews, Tina Turbin
Posted in Allergies, Autoimmune Disorders, Casein, Casein Free, Children, Cookies, Dining Gluten Free, Food Companies to Know About, Fun Food, Gift Ideas, Gluten-Free Products, Helpful Information, Helpful Tips, Kids in the kitchen, Read About Company, Read About Products, Review- GF Companies, Tina Turbin, Travel Gluten Free, Videos, Videos to Watch | 26 Comments »
Monday, July 19th, 2010
Don’t assume that your symptoms are unique to you. For much of my life, I just thought that it was just normal for me to be in pain. People with osteoporosis, for example, say that their condition “runs in the family,” ignoring the fact that osteoporosis is often connected with celiac disease, which prevents the absorption of the vitamins and minerals that bones need. You can take a look at the list of symptoms of gluten intolerance and celiac disease on my gluten-free website.
If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms regularly, even if you think you know why, you should schedule an appointment with your physician right away to get tested for celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.
Tina Turbin
Tags: celiac diagnosis, celiac disease, gluten allergy, gluten allergy testing, gluten sensitivity, gluten-intolerant, gluten-sensitive, Tina Turbin
Posted in Children, Gluten-Free Research, Helpful Information, Tina Turbin | 1 Comment »
Monday, July 12th, 2010
The celiac diagnosis isn’t difficult to test for. Simple blood tests detect the disease over ninety percent of the time. The diagnosis is then confirmed by an upper endoscopy; a small, flexible tube is slipped into the mouth of the sedated patient, down his esophagus and stomach and into the first part of the small intestine, called the duodenum, where biopsies are taken and then examined for changes seen in celiac disease.
Perhaps even easier than testing for diagnosis is the treatment of the disease—a gluten-free diet. It is challenging and requires a lifestyle change, but with more and more gluten-free substitutes and gluten-free recipes available, adopting a gluten-free diet and gluten free cooking is easier than ever. There’s research into developing a pill that would help people with celiac disease, as well. With such a simple treatment, there’s no reason to wait to get diagnosed because you can relieve yourself of your symptoms so easily.
Tina Turbin
Tags: celiac diagnosis, celiac disease, celiac testing, celiac treatment, Tina Turbin
Posted in Autoimmune Disorders, Gluten-Free Research, Helpful Information, Tina Turbin | 2 Comments »
