10 Things I learned at The Celiac Disease Foundation Conference

This past Saturday, May 15, I went to Marriott Hotel in downtown Los Angeles to the Celiac Disease Foundation conference. As usual, they had a fantastic line up of speakers delivering the latest information on Celiac Disease.

Here are 10 things I learned:

1. Women are diagnosed more than men.
2. Celiac Disease diagnoses have increased five fold in the U.S. in the last 50 years.
3. More wheat is consumed in North Africa than any other place in the world. They have the highest instance of Celiac Disease in the world.
4. The children of c-section births have an increased risk of Celiac Disease due to a completely different type of bacteria in the intestinal tract of babies born via c-section.
5. Clinical trials are being done on medications that will degrade the immunogenic effects of gluten. They are not to be taken so Celiac Disease suffers can eat gluten when ever they want but to be taken in instances in which cross contamination may occur like in dining out.
6. Doctors are now suggesting a low or no lactose diet for the first year after a Celiac Disease diagnosis.
7. Celiac Disease has been linked with osteopenia, infertility, miscarriages, malignancy (thyroid, lymphoma and colon cancers), type I Diabetes, fibromyalgia, autoimmune thyroid disease, and anemia.
8. Refractory Celiac Disease is the the most serious of all diagnoses. It is a pre-lymphoma state in which severe malabsorption of nutrients occurs. Refractory Celiac Disease does not respond to a gluten free diet.
9. Sex drive has been shown to improve on a gluten free diet.
10. Malt vinegar is fermented and still contains gluten. Hard alcohol is distilled so all the glutinous proteins have been taken out so drink up!

The conference was a hit. I highly recommend it. We all eat like gluten free pigs and enjoy sharing our stories and symptoms without looks of disgust and dismay from people who just don't get it.

I got so many samples from the many vendors there. In the coming blogs, I will review those products for you so keep checking back.

A Delicious Gluten Fr*ee Treat!

So, I tried those items I got from Stella Lucy (the gluten free market)in Claremont, CA. My top pick was the coconut lemon bar from Mariposa. It reminded me of baklava with it's moistness and flaky crust. I was in heaven!

I also tried their cinnamon toast biscotti. Perfection! Just like regular biscotti and so great dipped in coffee.

They were expensive products but worth it when you gotta have something delicious and a little naughty to eat!

If you want to find out where you can get their products, go to http://www.mariposabaking.com/information/retail.html

An Entire Gluten Free Market!!!

There's a new kid in town and although it's not LA city, it is LA county. Alright, it's the far eastern edge of it but hey, Claremont, California now has a gluten free market!

Stella Lucy was opened in October of 2009. Catering to the food allergic, one thing Stella Lucy guarantees is that everything in the store is gluten free. Many things are dairy free and are so marked. Still other items are vegan.

The selection is wonderful! There is a wide range of products from pastas to cake mixes to cookies, breads and crackers.

I bought a few things (of course) and I will let you know what I think of them as I consume their gluten and dairy free goodness (I hope they are good anyway).

If you would like to visit Stella Lucy, it's located at 101 N. Indian Hill Blvd. in the fabulous town of Claremont, California. Their other store is located 108 S. Camino Real, San Clemente, California. To shop online, go to www.StellaLucy.com