In a recent interview, Dr. Agatston spoke about a couple of specific cases in which the elimination of gluten on the South Beach Diet led to an almost immediate reduction or elimination of symptoms related to acid reflux and psoriasis. He also spoke at length about tennis player Novak Djokovic, who attributes his recent rash of successes at least partly to a gluten-free diet.

While the South Beach diet does have some drawbacks, it’s still a good sign that major diets are cutting out foods containing gluten. The danger is that, without making gluten a focus of discussion, dieters will attribute their health improvements solely to weight loss or a generic sense of “eating healthy”, and will go back to eating gluten once their weight loss goals are achieved.

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The restaurants are doing things halfway, either. Foods containing gluten can cross-contaminate other foods prepared in the same are with the same utensils, so Subway will seal gluten-free items in plastic packaging. Employees will use a disposable, single-use knife to cut each gluten-free sandwich roll, and the same employee will go on to prepare the entire sandwich, instead of passing it on, assembly line style, as usually happens at Subway. Customers with gluten intolerance should watch carefully to confirm that proper precautions are taken, but Subway’s plan seems reasonable to prevent gluten contamination. In fact, the very transparency of the Subway food-making process is a boon to those with special dietary needs; instead of trusting what goes on behind the closed doors of a restaurant kitchen, customers can closely inspect the process and call a halt if they see anything that might endanger their health and well-being.

So here’s the call to action: Tyler and Dallas readers, I’d love it if you would all beat a path to Subway’s door over the next couple of days. I want the response to Subway’s experiment to be overwhelming. The only way we’ll get restaurants offering gluten-free options the right way is if we vote with our wallets, so go have yourself a gluten-free sub overflowing with healthy veggies and some nice, lean meat. I won’t even give you a hard time if you have the brownie, just this once (though you might want to take a gander at the ingredients list before you commit, to make sure it’s not loaded with unpronounceable garbage and fillers).

Kudos to Subway for making the effort, here. I think we all understand that companies make decisions like this based on the bottom line, not necessarily based on philanthropy. And that’s okay– their job is to make money for their shareholders. Sometimes, making money and doing the right thing overlap, and when that happens, it’s important to stand up, applaud, and go get a sandwich.

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This extremely preliminary finding suggests that corn may also be damaging to people with celiac disease, though far more study will be needed before any official announcements are made encouraging the avoidance of corn for those on a celiac diet. In the mean time, common sense must prevail. If you know that corn bothers you, don’t eat it. If you are diagnosed with celiac disease and following a strict gluten-free diet has not eliminated all of your symptoms, cut out corn for a couple of months and see if it helps.

One thing about it, cutting out corn, while a major nuisance, may actually lead to a more healthful diet. High fructose corn syrup is a staple in many of the high fat, high salt, highly-processed convenience foods so prevalent in the American diet. Cutting out those foods and replacing them with unprocessed or minimally-processed whole foods will definitely produce positive health effects, regardless of celiac disease status.

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While it’s extremely anecdotal and certainly doesn’t apply to all Red Lobster locations, I recently had a lovely eating experience at a Red Lobster in Missouri. After years of not going because of the limited selections available for someone who can’t have dairy or wheat (and, oh, how I miss those cheesy biscuits!), I found myself there with my dairy-allergic mother for an informal family affair. The waitress, whose sister has wheat allergy symptoms, took as good care of us as she would have done for her sister, and we had a delicious, enjoyable, and stress-free meal.

For these reasons, I’m going to recommend that readers patronize Red Lobster (with the caveat that any new restaurant should be approached cautiously), because any national chain who is at least trying to help its customers stay safe and healthy deserves all the encouragement we can give it.

Just don’t be tempted into indiscretion by the biscuits!

Their basis for this claim is the assumption that everyone who goes gluten-free is immediately replacing foods containing gluten with expensive, highly processed gluten-free look-alike products which have no dietary fiber, fewer vitamins and minerals, too much sugar and salt, and chemical preservatives.

Perhaps, in modern western culture, that isn’t too much of a stretch; as a society, our eating habits are appalling. But I’d like to think that those of us who’ve been hit over the head with wheat intolerance and other food allergies and intolerances are, as a group, a little more thoughtful about what we put into our bodies. If you have wheat intolerance and your body weight is a concern, when you cut out foods containing gluten and replace them with fresh vegetables, fruits, and gluten-free whole grains… you WILL lose weight. You WILL feel better than you did when you were stressing your body by running gluten through it almost every day. Why on earth wouldn’t you feel better?

If you don’t have any problems with wheat or gluten, do you need to go gluten free? Well, of course not! (Though you still might want to think about the fruits/vegetables/whole grains thing. Seriously.) Would it hurt you to cut out foods containing gluten? Obviously, it depends on how you replace them. Eat foods that are better for you than the wheat-y stuff you ate before, and you’ll be healthier. Eat stuff that’s worse for you than what you gave up, and you’ll be less healthy.

It’s really not rocket science, folks. Eat healthy; be healthy. If that means gluten-free for you, then go for it, and don’t let the ‘experts’ tell you differently.

Second-generation replacement of trans fats and the removal of glutens continue to dominate product development activity in the baked goods category of the food industry.

Yes, gluten free. While many observers (ourselves included) have been waiting several years for this trend to live up to expectations, it finally may be hitting stride.

Read more here…

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Food is such a huge part of our culture that a serious problem with foods containing gluten can seem like a jail sentence. What do you say when your friends, family, or co-workers want to go out to a restaurant? True, in some major cities you can find a handful of restaurants which specifically cater to people with wheat intolerance or celiac disease, but in a lot of places, that isn’t the case.

First off, don’t be ashamed or hesitant to tell your friends and co-workers the reason for your reluctance. More and more people are becoming aware of food allergies and intolerance these days. If someone replies insensitively, just keep it light. Explain that accidental exposure makes you sick enough that it’s just not worth it to you to take the chance. Such people aren’t generally trying to be hurtful; they simply don’t understand.

When it comes to choosing restaurants, call ahead. Clearly state your problem with  . Ask if they have a gluten-free menu. If not, ask if they can accommodate you with some simple gluten or wheat free recipes. If your sensitivity is very high, ask if they will clean pans and utensils before cooking your meal, to avoid cross-contamination. Most places will find it easier if you offer specific suggestions: vegetables steamed and drizzled with olive oil and herbs; a baked potato; a plain steak or chicken breast, un-marinated, with salt and pepper. Many places will have ingredients like these on hand, and will be willing to work with you, especially if you give them some warning by calling ahead.

It’s more common for large chains to have dedicated gluten-free menus, but if you can’t find such a chain and need to ask for special dishes, your best bet is usually locally owned Mom and Pop restaurants. This is because most chains get their food pre-prepared, meaning that the gluten-contaminated breading or marinade or whatever is already on the food. Mom and Pop shops are more likely to cook from scratch, giving them more flexibility for special food requests.

Take notes. If a place is rude about your requests, don’t spend your money there. If they say they’ll accommodate you and you end up getting sick because they goofed, don’t spend your money there a second time. Eventually, you will find a selection of places where you can eat safely and happily. It may not be a huge selection, but there’s something to be said for eating where you have a bit of a personal relationship with the staff because you’re a regular customer.

You’ll feel good because you’re spending money with people that you know, who value you enough to go the extra mile for your health and safety. They’ll feel good because they’ve gained a customer for life by giving exceptional customer service– and will possibly gain many more customers when word gets around that they are food-allergy friendly.

Win, win!

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One source that you may not have thought of is– of all things– fingerpaints. Yes, fingerpaints generally contain gluten, and with children of a certain age, you can bet that fingers, and the paint on them, will end up in little mouths at some point. While it just kills us to see children excluded from normal childhood activities, their safety and health has to come first, right?

Fortunately, one company has taken steps to put the messy fun of fingerpainting back in the lives of children with gluten intolerance. Bluedominoes now produces safe, certified gluten free and lead-free fingerpaints, as well as Play Dough, another commonly gluten-contaminated childhood staple. Both use food grade ingredients, all of which are listed on the packaging. They have also been approved by the Celiac Sprue Association.

If you have children who can’t tolerate gluten, consider supporting this innovative company by visiting http://www.bluedominoes.com.

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Now, a team of leading gastroenterologists at Rush have designed a new study to find out if mind/body techniques can help people with celiac disease adhere to this very strict diet.

Read More Here

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