Celiac Warrior Gal

photo credit: Shauna Silva via Bravo "Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce" is my favorite new show of the year. It's hilarious and has some of the best women actresses that Hollywood has to offer. Last night's episode, however, left me a tad disappointed. In the episode, "Lyla" was being visited by a woman from social services. They sat down to dinner with "Lyla's" mother and children to eat sushi. "Lyla" passed the woman from social services a couple of sushi rolls and the woman declined, stating that she's Celiac and cannot have gluten. She also says that rice has gluten in it. "Lyla's" mother comments on how hard her lifestyle must be. In another scene, "Lyla" offers the lady from social services some Sake. She declines, stating that there is gluten in that as well. Folks, there is no gluten in rice or Sake. These items are gluten free and fine for Celiacs. The only time rice is not okay for C

photo credit: Kellogg's BIG news for my Celiac Warriors! Kellogg's has unveiled their gluten free Eggo waffle line. The item has begun showing up in stores around the country, much to the gluten free community's excitement. There is not much written about eggos going gluten free, but I wanted to share the news with you anyway. I happen to have grown up eating eggo waffles (in my pre-Celiac diagnosis days). Seeing my childhood breakfast staple go gluten free is just amazing. I can't be the only one excited about this! LOL! Here are the ingredients found in this new product : Water, Rice Flour, Whole Oat Flour , Eggs , Sugar , Soybean And Palm Oil, Leavening (Baking Soda, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate), Contains 2% Or Less of Artificial Flavor, Xanthan Gum, Salt , Soy Lecithin , Whey . Vitamin And Minerals: Calcium Carbonate, Reduced Iron, Niacinamide, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), Vitamin B1 (Thiamin

photo credit: emaxhealth Those of you with Celiac Disease or a wheat/gluten allergy will want to pay attention to this post. Stop & Shop is recalling Ian's All-Natural Italian Style Panko Bread Crumbs due to labeling issues that could lead to a 'glutened' reaction. While the bread crumbs are labeled 'gluten free,' wheat is listed in the ingredients. If you purchased a 9oz bag of this item, it is recommended that you ask for a refund and dispose of the product. The UPC code that is being recalled is: 74951277220 . There are several expiration dates that are included in this recall: 31May15 11Oct15 17Oct15 As we all know, any Celiac that accidentally ingests wheat will rapidly develop 'glutened' symptoms. Of course, if you begin to suffer these symptoms, contact your doctor immediately. The company has recommended that you throw away the recalled package and ask for a refund. This is the reason why we Celiacs need to read our labels. We need to p

photo credit: Celiac Warrior (Me!) Hey Celiac Warriors! A few weeks ago, I saw a commercial for Freschetta pizza. I was laying on my couch and playing a game on my phone while the commercial aired. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw "Gluten Free" on one of the pizzas advertised. I decided to make a note of the new item and look for it when I go food shopping. During my grocery shopping trip, I saw the gluten free Freschetta pizza. They had two kinds of pizza: Four Cheese Medley and Pepperoni. I picked up the Four Cheese Medley and finished up my shopping trip. Tonight, I decided to try out this pizza. For a gluten free frozen pizza, it was pretty good! It was crispy, cheesy, and the sauce was very good. Usually, frozen pizzas end up tasting rather tasteless, but this one had really nice flavors. You could taste (and smell) all the various cheeses that were on the pizza. The pizza is a small/medium size. It has four servings and it's less than 400 calories

photo credit: boxyblogs Actress Jennifer Lawrence has come under fire for calling the gluten free diet the "cool new eating disorder." She made this statement in the November issue of Vanity Fair. The gluten free community is now speaking out against the actress. Cynthia Kupper,the executive director for the Gluten Intolerance group, made a statement to FOX411: "When I think of an eating disorder, I think anorexia, bulimia or strange eating patterns. Jennifer’s comments make me angry." Kupper has Celiac Disease and also stated that there are 2 digestive disorders that cause gluten intolerance: Celiac Disease and Dermatitis Herpetiformis. She stated that these are "well-acknowledged and documented medical conditions." People on social media have been fuming at the actress's comment about the gluten free diet. People have told her to stick to acting because she doesn't know anything about eating healthy. Major fans of the actress are

photo credit: pri (dot) org A scientist in Italy is creating gluten-friendly wheat by lowering the amount of gluten protein in pasta and bread. Carmen Lamacchia wets the wheat grains with water, puts the grains in the microwave, which lowers the amount of ppm in wheat. After years of research, she has been able to lower the amount of gluten to 80ppm, which is 10 times less than normal wheat. (Us Celiacs can only tolerate 20ppm or lower) We all know the drill about gluten. It is that protein that creates the soft and chewy texture of bread and other kinds of dough. In recent years, we've been hearing how unhealthy gluten in, and Lamacchia is stating that the news is false. Lamacchia does have a concern about us Celiacs. She understands how bad gluten is for our intestines and immune system, but her discoveries will change all of that. She states that the toxic part of gluten will be hidden. The enzyme in our intestine won't recognize the gluten protein and will not cause

photo credit: Examiner via The University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center Greetings again, folks! I just wanted to let everyone know that the University of Chicago is holding a FREE Celiac Disease blood screening. You can pre-register now by going to the University of Chicago's Celiac Disease Center. Pre-registration ends this coming Monday 10/6/2014. The FREE screening will be held on 10/11/2014 from 9am to 1pm. There will be a Q&A with experts at 10:30am. The screening is FREE, but you MUST pre-register in order to take advantage of this event. Celiac Disease affects 1 in 100 people here in the United States. Testing for it early can save you years of hell. If someone in your family has Celiac Disease, please get tested for the gene. This disease has been known to be deadly if left undetected. There are also some scary complications to not getting diagnosed early: Osteoporosis, infertility, and many different types of cancers. If you are in the Chicago area, PLEA

photo credit: southparkdigital Greetings Celiac Warriors! Recently, South Park did a gluten free episode that got a lot of attention in the gluten free and Celiac communities. For the most part, the reaction has been positive. Many folks, including myself, found it hilarious. You may be wondering what the episode was about. I'm going to give you the cliff notes version: The episode starts off with the kids returning to school after their start up company fails. Then the show cuts to the teachers lounge where the teachers are discussing Mr. Mackey who has gone gluten free. Mr. Mackey comes back and starts blaming all the world's problems on gluten. A co-worker becomes annoyed by all the gluten free talk and starts screaming at Mr. Mackey to shut up. Mackey states that behavior problems are due to gluten consumption. A female teacher expresses interest in going gluten free. Later on, the boys are on the radio promoting an "epic" party. Callers ask the boys i

    photo credit: sfeater Recently, a Chinese restaurant in San Francisco, California closed their doors early after the owner became disgruntled with patrons' questions about what is in the food. The owner was so livid, that he made a sign in front of the restaurant that reads the following: "We are closed because of you (customers). So... yes, we use MSG! So... we don't believe in organic food And... we don't give a s**t about gluten free."     James Cho (the restaurant owner) had had a pretty stressful day on Thursday. He had one group of people refuse to pay for their food because it was "too spicy." After taking so many dietary requests, he snapped and decided to throw down. According to the restaurant's Facebook fan page, many people across the country are in support of the restaurant. They applaud the owner for taking a stand against "trendy dieters." We Celiacs know that people are rather tired of th

photo credit: Me (Shauna) Top of the afternoon Celiac Warriors! I have a sweet and tasty review for you! Last weekend, I was in a local Target and I came across a new product: Wow Snickerdoodles, by Wow Baking Company. I am a big fan of snickerdoodles, so I figured I would give this product a try. The name of the company definitely describes the thought that went through my mind after taking my first bite. Wow! The cookie was moist, chewy, sweet, and tasty. I've tried snickerdoodle cookies from a handful of gluten free companies, this cookie trumps them all! So delicious! I've had to put the cookies on a higher shelf in the kitchen because I could eat the whole bag! The cookies are small, and there are only four servings per bag. The cookies are all natural, no trans fat, and is certified gluten free . Here are the nutritional facts: Calories 260 Fat 12g Cholesterol 50mg Sodium 220mg Carbs 36g Sugar 14g They are made in a dedicated gluten free facility her

photo credit: Pintrest Over the summer, Walmart unveiled their Great Value gluten free food line. The news came with mixed reviews within the gluten free community. People were excited that gluten free food would be available at a low price. On the flip side, people questioned how safe it would be for those of us with Celiac disease. Walmart's Great Value gluten free food line is certified gluten free by the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness Gluten-Free Certification Program. The following is a list of what is available for us gluten free eaters: Rice Pasta and Cheddar Cheese (it's very similar to Macaroni and Cheese) Penne Pasta Cocoa and Vanilla Sandwich cookies Shortbread cookies Pretzel Twists Two kinds of Rice Pasta and Sauce Mixes (Cheeseburger and Beef Stroganoff) Three kinds of granola bars (Fruit Mix, Trail Mix, and Dark Chocolate). The prices are extremely reasonable. The price of the Rice Pasta and Cheddar Cheese is less than $1.50. How incr

photo credit: tasteworchester Greetings fellow Celiac warriors! Yesterday, this Celiac went to a local event called "Brass City Brewfest," which was held in Waterbury, Connecticut. I went with my boyfriend and his sister-in-law. I only went to be there designated driver, but I also sampled some gluten free ciders. While there, I thought I would sample some Mike's Hard Lemonade (since I heard rumors that there are no gluten proteins in the beverage). I went to the tent where the samples were being given, and asked the sales rep there if their drinks were gluten free. She gave me a dirty look and said she "Pssh! I don't know. Go on the website!" I have many years of sales rep experience under my belt. When sales reps are given a product to sell to a group of people, you HAVE to be able to answer any questions given, while maintaining a good attitude. Sales reps are representing the business and the product. If you are going to be ignorant and not go

photo credit: milkfreemom Hey Celiac Warriors! Ready for some more Udi's goodness? Well, have I got a treat for you! I know I'm not the only one who loves cinnamon rolls. I remember frequenting Cinnabon through the years and indulging in some ooey gooey cinnamon roll goodness. Now that I'm diagnosed with Celiac Disease (diagnosed via blood test and biopsy in September of 2011), places like Cinnabon are kryptonite to my digestive tract. After my diagnosis, I tirelessly searched for gluten free cinnamon rolls that were as good or better than Cinnabon cinnamon rolls. Recently, my boyfriend brought me home a package of Udi's Cinnamon Rolls (he's such a keeper). After dinner, I heated one up and put the provided glaze on top. The cinnamon roll smelled so amazing as it was warming up. So I took my first bite, and.... Delish! It was so amazing! The cinnamon roll was nice and soft. You could taste the cinnamon and spices, and the glaze was perfection. Even my bo

photo credit: celiac (dot) com Good afternoon fellow Celiac Warriors! I have another amazing food item to tell you about! Recently, I came across Udi's Broccoli and Kale Lasagna while at the grocery store doing my weekly shopping. Me, being the foodie that I am, did not hesitate to pick up a box and see if this lasagna was any good. I've tried so many amazing Udi's products and I hoped that this one would be a winner too. Well, folks, I was right! This lasagna was very good. The sauce was very rich and the meal was full of flavor! I don't need to tell you that it is Gluten Free because Udi's is a go-to brand for those of us who are gluten free. As for the nutritional facts, I was scared that it was going to be a million calories and have a ton of sodium. Nope. Only 370 calories and 290mg of sodium. If you're watching your carb intake, there are only 35 grams of carbs in this lasagna. This lasagna is pretty filling, but for those of you looking to a

photo credit: Shauna Silva I found this item shortly after the FDA ruling went into effect. At first, I was a little nervous in trying this product, since I have had issues with gluten free oatmeal in the past. I decided to try it anyways. The following Saturday, I made myself my first bowl of oatmeal in over 4 years. *drum roll please* While it tastes EXACTLY like non-GF oatmeal, it has a different texture to it. I ended up overcooking it a little and it stuck to my non-stick saucier. With this oatmeal, you need to keep an eye on it and cook it exactly to the package instructions. I ended up goofing and cooked it according to how I used to cook non-GF oatmeal. All in all, it was very good. I added some brown sugar and craisins to the oatmeal, which made it even better. When I was first diagnosed with Celiac Disease, I had a hard time with gluten free oats. Every 6 months or so, I had tried to re-introduce GF oats into my diet to see if I would have any reaction to it.

Guys, I tend to think of myself as a relatively open-minded Celiac. I tend to think I have a pretty good sense of humor. I hear a lot of jokes and I laugh. But, now I feel as if I'm getting to the point where the jokes are just getting a little too old. The gluten free frenzy has been around for quite a few years now, and the jokes just aren't funny anymore. They are just tired, old, and stupid. Yesterday, a Styleite writer decided to write an article called "5 Foods You'd Never Know Were Gluten Free." My fellow Celiacs may be interested in knowing what this "Einstein" put in her article: Sandstone (since we're not capable of having pasta) Leaves (since we don't deserve anything else) Air (because we deserve to look stupid) Corn  The internal organs of Celiacs. Yeah, so if people want to go on a gluten free diet, she suggests that the public slip us something in our drink and go to town on our internal organs. Nice, right? So we Celi

This is a recipe that I saw on the back of an Annie Chun's Maifun Rice Noodle box .  This recipe is filling, delicious, and GLUTEN FREE!!! It is super easy to make and is a perfect summertime lunch or dinner meal. Here is what you will need: One green papaya (peel the papaya and slice it into matchstick strips) One slightly firm mango (peel the mango and slice into Matchstick slices) One small cucumber (thinly sliced) 1/2 package of Annie Chin's Maifun's Rice Noodles (cook, drain, and rinse as directions state for salad usage). 1 cup of small to medium sized shrimp. Make sure the shrimp are cleaned, deveined, and cooked (recipe says prawns, but shrimp is the same thing). 1 head of rinsed lettuce (separate leaves) 5 to 6 TBSP of peanut butter (recipe says to use Thai Peanut Sauce, but we improvised) 2 TBSP of fresh cilantro  Directions: Mix papaya, mango, cucumber, cooked noodles and shrimp in a bowl. Add peanut butter to above mixture and toss. Arrange

Wouldn't it be great if we never had to worry about being 'glutened' when dining out? It would be freaking fantastic, right? With the wonders of technology, this could be a reality. The science and technology gods may be blessing us with a scanning device that could determine whether or not there is gluten in our food. A company in San Francisco, California called 6SensorLabs , is in the process of developing a portable device that has the capability of detecting gluten in food. The company is only one year old, and was founded by a woman who was diagnosed with a gluten allergy in college. She, and her co-founder wanted to create a device so others could have a stress free dining experience while out to eat. As for the size, it will be half the size of an iPhone, but will also be thicker. It will contain a sensor that will quickly detect gluten in food. The company is hoping to have this device available sometime next year. There is no word on how much it will cos

Before my life-crushing Celiac disease diagnosis, one of my favorite restaurants to go to was Chili's. I loved going there to kick back, drink a few beers, and get the restaurant-made tortilla chips and salsa. I'd scarf those down while waiting for my meal to be made. I'd usually order a burger or steak or something along those lines. Then I got that darn diagnosis. My first time at Chili's after my diagnosis, I was nervous. I decided to skip the beers, and get a margarita instead. I got my chips and salsa, because they are tortilla chips and I asked if they were GF and the staff said 'yes.' I told the staff that I had Celiac disease and needed to eat gluten free, so they gave me options that were GF. I ordered a meal that they recommended, and I felt safe with their recommendation. I talked with my friend and enjoyed stuffing my face with the chips and salsa. The meal came, and we dined. After the meal, I went home, and I was okay after a while. A few hou

There are a lot of benefits to being gluten free. Whether you're gluten free because of Celiac Disease, wheat allergy, gluten allergy, your physician prescribed it for you, or you're making a lifestyle change, you'd be pleased to know that a gluten free diet may actually help lower the risk of Diabetes, especially in women. Researchers in Denmark theorize that women who are pregnant and are on a gluten free diet can lower the risk of Diabetes in their babies. More about this study can be found here . When it comes to a gluten free diet, make sure you're eating the right foods. Gluten free baked goods tend to have a lot of processed carbs, butter, and ingredients that no human being can pronounce. While these baked goods are okay to have once in a while, I recommend sticking to naturally gluten free foods: meat (if you eat meat), fruits, vegetables, and dairy (if you aren't allergic). By staying away from the processed baked goods, you're helping to keep th

Researchers at the University of Buffalo have developed an imaging technique that could help with diagnosing Celiac Disease in patients. This imaging technique, called " Nanojuice ," could allow doctors to see the muscles contract as food moves through the small intestine. Observing this process in "real time" could really assist doctors in accurately diagnosing patients with gastrointestinal disorders. What makes this imaging technique function is ingestion of liquid that contains suspended nanoparticles. The nanoparticle base has a "family of dyes" called napthalcyanines. These molecules are great at absorbing light, which makes them an ideal contrast agent. However, it doesn't make them suitable for the human body. Reason being, with having the dye as the base, particles could become absorbed in the intestines and then venture out into the blood stream. In order to remedy this problem, researchers decided to INJECT the dye into the nanopartic

Former Disney darling Demi Lovato went rogue on her gluten free/dairy free diet in order to enjoy pizza at a friend's house in Texas, where the guest of honor happened to be none other than President Barack Obama. Demi Lovato suffers from a gluten allergy and a dairy allergy, and ever since she learned of her allergies, she has been 100% dedicated to sticking to her gluten free and dairy free diet. However, when she found out that her friend, Robert Rodriguez was making pizza for his guests, she didn't want to offend him by not eating the pizza, so she decided to join in on the festivities. Lovato told Extra that she eats a lot of raw food, but sometimes when she goes "all in" to a diet regimen, she gets bored. She eats GF and dairy free because she has to. She eats raw and vegan because it makes her feel better. When asked why she broke her gluten free and dairy free diet on pizza night, Lovato explained , " But you kind of can’t turn down pizza that Rober

 Weird Al Yankovic has been making these spoof music videos for a couple of decades now, and he has quite a following. In his latest video, he tackled "First World Problems." In the video, he gives a shout out to the gluten free population. He is in the airport scarfing down a cookie, when he realizes that the cookie may not be gluten free. He has crumbs coming out of his mouth. #firstworldproblems <--joke! You may be wondering why I am posting this video on a Celiac/Gluten Free blog. Well, I have a few reasons. -One, it's a pretty funny video. -Two, it does bring up an interesting subject: staying gluten free at an airport. Of course the obvious option is bring your own snacks with you. That's pretty much what I would do. I do know that more airports are offering gluten free options and I know some airlines even have gluten free options for their on-board meals. Of course you need to use your best judgment when out and about. Okay, enough of the shop talk

Ladies and gents, I have another awesome food find for you! This is an item that I learned about last year, but was able to sink my teeth into just recently. It is Bamboo Lane's Crunchy Rice Rollers. It is sort of like a rice crispy treat, except for the marshmallows, butter, and nasty chemicals. There are only four ingredients in this gem of a treat: -White rice -Natural cane juice -Rice syrup -Agar One roller is 45 calories. For those of you counting carbs, there are 10 grams of carbs in a roller. This treat only has 5mg in sodium. Yes, this item is Gluten Free , and it is also Vegan. I bought this item in bulk at Costco to help me curb my ice cream addiction. For a while, I was having a serving of ice cream for dessert after dinner. I decided that I wanted to stop doing that. I picked up these rollers and decided to have one of these after dinner as a dessert. They are sweet enough for my sweet tooth. If you shop at Costco, definitely keep an eye out for this a

 The gluten free diet continues to be the most talked about diet in the country. With so many people looking to make healthy life changes, people feel that the gluten free diet is the answer to their prayers. Go into any store and there are entire sections chock full of gluten free food items. Most chain restaurants have gluten free menus, and even some localized restaurants are offering gluten free options. With gluten free being everywhere, many people (those who aren't gluten free) are now on gluten free overload. People who are not gluten free tend to roll their eyes or groan whenever someone even mentions the term gluten free. These folks have even become vocal and made comments about the gluten free diet being "trendy" and "ridiculous." Those of us with Celiac Disease end up getting caught in the war between the non-GFs and those using the GF diet to lose weight (the trendies). A lot of people in the Celiac community do take the ridicule personall

What better way to kick off Celiac Warrior Gal's triumphant return than with a food review of everyone's favorite snack food: Popcorn! We buy it at the movie theater, pile it into our mouths before the movie starts (I know I'm not the only one who does this), and we pick the kernels out of our teeth on the way home from the theater (don't lie, you do it too). Well, if you want to save yourself the money, the calories, and the guilt, you can try out Skinny Pop popcorn. Only 39 calories per cup, this popcorn is chock full of flavor. One serving is 3 and 3/4 cups (only 150 lovely calories). For all of you counting your carbs, there are only 15 grams of carbs in a serving. Those of you keeping track of your sodium intake, it is only 75mg of sodium per serving. Here's the best part: -Dairy Free -Peanut Free -Tree Nut Free -GLUTEN Free (yes, it is certified GF) *For those of you worried about GMOs, this item is Non-GMO verified* As for ingredients: All natura

 Hey everyone! So, I know I was supposed to shut down the blog last year after everything that went down in the Celiac universe, but, I decided that would be a travesty. I been looking at my views from the time I stopped writing up to today, and I've been getting a couple hundred views, so people are still interested in hearing from lil ole me. Those of you who have been coming to check up on me, I think that's pretty cool of you. It's because of you guys that I am revamping this blog! So, I'm going to come back, and talk about all things Celiac related. Here's what I will be sharing here on Celiac Warrior Gal: -The latest in Celiac news. -Some of my favorite recipes. -Reviews of food items that I've tried. -I will also be sharing what I've gone through, and things that I will be working on. -I will probably talk a lot about my grandmother, since she was the reason I grew up knowing about Celiac disease in the first place. Plus she's the one t