Posts filed under ‘Alice’
8 GREAT Gluten-Free Things to Do This Summer
I’m convinced that time speeds up between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Before you know it, summer is over and you’re not quite sure what you did all those months.
This year, kick off the summer with a gluten-free bucket list. Set a few goals, plan a trip or two, and see how many things you can check off your list before the season ends. Here are 8 activities to get you started:
- Host a backyard barbecue. Invite friends or family members over for a gluten-free cookout. Instead of the standard hot dogs and hamburgers, try grilling a whole chicken or making kebabs. Looking for inspiration? Check out the 4th of July Fun Guide our staff put together for party tips and a dip recipe.
- Visit a ballpark. What better way to enjoy a warm summer night than watching the game with a gluten-free hot dog? Gluten-Free Philly has a list of ballparks that now serve gluten-free concessions. If you’re in the Philadelphia area, grab a ticket to Celiac Awareness Night at the Phillies on July 20 and spend the night with gluten-free fans.
- Make your own ice cream sandwich. Grab two gluten-free cookies and a tub of your favorite flavor of ice cream. Drop a scoop of ice cream onto one cookie and place the other cookie on top. Best enjoyed surrounded by family and friends.
- Go camping. Surprising as it sounds, camping may be one of the most gluten-free friendly ways to travel. And it’s one of my favorites! Bring your own food and cook it in tin foil packets over a campfire. No concerns about cross-contamination here!
- Go for a walk. Take a stroll for a good cause by joining one of the many celiac walks this summer. If there are no awareness events in your area, consider launching your own like Athlete for Awareness Peter Bronski(50-mile run not required).
- Take a class. The kids may be out of school, but the summer is a wonderful time for your own enrichment. Treat yourself to a wellness retreat or a gluten-free cooking class. No time? Carve out 1 hour to watch one of NFCA’s webinars.
- Try a new recipe. You know all those gluten-free recipes you’ve pinned on Pinterest? Now’s the time to make them. Make it a goal to cook one new recipe per week, or host a cooking party with gluten-free friends so you can test several recipes in a single afternoon.
- Root for gluten-free Olympians. A number of gluten-free athletes are vying for the gold this year. The U.S. Olympic teams are still being decided, but we’re keeping an eye returning Olympians Dana Vollmer and Jenn Suhr.
- Alice
7 New Habits for Body and Mind
Last month, I saw food activist and writer Michael Pollan speak at Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center. As a fan of The Omnivore’s Dilemma and Michael’s prescriptive to “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants,” I knew this was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.
Michael Pollan
During his talk, Michael noted some astounding facts that, despite all my work with the food industry, I was surprised to hear. Here are my top takeaways:
- 40 new products are launched in supermarkets every day. That means we have a lot of choices, but also a lot of confusion about what’s best for our bodies.
- Americans eat 20% of meals in our cars. We are all in a rush, and our on-the-go consumption is far from the mindful eating dietitians recommend.
- There’s a new term, “nutritionalism,” that refers to our tendency to overhype “good” foods and villainize “bad” ones. We’re better off keeping things simple: more fiber, less sugar and plenty of exercise.
It’s time we all found more balance in our lives – physically, emotionally and socially. Inspired by Michael’s 7 Rules for Eating, I’ve developed 7 New Habits for Body and Mind. I encourage you to try these and to make your own list!
1) I read labels. When I shop, I not only check for gluten-free ingredients, but also read the label for sugar and carb content.
2) I have switched from olive oil to coconut oil in much of my baking.
3) I drink a green drink in the morning made with vegetables.
4) I set aside Sunday afternoons to cook a casserole and wash and cut veggies so I have wholesome weeknight meals and ready-to-grab nutritious snack foods.
Prep, prep, prep!
5) I stick mostly to the perimeter of the supermarket. That means fruits, veggies, lean meats and dairy.
6) I will not be orthorexic (having an unhealthy obsession with healthy eating). With so many “health” messages out there, it’s easy to go overboard. It is much better to enjoy life and savor each meal – and that includes the social aspects!
7) I have added yoga back into my life. I get stressed just like everyone else, and feeling frazzled all the time just isn’t fun. Yoga is a great workout and helps me wring out all that tension.
Cheers!
- Alice
When You Can’t Do It All
Dear Friends of NFCA,
I get asked a lot, How do you do it all? How do you run an organization, take care of your family, cook, and live a balanced life without pulling out your hair? The answer is that I don’t do it all. I make mistakes, but I try to learn from my mistakes. And there are times when the ball does get dropped.
Our amazing team!
Our family recently moved. And, let me tell you, our holiday was a bit chaotic. I didn’t get any exercise for weeks on end. But my wonderful staff picked up the pieces in the office. Thank you Cheryl, Jennifer, Nancy, Kristin, Whitney, Sue and Beckee.
I wanted to write a holiday blog post, but I honestly could not get my act together. On the bright side, I knew that it wasn’t the end of the world and that you would all understand. No one is perfect. We all do the best that we can, and my family needed my time and attention. And I needed to unpack and organize my belongings. Thank you, team NFCA!
- Alice
Off to Medical School: A Mom’s Day Out
I will never forget the day my husband, youngest daughter and I drove to Boston to drop my eldest daughter off at college 7 years ago; the day we sat with hundreds of parents at her graduation 3 years ago; or the day we put her on a plane as she headed off to Indonesia to work in Borneo 2 years ago.
Now, I’ll never forget driving to West Philadelphia for her medical school orientation. After all these adventures, I thought I was prepared for this event. It was only around the corner, right?
Yes, around the corner physically, but emotionally it was a monumental occasion. I knew that attending her White Coat Ceremony (a tradition in medical school orientation) would be memorable, but I had no idea how much it would mean to hear my child recite the Hippocratic Oath with her peers. Every day, I work hard to educate physicians around the country about the signs and symptoms of celiac disease and ask them to be our partners in diagnosis and treatment. Now, my own daughter is now going to be one of them. Wow!
Me and my daughter at her White Coat Ceremony
What was this day like? It started off with a session that explained how grueling the first year of medical school can be, yet reassured parents that all of our kids will strike a balance.
I also got a chance to speak with the dean of the medical school (any chance to hand out my card and spread the word). She turned her head toward me and simply said, “Celiac disease; this disease certainly is receiving a lot of attention lately.”
We were then invited to spend some time as a medical school student. This was fun! We watched standardized patient actors simulate different patient/physician scenarios, which was fascinating. In one situation, the actor kept insisting that the physician give her a prescription. ”I want medicine,” she pleaded, even though she only had a virus! It truly hit home. In our case, there is no pill…at least not yet. So, we make ourselves better through diet and dedication.
After that, we checked out the robotic patient. They asked for a couple of volunteers to assist with “surgery.” Of course, I jumped right up (I am a learner at heart). My patient had a heart attack and I had to use the defibrillator. No worries, he made it through.
Next, we headed to a room where we worked with partners on a project. It was truly interesting because it taught us all about teamwork. Statistically, patients fare better in medical situations if they have a communicative team caring for them. Lunch was next (gluten-free for me, of course).
Finally, after a number of speeches, we all had the chance to watch our sons and daughters receive their white coat and stethoscope. (Did you know that the length of the coat depicts your level of schooling?) I must say that watching my “baby” up on stage was a bit overwhelming. My mother died of pancreatic cancer before I graduated from college. It changed my life. I too was headed to medical school, but changed my mind as I couldn’t bare the pain of spending time in the hospital. Looking back, I was always passionate about medicine, and now I’ve turned that passion into preventive medicine and raising awareness for celiac disease.
I can’t express how proud I was when Elizabeth took her oath. And, thanks to getting properly diagnosed, I was there watching her.
- Alice
Want your doctor to be more informed about celiac disease? Learn how you can talk to them about NFCA’s free online course for physicians.
Gluten-Free Adventures at Expo West…and an Ode to Bloggers
Eight years ago, I started the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness to make “gluten-free” a household word. Our goal was to raise awareness of celiac disease so we could have a voice: increase availability, affordability, safety, tasty and understanding… and eventually fund research.
Well, the market for gluten-free foods has soared. We are currently a $2.64 billion industry, and the marketplace is expected to double in the next 4 years. 15% of all consumers are looking for gluten-free foods, and at Expo West, gluten-free labels were EVERYWHERE!
Yep, that's fitness buff Jillian Michaels!
On the convention floor, I stood in amazement of the rows of gluten-free products. I didn’t know which way to turn. To the right for Rudi’s great gluten-free grilled cheese and chicken sandwiches; to the left to Glutenfreeda’s fabulous new Pizza Wraps; down another aisle to Kettle Cuisine’s unbelievable Thai Curry Chicken Soup. Haine Celestial’s booth was piled high with sections of gluten-free products. I even found a new meal replacement protein drink called Svelte. It was heaven on earth.
My new gluten-free find: Svelte!
All three gluten-free presentations were standing room only. When I stepped down from the podium, people asked questions for a ½ hour. They even followed me out the door.
At one point in the day, I was speaking with Anne Whalen, editor of Gluten Free Living, and renowned dietitian Shelley Case. We all agreed: Our time has come! We have all dreamt of this day, and it’s finally here.
Of course, this couldn’t have happened without the help of a very dedicated group: the bloggers. Thanks to their daily posts, rapid-fire tweets and enticing recipes, gluten-free has nestled into solid ground online and in stores.
My "New York Crew" of gluten-free gals!
So, to the blogging community: Thank you for making a difference for all of us. Thank you for being such passionate advocates; we now have a voice! We can and are bringing about change. Awareness and interest have driven the growth of gluten-free products, making our lives and the lives of others better.
Basically, you all rock! And I especially enjoyed spending time with you over the past couple weeks.
(Stay tuned to Celiac Central: Bits & Bites. These fantastic celiac and gluten-free bloggers will be making an appearance in May!)
-Alice
From Pizza Ovens to Capitol Hill: Celiac Awareness on the Move!
When I was first diagnosed with celiac disease 17 years ago (by my dog’s vet, mind you), I had to order my food from Canada or purchase products at our support group meetings. Gluten-free foods were hard to come by, unless they were naturally gluten-free (eggs, milk, meat, veggies and the like). It took me hours to shop; I wandered up and down the supermarket aisles, only to end up purchasing a few items.
Over the past several years, we at the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness and others have had the opportunity to work with Walmart, Wegmans, Wholefoods, Stop and Shop, ShopRite and Giant. Now, I walk up and down the aisles and just stare in amazement at the shelf tags calling out “Gluten-free!” What a hoot…so life-altering.
The same was the case at restaurants. When I was first diagnosed, you’d think I was speaking another language when I asked the waiter if he or she knew what gluten-free was. The blank stare spoke volumes.
Even 5 or 6 years ago, if a fortune teller said that I would be speaking about Gluten-Free Foodservice Opportunities at the International Pizza Show, I would have thought she had a defective crystal ball. Yet there I was, just last week.
And this time, what happened in Vegas didn’t stay there.
Had such a blast at the International Pizza Expo!
Our gluten-free presentation was noted in an industry article following the Pizza Expo. The article explained how offering gluten-free options can help a restaurant gain loyal customers from the celiac community. It was more proof that gluten-free has not only become mainstream, but is also here to stay.
Now, the message I really hoped to drive home during my presentation was how important it is to know what you’re doing when it comes to gluten-free preparation and serving. To all the pizza professionals and restaurateurs out there: Please do not advertise that you serve “gluten-free” unless you really practice proper protocols. Gluten-free food can be delicious, tempting, safe, and a good business opportunity – as long as it’s done right.
If that wasn’t enough action in a week, I attended the Digestive Disease National Coalition (DDNC) Policy Forum in Washington DC over the weekend. Three years ago, when I first landed in front of our nation’s representatives, their legislative assistant’s eyes glazed over at the words “celiac” and “gluten-free.” Even more upsetting, the physician on my committee didn’t even know that celiac was so prevalent!
Last year, I was grouped with the same physician, and his entire attitude had changed. At the time, he was diagnosing two patients per week and was excited to tell the celiac story.
I got to speak with Rep. Stephen Lynch about celiac and gluten-free needs.
Today – get ready for this – that same physician has his daughter on a gluten-free diet, one of the legislative assistants has celiac, and another is getting her boyfriend tested. They were interested and hungry to help. That’s progress!
What changes have you noticed that show progress in celiac and gluten-free awareness? I always love hearing success stories!
-Alice
Defining “Gluten-Free”: What’s the Deal at FDA?
When I think back over the past 6 years in the celiac community, there are highs and lows.
The highs: We have seen great improvement in the variety and availability of gluten-free foods. We can walk into our local supermarket and readily purchase gluten-free foods. Gluten-free has been named the 8th largest food trend for 2011, an increase from its No. 9 position in 2010.
Now for the lows: The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has not established a standard to define the term “gluten-free,” so there’s always that bit of doubt about the safety of our food. But, let’s not get discouraged.
Let’s review a little history of allergy and food labeling. In 2002, the Food Standards Australia/New Zealand announced that “all food labels will show the declarations of the presence of potential allergens in foods, such as gluten, peanuts and other nuts, seafood, milk, wheat, eggs and soybeans. In addition, all foods containing genetically modified materials must be labeled as such.”
Clear gluten-free labeling can help us feel confident about the foods we choose.
In 2005, the European Union required manufacturers to identify 12 common food allergens including: celery, dairy, eggs, fish, gluten, mustard, peanuts, sesame seeds, shellfish, soy, tree nuts and wheat, and their derivatives.
On Jan. 1, 2006, the U.S. Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) went into effect. As a result, the presence of eight allergens including dairy, eggs, fish, peanuts, shellfish, soy, tree nuts and wheat are now declared on ingredient lists.
Since the inception of FALCPA, the FDA has been developing a definition for the term “gluten-free,” as there is currently no approved legislation for U.S. food manufacturers or consumers. Once approved, labeling regulations will help U.S. consumers maintain a gluten-free diet by clearly designating which items are safe to eat, without confusion over potential cross-contamination. “As ordered by the FALCPA, a final rule on this definition was to be enacted by August 2008.”
So how’s the progress going?
On Jan. 23, 2007, the FDA published a proposed rule about defining the term “gluten-free.” The proposed rule included a 90-day public comment period, which ended on April 23, 2007. In addition to public comments, the proposed rule called for a safety assessment related to gluten exposure in individuals with celiac disease, which would help guide the development of a definition for “gluten-free.”
Fast forward to today. It’s more than 4 years later and here we sit, still waiting for the final word. The celiac and gluten-free community is frustrated, and rightly so. What is the hold up? By establishing a U.S. definition for “gluten-free” and uniform conditions for the labeling of foods, the FDA will help ensure that persons purchasing U.S. products have accurate information. Shouldn’t this be a priority?
What do you think should define "gluten-free"?
Bingo. In the midst of the blizzard that struck Philly a few weeks ago, I received a phone call from Rhonda Kane, MS, RD, Consumer Safety Officer at the FDA. I asked her for the scoop. Rhonda assured me that the FDA has been working diligently on a safety assessment related to gluten exposure and celiac disease. Once the report is finalized, FDA plans to share the safety assessment with the public and reopen a comment period so individuals can help decide how this assessment will be used in defining “gluten-free.”
So, that’s where we stand.
The public comment period has yet to be reopened, but I’d like to hear some opinions now. Keeping our families safe is top of mind for all celiac sufferers nationwide and worldwide, so let’s make this an ongoing discussion. What do you think should be included in the definition of “gluten-free”?
-Alice
Simply the Bast
What is it like to be President and Founder of NFCA? I must say that it’s a total blast. I’m a learner and a healer at heart, so I relish the opportunity to come into work and take on chronic disease issues every day.
When I started NFCA, I was told I could never raise awareness of celiac disease because there was no pharmaceutical support from drug companies. Well, my first thought was, Watch me. I wanted to ensure that gluten-free food was everywhere; I felt compelled to stop needless suffering; and I’m proud of the work NFCA is doing in both of those areas.
Love these shoes!
Now, do I only think about celiac disease? No… I have lots of outside interests. I love sports and exercise, especially hiking. I enjoy being in nature, and I love to have fun!
But celiac disease always is in the back of my mind. Take this weekend for instance. I’ll start with Sunday night and work backwards…
Look to the right. Those shoes? They’re mine. I love to make a statement, and these turned out to be quite a conversation starter at my buddy Dick Moberg’s birthday party last Sunday. People kept coming up to comment on my shoes. But did the conversation end there? Nope. Needless to say, I somehow managed to hand out every “Do I Have Celiac?” brochure that I had in my purse.
Go Navy!
Sometimes, that’s the best way to spread the word: a casual conversation and–Bam!–someone knows someone who might have celiac disease and, yes, they’d like to snag a brochure.
On Saturday, I attended the Army/Navy football game in Philadelphia. (I know, I know. It’s been a sport-astic week for NFCA.) My dad attended the US Naval Academy, Class of 1949, so we attend the Army/Navy game each year. Unfortunately, he died of cancer (another reason why I’m so vested in disease prevention), but we like to carry on the family tradition.
Whole branzino
This year, we won! Yippie! My favorite part, though, may have been the goat. No, not a real goat. The mascot.
After the game on Saturday, I had a fabulous dinner that was – you guessed it – gluten-free and healthy!
I ordered a whole branzino that was served tableside. So delicious. So nutritious. I challenge anyone to eat a meal like this and still say gluten-free doesn’t taste good.
Yum!
I’m a staunch believer in the fact that our environment, especially our food supply, is tightly connected to our overall health and well-being. Our society puts heavy emphasis on medications and prescriptions, but I believe treatment can also come on a plate.
And if that plate is speckled with sauce and capers, well, bring it on.
So, to summarize… My name is Bast, I have a blast, and I like bass!
-Alice
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