Tag Archives: celiac

The next generation of gluten free beers

Posted on September 21, 2012 | 1 comment

Have you ever seen something so beautiful? A gluten free beer and the NYC skyline.

When I was in the city a couple of weeks ago I was really lucky to try a few new gluten free beers that really are in a class of their own.

First was Prairie Path Golden Ale from Two Brothers Brewing Co.

Prairie Path is crafted to remove gluten and has less than 5 ppm, according to their lab report (awesome they provide that!)

It has a “complex malt character” and is a “crisp, drinkable, savory ale that is light in color, but not flavor.” Check out that color!

Then I progressed to something a bit heavier – Harvester Brewing Dark Ale.

This beer “uses a very dark, near espresso-like roast” of chestnuts. Which “lend a roasty flavor and aroma with notes of chocolate and dark fruits.” You can really taste the chestnuts in this one! It’s a beer with some complex flavors, and is very sip-able (unlike Redbridge, which I can basically chug it’s so light).

While these beers may not be the easiest to find – it makes me giddy as a school girl at a carnival that there are some bold new brews coming to the market.

Cheers to beers!

1 Comment

Posted in Product Reviews

Tagged beer, breweries, celiac, Gluten, Gluten-free

Celiacs unite! My take on the gluten free community

Posted on July 11, 2012 | 3 comments

I love the gluten free community – in person and online.

When I meet someone in person who has Celiac Disease we have an instant friendship and endless topics to discuss. It’s so refreshing to talk to someone who understands exactly what you’re talking about – someone to gripe with, to share tips with, ask for advice, and to try new gluten free foods with. As much as non-celiacs can try to empathize – really, they just can’t fully understand.

The online celiac community is such a great group of people. Some are experts in the kitchen, some are advocates for research, some review gluten free companies and products, and some just wax poetic about the trials of living gluten free. Every day I learn something new from the celiac community, and can’t imagine navigating this disease without the help of my fellow bloggers and tweeters.

I’ve got love for celiacs – but our community has also come under attack from many people. Those who think that we’re faking it – that Celiac Disease doesn’t need to be taken seriously. Companies that exploit the gluten free label to increase profits (I’m lookin’ at you – California Pizza Kitchen and Dominos!). Or celebrities who don’t realize that they are harming people with a legitimate disease when they casually adopt a gluten free diet in an attempt to lose weight.

So what can we do about it?

Focus on Celiac Disease, not gluten-free eating.

While it’s much easier to talk in terms of “gluten free” foods – I think it’s really important for us to move toward a “Safe for Celiacs” mentality. If we can get greater recognition/understanding of Celiac Disease, and the difference between gluten intolerance and Celiac disease, I think that we will all be better off. While I believe there definitely is a spectrum of levels of gluten intolerance – if we can work toward making foods and restaurants safe for celiacs, then they will be safe for everyone eating gluten free!

Don’t shut up.

I love seeing the celiac community united in fighting something that we feel is hurting us. I loved the flurry of tweets at Domino’s or the barrage of WTF blog posts on our latest celebrity “spokespeople”. By making our voices heard, we can make sure that we’re letting them know that it’s not okay, and that we will not support them as a community. (While I’m on the topic – go sign the petition on the NFCA Amber Designation).

Bring on the men!

While Celiac Disease is more present in women than men, I’d love to see some more celiac studs join our forces! I think in some ways “gluten free” has become too closely associated with girly bakeries (not that I’m not hopelessly devoted to Babycakes), complicated recipes, or general healthy-living/dieting. I think having a few more good men on our side would help diversify opinions and bring new perspectives. So – if you have a gluten dude of your own in your life – tell him to start a blog or join the Twittersphere!

What do you think the celiac community could benefit from? Where do we go from here?

3 Comments

Posted in News, Tips

Tagged celiac, celiac disease, Gluten-free

Best grits in DC

Posted on June 1, 2012 | 2 comments

Going out to breakfast or brunch can be a challenge for celiacs. French toast, pancakes, English muffins – gluten seems to be the star of the show in most dishes. Nine times out of 10 I end up eating an omelette or some kind of eggs, which is mostly okay with me. Except for the fact that they usually come with hash browns or home fries, and I’m always skeptical of how they are made (they could be fried, put on a griddle next to the toast, come from a mix that has them coated in flour, etc.)

So when a restaurant has grits on the menu, they are always my go-to substitute. They’re creamy, cheesy, buttery, and good ole’ Southern cookin’.

These are my top three restaurants for grits that I’ve found in DC yet.

1. Ted’s Bulletin

Seriously amazing cheese grits. They’re like a finer, condensed macaroni and cheese.This isn’t the most colorful plate in the world, but so delicious.

2. Vinoteca

Nice and cheesy, just how I like ’em. These come with big pieces of cheddar on top. Try them with the smoked salmon omelette.

3. Art and Soul

I only had a taste of my friend’s grits here as a part of their shrimp and grits dish at dinner, but they serve them as a side dish at brunch as well. If Art Smith can’t make a good pot of grits, then I don’t know who can.

Any places I’m missing for good grits? Or anything else you substitute for toast while eating breakfast out?

2 Comments

Posted in Restuarant Reviews, Tips

Tagged breakfast, Brunch, celiac, celiac disease, dc, eggs, Gluten, Gluten-free, restaurants, washington dc

Gluten and brain fog

Posted on April 19, 2012 | 6 comments

Similar to my recent post on gluten and memory loss, gluten is also linked closely to mental “brain fog”. A feeling of confusion, reduced ability to think clearly, or make quick connections. Because we can’t feel the tissue in our brains like we can feel the tissue in our guts, we don’t necessarily identify the effects of a glutening on our cognitive function. But it’s there. In fact, unexplained brain dysfunction is seen in 6 to 10 percent of patients diagnosed with celiac disease.

Sadly, I find my brain is often in a fog. Case and point: I opened my kitchen cupboard yesterday morning to get out a coffee cup and I find this scene.

Yep. That’s the half & half that I used in my coffee the morning before. I put it in the cupboard instead of the refrigerator.

This happens all the time. Not just with the half & half, but I’ve found peanut butter in the freezer. I’ve inexplicably lost one flip flop somewhere in my apartment. I’ve looked for 30 minutes for my phone before remembering that I plugged it into the charger.

It’s like I’m 90 years old – my brain just misfires and it will just do things that make no sense while caught up in the fog.

So, what causes this annoying lack of mental clarity? Gluten, of course. Among other things.

The top three gluten related causes of brain fog are:

Nutrient deficiencies – especially B vitamins and zinc. Due to malabsorption of these and other vitamins/minerals, the body and brain can start not functioning properly.
Milk and dairy. Studies have shown that for many celiacs, eliminating gluten isn’t enough to completely lift mental side effects from the disease. Only when dairy and gluten were eliminated did their condition improve noticeably.
Sinus congestion/pressure. Gluten can cause inflammation of the sinuses, which places pressure on parts of the brain and increases histamine levels.

With the elimination of every trace of gluten, and in some cases dairy, conditions in people with brain fog have been shown to improve, especially in children. In one study, a group of children who eliminated gluten from their diet raised their grade point averages from 2.5 to 3.9!

Of course, this is just more evidence that I really need to give up dairy in my diet. It’s something I’ve tried and something I dread actually having to do, but maybe it will help me stop putting my half & half in the cupboard 🙂

6 Comments

Posted in Tips

Tagged brain, celiac, celiac disease, Gluten, mental health

Homemade Pizza Co.

Posted on April 19, 2012 | Leave a comment

Let me show you what a good use of $20 looks like:

Pizza from Homemade Pizza Co.!

I know, I know. It’s cheaper to make it yourself. BUT this pizza is good. Like really good. If my cooking ego wasn’t so big I’d probably admit that the crust is the best I’ve ever tried.

Plus you just stick it in the oven and it’s finished! No dishes and no risk of spilling sauce all over yourself when you open the jar. Not like I’ve done that or anything…

Another perk of Homemade Pizza Co. is that they have unique ingredients like blue cheese, poblano peppers, and caramelized onions on their menu. Plus since there are so few places that you can get ready-made non-frozen gluten free pizza, it’s a great novelty to be able to go to a store, grab one and go!

For more gluten free pizza pics/reviews see:

Rubirosa NYC
Pala Pizza NYC
Open City DC
Ella’s Pizza DC
Namaste Foods Pizza Crust Mix

Go Nats! Washington Nationals stadium gluten free options

Posted on April 15, 2012 | 4 comments

This week I went to my first Washington Nationals game! I was really excited to see that they have a page on their website listing all of the gluten free snack/drink options at Nationals Park.

I’ve never had a gluten free soft pretzel, so that was a must. In sections 105 and 319 you can get them at Curly W Pretzels.

No words are really needed. Feel free to lick your screen.

Covered in butter and salt. Soft, warm, just like I remembered.

I also got a Redbridge at the pretzel stand. For $8.

I walked around feelin’ like a regular old Joe Baseball Fan with my pretzel and beer in hand.

Then I stumbled upon this place in section 105 with an explosion of gluten free options.

On the menu:

Redbridge ($.50 at this stand)
Hot dog
Chili dog
Nacho
Loaded nacho
Olive and sweet potato chips
Carmel and caramel popcorn mix
Organic spicy pumpkin seeds
Organic wild berry mix
Larabar
Dark chocolate free bar
Skittles
Gummie bears

So great to see so many options! Next time I’ll go to this stand to get my beer since it’s $1.50 cheaper.

For more information on gluten free options at other MLB stadiums, check out this great list from Gluten Free Philly.

Or you can read about my trip to Citi Field here.

Play ball!

4 Comments

Posted in Tips

Tagged baseball, celiac, Gluten-free

Youtube videos about Celiac disease that are actually good

Posted on February 10, 2012 | Leave a comment

I don’t think it’s quite a bandwagon yet, but I’m jumping on board with the Gluten Dude and Erin from Gluten Free Fun in commenting on the “Sh*t gluten-free people say” video that Cappello’s made (which they have since removed from Youtube).

I’m not going to spend too much time belaboring how lame the video was. But I will say I was not happy to see my gluten free people depicted as bitchy, needy, and frivolous. There’s a lot of work to be done in raising awareness that Celiac disease is a serious autoimmune disorder. You don’t see anyone making a “Sh*t people with Lupus say” video, now do you?

So, here are a few videos on Celiac disease that made me laugh. Ones that were created by people actually living with Celiacs, not a company trying to increase sales.

1. The Quinoa Song:

These guys are great, and this song is actually really catchy/informative! “If you have Celiac Disease, allergy to wheat, the Inca Gold will save you – it’ll get you off your feet!”

2. Royal Empire Celiac Awareness

Gluten Dude shared this video and I loved it so I’m sharing it to give these guys some more views!

3. The Rap on Celiac Disease:

And this one had me cracking up. “Celiac disease, all the way!”

4. Celiac Disease: What kids have to say

This one didn’t make me laugh, but I love these kids. They aren’t following any fad and eating gluten free is hard for them, but they can always find the good in things.

Hopefully more funny, silly, heartfelt, and *hilariously awful* videos will start coming out soon!

Dear Buca di Beppo…

Posted on February 8, 2012 | 5 comments

Your gluten free menu is worthless and your decor is trashy.

Have a nice day,

Anna

I know, harsh. But I reallllly dislike Buca di Beppo. Their ridiculously large portions, their inauthentic dished, their poor quality ingredients, the silly knick-knacks on the walls – just bad. But I could overlook all of that if they didn’t have the worst gluten free menu I’ve ever seen.

First I should say that I respect any restaurant that actually has a gluten free menu and staff who are knowledgeable enough to accommodate gluten free diners. Buca di Beppo is a bit of an outlier though, since their food is all served family style. So, you basically have to force your entire table to eat gluten free, or you can pay up the wazoo for your own meal (which I ended up doing). My friends wanted to go to Buca so I didn’t really have a choice in the matter, but usually I have the mentality of “I can find something to eat anywhere”. This time that was not the case.

Here it is, folks:

Problems with this menu:

The disclaimer at the top is good to have (and I’m sure required by their legal team), but it also says that I’m supposed to speak to a manager? Awkward.
There are no prices on the menu. Since it’s not coming with pasta I thought it might cost less, but who would know? I also wasn’t sure if the dishes were still in the family size or if they were single serving since it was a special menu. It just says “salmon” – how many pieces of salmon? Does it come with something? Who knows?
The only vegetarian things on the menu are three salads, green beans, broccoli, and mashed potatoes. Vegan options = house salad and green beans. That sure sounds like it’d make a satisfying meal!
It seems like they could so easily offer gluten free pasta. Maybe I’m overlooking something, but it seems like if you dedicate a pot for just gluten free pasta and do a bit more quality control on cross contamination of the sauces, it would be really simple.
No desserts.

I should so be a gluten free restaurant consultant. I’d whip this place right into shape.

So what did I end up getting?

This lousy piece of plain salmon (appears larger than it was. It was probably a 4oz portion, for $10)

And a salad.

Everyone else at the table gorged on bread, garlic bread, calamari, baked ziti, fettuccine alfredo… It was not a great time to be a Celiac.

Needless to say, Buca di Beppo is now on my “will not return” list. While it’s promising that they have such a large chain implementing a gluten free menu, it’s not at all a pleasant dining experience. for gluten free guests.

5 Comments

Posted in Restuarant Reviews

Tagged celiac, Gluten-free, restaurants

Celiac side efects: anxiety

Posted on February 5, 2012 | 1 comment

There are hundreds of symptoms and side effects of Celiac disease, and each person who’s diagnosed seems to be affected by a different cocktail of them. Even once you start following a gluten free diet, there are still plenty of lingering side effects that may come and go, be triggered by accidentally ingesting gluten, or just be an ever-present thing you have to deal with (worst case scenario).

One of the side effects that doesn’t get as much attention is anxiety. A German study showed that female adults following a gluten free diet for celiac disease show higher levels of anxiety than do members of the general population. These are women on a gluten free diet, not undiagnosed.

Since our physical well being and the effectiveness of our digestive system is so important to our mental well being, it makes sense that gluten can cause all kinds of issues in your head as well as your tummy (like the link to eating disorders and depression).

I’ve been known to have really high anxiety in certain situations – top on the list is when I’m hungry and know that I won’t be anywhere with food in the next few hours (like at the beach, in a movie, waiting for a table at a restaurant, etc.).

Over the last couple of years I’ve been much less anxious and generally calmer about managing my Celiac’s, which I can attribute to a few things:

I’ve gotten better at packing a snack for myself though, even when I’m sure I won’t need it. Just having it in my purse helps reduce the anxiety. And I’ve gotten over thinking that other people will think I’m weird/a pig for eating at random times. So what if our dinner reservation is in 30 minutes? I’m hungry now. Plus I won’t be able to eat the bread basket, so I’ll be eating at least 30 minutes later than everyone else anyway.
Making sure I get a ton of vitamins, minerals, and nutritious food every day. Your body thanks you when you eat well and your mind follows.
This might be cheesy, but yoga has been a lifesaver for me. It’s a time to clear your mind, concentrate on yourself, and relieve stress. I go to yoga at least once a week, and it works wonders.
For immediate relief from anxiety, running is my cure. Running or cleaning. I like to put on some really obnoxious rap music, sprint as long as I can, and then when I feel like my heart is going to explode, stop and walk it out. Sometimes I’ll even do a little Rocky-style punching in the air…if no one’s around to catch me.
Keeping Celiac in perspective; it’s not cancer, it’s not MS, it’s Celiac disease. Sure, it’s not curable, and it’s a total bitch to deal with, but it’s not the end of the world. I’m strong and I can handle it.

1 Comment

Posted in News, Tips

Tagged anxiety, celiac, celiac disease, Gluten, mental health

Gluten free Valentine’s Day Candy

Posted on February 2, 2012 | 3 comments

As Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, here are a few sweets that are safe to give to your gluten-free sweetheart. Obviously your first line of defense is chocolate – something heart shaped or chocolate covered strawberries. Just steer clear of truffles unless you know they’re gluten free because I’ve found that most of them have barley or malt in them.

Something new I learned today = Godiva and Lindt chocolate makers explicitly say not to consume their products if you have a gluten allergy.

Godiva says “ALL of our products including solid chocolate pieces may contain gluten. Any person with a gluten allergy should NOT consume ANY of our products.”

Lindt says “Gluten can be found in several premium chocolate products that Lindt & Sprungli produces; either as a cereal ingredient or as a barley component… trace amounts of these gluten ingredients and components may have the opportunity to come in contact with non gluten products.”

I’ll admit, I totally eat Lindt truffles. The ingredients are just cream, chocolate, and butter. It also doesn’t say “may contain wheat” on the nutrition label, just that it may contain nuts. Stupid gluten free labeling. Or non labeling in this case.

Anyhoo – I guess steer clear of Godiva and Lindt to be safe, and go with one of these less classy options. Or just buy flowers 🙂

Surf Sweets Fruity Hearts
I’m not really into gummy things, but since basically all licorice is filled with wheat, these could be a good alternative.

NECCO Sweethearts conversation hearts
On NECCO’s website they have a full list of their gluten free products. Something I didn’t know was that Clark Bars are gluten free as well, I don’t think I’ve ever even had a Clark Bar because they seem like they’re for old people? I’ll have to pick one up.