Sure Foods Living – gluten-free and allergen-free living

My girls turned 7 and 5 this month, and for their birthday celebration, I decided to have something other than cake (see their past birthday cakes: Butterfly cakes, Fish cakes, Mermaid cakes, Aloha cakes).

The dessert was a surprise up until the moment it was ready, and it was a hit! Can you guess from the picture of my happy 7 year old what it was?

A chocolate fountain! With stuff to dip — all gluten-free and free of the top 8 allergens.

I purchased a mini chocolate fountain on Amazon for $28. It worked great, but I think in the future I would rather have the larger size. For the chocolate I used Enjoy Life Mega Chunks with organic canola oil (you have to add oil to the chocolate to thin it for the fountain). The chocolate flowed perfectly and was delicious. People couldn’t believe it was dairy-free.

For the dipping I used marshmallows, pineapple (canned), strawberries, mandarin oranges (canned), Glutino pretzel sticks, Kinnikinnick animal cookies, vanilla cake cut into chunks, and more marshmallows (the most popular item), which I also put candles in for my girls to blow out during the Happy Birthday song.

For dipping and eating, I had skewers, plates, and NAPKINS! And a hose. Yes, it was messy, but the smiles were worth it. I recommend doing it outside (even though the instructions say not to), and getting a plastic tablecloth.

The chocolate fountain may just become their birthday tradition!

I’m in tears as I watch an interview with the amazingly composed father of Jharell Dillard, a teenage boy who died last week from anaphylactic shock after eating a chocolate chip cookie that he didn’t know contained nuts. The cookie was given to him by his aunt by mistake. I feel such pain for this family and fear of losing my own daughter like this. It can happen so fast, and so easily, which is why it is so important to always – always – carry an Epi-Pen. Unfortunately, this boy didn’t have one with him because he was always so careful. As careful as one is, accidents can happen.

As if one death isn’t enough of a reminder, there are two more in recent news.

A 20 year old college student, also in Georgia, died after eating at the dining hall. The full story is here.

A young Bay Area man died just last month after eating a salad that contained nuts. He made the news because he was a key witness in a crime, but hopefully his legacy will be to raise money for food allergy awareness and research, as his friends and family are walking in his honor at the 2011 Food Allergy Walk in San Jose, CA.

I don’t mean to be morbid, but I am still haunted by the horrible story of a 7th grader who died at school in Chicago last December, and the tragedy of BJ Hom, an 18 year old who lost his life while vacationing with his family in Mexico. There is a memorial fundraising run in his honor.

These are reminders to be vigilant about food and to carry medicine at all times, no matter how mild past reactions have been.

Here are some important facts most people probably don’t know about food allergies, according to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN):

• The severity of a person’s allergic reactions to food cannot be predicted from previous reactions. Someone whose reactions have been mild in the past might react more severely during a next episode. A FAAN review of food allergy fatalities found that most of the people had never had a severe allergic reaction until the one that caused their death. Thus, all food allergies must be taken seriously.
• The incidence of peanut and tree nut allergy among children appears to have tripled between 1997 and 2008.
• Even trace amounts of a food allergen can cause a reaction.
• Most people who’ve had an allergic reaction to something they ate thought that it was safe.
• Early administration of epinephrine (adrenaline) is crucial to successfully treating anaphylactic reactions. Epinephrine is available by prescription in a self-injectable device (EpiPen® or Twinject®).
• A study of fatal reactions in children and adolescents found that most occurred at school, and were associated with significant delays in treating with epinephrine.
• There are no significant risks to giving epinephrine even if someone isn’t having an allergic reaction, unless one has a serious heart condition.

Awareness and education of those around us is the key to keeping our children safe!

If your child has food allergies, it is a good idea to let the other parents in your class know. In my case, I wrote a letter to all the parents in my daughter’s grade because they all eat lunch together and last year we had an incident due to another child and her parents not knowing about my daughter’s peanut allergy.

I thought I would share the letter here in case anyone out there needs a little help. Feel free to copy and paste it to make your own letter. I have already had one parent let me know that after reading my letter she bought Sunbutter for her son’s lunches (even though I didn’t ask her to).

This letter is to let you know that I have a child in the 2nd grade with severe food allergies. Her name is ____________ in Ms. ______’s class. Even if your child is not in class with my daughter, they share lunch tables. Therefore, I want to make sure that all the parents and kids in the 2nd grade are aware of her severe allergies.

________ is severely allergic to peanuts, nuts, eggs and avocado. If she comes into contact with or eats these foods, she can become very ill, with hives, rash, itchy eyes, stomach ache, vomiting, breathing problems, and swelling throat. The allergic reaction could be life-threatening (anaphylaxis) if not stopped in time with proper medication and emergency care.

The best way for my child to be safe is for her to avoid the foods to which she is allergic. I am aware and sympathetic to your needs as parents when packing food for your children to eat at school. Peanut butter and other nut butters are of the highest concern with children as they are sticky and the oils are easily transferred to shared surfaces. If you do pack peanuts or nuts for your child, please talk about it with your child and encourage him/her to be careful about spilling or spreading it around, to keep the food away from _________, and to wash his/her hands after eating. Kids are usually very thoughtful about it and don’t want their friends to get sick.

I know from the last two years that you are a wonderful and supportive group of parents and I thank you for looking out for my child! Please do not hesitate to ask me any questions.

Alison St. Sure

UPDATE: The class on Oct 12 has been canceled. The Oct 26 is still available at this time.

I am excited to announce that I am teaching a series of classes called Learning, Living and Cooking Gluten-Free along with Sheila Wagner, beginning next month (September 2011). The classes will be held at the Belvedere-Tiburon Recreation Center, located in Marin County, California. The classes are open to the public. To sign up, call (415) 435-4355.

Here is the class description:

LEARNING, LIVING AND COOKING GLUTEN FREE!
A 3 Class Series – Take 1 or Take them all
September 28, October 12 and October 26
Location: Tiburon Community Room, Tiburon Town Hall
Fee: $20 per class or $50 for all 3
All 3 Classes #1708.113
Each class encourages questions and discussion.

Class #1: Is Intolerance to Gluten Ruining Your Health?
Instructor: Sheila Wagner, PT, CN
Could your persistent or unexplained health complaints actually be related to gluten? Learn cutting edge information about common symptoms and health conditions associated with gluten intolerance and how to fi nd out if you, your family members or friends could be intolerant to gluten.
9/28 Wed 6:30pm-8:30pm #1708.101

Class #2: Living Gluten-Free
Instructor: Alison St. Sure

Learn the ins and outs of gluten-free living. Whether you have celiac disease, gluten intolerance, or are interested in learning more about the gluten-free diet for yourself or a family member, this 2 hour class is packed with essential information about what to eat (and what not to), how to read labels and where to shop, how to travel and dine out, and how to navigate social situations, among other topics.
10/12 Wed 6:30pm-8:30pm #1708.102

Class #3: Simple & Practical Gluten-Free Cooking
Instructors: Sheila Wagner and Alison St. Sure
Are you new to the gluten-free diet? Are you stuck in a glutenfree rut? Come learn how to make practical, nutritious and delicious gluten-free meals, snacks and treats. Sheila and Alison are as busy as you are, and with a combined 20 years of gluten-free experience, they have it fi gured out. From quick appetizers to potluck favorites to basic meals and snacks, you will learn Sheila and Alison’s tricks for preparing easy gluten-free foods that everyone will enjoy.
10/26 Wed 6:30pm-8:30pm #1708.103

Sheila Wagner is a Certifi ed Nutritionist and Physical Therapist and is the co-founder of the Gluten Intolerance Group of Marin. Sheila has a private practice in Larkspur, and is the Founder of Finally Fix Your Health LLC, an educational company devoted to teaching the public what they really need to know in order to take control of their health, feel good again and live a meaningful life. Sheila has been treating patients and teaching for 30 years and is active on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Nutritional Professionals.

Alison St. Sure is the co-founder of the Gluten Intolerance Group of Marin. Since 2007, she has been writing her blog, Sure Foods Living, about living gluten-free. She has taught Living Gluten-Free classes at CPMC and Kaiser in San Francisco, and was a guest speaker at UC Berkeley and at the Bay Area Dietetics Association Conference. She now works for Pamela’s Products and does gluten-free consulting for other businesses and individuals.

I love to snack and I guess I’m pretty good at making healthy snack choices for myself. Kids, on the other hand, require a bit of coaching as to what constitutes a healthy snack. Pre-dinner time is the worst, when kids turn into beggars looking for handouts! So, to stave them off before they reach for the chips and treats, I try to put a variety of snacks out before kids ask for them — you know what they say: be one step ahead of your kid. Sometimes I set them out in a high-traffic area and don’t say a word. They discover them and sure enough, they are eating the healthy snacks and not rifling through the pantry.

Need kid-friendly snack ideas? All of the snacks on my list are gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, egg-free and nut-free… also minimally processed and healthy! Even kids with food allergies can overload on packaged carb-heavy snacks and sugary treats, so it’s important to not fall into the deprivation syndrome (letting them have as much as they want of the allergen-free treats because you feel they are deprived enough already).

These are snacks that my kids, ages 5 and 7, will actually eat, plus they double as great lunch box items!

To see my healthy snacks list, please visit Attune Foods, and add your own ideas in the comments!

Happy and Healthy Snacking!

Q. Can one or two recent “glutenings” create a positive TTG test even if I’ve been really compliant for 4 years?

A. It depends on how intense were your “glutenings”! A few crumbs here and there, or a huge serving of pasta, with several slices of bread, or a piece of cake, can make the difference between a positive anti-tTG and a negative test. The truth is no one really knows for sure. In certain research protocols, 7 grams of gluten are used in challenges to bring a normal intestinal biopsy in a proven celiac patient who has been gluten-free to an abnormal one, but I am unaware of any data about tTG levels. Besides, each individual may respond differently to the same amount of gluten; if your test has turned positive after only a little gluten intake, then you know that you are more sensitive and vulnerable.

Health and happiness,
Dr. Aron

Have a question for the doc?

“It’s all in your head” is the response more than one patient has received from a doctor after hearing about the patient’s health problems. I have heard this story from people who write to me looking for answers, and the fact that a doctor could be so dismissive of one’s health complaints is frustrating and upsetting. Those that write me an email like the one I am sharing below have already taken the steps to find out what is wrong, and have discovered that by cutting out gluten, many if not all of their symptoms have resolved. I wonder how many others end up believing that it is in their heads, that there is no cure for their ailments, no hope to feel better. Gluten can indeed affect the head — with anxiety, depression, migraines, seizures, ADD and OCD, and even schizophrenia, but I doubt that’s what those doctors meant.

Here is an email I received recently:

“I’m sure you’re extremely busy, so I understand if you cannot respond to this email immediately, but I am desperate and would love your advice. I’m 27 years old.  I endured some abuse about a year into my marriage. I’ve been divorced about a year and a half, so my life is in a calm, peaceful place now. My body, on the other hand, has been rebelling. 

I was suffering night sweats, joint pain, belly bloat, terrible gas, and recurrent mouth sores that absolutely cover my mouth making it impossible to eat. I went on a gluten free diet about 8 months ago, and I found relief from almost all of those symptoms. If I go back on wheat, the symptoms return. My doctor tested me for celiac disease and the results came back negative. I had been on a gluten-free diet for quite some time I thought it was possible that could’ve affected the outcome of the blood test, but my doctor refuses to look into the matter any further. She blames my problems on anxiety and post-traumatic stress. I agree that stress is a factor, but is it possible stress sparked the digestive issues? I’ve had problems with IBS, specifically constipation, since the day I was born, and have also been lactose intolerant all my life. So digestive complications are nothing new. 

She acts like it’s all in my mind, which makes me feel so defeated. I don’t know where to go from here, but as someone with so much knowledge on the subject, I would value your advice more that I can tell you.”

In my answer to her, I told her that it is not in her mind, but rather her stomach! I also told her that her doctor sounds dismissive and ignorant and that she on the the other hand, sounds like she knows exactly what is going on. If she feels better off the gluten, that is her proof.

Celiac disease and gluten intolerance can indeed be triggered by stress, although it sounds like she already had symptoms long before. The stress could have turned it up a notch, or due to her radical lifestyle change she may have altered her diet to have more gluten in it, thereby making her symptoms worse.

“Where do I go from here?” she asked at the end of the email. Where do you go from here? You stay gluten-free if you feel better, you tell people you have a gluten intolerance or sensitivity or gluten allergy or whatever you want to call it, and you say it with confidence! It really doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks about it — do what is right for you.

I wish this reader well, and I hope that her email touches someone else out there struggling with the same obstacles. If anyone else has advice for those that are wondering if it’s all in their heads, please add your comments!

Gluten Free Resource Exchange

Our next meeting of the Gluten Intolerance Group of Marin will take place on Tuesday, August 9 at 7:00pm.

What is the “go to” resource that you turn to for supporting your gluten free life? Perhaps it is a book you read when you first were diagnosed. Or maybe it is doctor or other medical professional who has stuck by you through a difficult diagnostic process. You might read –or even write– a blog that connects you with scores of other people living gluten free. Or maybe you have a favorite appliance that makes cooking gluten free easier. Is there a product on your grocery store shelf that you buy and use regularly? Or a restaurant that “gets it” which you frequent? Perhaps your resource is a friend–who eats gluten free or not–someone who listens well, understands the challenges you face and always makes you feel welcome at the table despite your diet restrictions.

At our next meeting we invite you to share the resources you’ve discovered and depend on to make living gluten free work for you. We will open up the floor to exchange our experiences so that each person will leave this meeting with lots of new ideas. You are encouraged to bring along your resource–be it a book, a recipe, a product, or even a person!

Whether you have celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, or are learning more about gluten free living for yourself, family or friends, we welcome you to the GIG of Marin. New members, friends, and loved ones are always welcome.

As always, we request that you RSVP to this event by emailing us at: glutenfreemarin@yahoo.com or on our Facebook page

The Gluten Intolerance Group of Marin will meet:

• Tuesday, August 9
  
• 7:00 to 9:00pm
  
• Community Room at Corte Madera Town Center (upstairs at PF Chang’s end) 770 Tamalpais Dr. Suite 201, Corte Madera, CA, 94925

We look forward to seeing you!

Walking into a bakery and choosing anything from the case is no big deal for most people, but for the first time ever in my soon-to-be 7 year old daughter’s life, she was able to do just that last Saturday. Sensitive Sweets, located in Orange County, California, is a dedicated gluten-free and nut-free bakery that specializes in baked goods and custom cakes for people with food sensitivities or dietary restrictions.

While there are gluten-free bakeries popping up here and there, most gluten-free baked goods contain dairy, nuts, eggs, soy or any combination of these most common allergens. Sensitive Sweets, which had its grand opening July 13, offers cookies, muffins, cupcakes, breads and cakes that are free of gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, and nuts.

You should see the cakes! Because we were there on a Saturday, we got to see a few of them being picked up. Those lucky kids! To get a fancy, bakery-made allergen-free cake is really a treat for kids that have never had one!

We treated ourselves to sugar cookies (my daughter’s favorite), chocolate and vanilla cupcakes, cinnamon bread (great, soft texture), and a lemon blackberry cupcake (my favorite). I asked my daughter what she liked about the bakery, and she said, “that it was gluten-free, and e-free and n-free and d-free.”

I would like to thank Melanie, the owner and head baker, who started the bakery because of her own experience with her two sons. The bakery is located in Fountain Valley, which is nowhere near where I live, but luckily close to relatives who we visit!

For more information about Sensitive Sweets, go their website or Facebook page.

Did you know that breakfast cereal was invented only a little over 100 years ago? What was intended as a health food has become, for most Americans, a meal of sugary processed grains devoid of real nutrition. Bright unnatural colors, marshmallow or chocolate bits and prizes are what define our boxed cereals of today. Even choosing healthy, natural cereals can mean a lot of gluten, as most cereals are made from wheat, and if you are one of the 7% of Americans who have celiac disease or are gluten intolerant (some doctors suspect the number is closer to 30%!), this big dose of gluten at the beginning of the day can really affect the rest of your day.

So, what are your breakfast options if you need to be on a gluten-free diet? Don’t worry – there are many! Head over to Attune Foods, the makers of Erewhon cereal, to read my list of gluten-free breakfast ideas, and add your own in the comments!