The next Annual Blood Screening at the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center will take place on Saturday, October 18.  If you or a loved one suspects you may have this disease and you are in the Chicago area, call to make a reservation at: 773-702-7593. The center typically screens up to 400 people each year and uses the most reliable testing available to detect Celiac Disease.

PRE-REGISTRATION is required and begins August 15th. Participants must be on a gluten diet prior to testing.

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When I heard there was a new choice in frozen treats for those of us who don’t eat/drink dairy products, boy was I excited. After all, this is National Ice Cream Month. I already make my own coconut milk frozen yogurt, but to be able to purchase already made coconut milk ice cream is a terrific option, and it’s even made with an alternative sugar — agave nectar. Pure Decadence is not rich — a characteristic you’ll either find “light and refreshing” or you may wish it were richer and creamier.

Our family celebrated National Ice Cream day by running a mini taste test on the new line of Pure Decadence non-dairy coconut ice creams. We looked at four flavors over two days: Coconut, Cookie Dough, Vanilla, and Chocolate. If you haven’t yet tried this brand, you may want to, it is a good alternative to soy and rice creams. (more…)

Dr. Rodney Ford, a pediatric gastroenterologist from Christ Church New Zealand, has launched two public service videos that explain very simply how Gluten can affect the brain and the gut. Dr. Ford is the author of several books about what he has termed, “the gluten syndrome”. Dr. Ford urges people who suffer from reoccurring bouts of illness yet test negative for celiac disease to go ahead and try the gluten free diet anyway. The first video is geared toward children and adults alike and makes a very understandable and simple explanation of how gut and brain symptoms are connected in the person who suffers from gluten intolerance, or the gluten syndrome. (more…)

Gluten is the term we use to describe the mixture of proteins, including gliadins, that are found in wheat grains, barley, and rye. Gluten, quite simply, means ‘glue’. And the term is appropriate because it is that glue-like quality found in these grains that make them ideal ingredients in our baked and prepackaged goods. The sticky quality of gluten has given it value in non-edible markets such as the production of paper and fabric glue. It is also used as cattle feed and as an initial ingredient in the manufacturing process of monosodium glutamate (MSG).

Most of us have a remote understanding of celiac’s disease, the seemingly rare autoimmune disorder of the small intestine that causes damage to the intestinal villi, thus triggering a whole host of health problems, nutritional deficiencies, and possible colon cancer if left untreated. (more…)

The University of Chicago is hosting their annual free Celiac disease blood screening on Saturday, October 6, 2007.

PRE-REGISTRATION is required and begins August 15th.

If you or a loved one suspects you may have this disease and you are in the Chicago area, call to make a reservation at: 773-702-7593. The center typically screens up to 400 people each year and uses the most reliable testing available to detect Celiac Disease. (more…)

Bed-wetting, or Nocturnal Enuresis, is a nuisance when parents are starting to potty train. But for many families this inconvenience stretches for many more years. As bed-wetting children age it becomes even more apparent to them that there is something wrong.

There is a shame that runs deep among those that grew up with plastic mattress covers and a second set of spare sheets already underneath them. It is a secret society of members that hold on to their anonymity for life. As adults they remember sleep over parties and vacations that were always wrought with anxiety. A bed-wetter knows when they to go to sleep that more than likely they will awaken hours later wet and embarrassed, and it is completely out of their control. Or is it?

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If you have found this page through a search engine then you have probably already learned that you are allergic to both wheat and maize. You have undoubtedly been suffering with some type of extreme allergic reaction, chronic illness, or auto-immune disorder for months, if not years. It is quite a shock when you discover that you or a loved one has an intolerance to both wheat gluten and maize, as these two ingredients are a staple in the modern American diet.

As a multiple allergy sufferer this poses quite a challenge for you when it comes to ingredient purchases and meal preparation.

I have devoted a special section of this website for people allergic to both wheat and corn, hoping to spawn a community of readers that will interact together with tips and recipes to share. (more…)