A Hasselbeck Bump?

Book to Debut on New York Times Best-Seller List

This post isn't about Elisabeth Hasselbeck's little baby bulge.

It's about the impact that the gluten-free View co-host (shown at right at recent Borders book event) might have in boosting awareness of celiac disease.

Consider the results for "celiac" and "gluten" on Google Trends. In both cases you can see spikes representing searches for those words in early 2007 and now. The older spike probably represents Hasselbeck's January 2007 "coming out" as being gluten-free on The View as well as the rollout of Anheuser-Busch's Redbridge beer and, ultimately, the very hot news story about melamine in gluten in pet food.

But how about the current spike, which coincides with the release of Hasselbeck's book The G-Free Diet? Granted, May is also a Celiac Disease Awareness Month, but I have a feeling Hasselbeck's book, currently number two on The New York Times Hardcover Advice best-seller list, has a lot to do with people searching for "celiac" and "gluten."

A week ago, I attended Hasselbeck's reading at the Borders at Park Avenue and 57th Street. Coffee was served...
















...and there were samples a-plenty of the new Starbucks Valencia Orange Cakes!


















Here she is speaking...

















...and here she is signing books.

















So how was the event? It reminded me of the old New York City CSA support group meetings, which have not been held for several years. About 60 people attended, filling the area of the bookstore set aside for the event. After Hasselbeck told her story and invited questions, the question-askers (one had just gotten diagnosed—and another had gotten a diagnosis after his autism spectrum disorder child tested positive for celiac disease!) sought guidance on subjects ranging from getting diagnoses to finding friendly restaurants. Hasselbeck fielded the questions reasonably well but the answers were not as comprehensive as they might've been had the gathering involved a panel of people sharing the wisdom of their pooled experiences. Yes, this was a book-signing, not a support group meeting—but this was a book event that attracted people looking for support and validation that is not as available in New York City as it is elsewhere in the greater metropolitan area.

I also note that Hasselbeck continued to offer useful and accurate information mixed in with remarks that weren't as useful and accurate. When asked about restaurant options in the Big Apple, she reeled off a bunch of options but never mentioned the Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program (GFRAP)'s website (let alone the GFNYC restaurant listings) as as an up-to-date resource for that kind of information. When it came to vinegar, she basically warned against it despite the research by Gluten-Free Living that showed that, with the exception of malt vinegar, all simple vinegars are gluten-free. "Vinegar Contains Gluten" is actually one of persistent myths identified in Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic, co-written by Rory Jones and Dr. Peter Green, Hasselbeck's own doctor (and mine):

Any vinegar that is distilled is gluten-free. Malt vinegar is not distilled and contains gluten. It is important to read labels to see what other ingredients may be in a product that contains vinegar. But the distilled vinegar itself is not an offending ingredient.

Spikes in interest about celiac disease and gluten-free dieting provide gluten-free support networks with opportunities to provide reliable answers to the public and find the many people who remain undiagnosed. Hasselbeck and The G-Free Diet represents one of those opportunities—but no single book or individual should be expected to provide all of those answers, which in some (or many) cases may evolve over time. Those seeking support in New York City might benefit from the resources listed here and here. I hope to see the resources grow as word spreads in the times ahead.

BONUS For more evidence of a Hasselbeck bump, check out this segment from Sacramento TV station KCRA.



Source (3:42)

Photos: David Marc Fischer

The G-Free Diet on The View

Starbucks aside, this is turning out to be Elisabeth Hasselbeck week at Gluten-Free NYC. I hope you don't mind—it's just that she does have her book out, and it's getting attention, and it's interesting to see the messages that she's getting across. It just shouldn't be ignored: The G-Free Diet has even made it into Amazon's Top 10 Bestsellers in Books, right up there with the Twilight series.

So here (below) is footage from Monday's The View, where Elisabeth shined a spotlight on her dietitian, Ashley Koff, and talked about her diet with co-host Sherri Shepherd while co-host Whoopi Goldberg scarfed some samples. It reminded me of the olden days of January 2007, when Elisabeth and Rosie introduced much of the world to Anheuser-Busch's gluten-free Redbridge beer!

In this segment Elisabeth and her producers manage to give props to a number of friendly vendors, including Utz, Outback, Wendy's, Blue Diamond, Amy's Kitchen, General Mills, P.F. Chang's, Uno Chicago Grill, and (to my surprise) flax-containing pasta from Hodgson Mill, which Elisabeth seems to swear by even though I don't think it's been on the market very long.

She's certainly raising awareness of celiac disease and making a gluten-free diet seem fairly easy and worthwhile to follow, though I fear that she understates the importance of getting a medical diagnosis before going on the diet and overstates the health value of the diet for those who don't have celiac disease or similarly diagnosable conditions such as gluten ataxia. I note, however, that Elisabeth does say that she will get her kids tested if they show symptoms, so that's a sign that she does believe in medical diagnosis and also doesn't have her kids on her strict diet, though they do seem to like her foods.



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AUGUST FUNDRAISING BBQ

Gluten-free food entrepreneur Vanessa Tayler Phillips and Celiac Chick Kelly Courson recently teamed up to organize an all-you-can-eat BBQ fundraiser to be held in Sunnyside (some say Astoria) from 3pm to 7pm on Saturday, August 9, 2008.

Foodwise, we're talking hamburgers, hot dogs, BBQ chicken, mac 'n' cheese, potato salad, cole slaw, and watermelon. The buns will be from the Grainless Baker. In addition, you can expect desserts from gluten-free bakeries and goodie bags including samples from Mary's Gone Crackers as well as a 15%-off coupon for Friedman's Delicatessen, the Chelsea Market eaterie where Vanessa has been working to accommodate gluten-free noshers.

As for drinks, there will be a full pay-as-you-go bar including Redbridge beer. In fact, the location is a bar, Mickey John's, where a grill will be set up for this occasion. Kids will be welcome until 7pm.

Admission is $30 for the event, which will benefit the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University (CDCCU). RSVPs are required by Saturday, August 3. For more information, go to this CeliacChicks post.

CELIACALENDAR

The Staten Island Celiac Meetup Group (SICMG) is having its next meeting—with pizza—at Tuttoriso on Thursday evening, May 8, at 7:00pm. Indicate your interest at the webpage for the meetup group.

The Greater New York City Celiac Support Group (CSA/USA) will meet at Outback (919 Third Avenue at East 56th Street) on Monday evening, May 12, at 6:30pm. RSVP by calling Merle at 212-662-2464 or Mary Ferry at 212-304-1026.

The New York City Celiac Disease Meetup Group (NYCCDMG) kicks off a Happy Hour at the East End Tavern (1589 First Avenue) on Wednesday evening, May 14 at 5:00pm. Drinks will include Redbridge ($4.50) and Magners ($3.50); pub food will be ordered from Peters'! Indicate your interest at the webpage for the meetup group.

The Westchester Celiac Sprue Support Group (WCSSG) holds an event with nutritionist Anne Roland Lee at DeCicco's (Ardsley) on Saturday afternoon, May 17 from 1:00pm to 4:00pm. Vendors include Everybody Eats and Joan's Gluten-Free Great Bakes.

The 2008 L. Lodico Walk for Celiac Disease takes place at Little Bay Park on Sunday morning, June 1, starting at 9:00am. Proceeds go to the CSA this year. Read about last year's walk here.

The WCSSG holds its annual picnic (weather permitting) at Kingsland Point Park (Sleepy Hollow) on Sunday afternoon, June 22, from noon to dusk. Metro-North's Philipse Manor station is just north of the picnic grounds.

GREEN'S BEER IS HERE!

As briefly noted in November, Green's beer is available at Risotteria in two varieties: The mellow, dark amber Discovery (a GFNYC favorite) as well as the blonde and bitter-when-warm Quest Tripel Ale. Both come in oversized bottles currently priced at $10 (as opposed to $6 for Bard's Tale, New Grist, and Redbridge).

Green's also makes Endeavour Dubbel Ale, a dark beer that is as close to a gluten-free Guinness stout that I've sampled so far. It's like a stout lite, if you can handle the concept.

These beers are important (and worth trying) because they represent a flavor revolution in gluten-free beers available in the United States. I don't have anything against beers that emulate popular American brews such as Budweiser and Coors, but I also value the varied flavors of Green's beers.

Besides Risotteria (where I recently sampled a gluten-free jelly roll), look for Green's beers at the following NYC locations. (Call in advance to make sure they're available.)

American Beer Distributing Co.
256 Court St.
Brooklyn

Apple Plus
329 Church St.
Brooklyn

Bierkraft
191 5th Ave.
Brooklyn

Eagle Provisions
638 5th Ave.
Brooklyn

Fairway Red Hook
480 Van Brunt St.
Brooklyn

Spuyten Duyvil Grocery
218 Bedford Ave.
Brooklyn


Croxley Ale House
28 Avenue B
Manhattan

The Ginger Man (where I just had a $9.50 Endeavour)
11 East 36th St.
Manhattan

New Beer Distributors
167 Chrystie St.
Manhattan

The Room
142 Sullivan St.
Manhattan


Heliopolis Market
32-16 Broadway
Queens (Astoria)

Sunswick
35-02 35th St.
Queens (Astoria)

Green's beers are distributed by Merchant du Vin.

BEER NEWS!

I recently read that July is American Beer Month, so I guess it's fitting that, just days ago, I followed a screening of the excellent French crime thriller Le Doulos with a Redbridge at the Peculier Pub. The bartender didn't quite recognize the name, but she managed to find me a bottle anyway.

Meanwhile, it seems that I blinked and missed Sprecher's Shakparo Ale (right) before it sold out at Park Slope's Bierkraft (where, distribution willing, it could well return), and that Mbege Ale, the Wisconsin brewer's other African-style offering, has yet to arrive in the Big Apple. I'm very curious about Mbege, which is made with bananas! (Scroll down here for more info.)

And even though Green's beer originates in Belgium, I'll also take this opportunity share the good news that it seems to be on the way to New York City, though its arrival date is uncertain. As you might recall, I've already praised Green's Discovery, which friends brought back from England. Now, in line with this Beer Advocate report, it looks like Discovery has arrived in North America, along with Green's Endeavour Dubbel Ale ("a hint of dark-sugar and toffee flavor, with a traditional Belgian yeast bouquet") and Quest Tripel ("fairly light body for beer of this strength; a spice and herb nose, with flavors of candied fruit. Aromatic, long finish"). Bring on the flavor!

BREAKING! I just learned that several cases of Mbege are making their way to Bierkraft.

GLUTEN-FREE MEDIA: TIME OUT NEW YORK

Last month Erin at Gluten-Free Fun wrote that she was a source for an upcoming Time Out New York article on gluten-free beer. Lo and behold, TONY covered gf beer at least twice in March!

In "Out pouring" (Issue 598/March 15-21, 2007), a roundup of favorite wine and beer bars, Kirk Miller cites midtown bar The Ginger Man (11 E. 36 Street between Fifth and Madison Avenues; 212-532-3740) as a source of New Grist Beer.

And in "Barhop" (Issue 597/March 8-14, 2007), TONY tackled the question "Where can I get gluten-free beer?" as posed by Vera Blum of Red Hook, Brooklyn. The magazine's answers: Heathers (506 13th St between Ave A and Ave B, 212 254-0979), Rhythm and Booze (1674 Tenth Ave at Prospect Ave, Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn; 718-788-9699), and the Hook and Ladder Pub (611 Second Ave between 33rd and 34th Sts, 212-213-5034).

But good news, Vera: There's even more gluten-free beer to be found close to your home! Bierkraft in Park Slope (191 Fifth Avenue; 718-230-7600) carries Bard's Tale and New Grist. And according to the Redbridge website, you can quaff the Bud brew at nearby Angry Wade's (224 Smith Street, 718-488-7253) and also get it in Brooklyn at

MET FOOD
486 Henry Street (11231)

AMERICAN BEER DIST. INC.
252 Court St. (11231)

COBBLE HILL MINI MART INC
159 Baltic St. (11201)

COBBLE HEIGHTS DIST.
216 Pacific St. (11201)

KEY FOOD #882
169 Atlantic Ave. (11201)

AMI'S FOOD & DELI CORP
230 4th Avenue (11215)

AROUND THE CLOCK
215 4tb Avenue (11215)

5TH AVENUE FOOD MART
185 5tb Avenue (11217)

EL NUEVO FARO SUPERMARKET
617 5th Avenue (11215)

AROUND THE CLOCK GROCERY
70 4th Avenue (11217)

Cheers!

MEET ALICE BAST

Alice Bast is the founder and Executive Director of the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA), which has become very visible in New York City in recent months. Just last weekend, the NFCA hosted the Winter 2006 Gluten-Free Cooking Spree in Chelsea and then became the honoree at a special gluten-free dinner at Centrico hosted by Redbridge Beer, attended by gluten-free celebs Heidi Collins and Elisabeth Hasselbeck, and blogged about beautifully by CeliacChick Kelly.

Like many of us, Alice only found out she had celiac disease after a long, drawn-out period involving many frustrating visits to doctors. As Alice herself puts it, she suffered diarrhea, fatigue, bloating, a general malaise, and the trauma of a full-term stillbirth as well as several early miscarriages. Her teeth began to deteriorate and her sister-in-law wondered if she had anorexia, though doctors often observed that she looked fine.

An interesting aspect of celiac disease is that, while the above-mentioned symptoms are common, the condition can be accompanied by symptoms that are markedly different. Or no symptoms might be noticed at all. That is why testing by a well-informed doctor can be crucial. Here's the NFCA on diagnosing celiac disease.

And here's Alice on Moms on the Move with Linda Swain.



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REDBRIDGE REVELRY

Two days before the nation bore witness to Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Rosie O'Donnell swigging Redbridge on The View, members of The New York City Celiac Disease Meetup Group gathered to schmooze and enjoy the brew at East Midtown's Hook and Ladder Pub (611 2nd Ave between 33rd and 34th Streets).

Here's to Meetup member Liz (pictured, with many Redbridge empties that--I swear--she did not drain all by herself), who wrote that she approached the bar's owner about adding Redbridge to Hook and Ladder's offerings. That's what I call initiative! And here's to the Hook and Ladder Pub for obliging!!

According to the Redbridge website, the beer seems to be available for onsite enjoyment at two other Big Apple locations: The Hangar (a gay bar at 115 Christopher St.) and Risotteria. Via a post from Ed on the Meetup message board, I understand that Redbridge can also be found in Long Beach, Long Island at Shine's Bar (55 California Street) as well as the VFW.

Photo: David Marc Fischer

TV COVERAGE: THE VIEW

















Update: Click here for GFNYC Hasselbeck coverage

Yesterday there was some question as to when The View would cover celiac disease in more depth. The question was answered on today's pre-taped episode, when Elisabeth Hasselbeck spent about three minutes discussing her condition with her co-hosts during the "Hot Topics" portion of the show. [Update: You can view the segment here, though you might need to download a plugin to access it.]

The much-anticipated segment began when Barbara Walters switched the Hot Topic from Angelina Jolie to Hasselbeck's health. Walters, who seemed to have trouble remembering the name of her co-host's condition ("What do you call it?"), mentioned that people had been writing in about it.

Then Rosie O'Donnell chimed in, saying "Explain to people what this is, because a lot of people have said to me, 'Elisabeth never eats the food. What does she have--an eating disorder?' I said, 'I've seen her eat. She just has this thing.' Tell the thing."

So Hasselbeck told the thing--"It's called 'celiac disease'"--and went on to give an informal description of it as an autoimmune disorder in which the body has an intolerance of gluten found in wheat, barley, rye, and some oats. She noted that the damage caused by the reaction to the food puts one at high risk of diabetes, infertility, stomach cancers, and thyroid disease.

As the conversation opened up, Walters pointed out that people very often have celiac disease without realizing it. Hasselbeck agreed, saying that 3 million people in the United States alone have it but only 3 percent of them know it. She also noted that sometimes it's misdiagnosed (say, as Irritable Bowel Syndrome or colitis), resulting in patients getting ineffective treatments.

Hasselbeck, who first came to national attention as a fourth-place finisher on Survivor: The Australian Outback, spoke about how she herself had been miserable for about four years ("nothing was helping me") but then took note of how much better she felt on Survivor's extremely restricted diet. "I went to Australia on Survivor and everyone else there was complaining they felt awful. I felt great. It was the first time....

"All we were eating were fish that we caught...and rice...and I thought, 'Why am I feeling great here? I'm either allergic to the United States or it's something that I'm eating.'"

Then Walters brought up the hereditary aspect of celiac disease. Hasselbeck said that she was going to check her own child for the condition at about two years.

Hasselbeck added that one could could have malnutrition and bone loss as a side effect of undiagnosed celiac disease, "but if you know about it, it's awesome. There are tons of products out there, and for the first time I can drink beer! Today!! Because I have not had a beer...."

And that's when Hasselbeck and O'Donnell pulled out bottles of Redbridge and drank it as the crowd cheered along. O'Donnell: "Let me just say: I consider myself a little bit of a beer expert...and this gluten-free beer is fantastic!" And that, more or less, brought the segment to a spirited conclusion.

It was good to hear Hasselbeck tell her story while making important points about celiac disease on a show with The View's large audience. I hope the attention will result in more of the undiagnosed and misdiagnosed getting correct diagnoses--and feeling "awesome" as a result. They should know, however, that self-diagnosis through dieting or genetic testing is not definitive. If you have a negative genetic test for celiac disease, you are unlikely to have it, but if you have a positive genetic test you might or might not have it. The classic diagnostic routine for celiac disease is to undergo a set of simple blood tests while still on a diet including gluten. Based on the results of the blood tests (which measure one's reaction to dietary gluten), a physician will decide whether to go ahead with an upper endoscopy. (For more about testing, click here.)

It was good that Walters brought up family testing because it can be helpful in identifying the many cases that have gone undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. First-degree relatives of people with celiac disease should be tested and monitored for the condition even if they don't show symptoms or test positive, as the condition can develop at a later date or seem to go away for a time.

In fact, something that might've been helpful for The View's audience to hear is that, years ago, many doctors would mistakenly claim that children diagnosed as celiac had been cured when they were actually experiencing a remission of noticeable symptoms. So people told that they'd permanently recovered from celiac disease (and could go back to eating wheat, barley, etc.) should see informed doctors in order to be checked again for the condition.

Finally, a note about gluten-free beer: As readers of this blog are well aware, Hasselbeck could have had her first gluten-free beer much sooner than this week. Ramapo Valley Brewery's Passover Honey Lager, Bard's Tale Beer's Dragon's Gold, and Lakefront Brewery's New Grist all preceded Anheuser-Busch's Redbridge. Bottles of imported Toleration can also be had in New York City. And other gluten-free beers are available beyond the borders of the United States.

IRONY ALERT Later on the show, cake decorator Duff Goldman of Food Network's The Ace of Cakes presented a cake in the form of a full Winter '07 View mug--but there was no word as to whether it was safe for Hasselbeck. Maybe The View can invite the guys from Mr. Ritt's to the show for Hasselbeck's birthday (May 28).

Top photo: David Marc Fischer

A VISIT TO WHOLE FOODS CHELSEA

I dropped by Whole Foods Chelsea yesterday and decided to share notes on a couple of products there.

The store remains a reliable source of one of my favorite breads: Genuine Bavarian Gluten-Free Whole Grain Bread. It's in the "normal" unrefrigerated bread section, on a shelf close to the floor, with the rest of the Genuine Bavarian product line (which is not gf). Insider tip: Make sure it's rung up accurately at the register! Also: Separate the slices with a knife and toast 'em!

I also spotted one bottle of Toleration ale for $6.99--significantly less than the price at Ninth Avenue Vintner's. It was on the non-refrigerated shelves, across from the stand where the six-packs are kept.

Two other gf beers were in stock, in the six-pack section: Bard's Tale and New Grist. No sign of Ramapo Valley and Redbridge.

REDBRIDGE COMES TO TOWN!
























For two days I searched Manhattan supermarkets for Anheuser-Busch's new gluten-free beer but came up empty-handed. Then, just last night, I dined at Risotteria, where it was readily available!

Redbridge is an amber beer that, yes, comes across like a normal United States brew. Its website says that "Redbridge is a rich, full-bodied lager brewed from sorghum for a well-balanced, moderately hopped taste." That sounds valid, although based on my sampling (and clumsily attempting to use beer-taster lingo myself), I'd say it doesn't have a strong taste or aroma and its finish is also on the simple side, ending on a slightly bitter note. That might not sound as good as the company line, but the beer is really fine--I enjoyed drinking it!

My chief label reader quickly noted that the bottle is not labeled gluten-free; however, it does include the lines "Beer Made From Sorghum" and "MADE WITHOUT WHEAT OR BARLEY."

In the short run, this is another piece of good news for gluten-free beer drinkers. Anheuser-Busch, which is a mammoth beer producer, plans to boost awareness of celiac disease and make donations to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, which now includes Heidi Collins as its national spokesperson. However, I'm concerned that, over time, this development might prove challenging to other gluten-free beermakers, large and small, in the United States and elsewhere. Risotteria is currently selling gluten-free beer in six-pack samplers--I hope that we will continue to be able to choose among an assortment of gf brews.

Here is some information about celiac disease posted at the Redbridge website:

Facts about Celiac Disease
Celiac disease affects approximately one in one hundred thirty three Americans – most of whom are misdiagnosed due to atypical symptoms.

Celiac disease is twice as common as Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis and cystic fibrosis combined.

Celiac – left untreated – could lead to infertility, osteoporosis, lymphoma, depression & neurological disorders. Celiac disease is more common in individuals with type 1 diabetes, thyroid disease or anemia