BREAKING: CELIAC COVERAGE ON WABC-TV NEW YORK
















"Celiac Disease will be featured on WABC News, Channel 7, at approximately 5:55pm (EST) TONIGHT! This segment will feature the Murphy Family and the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University! We hope you can tune in!"

So sayeth Samantha Hoyt of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University.


UPDATE Here's an online text version of the story, including some links for additional information. [Further update: Video has now been added!] The segment turned out to be a concise family profile that made some worthwhile points: celiac disease runs in families; it can remain undetected by doctors who won't test for it because they pre-emptively rule it out as a rare disease; untreated celiac disease can result in osteoporosis and other health problems in children as well as adults.

There was a suggestion that one child's "developmental trouble, learning disabilities and seizures" might be treatable with a gluten-free diet; although that wasn't fully established in this story, I can say from personal experience that, at celiac meetings in Westchester and Manhattan (at Columbia Presbyterian), I have heard medical case studies of remarkable improvement in some infants and children with those symptoms who were examined and diagnosed with celiac disease and subsequently put on a gluten-free diet. I've heard that some parents of children with autism put their kids on gluten-free diets without seeking a diagnosis of celiac disease--I'd recommend that they actively look into a celiac diagnosis with an informed doctor before putting their kids on such diets.

CALLOUT: TASTE TEST

Over at the lively message board hosted by The New York City Celiac Disease Meetup Group, Erin just announced a "taste test" being conducted in Manhattan by a Florida company called Qualitative Intelligence. Here are the basics....

Arico Natural Foods Company is seeking participants for a taste test to evaluate some new gluten-free food products. Participants should be people who suffer from celiac or wheat allergies or care for a family member with those issues. The purpose of the research is to create great tasting gluten-free products.

Interested in participating? Make sure you qualify for the research by contacting Tina Brogdon via email (qitina@verizon.net) or phone (727-393-7991). The session, scheduled for the YMCA at 224 E. 47th Street (212-756-9600) on December 11th at 6:15 pm, is expected to last between 60 to 90 minutes. (If there is enough response, a second group wil be conducted at 7:30 pm.) There will be a cash incentive of $35 as well as free Arico products.

CELIAC DISEASE SYMPOSIUM: PIX FROM THE CHICKS!

The CeliacChicks have posted pix from the buffet at the Museum of Natural History--plus some tasty news tidbits--here and here.

'Nuff said!

FUN WITH MEDSCAPE!

The website Medscape "offers specialists, primary care physicians, and other health professionals the Web's most robust and integrated medical information and educational tools." But you can use it even if you aren't in Medscape's target audience. It's a valuable resource.

By signing up under the specialty Gastroenterology, you'll have access to a number of reports and other items related to that field. Celiac comes up on a regular basis.

One recent posting is a case study/quiz about A 43-Year-Old Man With Progressively Worsening Pruritic Papules and a History of "Irritable Bowel".

I bet you can already make the diagnosis.

SUPPORT GROUP: WESTCHESTER

How would you like a good gluten-free bagel? You might be able to snag one (or more) at the Sunday, December 3 meeting of the Westchester Celiac Sprue Support Group.

The meeting is scheduled to run from 2 to 4 pm at the auditorium of Phelps Memorial Hospital in Sleepy Hollow (accessible by car or a beautiful Hudson River train ride on Metro North), but arrive by 1:30 pm to purchase from Joan's GF Great Bakes (outstanding bagels) and Orgran (love that muesli!) as well as America's Healthy Meals, The Kitchen Table Bakers, and Gluten Free Naturals.

The guest speakers will be Ann Whelan of Gluten-Free Living and Anne Lee of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University. Topics include

Food labeling

Eating healthily on the gf diet

Celiac disease, diabetes and the gf diet

Managing the gf diet at school and at work

News on grains, nutrition, and ingredients from the recent symposium

Here are driving directions to the hospital. By Metro-North, you can go to Tarrytown (and take a taxi from there) or go to Philipse Manor and walk about 40 minutes, mainly through an attractive and somewhat hilly suburban development (check a map in advance before doing that).

Thanks to Sue Goldstein for spreading the word!

GIVING THANKS












Living gluten-free in NYC is a lot easier because of people who don't just look out for themselves but work on behalf of others, too.

I really appreciate the efforts of the individuals who volunteer to benefit the gluten-free community, so today I give special thanks to Shanel and Erin of The New York City Celiac Disease Meetup Group (founded by the CeliacChicks) and especially special thanks to the active members of the Westchester Celiac Sprue Support Group and the Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program, which welcomes volunteers as well as donations (hint hint).

CELIAC DREAMS

Do celiacs dream of eating rye, barley, and wheat?


Source

QUESTION I think I've had one or two such dreams, though the details aren't coming to mind. How about you?