A Big Apple Guide for People with Celiac Sprue and Others on a Gluten-Free Diet
Besides being stubbornly independent, GFNYC tries to be accurate and up-to-date, but feels obligated to offer this disclaimer: None of this information is medical advice. Also, GFNYC cannot take responsibility for errors or misinformation that might appear here. GFNYC encourages all readers to confirm information to their own satisfaction.
Showing posts with label Elisabeth Hasselbeck. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elisabeth Hasselbeck. Show all posts
Also of note is the tag line for the article: "The author of this article was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2004." So hey, Ms. Ellerson (right): Thank you for being "out" as a gluten-free newsperson!
My personal experience with celiac disease involved only unprovoked fainting spells that occurred periodically during my third year of college while studying abroad in London.
After numerous unexplained episodes of passing out on the Tube, at the Tower of London and while touring Trafalgar Square, I flew home for some medical tests.
I soon learned I was so severely anemic that I would require a blood transfusion if I wanted to return to England to complete the semester. I remained in the United States and after three months of dizziness, lack of energy and nausea, doctors were able to make the diagnosis of celiac disease.
The online package also includes a May 12, 2009 Good Morning America segment on "What you can eat if you have to go gluten-free." I'm not so keen on this tie-in with Elisabeth Hasselbeck's book The G-Free Diet featuring dietitian Ashley Koff (described as "a contributor" to the book). It's not hard to see connections, as Koff, like Hasselbeck, seems very eager to broaden interest in being gluten-free to a very broad audience, as if finding the millions of undiagnosed people with celiac disease wouldn't be enough of an achievement at the moment. True, Koff says that people curious about their symptoms should see their physicians ("that's critical")...but then she goes on to talk about autism, sensitivity, and intolerance—subjects that aren't necessarily likely to get much validation from conscientious physicians at this time. Like Hasselbeck, Koff also tries to seize on a weight-loss angle for the diet. Furthermore, she touts a probiotics line that she works with, vaguely explaining that it is the only one "clinically shown to address all of the digestive problems." It all adds up to overselling, in my opinion.
Let's hope that, with informed newspeople like Lindsey Ellerson, ABC will develop and retain sources such as Dr. Murray and dietitians affiliated with celiac disease centers and not feel as much of a need to build up The G-Free Diet, which is more of a ABC celebrity book than a reliable health book.
I'm still making my way through The G-Free Diet, and I haven't read or even obtained Living with Celiac Disease (which Hassett claims was copyrighted in 2008), so perhaps I'm not in a position to offer much insight at the moment. And you know what? I think a lot of the media isn't either. It seems that, at the moment, reporters are basically making hay that anti-Hasselbeck allegations have been made in this letter, even though the allegations as stated don't strike me as very persuasive.
Many of the allegations simply seem to note that both books invoke vaguely similar phraseology without recognizing that the phraseology is common (or at least not surprising) in writings about celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformus (DH). For example, both books use the phrase "Rome wasn't built in a day." But so does this 2005 message board thread about dealing with DH: "The DH will eventually clear up (especially with the assistance of Dapsone), but it takes time -- his body will take a while to clear up the 'histamine' reaction it has had for the past several years -- Rome wasn't built in a day."
Both books warn about possible cross-contamination from meat slicers. So does a 2005 message board thread: "I would say the thing for you to watch is contamination from the meat slicer in the deli. Even if the meat was gluten-free, you wouldn't be able to account for what was on the slicer, unless they totally cleaned it for you...[.]"
Both books offer lists of symptoms. Why shouldn't they?
Get the picture? Both books almost inevitably seem to repackage advice that was already "in the air" before their dates of publication.
Another example: The letter notes that Hassett's book observes that "Wheat-free is not necessarily gluten-free" while Hasselbeck's book observes "'Wheat-free' does not mean the same thing as 'gluten-free.'" But this truism precedes both books by many years: Jax Peters Lowell's 1995 book Against the Grain advises "wheat-free and all natural do not necessarily mean gluten-free." I am pretty sure that this citation is not the earliest that could be found. At any rate, it's another case of both books parroting typical and sensible information.
But the parroted information isn't always sensible: The Hassett letter also draws attention to the books' similar but unfounded warnings about anti-clumping agents in spices. According to the Hassett letter, her book says that "Some spices have a starch put in so it does not stick together you must find out where the starch is derived. Is the starch from a corn or wheat?" [sic], while Hasselbeck's book (misquoted in the letter) says "Spices: Beware the anticlumping agents added to many commercial herbs and seasonings (including those used at restaurants)—they almost always contain gluten." The problem with this can be found courtesy of the reliable resource Gluten-Free Living.
In comments expressing concern about Hasselbeck's book, Gluten-Free Living's Amy Ratner dismisses the spice advice by rhetorically questioning, "Is it a big deal to incorrectly tell someone struggling to figure out the gluten-free diet for the first time that the declumping agents in spices almost always contain wheat...?" Of course, Hassett and Hasselbeck's "declumping agent" warning (succinctly addressed here) also predates both books, as evidenced by this listserv summary post from 2000, which includes the advice that "one must be careful with spices and seasonings because often wheat-flour and other grains are used in them as fillers, to prevent clumping or as a flow agent, and aren't listed on the ingredients." So this instance strikes me as both books parroting typical misguided information.
Considering the weakness of the Hassett allegations, it's a shame that it has taken the mere launching of this lawsuit to return media attention to Hasselbeck and The G-Free Diet. For the moment at least, a far more important and sober (but less sensational) question would have to do with how reliable the information is in both books, how any errors and inconsistencies might have gotten into them, and how much either author might do to address and correct those problems. These are health-related books, after all!
An even more important question for the media to explore (completely in line with the current interest in health care reform) would be how to correctly diagnose the millions of people who unknowingly have celiac disease. But at present, much of the mainstream media merely seems to be sniffing around for the scent of celebrity scandal while giving relatively short shrift to a persistent and serious health concern that's virtually crying out to be addressed in such a way that positive and significant change will follow.
UPDATE On today's The View, Elisabeth Hasselbeck made a brief statement that the allegations were without merit and that they were being handled appropriately.
Today, for Elisabeth Hasselbeck's birthday, the View host received a Beatlesesque birthday serenade from her brother Ken Filarski plus a gluten-free birthday cake and some empathy from a Daily Kos diarist who wrote:
Although I almost exclusively disagree with the opinions she voices on that program, and frankly find all kinds of entertainment punditry to be damaging to the public discourse, I wish to extend birthday wishes to Mrs. Hasselbeck. Becomes sometimes it takes the appearance of a gluten-free birthday cake on a day-time talk show to remind me of the humanity of those who espouse views opposite my own....
[W]hen her brother came out and sang "Happy Birthday" and the women of "The View" gathered around a gluten-free cake to celebrate Elisabeth's birthday, the sap oozed out of me and I was reminded that Mrs. Hasselbeck isn't merely a talking head but a woman who ages and has genuine health issues....
Her occupation may be sensationalist, her statements on the wrong side of history, but from one human being to another I wish Elisabeth Hasselbeck a happy birthday.
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.
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.
Today Yesterday, registered dietitian Shelley Case issued a press release advising people who might consider adopting a gluten-free diet following the publication of Elisabeth Hasselbeck's The G-Free Diet.
Highlights:
"It's a myth that everyone should be on a gluten-free diet," says Case. "Just because alternative health practitioners, personal trainers and celebrities are jumping on the gluten-free bandwagon, doesn't mean it is right for everyone." Case worries that too many people will look to the diet to solve a multitude of problems such as arthritis, ADHD, elevating energy levels and even weight loss. "Contrary to popular buzz, the GF diet is not a panacea diet" says Case....
Case refutes the common myth that a trial gluten-free diet is the best way to determine if you have celiac disease. "Unfortunately a growing number of people are attempting to self-diagnose their own gluten sensitivity without proper medical assessment and nutrition counseling," says Case. "It's absolutely imperative to see a physician BEFORE adopting a gluten-free diet."
Celiac disease is diagnosed by a specific blood test and small intestinal biopsy. Gluten must be present in the diet in order for these tests to confirm the diagnosis.
Without an official diagnosis, people may not be motivated to strictly follow the diet for the rest of their lives or receive further follow up care to monitor for potential complications of the disease that can include osteoporosis and gastrointestinal cancer. Furthermore, their relatives may not get screened for celiac disease if the family member does not have a confirmed biopsy proven diagnosis.
Case worries that many people will try this diet as the latest "fad" because of a celebrity status associated with it. As result, "those with celiac disease may not be taken as seriously in restaurants because everyone thinks it's just a lifestyle choice or trendy obsession." Even small amounts of gluten can damage the intestinal tract. Because celiac disease is a serious lifelong disorder, it should be accorded the respect it deserves.
Other responses to The G-Free Diet can be found here.
Outside the United States, some patients diagnosed with celiac disease get a prescription for gluten-free foods, says Green. "In areas of Europe, like in Italy, the government encourages diagnosis, and all around the world, there are many countries in which gluten-free food is part of the national health care and the food is provided free."
Keep that possibility in mind when you're thinking health care reform!
"I see patients who say they asked their doctor to have the blood test, and they say: 'He said I couldn't have it because I was too fat or too tall or I didn't have diarrhea or I wasn't Irish or I wasn't Italian or I was Jewish,' because there are a lot of misconceptions about what celiac disease is like. Most people don't have classic symptoms," he says.
"If a doctor says he won't test for it, you should find a new doctor, because that just means he doesn't know the tremendous variability in the ways it can present."
It's becoming clear, I think, that Elisabeth's book campaign includes risks as well as benefits. She's raising awareness about celiac disease but her language isn't entirely precise and some of her information is spotty or out-of-date. As has been the case in the past, it is up to organizations such as the CDF and the rest of the gluten-free community to try to separate the wheat from the chaff (er, the gluten from the diet?) and do our best to clarify what needs to be clarified.
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.
Following Monday's release of Elisabeth Hasselbeck's The G-Free Diet, I note that Elisabeth will offer a book signing (with a brief talk and Q&A) at the Park Avenue Borders (461 Park Ave. at 57th Street) at 7pm on Thursday, May 7, 2009.
Curious about Going Gluten-Free? Get Tested First!
Elisabeth Hasselbeck appeared on Good Morning America today to promote her new book The G Free Diet. At the GMA website you can see the segment, read an excerpt from her book, and find a link to the book's website, www.gfreediet.com.
I'm glad that Elisabeth is raising awareness of celiac disease, which is still grossly underdiagnosed, and it's good to see that her story might alert people diagnosed with IBS that they might actually have celiac disease—but I hope that people do not go on a gluten-free diet before getting tested for the condition. I try to avoid shouting on this blog, but here goes: GET TESTED FIRST!
As I'm sure Dr. Peter Green (Elisabeth's doctor and mine) would be glad to tell you, getting screened for celiac disease is a simple and relatively inexpensive process that should be done in coordination with an informed physician. The first step is to get a series of blood tests while gluten is still in your diet. You can find the list of the blood tests at the website of the Celiac Disease Center of Columbia University (CDCCU), where Dr. Green is the director as well as the founder. Based on the results of the tests, the physician may suggest proceeding with an endoscopic biopsy to look for gluten-related intestinal damage, which is the gold standard for a diagnosis.
Speaking of gold, I want to emphasize that the time when you're considering trying out a gluten-free diet is the golden moment for being screened and tested for celiac disease (which is, strictly speaking, not an allergy). Instead of going on the diet right away, make that appointment with your physician and discuss taking the blood tests. After the results come in, you can talk about the next move. (The biopsy also yields the best results while you're still consuming gluten.) After you get the test results, you can still choose to eliminate gluten from your diet, but at least you'll have a baseline that doctors can refer to. If your tests turn out to be positive, they can be useful in monitoring the success of your diet, getting family members tested as well, and even getting federal tax breaks for your expensive gluten-free food!
Also, be aware that Dr. Green has co-written his own book, Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic. Don't expect to read about Elisabeth in that book, but do expect to spend some time in the company of one of the world's experts on the subject.
Here you can see Elisabeth and Dr. Green on The View, back in March 2007.
It's a very good morning over at Gluten-Free NYC, filled with the promise of positive change—and not just because of enthusiasm over Barack Obama's victory. As the nation moves toward a fresh start and the possibility of more unity, it strikes GFNYC that a health policy that raises public awareness of celiac disease is something that both Democrats and Republicans can agree upon.
As John McCain and Sarah Palin return to their regular jobs as senator and governor, they can still follow through on their concern for "special needs" households, including those affected by celiac disease and associated conditions, including Down Syndrome and, possibly, autism as it is currently being diagnosed.
Palin in particular should also be aware that millions of Americans may still be undiagnosed with celiac disease, as her prominent supporter Jane Swift and her outspoken advocate Elisabeth Hasselbeck are known to have the condition. So perhaps the Anchorage GIG group can do something with that.
As far as the national government is concerned, GFNYC notes that Representative Nita Lowey, Senator James Inhofe, and Senator Ben Nelson all remain in office. They might not agree on much, but each has advocated on behalf of people with celiac disease.
Presiding over all of these politicians will be Barack Obama, a supporter of preventive medicine and universal health care for children who recognizes that some government programs are worth additional funding even during budgetary crises. GFNYC hopes that the FDA's ability to enforce food labeling accuracy will improve under his administration.
Celiac disease might not mean much to the general population in the great scheme of things. But sensible, progressive policies regarding celiac disease should find a place on the agenda as American leaders search for ways to build unity and consensus.
The View cohost Elisabeth Hasselbeck has signed a deal for The G-Free Diet, an all-inclusive survival guide to living gluten free; Sarah Sper at Center Street preempted world English rights in a major deal with Andrea Barzvi at ICM. The book is based on Hasselbeck's research as well as her own experience living with celiac disease. Pub date is May 2009.
Hasselbeck was on Survivor before she was on The View, so maybe that helps to explain the "all-inclusive survival guide" line.
Friday, September 21, 2007
ELISABETH HASSELBECK: PREGNANT AND CRAVING! Plus Sex and the City [spoiler alert]
Elisabeth Hasselbeck, due with her second child in November, recently revealed her cravings to People (September 24, 2007): "Cheese, gluten-free cookies—I have celiac disease—a lot of chocolate and watermelon with salt and lime on it. It's weird but refreshing. You should try it!"
Tickets are $350. For more information, conduct Cynthia Beckmann at cb2280 @ columbia.edu.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
PEOPLE ARTICLE
The current issue of People--dated June 11, 2007, it asks "What Happened to Lindsay Lohan?" on the cover--includes a two-page article devoted to celiac disease. The issue is unlikely to appear on the magazine's website, but it should be readily available at newsstands, libraries, and waiting rooms. More on the waiting rooms later.
The article defines celiac disease as "an autoimmune ailment, triggered by gluten, that damages the lining of the small intestine." Opening with a classic-sounding case of celiac disease in a three-year-old whose symptoms included severe anemia and belly distension, it covers the challenge of switching to a gluten-free medical diet as well as recent improvements in labeling and product availability that make the adjustment easier.
From a medical perspective, the article states that celiac disease "may affect as many as 1 percent of Americans...although many may be misdiagnosed and some suffer from only minor symptoms." It refers to Dr. Green (pictured) as saying that the time between onset and accurate diagnosis averages 11 years. It also mentions that women are twice as likely to have celiac disease and lists some of the manifestations: fatigue, anemia, infertility, osteoporosis, some cancers, vitamin deficiencies, abdominal bloating and pain, both diarrhea and constipation, and even irritability.
The story also includes a photo of Danna and her family with a toaster (marked GLUTEN-FREE...Good for me!), another shot of Danna with Sarah Givens and her daughter, and a funny sidebar image showing gluten-containing foods marked with yellow CAUTION tape.
The article ends with Dr. Rudert advising people who suspect that they have celiac disease to get a complete blood tests, and notes that diagnosis is confirmed with biopsies of the small intestine. It refers readers seeking more information to the National Institute of Health and Danna Korn's Gluten Freedom.
So what's to be done now that People has covered celiac disease? Michael Thorn of Suffolk County Celiacs suggests emailing the magazine "to thank them for the article, share a brief personal story and/or encourage them to cover adults with CD. Praise them for covering this very common disease and ask they they do more."
And here's something else you can do: When you're in a doctor's waiting room, look for the copy of People and leave it open to page 143, where the article starts. Better yet, find out if the article can be kept in the waiting room and otherwise made available for other patients to read.
Dr. Green has talked about raising awareness of celiac disease in doctor's offices. This People article could be very useful in achieving that goal.
PS The April 9, 2007, People briefly referred to celiac disease in an item on Elisabeth Hasselbeck.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
ELISABETH HASSELBECK: PREGNANT AGAIN!
On Monday's The View, Elisabeth Hasselbeck announced that she has another bun in the gluten-free oven!
Here's the magic moment. (No, not that magic moment!) You just have to wait for some of the preliminary material to pass. And the "educational" portion of this post comes below the video.
This is as good a place as any to take note of connections between undiagnosed celiac disease and infertility/childbirth issues. Studies seem to have yielded varied conclusions, but as recently as August, 2005, Gastroenterology reported on a study that found that "undiagnosed celiac disease is associated with an increased risk of intrauterine growth retardation...low birth weight...very low birth weight...preterm birth...and caesarean section.... In contrast, those diagnosed with celiac disease before their births were not at increased risk for these adverse fetal outcomes."
So where can one find gluten-free Kit Kat knockoffs in New York City?
Well, as I wrote at the end of my wrap-up of The View's March 14 celiac coverage, I think the species of gluten-free food that is closest to the common Kit Kat is the Glutano Break Bar...which can be found at the Upper West Side Fairway.
You might think that Glutino Chocolate Wafers come close to Kit Kats, too. I believe they're more available than Glutano Break Bars...and they're also at the UWS Fairway. So you can do an on-the-spot comparison.
Both products are in the UWS Fairway's gluten-free section, which also seems to double as a utility closet. (They might be available elsewhere in the city, too, so feel free to list locations in the comments section.)
Here is a den of Fairway Break Bars (and Big Breaks--the male of the species?) tucked behind a ladder.
And here are the Glutino Chocolate Wafers.
Photos Focused and Unfocused: David Marc Fischer
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
THE VIEW SPREADS THE WORD!
Today's much-anticipated View segment on celiac disease could mean a major improvement in the lives of many Americans. Thanks to the speedy work of the The View and the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA), most of the coverage is already online via YouTube! (There's a little bit missing--I'll cover it in this post.)
This type of coverage is important and valuable because correctly diagnosing and treating celiac disease is a major public health issue in the United States. "As many as 3 million people in the United States have celiac disease but only about a tenth have been diagnosed, wrote Susan J. Landers in this American Medical News, referring to the findings of an independent panel of experts convened by the National Institutes of Health.
So how could more than 2.5 million Americans be unaware that they have celiac disease? Some of them were diagnosed with celiac disease years ago but incorrectly deemed "cured." (They might have been called "banana babies" because of the medical diet they were on.) Others may have been misdiagnosed or incompletely diagnosed by doctors who failed to test them for celiac disease, mistakenly thinking it too rare to consider. Testing for celiac disease with an informed physician is a relatively simple process, but because doctors underestimate the condition, it typically takes many years for patients to get correct celiac diagnoses after they first showed worrisome symptoms.
The intro to the show promised "Elisabeth's revealing her battle with celiac disease...finding out why it's easily misdiagnosed...and how it can lead to everything from infertility to cancer."
As you can see in the video, Dr. Green offered a mini-presentation during which he noted that the manifestations of untreated celiac disease can be very varied. The ones mentioned on this particular episode included:
bloating, gas, or adominal pain (may be misdiagnosed as IBD) abnormal stool irritability or behavior changes fatigue [a very common symptom--Ed.] itchy skin rash infertility miscarriage depression intestinal cancer
Dr. Green also showed how the gluten from wheat, barley, and rye causes atrophy of intestinal villi in people with celiac disease and explained that going on a lifelong gluten-free diet leads to healing for those people: "You have to be gluten-free your entire life. It's a lifelong diagnosis. If you get diagnosed in childhood or [as] an adult, it's for the rest of your life. Because as soon as you go back to gluten, you go back in that direction, flattening your villi." Or, as Bast put it: "A change in diet can change your life."
The genetic component of celiac disease also came up. Because close relatives of people with celiac disease are more likely to have the condition, it is a good idea for first- and second-degree relatives to be tested for it too. The standard diagnosis involves having blood samples taken while one is still eating gluten, then possibly following up with an upper endoscopy. Genetic testing can be useful in certain diagnostic situations, but there is currently no genetic test that, alone, will tell you that definitely have celiac disease.
There was a talk about foods such as cornbread and soy sauce containing the forbidden gluten--but just about anything (including cornbread and soy sauce, which is why clear labeling is so valuable) can be all right for the gluten-free diet depending on how the food is made. For example, the subject of a KitKat equivalent came up. I think Elisabeth cited Glutino Chocolate Wafers (and--I think mistakenly--said they were sugar-free). The closest KitKat equivalent that I've found is Glutano's Break Bar. (She said Glutino, I say Glutano.)
The show ended with some closing remarks not in the above clip. Rosie said, "Elisabeth, I think that was great that you talked about that 'cause, you know, it's been, you've had it for a while, right?"
Elisabeth said, "I have. And it took me so long to find out that I did. If I can just help someone not have six years of just hell before they find out....Especially kids, you know, they need more labeling on foods...and I'm going to try to do anything I can to get that fixed...."
Then there was this exchange between Behar and Essman (who had mentioned being on thyroid medication):
BEHAR (conversationally) You don't have it....
ESSMAN I probably do. I am doctor-phobic so I don't go get diagnosed....You know what? I eat the stuff and I feel bad and then I don't eat wheat and I feel good. So hello?
BEHAR It sounds like it's a little more complicated. It can cause worse diseases. You need to be diagnosed.
ESSMAN And my mother has it. And it's also connected to thyroid....
BEHAR Duh!
ESSMAN You know, I treat myself as if I do, and I don't eat the wheat.
That kind of exchange should sound pretty familiar to people in celiac world. My advice: If you think you might have it, consult with an informed doctor about getting tested. It typically all begins with a blood test while you're not on the gluten-free diet.
You know what I think would be interesting? Offering screening to anyone involved with The View and finding out what the results are.
Also of note is the tag line for the article: "The author of this article was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2004." So hey, Ms. Ellerson (right): Thank you for being "out" as a gluten-free newsperson! 
Posts
