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.



Source (6:44)

More Elisabeth Hasselbeck Book News

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.

This is among a number of events tied in with the book's publication, including May 6 appearances on the Rachael Ray Show and Larry King Live and a feature story in the August/September issue of Living Without.

Here (4:50) is book-related footage from Elisabeth's appearance on Hannity. The lead-in clip is here (6:55).

Welcome, Starbucks Valencia Orange Cake!

Today was the day that the Starbucks Valencia Orange Cake made its official debut. (Kudos to the many employees who resisted my pleas for advance tastings!) Tonight I purchased two at an East Side location and might've emptied the place of its stock, as one of the two cakes was the display case sample, already taken out of its plastic wrapper. I gave that sample to a friend who isn't on a gluten-free diet.

As reported elsewhere, the Valencia Orange Cake is fruity and moist—unusually so for a gluten-free baked good. The cost is reasonable at $1.95. The ingredients are whole eggs, valencia orange pulp, almonds, sugar, orange peel, gluten-free baking powder, rice flour, and orange oil. Together they add up to

290 calories
16 grams of fat (25% daily value including 2 grams of saturated fat and no trans fat)
40mg sodium (2% daily value)
125 mg cholesterol (42% dailly value)
40mg sodium (2% daily value)
32 grams of carbohydrates (11% daily value)
4 grams of dietary fiber (16% daily value)
23 grams of sugar
9 grams of protein
4% the daily value of Vitamin A
30% the daily value of Vitamin C
10% the daily value of calcium
8% the daily value of iron

So it's sort of like a meal in itself?

It's great to have this option at Starbucks. My main suggestion would be to create plastic facsimiles of the cake so they could be used in the display cases while the actual cakes stay protected in their bags. In the long run, I would still like to see Starbucks certify salads and other foods as safe for those of us on medical gluten-free diets, so perhaps this will turn out to be a good step in that direction.

On Sale Now: The G Free Diet

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!

Want more info? Try the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA), the Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF), the William K. Warren Medical Research Center for Celiac Disease (WCCD), the Celiac Disease Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (CDCBI), the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research (UMCCR), and Mayo Clinic.

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.



Source (7:12)

Thanks to Erin at the New York City Celiac Disease Meetup Group (NYCCDMG) for the lead.

My Note to the FDA

I'm Not Sure It Got There, Though!

Last week I finally submitted some comments to the FDA about its proposed gluten-free food labeling research. I thought I'd figured out the submission process, but now I'm not so sure.

Anyway, as promised, I'm sharing it with you as well. I made an effort to address the FDA's concerns, but I have a sneaky feeling that some of my remarks might've been considered off-topic. Still, I hope they're not too crazy—and I hope they provide some food for thought. Here goes!

I am a clinically diagnosed person with celiac disease who has been on a gluten-free diet for more than eleven years. I maintain a blog called Gluten-Free NYC.

I would be glad to see any new, thoughtful research on labeling food to make shopping and dining easier for people on medical gluten-free diets.

My suggestions probably relate most to “ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected.” They are based on my experience, including communication with many others who are gluten-free.

Basically, I encourage you to work hard to make the most of the study by “asking the right questions.”

So please consider the following nine points when formulating your questions:

1. Many labeling discussions involve coming up with labels such as “gluten-free” to represent measurements, but I ask you to please consider the option of also including the actual measurements on labels, perhaps expressed as a range reflecting the variance that can be found when measuring products. Certainly sharing the high-end (or worst-case scenario) of the range should be considered. The University of Nebraska food allergy lab used by the Celiac Sprue Association and directed by Steve Taylor might be a good source of information about taking this approach. Something else to consider is research on the reliability of different measurement techniques, which continue to evolve. A presentation about this was made at the 2006 International Celiac Symposium held in New York City. I think the presenter was Enrique Mendez of Spain’s Centro Nacional de Biotecnologia.

2. Find out what people think “gluten-free” or “gluten” signifies. I think many people might not realize that the main concern about gluten in food has to do with specific medical conditions, not weight control or something proven to be inherently unhealthy for the general population.

3. On a related point: Consider including educational information on labels to explain why people might want to go on a gluten-free diet. This is important in terms of informing the population about celiac disease, a severely underdiagnosed condition, as well as debunking misunderstandings that people might have about gluten in food. The information could be included on some labels, but it could also be offered via a toll-free number and a website. This could boost the dissemination of medically sound (NIH?) information explaining why gluten is being measured in the first place.

4. In preparing this questionnaire, consult with gluten-free associations in other countries (such as Canada, Finland, and Italy) to learn from their experiences.

5. Consider including dates on labels to indicate when they were printed. This could boost consumer confidence about how well products live up to the most recent standards.

6. Look into using label or bar code information to help determine price differences between products and their gluten-free equivalents. There is a possible tax deduction based on the difference, but it can be a burden for individuals to have to calculate a year’s worth of price differences every year. Perhaps this could lead to a standard deduction option for gluten-free diets.

7. Look into using bar code information to enhance consumer ability to research the gluten content of the product and also enhance the ability of retailers to identify which products are suitable for gluten-free diets.

8. Address areas where current allergen labeling has been inadequate. A possible example might be Quaker Oats, which is one of many oat lines that test positive for gluten even though the labels do not warn about wheat content.

9. Question why barley content hasn’t been added to the “problem ingredient” list. It is not one of the main allergens, but it is one of the main sources of gluten contamination, which concerns about 1% of the population.

Thank you for considering these points and good luck in taking swift, sensible actions to assist a growing segment of the population.

Got comments for the FDA? The cutoff date is May 5, 2009.

And thanks to Ben Cappel for #5!

Tangomonium at Red Mango

Sample Giveaway on May 2

What a time it is for gluten-free products: Tuesday is the official rollout of the gluten-free Valencia Orange Cake from Starbucks, but in the meantime Red Mango will launch its new gluten-free Tangomonium yogurt flavor with a giveaway from noon to 4pm on Saturday, May 2.

"Tangomonium not only satisfies taste buds and rejuvenates the mind, but it is also good for the body. Like Red Mango's other frozen yogurt flavors, Tangomonium is 100% all natural, contains no artificial ingredients, is nonfat, and gluten free. It is also a good source of calcium, and full of probiotic live and active cultures," says Red Mango founder, president, and CEO Dan Kim, who also presided over the creation of the flavor. "Tangomonium is bright, sunny, uplifting, and tang-y. It makes you smile, and brings up blissful memories that take you to a happy place," says Kim.

Red Mango states that "Red Mango frozen yogurt is certified gluten-free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization."

This Sunday: Chef to Plate Awareness Campaign

Support Your Local "Gluten-Free Aware" Restaurant!

In case you hadn't heard...this Sunday offers an opportunity to say "thank you" to restaurateurs who support people on gluten-free diets. Organized by the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG), the Chef to Plate National Awareness Campaign urges you to patronize these supportive restaurants [PDF] on Sunday, May 3, 2009. The goals of this event are to

Spread national awareness of celiac disease and gluten intolerance conditions during May, Celiac Awareness Month

Spread recognition and awareness of restaurants with gluten-free menu options

Bring Peace of Mind to persons with gluten intolerances when dining out

Join restaurants across the country in a day of awareness

If you'd like to join with others on Sunday evening, the New York City Celiac Disease Meetup Group (NYCCDMG) will gather for a prix fixe banquet at GustOrganics.

Mangia!