Tag Archive for: Celiac Disease

Be Free of Gluten: Tips From Pedro

In honor of Celiac Awareness Month, Founder of New Planet Beer, Pedro Gonzalez, shares his tips for a speedy recovery from gluten overload. Share these tips with someone who has been newly diagnosed with a gluten sensitivity or with someone who could benefit from knowing what it means to live gluten-free. Please share additional tips in the comment field.

10 Tips to a Speedy Recovery:

  1. Keep your gluten-free diet simple and healthy… bring it down to the basics. You’ll lose weight and feel better faster.
  2. Read the ingredients of everything before eating it. Soon you’ll know what’s safe and what isn’t. Even if a product says ‘gluten-free’ doesn’t always mean it’s 100% gluten-free. Read carefully.
  3. When dining out …dine at restaurants that are known for great customer service. They’ll go out of their way to get an answer on any kind of dietary restriction.
  4. When dining out on a budget… if you are a meat eater go to a steak house which can provide you with well cooked meats, potatoes and a salad. If you are a vegetarian or a vegan go to a Thai restaurant or a healthy salad bar.
  5. When traveling by plane pack ahead because there’s a greater risk of being exposed to gluten. Fresh cut carrots, celery and Justin’s peanut butter packs make good traveling snacks. Kind bars and Lara bars are great too. Did you know that most peanuts provided by the airliners are coated with wheat and sugar? Read the ingredients next time they land on your tray table!
  6. If traveling away from your hometown research the restaurants that you want to try ahead of time. Also, don’t be shy about bringing snacks along with you.
  7. Eat less…drink more water, which is good for everyone. A New Planet Beer is safe to drink too, we test every batch!
  8. Cheating on gluten does not work. For most of us a 1 part per million dose of gluten is enough for a reaction. It’s not worth the risk. It will set you back, so stay the course.
  9. Incorporate probiotics and plenty of flax seed with breakfast. This will provide healthy bacteria and fiber to your digestive track.
  10. Exercise as soon as you get over any fatigue…it will help get you stronger. Strength builds strength!

There are a number of Celiac groups out there, look up your local chapter and start connecting with people in your community. You’ll be surprised how many people have gluten sensitivities and what great advice they have to share. Just like anything new, it takes time to get adjusted, so stay as positive as possible and enjoy the benefits of good health.

 

 

May is National Celiac Awareness Month

The Celiac Disease Foundation declared May as National Celiac Disease Awareness Month. Learn what it means to have a gluten allergy and the effects that gluten can have on one’s health. New Planet Beer is dedicated to providing guaranteed gluten-free beer with a great taste that everyone can enjoy.

Know the Gluten-Free Facts

  1. Gluten is the common name for the proteins in specific grains that are harmful to some persons experiencing celiac disease and gluten sensitivities.
  2. These proteins are found in ALL forms of wheat (including durum, semolina, spelt, kamut, einkorn and faro) and related grains rye, barley and triticale and MUST be eliminated.
  3. The incidence of celiac disease is rising sharply with 1 in 133 Americans being diagnosed. Experts think as many as 1 in 20 Americans may have gluten sensitivity.
  4. A few common symptoms caused by celiac disease or gluten sensitivities are: abdominal cramping, bloating, fatigue, migraine headaches, depression and hair loss. There are many possible symptoms, so check with your doctor.
  5. A gluten-free diet is the recommended treatment for celiac disease or gluten sensitivities.

New Planet Beer’s Six Guarantees

  1. New Planet Beer is made from 100% gluten-free ingredients: Sorghum, Corn, Hops and Yeast. With one beer made with brown rice instead of corn for those who also have corn allergies.
  2. Every batch is tested in a lab to guarantee 100% gluten-free beer.
  3. Our brewing facility takes extra cleaning measures to eliminate cross contamination.
  4. New Planet Beer delivers a great taste without sacrificing natural ingredients and alcohol content.
  5. New Planet Beer gives a portion of proceeds to environmental programs that support sustainable living.
  6. New Planet Beer makes a gluten-free beer for every style of beer drinker: Enjoy a light flavor, fruity flavor or a beer with a little extra hop.

 

Guest Blog from Erin Smith of Gluten-Free Fun

,

How to find informative gluten-free information online

The buzz words “gluten-free” seem to be everywhere these days; but nowhere is gluten-free more prevalent than on the Internet. When I was first diagnosed with Celiac Disease in the 1980s, there was no Internet. The research my family did was mostly with  doctors, by word-of-mouth, or from the rare book we found in bookstores and libraries. Today, you can type “gluten-free” into any search engine and literally get millions of results for your search. This explosion of information about gluten-free diets, Celiac Disease, and more is amazing but you should explore these online resources wisely.

A newbie to gluten-free living might be a overwhelmed with all of the gluten-free information coming at them through the Internet so there are a few key places you could focus your search.

National Organizations. Organizations such as the Gluten Intolerance Group, Celiac Disease Foundation, Celiac Sprue Association, and National Foundation of Celiac Awareness all have websites with a wide variety of information. These websites include information about Celiac Disease, the gluten-free diet, local chapters, and how to join their support groups. This is a good starting place for those brand new to Celiac Disease.

Support Groups. Many people with gluten-free needs often look to others for support. Try typing in your city name and “gluten-free support” or “celiac support” into your favorite search engine. Another amazing resource for finding groups near you is Meetup.com. As of today, there are 50 worldwide groups of people who all have interests in gluten-free living and Celiac Disease. All of these Meetup groups usually meet on a regular basis in person, as well as having very active online message boards.

Online Social Networks. The most popular of online social networks is obviously Facebook. Users can “like” groups that focus on gluten-free products, national organizations, and even find new friends that also list Celiac Disease as one of their interests. Two other online social networks that focuses on connecting people include Gluten-Free Faces, Gluten-Free Friends, and Gling.

Blogs. Gluten-free and Celiac Disease blogs are great sources of personal experience and information. Many of these blogs were started by people such as yourself looking for information about gluten-free living. The variety of blogs are endless. There are blogs written by gluten-free parents, athletes, foodies, newbies, health care professionals, and so on.  Even now, you are on the gluten-free blog written by New Planet Beer! Blogs are really great first-hand accounts of living with Celiac Disease and being on a gluten-free diet. You can also find tons of recipes on gluten-free blogs. With the number of blogs out there, I recommend subscribing to blogs using an RSS reader which will consolidate your favorite blogs into one comprehensive list.

Twitter. Twitter seems to be an endless source of gluten-free mentions. If you search #glutenfree, #gf, or #celiac, you will come up with hundreds of tweets each day. The tweets will usually have a URL that will bring you to a blog or articles online about the tagged information. You can get lost clicking from link to link and person to person in Twitter but you can also find tons of great information you might otherwise not find.

The above list is really just a starting place for anyone looking to explore more about Celiac Disease and gluten-free living online. Search engines alone can lead you down a long path of gluten-free reading topics.

Please remember to use caution when following any advice you find online. Always check with your doctor before introducing new foods into your diet. In addition, although the internet can be a great resource for those who suspect they might have Celiac Disease it is ALWAYS important for you to discuss your questions with a medical professional before declaring yourself gluten-free.

Erin Smith, Gluten-Free Blogger

Gluten-Free Fun blog: http://glutenfreefun.blogspot.com/

Gluten-Free Fun on Twitter: http://twitter.com/gfreefun

Gluten-Free Fun on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/GlutenFreeFun

NYC Celiac Disease Meetup Group: http://www.meetup.com/celiac/