Category Archives: Gluten Free Bloggers I Love

L is for Laura Suskin…and her son Max

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Today I bring you Laura Suskin and her son Max. I recently met Laura through the Gluten Intolerance Group in the Greater Chicago area. Laura is one of the Branch Managers for the whole chapter. She also has a great blog site at Gluten Free Lake County, Illinois.  She has really dove into the gluten-free world due to her son having Celiac Disease and I can’t wait to get to know her better, she is really a sweet lady.

With that being said, I now bring you Laura Suskin…..

Thanks so much to Andrea for asking me to take on a letter in her alphabet blogging series!  I am honored to represent letter L!  I am Laura Suskin, my son Max was diagnosed on June 2, 2009 with celiac disease.  At that time he was 18 months old.  He now is a very healthy 3 year old.  Over the past 2 years I have made myself into an expert on Max living GF.  As a GF Mom, I have involved myself with the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America and am currently the branch manager for the Greater Chicago chapters.  You can check out the GIG website at www.chicagoglutenfree.com or my own blog at www.glutenfreelakecountyillinois.blogspot.com. Continue reading →

Max

Last week I met a mom who had just learned of her daughter’s celiac disease.  I remember that day for myself so clearly.  I put together this list of the top 10 things that I wish I had known then and I am glad to know now.

1)      Not the end of the world:  Although it may seem that way, gluten intolerance is not the end of the world, nor is it the worst thing that could happen to your child.

2)      Use the Internet:  There are so many blogs and websites full of information.  I find more helpful and practical information online than I do from the registered dieticians and doctors.  Find the bloggers who write the recipes and tips that you need and bookmark those sites.

3)      Talking & disclosing:  Tell everyone you know that your child is now gluten free.  I cannot count the number of times that a casual acquaintance has contacted me to notify me of some gluten free thing that they noticed.  At this point, most of what I get told I already know, but there are those awesome hidden gems that I just love learning about!  Find a support group to join; we know so many things we can teach you!

4) Amazon.com: Gluten free eating can get very expensive.  I buy a lot of dry goods online.  I regularly buy Pamela’s cake mix & cornbread mix, Glutino’s pretzels, and Bob’s Red Mill AP flour & pizza crust mix from Amazon.com. The prices cannot be beat and shipping is free with an order over $25.

5)      Baking:  If you have a young child, you will need to learn how to bake GF.   There are 2 methods to GF baking—1st is that you buy many different types of GF flours and make a blend yourself.  This is expensive and time consuming.  The 2nd method is to buy an all-purpose GF flour blend (I like Better Batter) and you can substitute this product into most conventional recipes.  This is less expensive and you will end up with a familiar tasting and looking product.  As an aside, beware that when you bake with bean flours that the raw batter will taste awful!  If you want to lick the bowl with your kids, stick with the AP GF flour blend.

6) Parties: You will be bringing food to birthday parties for your child from now on.  Take a cake decorating class at your nearest craft store and learn how to make your child a fabulous looking cupcake.  It is less sad when your child has something as fun looking as the forbidden birthday cake.  Ask what else is being served at the party so that you can duplicate the other food.  And have a stash of candy in your bag to replace goody bag loot as needed.  IF a host does anything to accommodate your child, praise and thank them greatly.  It is good public relations on behalf of the GF community.

7) Plan ahead: You cannot just grab a bite to eat somewhere convenient.  Meals out need to be researched in advance.   Many restaurants can offer a GF option that may be OK for an adult but that your child will not eat.  Call ahead and check online.  Ask the hostess to not bring the breadbasket to your table to avoid any losses.  Bring your own box of breadsticks to fill the gaps.  Once you find some places that work stick with them until you feel more comfortable trying a new GF friendly restaurant.

8) Have a stash: Always have some liked snacks with you.  I keep some in my diaper bag and my glove box.  I don’t ever want to be caught in an emergency situation where I have to scramble to find my child something to eat.

9) Expect to be surprised: Just as I mentioned the well-intentioned people in numbers 3 & 8 above, know that you will be pleasantly surprised by the people who will go out of their way to accommodate your child.   Completely on your own you will find a restaurant very eager to keep your child safe.  For me, these discoveries are always exciting and I am sure to offer up grateful thanks afterward.  It certainly helps if your child is very cute!

10) Advocate like your child’s life depends on it: You are the best advocate for your child.  When Max is older I will teach him to assert himself, question menus, and keep himself safe.  Until that day comes, it is my number one job in any dining situation to keep him safe.  That means that certain restaurants we will not eat at (sometimes we lose out on an invite because of it) because I do not find that the staff has a clear understanding of all GF entails.  It also means that I stopped buying Trix cereal for Max, despite how much he loved eating it.  And although the first 3-4 weeks there was crying I do not regret my decision.  It means that since Frito-Lay revised their GF product list that I am seriously considering banning Max’s very favorite honey BBQ corn chips.  All very difficult decisions, but it is my responsibility to make decisions for my child.  Since there is some ambiguity about which products are actually GF due to the non-existent labeling laws I need to do my research, ask around, and remain diligent at all times.

So that’s my top 10…  I admit that there are moments when I feel so sad for what we have lost by Max’s diagnosis.  I have great hope that a treatment or cure for celiac disease will be found during Max’s lifetime.  I intend to keep him safe and healthy until he is old enough to manage his restrictions himself.  At that point, I will teach him all I have learned and feel confident that he will continue to live a healthy and safe life.

K is for Kim Bouldin from Gluten-Free is Life..and more!

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Today I am introducing everyone to Kim Bouldin. I first learned about Kim when I started writing for Examiner.com. Kim writes for them as the Columbus Gluten-Free Food Examiner.  I also discovered her awesome blog, Gluten-Free is Life and found out she runs marathons too! You will also find out shortly that she is involved in writing for other sites as well. It is people like Kim that inspire me and motivate me to be the best person that I can be. I really do admire her for all that she has done in the Gluten-Free Community and continues to do. With that being said I now bring you Kim Bouldin, her story and awesome Pistachio Cheesecake recipe….

Kim Bouldin with her husband Aaron

First,  I want to thank Andrea for having me here to share my story with you! Continue reading →

Hi, I am Kim. I live in central Ohio, right outside of Columbus with my husband and 2 kids.  As far as Celiac Disease and diagnosis, I had suffered on & off since I was a teen with anorexia. I had a recurrence as an adult, after the birth of my daughter. It wasn’t nearly as severe as the first time, but still, something that needed addressed. I began to see a dietician. The dietician is the one who suggested I get tested for Celiac disease after my telling her about all the foods that bothered me when I ate them. I had previously been told that I had IBS.  My blood work was positive and I was instructed to go gluten-free. It was only after I went gluten-free that I saw a GI doctor, who wanted me to go back on gluten to confirm the diagnosis with an endoscopy/biopsy. I declined because I felt so much better off of gluten….it was night & day.

That was enough for me. I went on to have my kids tested and my son was diagnosed at the age of 10 with Celiac disease. He did have the endoscopy/biopsy done. I knew better by the time he was tested. He is a thriving, happy 15 year old hockey player now.   My daughter has tested negative, but did have one of the genes associated with Celiac Disease.  She is not currently eating a gluten-free diet.

I started my blog, Gluten-Free is Life, in August 2008 as a way for me to keep track of gluten-free recipes & products so that it was easy to share that information with my family.  I had no idea at the time that other people, people that I didn’t know, would read my blog and be interested in what I had to say!  Now, in addition to writing & maintaining my blog, I am an author at Celiac-Disease.com, the Columbus Gluten-Free Food Examiner and contribute articles to Gluten Freely (General Mill’s).  I thoroughly enjoy baking, cooking and helping people learn about Celiac Disease and the gluten-free diet.  Though I may have been shy growing up, I have never been quiet (just ask my family).   Spreading the word about gluten-free eating & Celiac Disease is the perfect job for me because I get to talk (write)!

In my spare time I like to spend time with my kids, read & run.  I just completed my 3rd half marathon last week!  I credit starting the gluten-free diet with forcing me to focus on the food (fuel) that goes into my body.  By fueling my body properly, I am able to complete half marathons and even a marathon last year!

I would love to share one of my favorite recipes with you all!  This recipe is perfect for the upcoming summer months, as it is cool & refreshing.  My grandmother used to make this when I was a child and I have modified it to be gluten-free now.  It is always a hit at parties, too!

Pistachio Cheesecake

Ingredients:

1 stick butter

1 ¼ cups flour (I use Pamela’s GF Baking Mix)

½ cup coarsely chopped pecans

8 oz. Cream cheese (softened)

1 cup powdered sugar

8 oz. Carton of Cool Whip (I use the Lite)

2 small pkg. Pistachio Instant Pudding Mix (Kraft is gluten-free)

3 cups milk

Making the Crust:

Blend melted stick of butter, 1 ¼ cups of flour & pecans. Spread in a 9 x 13 glass baking dish. ***Note…My sister recommends doubling the recipe for the crust b/c it is too thin otherwise. I used an 8 x 11 pan and didn’t double. Bake 15-20 minutes at 350 or until light golden brown. COOL COMPLETELY!

Making the Cheesecake Filling:

Mix 8 oz. Softened cream cheese and 1 cup powdered sugar. Then fold in

½ carton of Cool Whip. Spread on top of cooled crust. Refrigerate for 30

minutes.

Topping:

Mix 2 small packages of pudding mix with 3 cups of milk. Beat for 2

2 minutes. Pour on top of cooled filling. Chill until set & then top with the

remaining Cool Whip.

I absolutely love this stuff.  If you want, you could even experiment with other flavors of pudding such as, chocolate, lemon, coconut…..the list is endless!

Thanks again for letting me share my story & favorite recipe with you guys!  Have a great day!

J is for Jayne Aston…aka Aunt Jayne

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Everyone should have an Aunt like Aunt Jayne.  Jayne Aston..aka Aunt Jayne has become a dear friend of mine, I absolutely adore her. Jayne hails from Ontario, Canada. Not only do I love her blog, Aunt Jayne’s Blog, but she also has a website called Allergies- R – Us, where people with all kinds of dietary restrictions can network their blogs and exchange ideas, information and recipes. Jayne is also very active in the Celiac community, I truly do not know how she does it!

I am so very honored today to have you meet Jayne and have her share her amazing story. I now bring you Aunt Jayne….

"Aunt Jayne"

Aunt Jayne

Celiac – My Story

I was born premature and that was when we (My doctors, family and I) think my symptoms started.

As an infant, I was constantly in pain with gas and loose stools.

My first memory of Celiac symptoms (Although we didn’t know it then) was feeling bloated and crampy after eating Christmas dinner. I think I was turning three that year. I noticed that everyone was rubbing their stomachs and saying things like “Oh, I ate way too much!” I thought they were feeling what I was. Continue reading →

All of my life, I have had teachers, parents, guide leaders etc. tell me to suck in my stomach.  I always had a pot belly.

Jayne as a girl

I also always had Dermatitis Herpetiformis (DH) and they called it eczema.

My moods were also affected.  I would cry at the drop of a hat, fly into a temper tantrum for no apparent reason. I was constantly sick with colds, flu and every childhood disease there is. As a matter of fact I had Measles and Chicken Pox at the same time when I was only 3 months old!

I spent most of my life being the skinny kid, the skinny teenager and the skinny woman until I was put on Zyprexa (For bi-polar disorder – a mis-diagnosis)

I complained to several different doctors over the years about my inability to gain weight, chronic diarrhea, bloating, cramping and “rash”

None of the doctors could ever come up with any kind of help.

Then in 2006, it started to affect my brain! I started having moments of time where I did not recognise my surroundings, didn’t remember getting there and didn’t recognise people I knew! I thought I had a brain tumour or something and I was scared to death.

For an entire year, I could not leave my house alone.  There were notes on all of our doors with my boyfriend’s cell phone number telling me that this is my house and I am safe, just call the number.

My boyfriend would talk to me and tell me anything he could think of to calm me down – that was the only time he has ever laid to me.

Finally in June of 2007, my mother watched a show on TV about a little boy who seemed to “space out” and not know where he was. His mother had taken him to several doctors and was told he was Autistic.

She refused to believe that he was Autistic and kept trying to figure it out. Finally, someone told her he might have Celiac disease and to put him on a gluten free diet.  She did and he stopped having his “episodes”

My mother called me and told me about this program and told me to ask my doctor to check me for Celiac disease.

My doctor told my that there was not much chance because it is rare (?!) He sent me to another doctor anyway (I guess he figured he should humour me). The specialist did the scopes and in July of 2007, I was diagnosed, at almost 50 years of age with Celiac disease. My family doctor still has trouble believing it L

Once diagnosed (I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the same month) I didn’t know what the heck I was going to eat!

Finally, after a lot of research and trial and error cooking, I figured it out and you know what?  It isn’t that difficult!

I decided that I needed to share my research and recipes with others and with my younger brother pushing me; Aunt Jayne’s Blog was born. (http://www.glutenfreewithauntjayne.com)  I am now a proud member of the Canadian Celiac Association and have 2 more blogs and a website (http://www.allergies-r-us.net – a site for all kinds of dietary restrictions)

I work hard to help raise awareness for Celiac disease and I hope that anyone who reads this will do the same.

Sincerely,

Aunt Jayne

I is for I really love this iPhone/iPad App!

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I recently met Kim Maes and her husband Kurt at the Gluten-Free and Allergen-Free Expo.  It was such a pleasure to meet them and find out more about the app they have developed for the iPhone and iPad.  It really is cool. Kim also has a blog entitled Cook It Allergy Free that is worth checking out. I look forward to downloading their app as one of the first things I do once I get my iPad! It truly is a great resource for those of us that need to cook allergy free. It is my pleasure to now introduce the guest blogger today, Kim Maes:

Kim and Kurt Maes

Since today is “I” day on Rockin’ Gluten-Free, Andrea has asked me to share with you my Cook It Allergy Free iPhone App that I created.  So today I will share a little about it with you here…

When I began the endeavor of creating the Cook IT Allergy Free iPhone App, I did not quite grasp what exactly would be required of me to bring my little idea of creating an essential kitchen tool for those living with Celiac Disease, food allergies, and Autism to life. I had no tech background prior to this, only a Nutrition background.  So needless to say, there were many hours of frustration and challenges along the path of bringing it to fruition…However, I have actually loved every minute of it. Continue reading →

Because of my family’s own struggles with Celiac Disease and other food allergies, this App and my Cook It Allergy Free blog have truly evolved into a passionate endeavor for me.  There is nothing that I want more than to help other families that are struggling with the challenges of cooking for food allergies and sensitivities.  And I think that this App will go a long way towards taking the confusion out of this crazy world of ingredient substitutions!

The Cook It Allergy Free App for iPhone and for iPad provides a digital cookbook solution for people living with Celiac Disease, Autism, or Food Allergies.  The App has more than 200 gluten-free recipes.  And every recipe in the App can then be customized further to meet each user’s individual food allergy and dietary restriction needs.

Many have even been contributed by some of the leading bloggers in the gluten-free and allergy-free community. Lexie (of Lexie’s Kitchen), Shirley (of gfe-gluten free easily), Alisa (of Alisa Cooks and Go Dairy Free), Zoe (of Z’s Cup of Tea), Jenny (of Creative Cooking: Gluten Free), Rhonda (of Allergy Sense), Michelle (of Allergy Sense),  and Sarah (of Sarah B Designs)….have all shared recipes in addition to my own collection.

Once you have customized your recipes to your food allergy needs, you can then add them to your Grocery List (that can be organized by Aisle or by Recipe), to your Recipe Box, or even share them on Facebook, Twitter, or Email.  There are also a number of baking tips and ideas to help you avoid problems that can happen in the world of allergy-free baking.

It really is a wonderful tool for people allergic to, or avoiding, gluten, dairy, eggs, or nuts.  There is no need to have to search for a recipe that does not contain specific ingredients. Instead, you can just pick any recipe in the App and, with a simple tap, trade out allergens (such as eggs, butter, milk, yogurt, buttermilk, cream, sour cream, cream cheese, cheeses, nuts, nut butters, corn syrup, and soy) for safe and correctly calculated allergen-free substitutions. You also can create customized Recipe Boxes and Shopping Lists with your saved recipes.

The App simply helps to take the guesswork out of allergy-free cooking. It is also helps families dealing with the challenges of Autism as they may be facing the daily struggles of the Gluten Free/Casein Free Diet (GFCF Diet).

Everything about this project has been so much fun, but truly, truly the best part has been having the opportunity to become a part of the most amazing community of gluten-free and allergen-free advocates.  Knowing that there are so many others out there going through the same experiences that we are has made it such a joy and a wonderful adventure to eat and live gluten-free!

H is for Heidi Kelly from Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom

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Today is “H” day! I’m so very excited to introduce you to my new friend, Heidi Kelly. I recently met her at the Gluten-Free and Allergen-Free Expo two weekends ago. It was so great to meet her in person and we really hit it off! Heidi has an awesome website, Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom, and is very popular in the gluten-free community.

Heidi Kelly

One of the things Heidi and I have in common is how much we love Dr. Vikki Petersen, Founder of HealthNOW Medical Center in Sunnyvale, CA and best selling author of “The Gluten Effect” which I will be giving away two copies of real soon on my Facebook fan page. :) I would like to share a little bit of Heidi’s story and then show a video that Dr. Vikki Petersen posted recently on You Tube about Heidi and her family after they went to see her.

Heidi’s story:

Hey there, my name is Heidi and I am the quirky personality behind Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom, a personal blog about my journey to raise a happy and healthy gluten-free family. Continue reading →

I began my blog in June of 2009, a year after I finally decided to embrace my new path in life, being gluten-free.  I wish I could say that how I arrived here was a result of greater nutritional awareness, but that could not be further from the truth.

After giving birth to my first son in 2003, my OB/GYN decided to test me for diabetes due to a sore on my leg that would not heal.  The diabetes test came back negative but my thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level was extremely high.  Further testing revealed Grave’s disease and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, both autoimmune thyroid conditions.  After undergoing radioactive iodine ablation to “kill” my thyroid gland, I spent the following ten months pursuing unsuccessful thyroid hormone replacement therapy with Levoxyl (T4 hormone) and Cytomel (T3 hormone).  During those 10 months, my TSH levels began to soar, eventually reaching a high of more than 150 (the normal range is from 0.4 to 4.5), despite taking high levels of medication.

During this time, it felt as though the life were being sucked right out of me.  I was extremely lethargic, gaining weight at an unnatural rate of 2—4 pounds a week (ultimately putting on approximately 80 pounds), and I fell into a deep depression.  I was prescribed a series of antidepressants, none of which did any good.  Life was borderline unbearable, especially while caring for a toddler.

In April of 2005, after being at his wits’ end as to why I was not absorbing my thyroid hormone, my brilliant endocrinologist thought to test me for celiac disease and the anti-gliadin IgA* blood test came back positive.  Within 4 months of going on the gluten-free diet, my TSH levels dropped from the 150’s to 5.52 (you can read more of my thyroid story here).

*The tTG blood test was not originally run and my Dr. did not initially recommend doing the intestinal biopsy to confirm the findings of the anti-gliadin antibody blood test because there was an urgency to get control of my TSH levels. I’ve since had positive test results for the tTG blood test, plus 2 positive intestinal biopsies as well as a positive skin biopsy for dermatitis herpetiformis.

I wish I could say that everything changed for the better after that fateful spring day in 2005, but it took a long time to get to where I am today, loving my gluten-free life.  My initial diagnosis did not come to me as a relief like it does for many people who suffer the “classic” GI symptoms of celiac disease, rather, it was just another tally mark on my already long list of medical “oddities” that seemed to have just been my lot in life, beginning the day I was born.  Here are just a few of my atypical celiac symptoms over the years: eczema, impetigo, psoriasis, chronic sinusitis, ADD, depression, behavioral “issues,” anxiety, canker sores, muscle spasms and cluster headaches.

After spending the first 3 years after my diagnosis fumbling around in a state of confusion, denial(yes, I am a recovered “gluten-cheater”) and depression, I received a major wake up call the day my oldest son was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2008, at the age of 5 (you can read more of his story here).  It was in that moment that I decided to stand up, quit feeling sorry for myself and take back my life for the sake of my son.  The death of my beloved uncle to non-Hodgkins Lymphoma a few months prior to Sam’s diagnosis was a painful reminder of what could be in my future if I didn’t begin taking my gluten-free diet seriously.

Little did I know then, but I was about to embark on the most beautiful, frustrating, mind-boggling, eye-opening, belly-laugh & tear-inducing…journey of a lifetime!


Please note: This site does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

F is for FUN….Gluten-Free Fun

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I am ALL about fun and it was very cool that I stumbled upon Erin Smith’s website entitled Gluten-Free Fun when I first started my blog.  Erin is from Astoria, NY and I think holds the record (at least with people I know) about how long she has been gluten-free….29 years and counting! WOW! I give her a lot of credit because things were a lot different back 29 years ago…heck even 10 years ago….even 5 years ago…she certainly did not have the options like she does today. Erin likes to blog about how fun it can be to be gluten-free and that’s what I LOVE about her.

Here is Erin Smith!

So…without further adieu let me introduce you to Erin Smith from Gluten-Free Fun!

Today is “F” day on Rockin’ Gluten-Free, so I am happy to share my story of Gluten-Free Fun, family, and friends with you all! Continue reading →

I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease as a toddler in 1981. This was pre-Internet, pre-blood tests, and basically before you could walk into a store and buy gluten-free food off the shelves. This made for a very unFun childhood. There were so many things for me and my parents to learn about this disease and being gluten-free that it seemed overwhelming and impossible at times. As I went through school, I felt embarrassed that I couldn’t eat like other kids and often kept my disease to myself. I always brought lunch from home and remember kids thinking my sandwiches looked weird. I felt really alone since I knew no one else with Celiac Disease. Although my family eventually joined a support group, I still felt like I was the only kid on earth with this disease.

As an adult, my gluten-free world started to change dramatically. Sharing information about Celiac Disease and the gluten-free lifestyle became my passion. Instead of being embarrassed of having Celiac Disease, I became an advocate and made it my mission to educate others about Celiac and embrace my gluten-free lifestyle.

In 2005, I became the lead organizer of the New York City Celiac Disease Meetup group. This is a social group that participates in gluten-free related activities in the tri-state area. I wanted to make this group not only educational but FUN. I started organizing gluten-free dinners, guest speakers, shopping trips, and even happy hours with gluten-free beer. With over 1,300 group members we are now the biggest Celiac Disease and gluten-free Meetup group in the entire world! Even as a lifelong Celiac, I still learn so much from the people in this group every time we get together. I have met some really amazing people in this group. We have moved beyond the Meetup formalities of organizer and member and have really become great Friends. There is something so comforting by having friends on speed dial that just get what’s going on in your gluten-free world.

http://www.meetup.com/celiac

In 2007, after much encouragement from Gluten-Free NYC blogger David Fischer, I started writing my blog Gluten-Free Fun. I have always enjoyed writing and I felt like I had a lot to say about being gluten-free and having Celiac, so I decided to take my gluten-free experiences to the Internet. With more than 4 years and almost 600 blog postings to date, I am thrilled with the way my Gluten-Free Fun blog has grown into a popular website in the gluten-free community. I continue to share gluten-free product reviews, interesting gluten-free articles, upcoming events, and basically anything gluten-free and Celiac Disease related that pops into my  head. Today, you can also find Gluten-Free Fun on Facebook and Twitter.

http://glutenfreefun.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/#!/gfreefun

http://www.facebook.com/GlutenFreeFun

In 2008, my history with Celiac Disease took a major unexpected turn when my sister was also diagnosed with Celiac after a complicated pregnancy with twins. For the first time ever, Celiac was now officially part of my Family and not just me anymore. Even though I had friends that were gluten-free, it was the first time that someone in my family could relate to exactly what I was going through with Celiac Disease. I was actually happy that my sister and I were now in the same boat being the “difficult” ones at family functions. My sister and I were already super close, but now we would share gluten-free food, could relate to each other when “glutented” and basically I now had a connection with my sister that I didn’t have with anyone else in the family. Fast forward three years later and now my sister’s twins are both gluten-free as well as one of my first cousins. Growing up, I could never have imagined that those closest to me would eventually relate on such a personal level. Being gluten-free in our Family is no longer weird; it seems to be the norm.

With friends, family, and fun in my life for the past thirty years, having Celiac doesn’t seem to be a big deal anymore. This is who I am and I am happy to embrace my Gluten-Free Fun lifestyle.

Erin Smith

Please note: This site does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

C is NOT for cookie…it is for Celiac and The Celiac Diva!

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Last weekend, when I attended the big Gluten-Free and Allergen-Free Expo (more on that soon!), I had the pleasure of meeting “The Celiac Diva”, Lauren-Lucille Vasser.  I absolutely LOVE her positive energy and we hit it off from the start, she is SO much fun to hang with!

Here is "The Celiac Diva" during a demo at the Expo

Here we are together at the VIP Party during the Expo! So much fun!

Lauren-Lucille has Celiac Disease and was diagnosed on March 18, 2010.  She blogs about gluten-free living and hosts as “The Celiac Diva” online with new episodes on her site every Monday. You can check out her site at theceliacdiva.com. She is from New York and is also a professional Actress and Singer. Her story is very compelling and I would like to share it with all of you.  I now introduce you to “The Celiac Diva” Lauren-Lucille Vasser:

I’m Lauren-Lucille Vasser (yes, Lauren-Lucille is a long first name, but I dig it!), your Celiac Diva hostess, living in New York. I’m a Christian, a wife, a professional  actress (AEA), a singer & chick who loves my family bunches.  I found out I had Celiac Disease on March 18th, 2010, my healing birthday!!! Celiac Disease is an auto-immune disease that destroys the small intestines, causing the body to attack itself (resulting in all kinds of crazy symptoms and other diseases), and resulting in malabsorption from years of eating gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and cross-contaminated oats. Gluten can be found in breads, soups, cosmetics, lotions, vitamins, it’s everywhere! Once you stop eating gluten, the body can begin to repair itself. Although it may take years, diet is the only way to control this disease. What a blessing.

My story: Four and a half years ago, my life changed in an instant when we thought I was having a heart attack, chest pain beyond my comprehension.  It took me 3 years to get a chest pain diagnoses of  Costochondritis. However, little did we know, it was not costochondritis at all, but a result of Celiac Disease.  After 3 years of struggling with chest pain, my health began to deteriorate further: numb hands, an oddly broken foot, diarrhea -gross!, headaches, ear aches, back pain, numbness, tingling, severe mood swings, muscle twitching, not able to get enough sleep, psoriasis, and the list goes on…

Seventy five doctors later from TX, TN, CA, and NYC, I called into Dr. Wallacs Youngevity radio show about my symptoms. That’s correct, I said a radio show!! lol. Within minutes, he nailed me with, “you have Celiac Disease” …..Cricket….. ”I have what? ” After that, I went gluten free immediately, not knowing at the time I should have done the blood test/endoscopy asap. I got into an appt with my GI 8 weeks later to talk about what Dr. Wallach had shared with me. She immediately wanted me to do the gluten challenge and the biopsy, but there was no way I would go back to gluten for anything. And I knew in my heart that God sent Dr. Wallach to show me how to heal. How cool that after years of suffering, my answer was free…it was a miracle. A free miracle, lol, and evidence of God’s unique love.

So at that point we chose to do the genetic testing as well as stool testing. FUN! lol. I tested positive for the Celiac Disease genes with the highest combination of genes for contracting the disease and negative for gluten allergies. My stool testing showed that the amount of malabsorption of fat I was experiences was 6 times the normal rate. It shocked me. Also, my iron, Vit D, B6, mineral absorption, calcium, and magnesium was were all incredibly low. So my GI uncomfortably declared me an “unofficial Celiac,” even though she still to this day wants me to consume gluten for 3 months and do the endoscopy. She and I both know that’s not going to happen. =)  For me, I’m relieved with all my heart to finally know what was wrong with my body.  And then….. The Celiac Diva was born! Cause if you have Celiac…you gotta be your own advocate and from time to time, bring out the diva in you!…humbly of course. =)

Lauren-Lucille has made 75 videos so far. Here is #70 talking addressing symptoms of Celiac Disease.  I will be bringing her back in a couple of days to share with you the videos she made at the Gluten-Free Expo we were at together recently.   Enjoy!