QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Q1. Is oatmeal okay to ingest if diagnosed with celiac disease? Please let me know. Thanks.

A1. The jury is still out on oats. Oats are grown in fields that are rotated with wheat and thus some amount of contamination occurs. However, several companies grow and harvest oats grown in fields where no wheat is grown. These are pure. If any oats are okay for celiacs these would have my vote. We carry Only Oats products including flakes and flour. Please be aware that some people have an additional sensitivity to oats so they are not recommended for everyone. Beth

Q2. Help! We are planning a trip to Italy and you can imagine my problem; what am I going to eat? My food restrictions are: gluten, dairy, soy, sugar, anything that is high on the glycemic index (I am a cancer survivor and sugar or things that turn into sugar/glucose are not recommended). Gluten-free pasta is yummy but much higher in the GI than traditional pasta. Do you know of a recipe for meal replacement bars? The bars you carry are too high in sugar or on the GI for me. I am so grateful you are there to ask. Thank you. Ann Marie

A2. Dear Anne Marie, First, I believe Andi Bars (#951009-951012 & #951020) have a wonderful nutrition profile. They’d be great to take on a trip. They contain about 8 gm of sugar, 13 gm of protein and 3 gm of fiber. Secondly, Italy is full of fresh fish, fruits and vegetables. Life could be worse than eating a salad and grilled fish for dinner, in my opinion. Enjoy your trip and stay well. Beth

Q3. I have been gluten-free since after the birth of my second son, three years ago. I have been unsuccessful in finding a gluten-free vegi burger. Most I find contain malt. Any suggestions?

A3. Thanks to our readers, we’ve had many, many suggestions. Here are a few: • Sunshine Burgers available at local health food store including Whole Foods. Their web site is www.sunshineburger.com • Veggie Bistro Burger from Amy foods. New on the market and good. • Gardenburger in 3 flavors: Breakfast Sausage, Flame Grilled Burger, and Black Bean Chipotle. • Franklin Mushroom Farm" veggiburger

Q4. Beth, My 9-year old was recently diagnosed with the double whammy of being allergic to gluten AND all dairy. Can you recommend a cook book that specifically is for this double allergy? I would love one with all the basic, family-style recipes that are now a challenge with having to eliminate both wheat and milk. I've tried a few books, but most either focus entirely on eliminating one or the other. Or they are general food allergy books that eliminate everything (eggs, nuts, shellfish, etc.) that he can have and trying to make all the substitutions is really a pain and frankly not all that successful. Am I asking too much??? Thanks Cherie in San Mateo, CA

A4. Dear Cherie, In general I find it is easy to replace milk, buttermilk, yogurt etc., with soy milk, rice milk, fruit juice or water. So that’s one way of handling the dairy allergy. In addition, cookbook author Carol Fenster has just written a new cookbook that may be just what you need. Family-friendly recipes and loads of suggestions for substitutions. The title is Gluten-free Quick & Easy (#953040) Hope this helps. Beth

Q5. I have been suffering with Psoriasis since I was 12...at least the Doctors say it's Psoriasis. I am covered with spots that look like Psoriasis sore....very itchy and soar. But I read in a definition of Celiacs that my spots could be a form of celiac disease? I have tried to go on a special diet but no one has told me what I should and shouldn't eat. I live in a small rural town and do not have access to gluten-free food products. How can I test myself to see whether my spots are due to eating wheat. What can I do to clear my skin if it is related to wheat and gluten??? Is there a test that I can take at the doctors to see if it is Psoriasis or a form of celiac's desease? Kathy

A5. Dear Kathy, Unfortunately, the diagnosis you are seeing is not that simple. A doctor really needs to evaluate you to make sure you need a gluten-free diet. When the skin is involved, you may need to see a dermatologist as well as an internist or gastroenterologist. If you want to give the diet a try for a few months, there are guidelines on several web sites including ours www.glutenfree.com Here are a few others that might be helpful CDF http://www.celiac.org/ GIG http://www.gluten.net/ CSA http://www.csaceliacs.org/ Please keep in mind that a doctor cannot diagnose you if you are already adhering to a gluten-free diet as all of the tests will prove negative. If you decide to try the diet before diagnosis, you will need to go back on gluten before you can be tested. Beth

Q6. Just a comment regarding "Franklin Mushroom Farm" veggiburger. They are still found in some grocery stores, Food Lion for example. I tried them and love them. Not only are they gluten free, they are yeast and sugar free for people like me who can't have that in their diet. Patricia Vanaman

A6. Dear Patricia, Thanks for that information. I am glad they are still around. Beth

Q7. Dear Beth, I was diagnosed with Osteopenia around 10 years ago. Then last summer the bone density test showed that I now fall into the Osteoporosis range in my spine (after many years on both Fosamax and Actonel), and I was finally tested for Celiac Disease, with positive results. I just had another bone density test and although I improved a bit in my spine, I dropped 6.4% in one of my hips. My question: Do you know of a gluten-free calcium supplement with a potency good for those with Osteoporosis? Also, perhaps one that is easy to swallow and not so binding. Thank you so very much! Robin

A7. Dear Robin, My story is much like yours and I have been taking OsCal chewables and Caltrate or Citracal with D. It is very important to add as much Vitamin D as calcium to your diet (about 12-1500 mg). Also, make sure your supplements include some magnesium oxide, another important vitamin in combating Osteoporosis. Hope that helps. Beth

Q8. Dear Beth, After being sick for 20 years, I was finally diagnosed with Celiac Disease five years ago. I have never been able to eat fresh fruits or vegetables. They cause me great stomach pain and gastrointestinal distress for 2-3 days after eating them. I especially have trouble with fruits with edible skins, such as grapes, apples and cherries. Is this problem caused by the damage to my cilia? Is there anything I can do about this problem? It is difficult to keep my weight down with this problem. Also, do other Celiacs have this problem? I have been GF for 5 years. Thank you for your newsletter. I get a lot of valuable information from it, Nancy

A8. Dear Nancy, Glad you like our newsletter. Your problem with fruits and vegetables sounds a bit unusual to me. You should really have a chat with your doctor about this one as fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. Beth

Q9. Hi, I am looking for a recipe for yeast free and gluten-free plain white bread without using rice flour since it leaves a funny taste? Any ideas? I have never been a fan of sandwiches but now it sems to be the easiet thing for a brown bag lunch. Thanks for yor help.

A9. First let me say that not all rice flour is created equal. If you are willing to give it another chance, you might try the Orgran yeast-free bread mix. I think it’s quite tasty and, of course, no yeast. Take a look at item #956125. Hope this helps. Beth