Gluten Free Fair at Whole Foods-June 2

I have just learned that Whole Foods in Durham will be hosting a Gluten Free Fair. Amy, the marketing team leader asked if I could help spread the word about this opportunity. The following is from the Durham Whole Foods Web Site:

Gluten-free Fair
Tuesday, June 2
3:00 - 6:00 pm
FREE

Does someone in your household live with a gluten allergy, wheat sensitivity or Celiac Disease?!?! We understand that feeding a family where different allergies exist can be quite difficult, but we're here to help you find ways to make it easier! Join us for this gluten-free fair to taste lots of different recipes and meet lots of vendors who offer gluten-free products here at Whole Foods Market in Durham. Bring along those with allergies so they can try before you buy to make sure they will like it! Take home recipe cards and feel good about gaining new ideas for how to feed those in your family who can't eat gluten. And we’re always excited to host the kind folks from the Whole Foods Market Gluten-Free Bakehouse as they offer many of their tasty gluten-free baked goods that are out of this world!

I understand Lee Tobin will be on hand. He is the fellow behind all the delicious gluten free bakehouse products in the frozen section at Whole Foods. I'm also hoping to be available for part of the afternoon, to spread the word about the Gluten Free Durham Blog and Gluten Free Guidance Consulting. See you there!


See the Durham Whole Foods website for more information.

Ted's Montanta Grill-Gluten Free Update

I recently inquired about the gluten free options at Ted's Montana Grill. While in the past the restaurant would offer patrons a separate menu that listed menus and nutrition information for various health concerns including gluten free options, THIS HAS CHANGED. I was told by their guest relations representative that"While our restaurants are not gluten-free, we will make every attempt to accommodate our guests with special dietary needs. We are revising our gluten-free information as our products now vary by location. Please notify the manager prior to ordering so that we can check product labels for your guest. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that our products will not come in contact with gluten during preparation." This is a good example of why individuals needing to follow a gluten free diet must make sure information is up-to-date! Look at the date of posts you read on line. Review the copyright date of books that you are reading. Look at the handouts that you were given from your health care provider, are they up-to-date? As the gluten free market grows and research continues we will continue to see more information coming our way, stay informed and stay accurate!


Ted's Montana Grill often offers various specials and coupons you can access their current one for $10.00 here.



Ted's Montanta Grill is located:
6911 Fayetteville Rd., Suite 102
Durham, NC 27713
P: 919-572-1210
Hours: Sun - Thurs 11 AM - 10 PM • Fri - Sat 11 AM - 11 PM

Souper!Salad Gluten Free Menu

I recently was alerted to a Durham restaurant called Souper!Salad. They are an 82 location soup and salad bar chain based in Texas. Click here to check out their extensive Gluten Free menu and here for more information on the Durham location.

Cafe Parizade-Restaurant Review

My husband and I took advantage of the early bird special at Parizade the other evening before going to a play at the new DPAC in Durham. Cafe Parizade is an upscale Mediterranean restaurant located off main street. The early bird special may be a bit of a secret as I do not see it advertised on their web page, but the special is 5:30-6:30 and is $19.95 which includes: salad/soup, entree and dessert. While Parizade does not have a special gluten free menu, they are always very accommodating and careful in providing me with delicious gluten free options. The early bird special time works well, as you can dine in a nice restaurant for a good price and it is not real busy yet, so the wait staff and chef are able to take time to accommodate special dietary needs. I would recommend adding this to your list of restaurants to try.

Hours:
M-F 11:30-2:30 lunch
M-Th 5:30-10:00 dinner
F-S 5:30-11:00 dinner
S 5:30-9:00 dinner

Location:
2200 West Main Street
Durham, NC
919-286-9712

Elisabeth Hasselbeck, author of "The G Free Diet"-Interview on Fox News

There has been much hype and publicity around the publication of Elisabeth Hasselbeck's book "The G Free Diet". You can see her latest interview with Greta Van Sustern here
Elisabeth who suffers from Celiac Disease herself has been using her celebrity status to do a great job of spreading the news on Celiac Disease and Gluten Free Diets. I have read several reviews of the book and would like to share a statement and concern put forth by Elaine Monarch, founder and executive director of the Celiac Disease Foundation, she writes:

Celiac Colleagues:

I am writing to call your attention to the current publicity surrounding the new book, The G-free Diet, A Gluten-Free Survival Guide by Elisabeth Hassselbeck, co-host of The View. While it is important to call attention to celiac disease, the information must be accurate - the inaccuracies in this book are potentially dangerous and detrimental to celiacs and to those yet to be diagnosed if people self diagnose and start eating GF. Our mission is to assist in getting people accurately diagnosed and the message in this book could defeat this mission. It appears that this book is being marketed as a fitness diet - eat g-free and feel so much better. Celiac is incorrectly referred to as an allergy not an autoimmune disease.

The GF diet is the medically mediated prescription that controls the condition for a diagnosed celiac. Several items in the book are misleading and inaccurate and place further limitations on the GF diet. The gluten-free lifestyle is a lifelong commitment for the diagnosed celiac, not an option, not a fad diet - adhering to the GF lifestyle requires patience and persistence. This lifestyle can not be trivialized.

Thank you.

Elaine Monarch
Founder & Executive Director
Celiac Disease Foundation

While a gluten free diet can be a very healthy diet, eliminating whole grains and other foods for those individuals that do not have Celiac Disease, a diagnosed wheat allergy or true gluten sensitivity is not necessarily a healthy life style option. Before heading down the gluten free fad diet road, those with concerns that they may have Celiac Disease should seek appropriate medical testing.

May : Celiac Awareness Month?

It is the goal of most folks living with Celiac Disease and my professional goal as a Dietitan to increase the awareness of Celiac Disease. May is proclaimed by many organizations such as the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America and The American Celiac Disease Alliance and political leaders in various states to recognize May as "Celiac Awareness Month". The Celiac Sprue Association has recognized October as being awareness month for many years. I think we should take advantage of two months in twelve to really get the word out on Celiac Disease. What can you do?

IDEAS:

The Celiac Disease Foundation has a color brochure you can download and print to distribute.
Challenge Your family or friends to go gluten free for a day or a week
Bake a gluten free dessert and share with coworkers
Host a gluten free party: preparing only gluten free foods
Tell everyone you meet that it is gluten free awareness month
Thank restaurants for gluten free options
Write grocery chains and thank them for caring gluten free products
Support local gluten free businesses
Write your gluten free story and share with others

If you do something really creative to spread awareness this month let me know.