Tag Archives: Wendy Gregory Kaho

Gluten-Free Diet Awareness is a Blessing and a Curse

As the words celiac and gluten free are becoming a part of our daily jargon, it seemed important to clear up some misconceptions about this disease and food intolerance. While it seems this topic is just another diet fad, the truth is anything but a trend.

More than three million Americans live with celiac disease. Those with celiac experience something very different than those with sensitivity to gluten. Celiac is an auto-immune condition that causes damage to the small intestine and causes poor absorption of nutrients. The issues occur as the body’s reaction to gluten (a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley). USANA Health Sciences’ naturopathic physician Dr. Nancy Steely explains that those with celiac disease (CD) experience a wide range of symptoms that commonly include muscle cramping, diarrhea or constipation, fatigue, skin rashes, and joint pain.

Dr. Steely clarifies why CD symptoms vary by person. As with all auto-immune disorders, the body attacks its own cells and therefore symptoms appear differently for each person. Due to this, many go misdiagnosed. The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness reports that people typically go 6-10 years before they receive a correct diagnosis of their symptoms. (more…)

Posted on June 1, 2024 by Lacy

NFCA: The Gluten-Free Resource for Current Nutrition Information

By Wendy Gregory Kaho

There’s a lot of talk right now about the gluten-free diet and weight loss. Whether it’s the latest celebrity claiming the pounds are falling off while avoiding gluten or discussions on blogs and Facebook, weight loss is tied to a gluten free lifestyle. For those of us who have been gluten-free for a while due to celiac disease or another gluten-related disorder, weight loss and gluten-free don’t always go together.

When I first went gluten-free 5 or 6 years ago, I lost 35 pounds. I ate a naturally gluten-free diet that omitted all gluten-containing foods, with very few gluten-free replacements. At the time, there weren’t many good gluten-free breads or baked goods to tempt me and the availability of gluten-free flours was limited.

Back when I was walking nearly every day to help with the swelling and discomfort of my gluten reactions, the pounds did literally melt off. Then I started a gluten-free blog and started sampling all the processed gluten-free foods that were flooding the market and sitting at a desk working on my computer. I gained back the weight and then some more. This is a typical scenario for a lot of gluten-free people. As our intestines heal and our body starts absorbing nutrients and calories, there is a tendency for those with celiac disease to gain some weight. If we aren’t careful about the food choices we make when we replace the gluten-full foods in our diet, we can be adding lots of sugar and fat and white processed starches, gluten-free flours and, of course, pounds. (more…)

Posted on April 6, 2024 by Health Buzz

Voicing Concerns Made Dining Safer for One Gluten-Free College Student

By Shelby Kaho

Choosing the right college can be tough, especially with each college offering different academics, athletics, people, and so many other things to take into consideration. For me, I also had one other very big thing to take into consideration: my gluten free diet. Could the dining hall accommodate my needs?

I decided on a small liberal arts school about an hour and a half away from home. I loved the atmosphere and how comfortable I felt there. Since it was a small campus where you could really get to know everyone, I had confidence that I could work out a plan with the dining hall to make sure my food was safe. The first day I arrived on campus, I sent an email to the dining director of operations explaining my situation and concerns about getting safe gluten-free meals. I also talked to the sous chef and asked what was safe. While they promised me gluten-free meals when I visited the campus before deciding to attend, their understanding of what gluten free really means was inaccurate. They were both very helpful and willing to do whatever I needed, which gave me hope for being able to get safe, reliable meals. (more…)

Posted on January 10, 2024 by GuestBlogger

Your Guide for Enjoying a Safe Gluten-Free Holiday Season

Wendy Gregory Kaho blogs about the care and feeding of a gluten-free family at Celiacs in the House.

As the holiday season approaches, those new to the gluten-free diet, and even those with years of experience, can feel a sense of dread with all the opportunities for gluten in holiday gatherings and foods. How do we share the spirit of the season without the effects of an accidental “glutening?” I’ve gathered tips to make this a safe, joyous, and gluten-free holiday.

Communication is key to staying safe and gluten-free during the holidays. Linda Etherton, the Gluten-Free Homemaker, shares tips for staying safe and gluten free when eating those holiday meals. Not only do we need to educate our guests and hosts to keep us safe, but it is also an opportunity to lovingly hint to our relatives that they may need to be tested for celiac disease or gluten issues, since this is genetic.

Planning is critical. Whether it is planning a safe dish to take to a potluck or party to planning an entire gluten-free meal. (more…)

Posted on November 14, 2024 by GuestBlogger

Gluten-Free Stuffing Recipe for a Traditional Thanksgiving Side Dish

Wendy Gregory Kaho blogs about the care and feeding of a gluten-free family at Celiacs in the House.

My family has a list of holiday dishes that are not to be tinkered with or changed. They must look and taste the same way each and every year. We even have serving dishes and casseroles for each recipe, like the 28-year-old wedding gift baking dish to hold the stuffing.

When we found out about celiac disease and that three of us would be gluten free for the rest of our lives, one of the challenges was to get those textures and flavors from our traditional holiday foods without gluten. It’s gotten easier over the last six years to make our traditional stuffing recipe now that there are good gluten-free store-bought breads, cornbread mixes, and recipes available.

I created this gluten-free stuffing recipe especially for DietsInReview.com. This recipe combines two kinds of gluten-free bread that is cubed and toasted in a low oven, then it’s combined with gluten-free cornbread that is also cubed and toasted.  This is all added to the rest of the ingredients and baked. We never stuff anything in our turkey but onions, celery, garlic and a carrot because we like a drier stuffing to soak up lots of gravy.

Gluten-Free Stuffing

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup celery, finely chopped
  • 1 cup onion, finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons butter or olive oil or a combination
  • 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning or 1½ teaspoons of dried sage and ½ teaspoon of thyme
  • 1½ teaspoons of salt
  • ½ teaspoon of pepper
  • 2 tablespoons of dried parsley or add ¼ cup of fresh chopped
  • 4 cups of gluten-free bread cubes. (I used about 6 slices of whole grain and 6 slices of white sandwich bread.)
  • 2 cups of cornbread cubes (I used ½ pan of Pamela’s Cornbread Mix made without sugar. The other half will be frozen and go into the Christmas stuffing.)
  • 2 cups of gluten-free broth
  • 1 beaten egg

Click through for the Gluten-Free Stuffing Instructions, and to share the recipe with a friend. (more…)

Posted on November 3, 2024 by GuestBlogger

Sending Your Gluten Free Kid Back to School

Wendy Gregory Kaho blogs about the care and feeding of a gluten-free family at Celiacs in the House.

Just as I had to regroup and strategize to send my two gluten-free kids off to college, mothers of preschoolers and kindergartners have to sharpen communication skills and have a game plan for sending their little ones out without Mom looking for gluten hiding everywhere. Teaching kids when they are young to know the rules, know how to ask the right questions and how to find safe food will help them avoid gluten. I’ve gathered my tips and some great resources to help prepare your child and your school.

Communication is key to living gluten free. Discussing your child’s dietary needs with teachers, cafeteria staff, and administrators will become a way of life as your young child steps out into the world without you and into the care of others. Tip sheets for these discussions can be found on the NFCA web site listed below.

Find a support group where you and your child can participate in events with a group that understands your gluten-free lifestyle and experienced moms who can offer advice.

(more…)

Posted on August 18, 2024 by GuestBlogger