Before
After
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Wow! She has changed!
We were looking through pictures this weekend and I could not believe how much Meredith has changed in the last 6 months. Since she has not been on steroids for almost a year and since her diagnosis of Celiac Disease in June she has changed so much. Take a look...
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Trick or Treating with Celiac Disease
When Meredith was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in June of this year we really didn't realize all of the aspects of her life that would be affected. It wasn't until just a week ago that I was thinking about Halloween and taking her trick or treating. She loves dressing up for Halloween and most of all has always loved the treats and candy she gets. She will still get dressed up and we will still go trick or treating. The only difference this year is that we will not only check her candy for safety, but also to make sure it is gluten free. Chances are she will not be able to eat most of what she gets. Unfortunately, most companies do not list the ingredients on fun size items. They only list them on the big bag that they come in. I was so thankful when I came across a gluten free candy list from celiac.org. We will be using this list when going through her treats. Feel free to share, if you know someone who could use this list too!
http://celiac.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/candy-listUPDATE.pdf
http://celiac.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/candy-listUPDATE.pdf
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Gluten Free Snack Mix
Meredith loves Chex Mix. Unfortunately, the bags that you can buy already made in the grocery store are not gluten free. So, I sort of made my own recipe so that she can have gluten free snack mix.
Ingredients:
3 cups of Gluten Free Rice Chex
3 cups of Gluten Free Corn Chex
1 1/2 cups of Snyder's Gluten Free Pretzels
6 tbsp. of Butter
2 tbsp. of Worchestershire Sauce
2 tsp. of Seasoned Salt
Melt the 6 tbsp. of butter in a microwave safe bowl. Add worchestershire sauce and seasoned salt to the butter and stir well. In a large microwave safe bowl mix rice chex, corn chex and pretzels. Pour the butter mixture over the chex mixture and stir well. Place mixture into the microwave for two minutes and stir. Repeat the two minutes in the microwave and stirring two more times...for a total of three times. Let it cool and store in gallon size Ziploc bags.
*You can also add nuts. Meredith doesn't like them so, we do not put them in her mix.
This is really good. Creig and I like it too! I can get two batches of chex mix out of one box of rice chex, one box of corn chex and one bag of the gluten free pretzels.
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
3 cups of Gluten Free Rice Chex
3 cups of Gluten Free Corn Chex
1 1/2 cups of Snyder's Gluten Free Pretzels
6 tbsp. of Butter
2 tbsp. of Worchestershire Sauce
2 tsp. of Seasoned Salt
Melt the 6 tbsp. of butter in a microwave safe bowl. Add worchestershire sauce and seasoned salt to the butter and stir well. In a large microwave safe bowl mix rice chex, corn chex and pretzels. Pour the butter mixture over the chex mixture and stir well. Place mixture into the microwave for two minutes and stir. Repeat the two minutes in the microwave and stirring two more times...for a total of three times. Let it cool and store in gallon size Ziploc bags.
*You can also add nuts. Meredith doesn't like them so, we do not put them in her mix.
This is really good. Creig and I like it too! I can get two batches of chex mix out of one box of rice chex, one box of corn chex and one bag of the gluten free pretzels.
Enjoy!
Dietician and Gluten Free Diet
Meredith and I met with a very nice Dietician on Friday. She gave us a lot of information and spent some time explaining to Meredith the "rules" about eating gluten free.
Here is some of what we learned:
What is gluten?
Gluten is a protein found in some grains such as wheat, rye, oats and barley.
Why does Meredith need to follow a gluten-free diet?
Meredith has Celiac Disease. This means her body reacts to gluten and this can damage her small intestines. A gluten-free diet allows the small intestine to heal and begin to absorb nutrients again.
What grains and starches does Meredith need to avoid?
Barley, barley malt, beer, bread crumbs, bulgar, cereal extract, couscous, cracker meal, durum, farina, flour, graham, kamut, malt, matzoh, oats, rye, semolina, spelt, triticale, wheat, wheat bran, wheat germ, wheat starch.
What grains and starches can Meredith eat?
Amaranth, arrowroot, bean, corn and corn bran, cornmeal, cornstarch, grits, hominy, maize, nut flours, potato, potato starch, quinoa, rice and rice bran, rice flour, flax, sesame, sorghum, soy, sunflower, sweet potato, tapioca, tef.
What foods may contain gluten?
Bouillon cubes, brown rice syrup, brown sugar, buckwheat, caramel color, ketchup, cheese spreads, chip and dip mixes, dextrin, enriched products, flavorings, French fries, honey roasted or dry roasted nuts, hot chocolate or cocoa, hydrolyzed plant protein, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, textured vegetable protein, ice cream, imitation seafood, imitation bacon, imitation pepper, instant coffee, instant tea, licorice, luncheon or processed meats, margarines, marshmallows, millet, meat sauces, modified starch or modified food starch, mono and di-glycerides, mustard, natural and artificial flavorings, non-dairy creamers, salad dressings, soup and soup mixes, sour cream, soy sauce, soy sauce solids, starch, tomato sauce, vinegar, vegetable gum, vegetable protein, hotdogs and sausage products, yogurt with fruit.
How can we know for sure if a product has gluten?
Some foods may be labeled gluten free. If they are not labeled, read the ingredients list on the food label. If you don't know about a food or product, contact the company and ask if it is gluten free.
Will Meredith get enough vitamins and minerals on a gluten free diet?
Meredith's diet may be low in some of the B-vitamins that are found in grain products. Meredith needs to eat plenty of enriched or fortified grains that are allowed such as corn and rice products. She will also need to take a multi-vitamin.
Can Meredith eat out at restaurants and still follow a gluten free diet?
Yes. We can ask a server or chef to explain how foods are prepared in order to make sure they are gluten free. It also helps to take a list of foods that Meredith will need to avoid with us.
What is cross-contamination?
This is when a food that is gluten free comes in contact or is cooked with foods that have gluten. Be careful of fried foods because the oil used to deep fry may be used for foods that have gluten. Cross-contamination is the reason that millet, oats and buckwheat sometimes need to be avoided.
Is gluten found only in food?
No. Gluten may be found in some prescription drugs, over the counter drugs and vitamins.
Other products that may contain gluten are: toothpaste, lipstick and face powder, shampoo, soaps and detergents, lotions, herbal and nutritional supplements, communion wafers, and play-doh.
Where can we learn more about gluten free diet and gluten free products?
Celiac Disease Foundation- www.celiac.org
Here is some of what we learned:
What is gluten?
Gluten is a protein found in some grains such as wheat, rye, oats and barley.
Why does Meredith need to follow a gluten-free diet?
Meredith has Celiac Disease. This means her body reacts to gluten and this can damage her small intestines. A gluten-free diet allows the small intestine to heal and begin to absorb nutrients again.
What grains and starches does Meredith need to avoid?
Barley, barley malt, beer, bread crumbs, bulgar, cereal extract, couscous, cracker meal, durum, farina, flour, graham, kamut, malt, matzoh, oats, rye, semolina, spelt, triticale, wheat, wheat bran, wheat germ, wheat starch.
What grains and starches can Meredith eat?
Amaranth, arrowroot, bean, corn and corn bran, cornmeal, cornstarch, grits, hominy, maize, nut flours, potato, potato starch, quinoa, rice and rice bran, rice flour, flax, sesame, sorghum, soy, sunflower, sweet potato, tapioca, tef.
What foods may contain gluten?
Bouillon cubes, brown rice syrup, brown sugar, buckwheat, caramel color, ketchup, cheese spreads, chip and dip mixes, dextrin, enriched products, flavorings, French fries, honey roasted or dry roasted nuts, hot chocolate or cocoa, hydrolyzed plant protein, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, textured vegetable protein, ice cream, imitation seafood, imitation bacon, imitation pepper, instant coffee, instant tea, licorice, luncheon or processed meats, margarines, marshmallows, millet, meat sauces, modified starch or modified food starch, mono and di-glycerides, mustard, natural and artificial flavorings, non-dairy creamers, salad dressings, soup and soup mixes, sour cream, soy sauce, soy sauce solids, starch, tomato sauce, vinegar, vegetable gum, vegetable protein, hotdogs and sausage products, yogurt with fruit.
How can we know for sure if a product has gluten?
Some foods may be labeled gluten free. If they are not labeled, read the ingredients list on the food label. If you don't know about a food or product, contact the company and ask if it is gluten free.
Will Meredith get enough vitamins and minerals on a gluten free diet?
Meredith's diet may be low in some of the B-vitamins that are found in grain products. Meredith needs to eat plenty of enriched or fortified grains that are allowed such as corn and rice products. She will also need to take a multi-vitamin.
Can Meredith eat out at restaurants and still follow a gluten free diet?
Yes. We can ask a server or chef to explain how foods are prepared in order to make sure they are gluten free. It also helps to take a list of foods that Meredith will need to avoid with us.
What is cross-contamination?
This is when a food that is gluten free comes in contact or is cooked with foods that have gluten. Be careful of fried foods because the oil used to deep fry may be used for foods that have gluten. Cross-contamination is the reason that millet, oats and buckwheat sometimes need to be avoided.
Is gluten found only in food?
No. Gluten may be found in some prescription drugs, over the counter drugs and vitamins.
Other products that may contain gluten are: toothpaste, lipstick and face powder, shampoo, soaps and detergents, lotions, herbal and nutritional supplements, communion wafers, and play-doh.
Where can we learn more about gluten free diet and gluten free products?
Celiac Disease Foundation- www.celiac.org
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Meredith's Celiac Journey
Meredith has recently been diagnosed with Celiac Disease, and it has truly been overwhelming for us all. In an effort to help our family and friends understand what is going on I am going to share what Celiac Disease is all about and what it means for our sweet Meredith.
What is Celiac Disease?
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder triggered by consuming a protein called gluten, which is found in wheat, barley and rye. When a person with celiac eats gluten, the protein interferes with the absorption of nutrients from food by damaging a part of the small intestine called villi. Damaged villi make it nearly impossible for the body to absorb nutrients into the bloodstream, leading to malnourishment and a host of other problems including some cancers, thyroid disease, osteoporosis, infertility and the onset of other autoimmune diseases.
How is it diagnosed?
There are 300 symptoms associated with celiac disease, therefore gaining an accurate diagnosis can be difficult. Celiac disease can be found by using a antibody blood test. If it is expected a small intestinal biopsy may be done for confirmation. Meredith had an endoscopy procedure a few weeks ago and several biopsies were taken during this procedure.
Treatment of Celiac Disease: A Gluten-Free Diet
The treatment for celiac disease is simple: a lifelong gluten-free diet. There are no medications or surgeries that can cure the autoimmune disease. Eating any amount of gluten, no matter how tiny it is, can cause damage to the villi of the small intestine and prevent nutrient absorption.
Celiac Facts
*One in 133 Americans has celiac disease.
*Three million Americans across all races, ages and genders suffer from celiac.
*Celiac disease is hereditary, so all first and second degree relatives should be screened.
*95% of celiacs are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other conditions.
*Celiac disease can lead to a number of other disorders including infertility, reduced bone density, neurological disorders, some cancers and other autoimmune disease.
*There are NO pharmaceutical cures for celiac disease.
*A strict gluten-free diet is the only treatment for celiac disease.
Information from: National Foundation for Celiac Awareness
When we received this confirmed diagnosis we had already begun removing gluten from Meredith's diet. There is so much information out there and it is so important that we are careful with what she eats. When Meredith does eat anything with gluten she has severe abdominal pain, becomes very fatigued and develops headaches. We will be meeting with a dietician tomorrow to get more helpful information.
What is Celiac Disease?
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder triggered by consuming a protein called gluten, which is found in wheat, barley and rye. When a person with celiac eats gluten, the protein interferes with the absorption of nutrients from food by damaging a part of the small intestine called villi. Damaged villi make it nearly impossible for the body to absorb nutrients into the bloodstream, leading to malnourishment and a host of other problems including some cancers, thyroid disease, osteoporosis, infertility and the onset of other autoimmune diseases.
How is it diagnosed?
There are 300 symptoms associated with celiac disease, therefore gaining an accurate diagnosis can be difficult. Celiac disease can be found by using a antibody blood test. If it is expected a small intestinal biopsy may be done for confirmation. Meredith had an endoscopy procedure a few weeks ago and several biopsies were taken during this procedure.
Treatment of Celiac Disease: A Gluten-Free Diet
The treatment for celiac disease is simple: a lifelong gluten-free diet. There are no medications or surgeries that can cure the autoimmune disease. Eating any amount of gluten, no matter how tiny it is, can cause damage to the villi of the small intestine and prevent nutrient absorption.
Celiac Facts
*One in 133 Americans has celiac disease.
*Three million Americans across all races, ages and genders suffer from celiac.
*Celiac disease is hereditary, so all first and second degree relatives should be screened.
*95% of celiacs are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other conditions.
*Celiac disease can lead to a number of other disorders including infertility, reduced bone density, neurological disorders, some cancers and other autoimmune disease.
*There are NO pharmaceutical cures for celiac disease.
*A strict gluten-free diet is the only treatment for celiac disease.
Information from: National Foundation for Celiac Awareness
When we received this confirmed diagnosis we had already begun removing gluten from Meredith's diet. There is so much information out there and it is so important that we are careful with what she eats. When Meredith does eat anything with gluten she has severe abdominal pain, becomes very fatigued and develops headaches. We will be meeting with a dietician tomorrow to get more helpful information.
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