In June of 2004, the National Institutes of Health’s Consensus Panel on Celiac Disease concluded that there was a significant need to increase awareness and educate health professionals and the general public about celiac disease. Now — in 2010, nearly six years after the NIH’s June 2004 recommendation — leading groups, including the Celiac Disease Foundation, along with concerned citizens, are still lobbying Congress for the month of May to be officially designated “Celiac Disease Awareness Month.”

Despite that fact that Congress hasn’t taken any action yet on a bill that would officially designate May as Celiac Disease Awareness Month (resulting in, among other things, increased funding for celiac disease research), PureFit is pleased to be participating in efforts that increase the public’s knowledge’s about the disease.

Recently, we donated more than 700 of our wheat- and gluten-free nutrition bars to the Celiac Disease Foundation’s 20th Annual Education Conference and Food Faire (Saturday, May 15, in Los Angeles, Calif.). If you’re in the LA area and have an active interest in issues associated with celiac disease, the CDF’s Education Conference and Food Faire is a must-attend event. If you’re unable to make it to LA, no worries – unofficially, National Celiac Disease Awareness Month runs through May 31, and a simple Google News search for “Celiac Disease” shows you just how much is going on! Read the rest of this entry »

If you live in Southern California and want to learn more about the gluten-free movement, consider attending the Celiac Disease Foundation’s Annual Education Conference & Food Faire this Saturday, May 2, 2009, at the Pasadena Convention Center.

As with many celiac disease-related causes, PureFit is proud to promote and get involved with events such as CDF’s Education Conference & Food Faire. This year, Conference & Food Faire attendees will learn about PureFit’s award-winning wheat-free and gluten-free nutrition bars by reaching into their official event Goodie Bag and pulling out one of the 500 or so nutrition bars we donated to the Celiac Disease Foundation for events such as this one.

If you live with celiac disease or are trying to make the switch to the gluten-free lifestyle this would be a great one-day event to attend. This year’s slate of speakers include two of the best-known medical doctors focusing on the diagnoses and treatment of CD:

• Dr. Stefano Guandalini is a pediatric gastroenterologist and the director of the Chicago Celiac Disease Center.
• Dr. Joseph Murray is an adult gastroenterologist and professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic.

The program also includes:

• Continental gluten-free breakfast and lunch
• The aforementioned gluten-free goodie bag
• Gluten-free pizza and beer tasting
• Extensive vendor displays with gluten-free food samples and sales

For more information, check out this year’s CDF Conference Program and Registration brochure, or visit the CDF Education Conference and Food Faire webpage.