Oct
08
October is Celiac Awareness Month
Posted by Robb
Many of you reading our blog know that PureFit bars are among the best-selling wheat- and gluten-free sports nutrition bars on the market (oh, and they’re dairy-free also). The reason we decided to make a crap-free bar was due to the simple fact that 3,000,000 Americans (and many millions more if you look to Canada and across the pond to the rest of the world) have a difficult time digesting wheat or gluten, ingredients commonly found in other nutrition bars.
With an estimated one in 130 people in the United States having celiac disease — most of whom are undiagnosed — it was clear to me that something needed to be done to provide a healthy alternative in the nutrition bar category. (If you are unfamiliar with celiac disease, please read my February 25, 2008 blog post “What is Celiac Disease?”) Eight years later and we’re still going strong, as are organizations like the Celiac Sprue Association — a nonprofit dedicated to helping people with celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis through world-class education, research and support — and the Celiac Disease Foundation — a Studio City, California-based organization that strives to provide support, information and assistance for people affected by celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis (CD/DH).
You may not have noticed but October is “Celiac Awareness Month.” If you feel you might have celiac disease or simply do not do well on foods that contain wheat and gluten, everyone here at PureFit strongly suggests that you see your doctor and get tested.
If your doctor suspects you have Celiac Disease, they will probably order a simple celiac blood panel for gluten antibodies. If the results of the blood test show you or a loved one have a high level of antibodies to gluten and to certain other proteins in the intestinal lining — a sign that you could have celiac disease — your doctor may talk to you about conducting a small bowl biopsy to confirm the diagnosis (trust me, that sounds a lot worse than it really is).
In any event, get tested and be sure to tell your friends and loved ones that there’s no time like to present to start feeling better! October is Celiac Awareness Month… spread the word!
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Note: Celiac Disease is sometimes spelled “Coeliac Disease”
Another Note: If you’re wondering about the “g” symbol that appears at the top of this post, it comes from Trader Joe’s and is their way of displaying products in which no ingredients or sub-ingredients contain gluten.
October 11th, 2008 at 7:17 am
Celiac Disease Foundation celebrates National Celiac Awareness Month in May along with other national celiac groups and physicians groups, and others. The number of organizations, groups, and countries which celebrate Celiac Awareness in May continues to grow. The Canadian Celiac Association (CCA) has switched to May beginning next year.
The May observance was chosen to coincide with recognition of other medical conditions, related to celiac disease, that are observed in the same month. Celiac disease is still relatively unknown and being able to draw connections between these medical conditions and celiac disease helps to elevate its importance and enhance awareness. Some of the other May health observances include:
Digestive Diseases Awareness Month
Digestive Diseases Week
Food Allergy Awareness Month
Food Allergy Week
National Arthritis Month
National Eosinophil Awareness Week
National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month Women’s Health Week and Women’s Health Check-up day
Internationally, the Association of European Coeliac Societies recognizes Celiac Disease in May and celiac events are held throughout the world to raise awareness. (The association represents 26 countries of the EU - including Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and UK).
American Celiac Disease Alliance
American College of Gastroenterology
American Dietetic Association
American Gastroenterology Association
American Osteopathic Association
Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University Celiac Disease Foundation Gluten Intolerance Group National Foundation for Celiac Awareness University of Chicago Celiac Disease Program University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research Westchester Celiac Sprue Support Group Wm. K. Warren Celiac Disease Research Center UC San Diego
123 Glutenfree
Alba Therapeutics Corporation
Aline Medical
Allergy Grocer
Alvine Pharmaceuticals
Amazing Grains LLC
Andean Dream
Arico Foods
Authentic Foods
Bakery on Main
Bard’s Beer
Barry Rosenthal Studio
Bob & Ruth’s Gluten-Free Dining & Travel Club Brookfarm Cali Fine Foods Candle Café Candle 79 Case Nutritional Consulting Cecelia’s Marketplace Celinal Foods Cerrone Cone, Inc.
Collins Trucking
Emerson’s Restaurant
Endangered Species Chocolate Company
Ener-G Foods, Inc.
Enjoy Life Brands™
Farm Pure Foods
Food-Tek
Foods by George
French Meadow Bakery
Gifts of Nature
GlutenEvolution
Glutenfreeda Foods
Gluten Free Cooking Spree
Gluten Free Gourmet Solutions LLC
Gluten Free Kneads
Gluten-Free Living
Gluten Free Mama
GlutenFree Oats
GlutenFree Passport®
Glutino Foods
Great Northern Growers Cooperative
Green’s Beer
honestly speaking
Island Ice Cream and More
Jackson & Wheeler Restaurant
KC Medical Management
Kinnickinnick Foods
Kimball Genetics
La Tortilla Company
Lettuce in Love, Inc
LilliandLoo
Living Without
Miguel’s Products
Namaste Foods
Nana’s Cookie Company
National Sorghum Producers
Nature’s Chemistry LLC
Nearly Normal Cooking
Nielsen-Massey Vanillas
North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology,
Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) Pamela’s Products Pioneer Nutritional Formulas Prometheus Laboratories, Inc.
Rafferty’s Restaurant
Risoterria Restaurant and Bakery
San-J International, Inc.
Savory Palate
Shire Pharmaceuticals
Silly-yak Shirts
Stonyfield Farm
Sylvan Border Farms
Tastes Like Real Food
Tricia Thompson, MS, RD
Tuttoriso Ristorante e Cafe
Vivi’s Original Sauce
October 21st, 2008 at 5:29 pm
[...] I shared in this post, for the last 21 years, the Celiac Sprue Association has designated October as “Celiac Disease [...]