CeliacChicks

Gluten-Free Ashville, North Carolina: Posana Cafe

 

Please welcome guest blogger Elyse Sparkes. She has been living gluten-free for 5 years. As a personal trainer, she advocates health and wellness in NYC through SparkesWellness. Elyse loves to discover new naturally gluten-free restaurants in NYC and abroad.

Posana Cafe
One Biltmore Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801
828.505.3969

I had the pleasure of stumbling upon the Posana Cafe recently while I was traveling in Asheville, North Carolina. Well, I can't actually take all the credit. Usually when I travel I do a little gluten-free restaurant research beforehand to know what my eating options will be when I arrive. This year, however, due to pre-vacation chaos I didn't do my homework before I headed off to a five-day dance festival in Asheville. Due to the intense schedule of the festival I figured I would make a grocery store stop and stick to my staples like carrots, hummus and rice cakes.

So naturally, I was shocked and delighted when my boyfriend (who had arrived the day before) picked me up at the airport with a gluten-free muffin in hand! He had walked into Posana Cafe just looking for a cup of coffee when he saw a small sign for gluten-free baked goods. (Isn't it great to have gluten eaters looking after us?) Check out this Trail mix scone he bought!

Celiac Disease - The Mystery Disease That Affects Millions

The symptoms can range from what may seem like insignificant ailments such as headaches, diarrhea, reflux, lactose intolerance, and abdominal pain and bloating to more significant signs of malabsorption, which can manifest itself as weight loss, anemia, assorted autoimmune disorders, depression and malignancies.

The elusive culprit behind these varied discomforts is celiac disease and international studies show that 1 out of 100 people have it. This means that nearly 3 million Americans are affected and sadly only 3% have been diagnosed. Celiac disease is a genetic autoimmune disease that is triggered by the ingestion of gluten- the protein found naturally in wheat, rye, and barley. Even trace amount of gluten can flatten the villi in the intestines which will then lead to a variety of symptoms and if prolonged serious health complications that may include other autoimmune diseases.

THE SYMPTOMS
Below is a tiered checklist of symptoms of celiac disease from the comprehensive book Celiac Disease –A Hidden Epidemic. (Peter H.R. Green, MD and Rory Jones 2006: Back cover)