CeliacChicks

Vital Juice Daily Interview

I was honored to be interviewed by Vital Juice Daily yesterday. In case you aren't familiar with Vital Juice Daily, they send out daily emails with nuggets of healthy wisdom in them. You can sign up for your daily email, or just check in on the site daily. You can also sign up for emails that relate to your location, like New York. I've been a fan of Vital Juice, so I was delighted they wanted to interview me. It was fun too, because it was about a variety of things, not just celiac disease or gluten-free food. 

You can read the interview here.

Thank you, Vital Juice Daily! And keep up the good work!

Celiac Disease Article On The Huffington Post

Dr. Jon LaPook just wrote a very detailed article about celiac disease on mega blog The Huffington Post. Dr. LaPook is a gastroenterologist at Columbia University Medical Center who is also the Medical Correspondent for CBS Evening News with Katie Couric. Be sure to check out the discussion below the article and feel free to join in.

Here is the link to the article:

Why Common Foods May Hurt Your Health

Thank you, Dr. LaPook for writing such a fabulous article! And thank you, Huffington Post for helping out with celiac disease awareness!
[air kiss]

HIGHLIGHTS

I really liked the detailed list of celiac disease symptoms:

Diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, distention, weight loss, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, failure to thrive in infancy, vomiting, short stature, iron deficiency with or without anemia, poor performance in school, delayed puberty, infertility, recurrent miscarriage, osteoporosis, vitamin deficiencies, fatigue, tooth discoloration and dental enamel defects, skin disorders, elevated liver enzymes, Down syndrome, Sjogren's syndrome, aphthous ulcers (canker sores), arthritis, depression, nerve and balance problems (peripheral neuropathy and cerebellar ataxia), irritability in children, seizures, and migraines. Patients with other autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes and thyroiditis are at increased risk for celiac disease.

Added to this:

Newsweek Article On Celiac Disease!

Well, It's here!! The much anticipated Newsweek article has hit the stands. I tried to buy a copy at several locations this morning on my way to work only to find fashion magazines, gossip rags and porn. ARGH! Doesn't anybody really read anymore?! Then a friend of mine sent me a link to the online article- I'm hoping the graphic that was supposed to be included with more gluten-free resources (GFGoddess, Meetups, etc.) is in the print version.

This latest situation I found myself in stemmed from the recent New York Times article on dining out with celiac disease. Burnt out from that day of excitement , I came home to this email: "...I'm working on an upcoming article about celiac disease for Newsweek magazine and I'd like to interview you."

My heart palpitated.

One thing led to the next, and eventually we all secured a date to meet at Bistango. Of course, on that day there was a major storm prompting endless phone calls about flight delays. We weren't sure if Heidi Collins, the official spokesperson for the NFCA, was ever going to make it on time from Atlanta. At Bistango, waiting for Heidi to arrive, the photograper needed to start shooting. "Take another sip of your drink...yes, that's great!" At 10:30pm Heidi came through the door to the rescue, looking absolutely amazingly fresh considering her long day of travel frustration. Great! I was more relaxed now knowing they would be able to get a better photo than just lonely me with my martini looking like a lush!

Bistango restaurant already holds special memories for me. The first time I went there was to meet up with the dedicated Alice Bast and Vanessa Maltin of the NFCA to brainstorm for the first NYC Cooking Spree fundraiser. The second time I went there was to be interviewed by Jennifer Romolini, the free-lance writer with celiac disease that has worked very hard to further celiac disease awareness with her great coverage in TONY magazine and the recent New York Times article. And now I found myself at Bistango sitting unnaturally close to Heidi Collins of CNN and reporter Ann Underwood with a Newsweek photographer snapping away from various angles!

Do I sense a pattern here? Maybe it's because of the cozy exposed brick walls, or the candles and roses on the tables. Perhaps it's because of the great service. More than likely it is all of this combined with the many tasty menu items that can be converted to gluten-free upon request, that makes this the place for diners wanting an environment conducive to conversation.

Dinner, of course, was delicious. We had several dishes, including my favorite, the naturally gluten free salmon di sedano.

The manager, Anthony, told me (when I first interviewed him several months ago) it's been about three years since they began offering gluten-free options as a GFRAP member. Back then the owner was curiously hesitant about the whole gluten-free thing, but because of the family nature of the restaurant they wanted everyone to be able to enjoy a meal there. The most popular item is Fusilli Bistango which includes sauteed chicken, olive oil, roasted tomatoes, broccoli and marinara. Now upon your arrival they even serve bruschetta with gluten-free baguettes from Everybody Eats (not corn-free) and even dessert!

I'm really excited to see more publicity for these great restaurants that have reached out to accommodate our special needs. I'm especially happy for the incredible amount of awareness this Newsweek article is going to bring to many people here in the United States.

Thanks again, Anne, for the great coverage! And thanks again, Heidi, for coming all the way from Atlanta for dinner!

Bistango
415 3rd Avenue
(At 29th St. & 3rd Ave.)
New York, NY 10016
212-725-8484

The New York Times!

Wow! What can I say? I am so happy that unlike the other recent NY Times article that portrayed those with gluten issues as head cases, Jennifer Romolini's article will hopefully stir up empathy in others as well as help further awareness.

Thanks, Jen!

Oh...and btw...the boy  in the article that I mention "rolling his eyes" is quite the supportive trooper and we had a BIG laugh about that quote.

*****
Does anyone know how to get in touch with Danna Korn?  Danna, if you're reading, please email me.

All Press is Good Press

Celiac disease has made it one step closer to Page Six!  Next time, I guess Kelly and I will have to make a big scene on the red carpet and demand gluten-free cocktails!  Thanks Chris Erikson for using your newspaper power to spread the word about celiac disease and gf lifestyle info.

Download NY_Post_5-9-06_Gluten_for_Punishment-1.pdf