Key Info to be Gluten Free at College

In the last few days this has been on my mind. How do our kids handle it when they go away to college and have to be gluten free? No Mom. No Dad. Now’s the time where the rubber meets the road and our kid has to make it happen!

I knew I had to write about this when I read two very opposite stories on Thursday:

University of Wisconsin’s Badger Herald in Madison, Wisc. reported Thursday on how the school’s gluten-free options are improving because of the increase in gluten-free students.

How celiac disease contributes to osteoporosis and why other conditions could cause bone loss too. When we think of osteoporosis you may only picture that “little old lady” who can no longer stand up straight — wondering if that will ever be you… or me. That thought has crossed my mind before. But the reality is, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, 52 million Americans either have osteoporosis or low bone mass which can eventually lead to osteoporosis.

Early diagnosis is key to keeping health complications related to celiac disease at bay.

The bottom line here is the earlier you get your diagnosis the better off you’ll be both immediately healthwise (you might not feel so crummy) and hopefully preventing further complications like another autoimmune disorder, osteoporosis, infertility or cancer in the future.

In my family alone, if I am just with my parents and my brother — the nuclear family I grew up with — half of them celiac disease! In my own family 1 in 4 has celiac. I am the carrier, but don’t have celiac. I am

If a product’s ingredients are gluten free but it’s not labeled gluten free — is it safe to eat? Just this morning I was on Facebook and I saw a conversation on one of the celiac disease group pages I belong to where someone asked if Lucky Charms was gluten free. That is where the discussion ensued.

Scandal star and a gluten free pizza moment during the Oscars! It was a funny (and relatable) moment during the Oscars telecast Sunday night when a pizza party broke out (hang with me, there’s a gluten free connection coming).

Celiac is just one of dozens of autoimmune diseases affecting millions of Americans. Some people may have multiple AI diseases. Learn more right now!
Much is still unknown about what causes or triggers an autoimmune disease. There does seem to be a genetic component where clusters of autoimmune diseases happen within families. On my side of the family, for example, my dad and brother have celiac and my mom has rheumatoid arthritis. I have nothing so far….but I keep looking over my shoulder awaiting for something to rear its ugly head.

Is the gluten free trend growing, waning or something in between? Experts chime in. In the last five years, gluten free foods have flourished into a multi-billion dollar business. If you have been doing gluten free for as long as our house has (nearly 14 years), during those “pre-trend” years I never would have imagined a Gluten Free Bisquick, egg rolls, ravioli, or a Tyson gluten free chicken nugget!
We have the trend, in part, to thank for the huge selection that has become available to us.

That initial celiac diagnosis can be a shocker. But it also is a life-changer— for the good — and here is why.
When you are told you have a disease and you’ll have it the rest of your life it impacts you, some differently than others.

When word began spreading about Hy-Vee possibly coming to the Twin Cities, the gluten-free community said it was ready. You see, Hy-Vee was a grocery store that took our food seriously — before most other mainstream grocery stores. Way back when my daughter was first diagnosed (early 2000’s) I would hear of these stories about how good Hy-Vee about getting and stocking gluten free products.

There is evidence that Kennedy may have actually suffered from celiac disease along with many other ailments he had (some of the ailments could in my layman’s perspective be considered symptoms of celiac.)

This is not new information however. Kennedy’s health records came out more than 10 years ago and that is when the celiac discussion began. But that doesn’t mean the subject isn’t worth revisiting