2/28/2010

The Gluten Free Round Table Discussion - Celiac Disease, Crohn's & Colitis



You are invited to participate in a round table discussion on Celiac Disease, Crohn's Disease and Colitis.
The meeting will be held at Healthy Home Market's South Blvd. location on March 13th, 2010 from 10a.m. until 12 p.m. in their community room.

Nikki Everett & Brenda Holland, the coordinators for R.O.C.K. Charlotte, will be in attendence
As well as representatives from the Colitis & Crohn's Foundation to engage in an open discussion forum about all three disorders and living gluten free.

Please call Healthy Home Market 704-522-8123 for any further information on the event.

Healthy Home Market - South End
2707 South Blvd.
Charlotte NC, 28209


What is a round table discussion?

A round table discussion is an excellent form of small group communication
when the group is going to be a long term engagement. Roundtable discussions
are extremely useful when it comes to learning, whether the learning be social or
academic. Most of these types of groups are focused on one subject like self
help, educational endeavors, or hobbies.


Of course the term originated because of King Arthur's round table where no Knight was the "head" or king - they were all considered equal.

2/23/2010

Reminder: R.O.C.K. Charlotte Will Be At The Rock Health Fair This Saturday



On February 27th, R.O.C.K. Charlotte will have a booth at


located at
1113 Fordham Rd.
Charlotte, N.C.

for their annual Free Health Fair
from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Opened to the public and all are welcome!

Free Screenings

Free Healthy Snack

Blood Pressure

Diabetes

Other screenings

And Health Information


Sponsored by the Men's Fellowship along with the Health and Fitness Ministry. Dr. Brent Maxwell, Shawn Carter and his nurse's staff, Strafford- Richardson YMCA and several others have committed to this effort. There will be Blood Pressure Tests, Sugar Diabetes, Prostate check( the blood test ), possibly eye exams also along with some other information concerning our health. For further information, contact Elder Thompson or Dr. Alston.

Thanks goes to The Rock Worship Center and Dr. Alston for helping out the cause of Celiac Awareness:-)

2/21/2010

Gluten Free Support Groups Help Children In Many Ways

A big thank you goes out to all our R.O.C.K. Stars and their families who attended the Be My Gluten Free Valentine Party 2010.

We made sushi, decorated gingerbread cookies, & made Valentine sachets out of Lavendar and Cinnamon. It was a blast!
But don't just take my word for it - Have a look for yourself.


Through the experience of starting R.O.C.K. Charlotte, I have had many opportunities to witness children empathizing with one another. Just merely recognizing another child who struggles with the same challenges that gluten free living entail is priceless. But to be able to see them enjoy a party without one worry about food or others contaminating them is amazingly healing. In this class, the predominant lesson was unable to be overlooked - Children will eat and enjoy food more when they are a part of its preparation. Even children who said they didn't like this or that ended up eating it and asking for more. A big lesson to us parents that bend and allow the child's protest of "I don't like that" to be the deciding factor on eating meals.


As for the rest of the party -

 Have a look in the R.O.C.K. Diner for the recipe to our marinade that we used for our pan seared tuna to fill our sushi with. The kids loved it.

And a huge thank you goes out to Barbara D'Ambrosio, The Thoughtful Baker, for delicious gingerbread cookies the kids enjoyed decorating with icing.

Udi's Gluten Free Baked Goods were sampled and we are anxious to see them carried in our local stores because they were one of the best commercially baked products we have tried. Look in our All Star Product Section for their web link.

Without our R.O.C.K. Stars, we wouldn't do what we do nor have near as much fun:-)

2/18/2010

Dr Alessio Fasano & Other Pioneers In Celiac Disease ROCK!

Dr. Alessio Fasano at the University of Maryland holds our hopes and the hopes of millions of people afflicted with celiac disease among other auto-immune diseases in the palms of his hands. He has become a visionary to those seeking answers in the keys to how to control disorders from type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis to rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel diseases, including celiac. Dr. Fasano remains the hero to so many of us as his research has spurred the education and specialization spreading of physician's current scientific knowledge about Celiac Disease

His studies have shown that there is a possibility that understanding Celiac Disease will have opened the doors to being able to effectively treat multitudes of auto-immune disorders through a little link called zonulin. In a public paper on the studies done and possibilities of finding new therapies because of this research, Dr. Alessio Fasano remains a true pioneer of gastroenterology and auto-immune diseases.

To read the paper click this link: Celiac Disease: Eating Away at You

A heart felt thank you to Dr. Fasano and the multitudes of doctors like him who envision helping to effectively treat auto-immune disorders.
And although the single cure for celiac disease is still a gluten free diet, the positive is that it does indeed have the honor of being the only auto-immune disorder that does have a cure.
The road is still unfortunately long in helping doctors on their quest of diagnosing Celiac Disease and other intestinal afflictions accurately.

We will be placing the article as a permanent fixture on our site in our newly made R.O.C.K. Resource Link page which can be found on the left of this page.
Just click on the graphic that looks just like this one:


2/14/2010

We Love Gluten Free Facebooking



Facebook has become a treasure chest of information for me about new gluten free products, books, and recipes.
Gluten free people everywhere are networking in all kinds of ways.
This has its pros and cons of course as all social networking can - We like to focus on the positives though.


Like:

  • New gluten free product awareness

  • New recipe ideas and techniques to help all of us non-bakers

  • Social interaction with those who empathize with challenges

  • Contacts to make traveling and being in surroundings which are unfamiliar a lot easier

  • Tips and creative ideas we all can learn from because more than one head can always brainstorm better than when we are alone in our endeavors
Here are some great Facebook finds this week:

Farmo gluten free products
Gluten Free Lab great info site
Celiac Awareness lots of members and lots of networking
Schar bakery

We will keep making posts about Facebook pages and groups which can help you in your search for living a gluten free life with a little more ease:-)

We love Facebook for making it possible for the gluten free community to grow leaps and bounds bringing us all that much closer together.

2/13/2010

Will You Be My Gluten Free Valentine?

Here are some great Gluten Free Valentine's Day gift ideas for the one you love who lives gluten free.
If not for Valentine's Day, then for any occasion...

Why not make a gluten free goodie basket?

You can personalize it based on what your valentine may like - For instance:


  • The younger children may like some homemade treats and great gluten free snack items and maybe even some gluten free lip balm

  • A teenager may like gluten free toiletries and cosmetics or great gluten free snacks to carry to school

  • A college aged teen may like some instant gluten free soup mixes, gluten free pastas and nutritious canned goods to help ease the stresses of cooking.

  • For the parent or newly diagnose, perhaps a gluten free baking basket or a gluten free pasta basket. You may even decide to put a new gluten free cook book in with the goodies.

  • I found a really great gluten free cookie in a jar idea on Gluten Free Help.info called Give Away A Cookie Kit.

All great ideas and all are positive ways to celebrate living gluten free.

2/09/2010

Generation Gluten Free - A Documentary



I received an email about a documentary that a creative young lady named Susan Cohen has made about the Celiac community and the gluten free movement called Generation Gluten Free.


A direct quote from the website about the film states:
"Generation Gluten-Free takes viewers inside the Celiac Disease community providing them with a first hand look at how it evolved from a grassroots movement in the early 1990s to the strong, blossoming community that it is today.



The 42 minute documentary, which was filmed over a two week period during the summer of 2005, focuses on a special group of people who have changed the face of Celiac Disease in the United States. Through their hard work and dedication, the individuals in this film created the resources that have revolutionized day to day life for Americans with Celiac Disease.



Whether it was founding a support group, developing gluten-free products, transforming gluten-free dining in restaurants, or raising awareness by sharing their Celiac story, this special group helped put Celiac Disease on the map.



Generation Gluten-Free features members of the Celiac Disease community including:



*Dr. Peter Green, Director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University



*George and Ceil Chookazian, Owners of Foods by George



*Beth Hillson, Founder of the Gluten-Free Pantry



*The Founders and Members of the Westchester Celiac Sprue Support Group



*Joseph Pace, Chef/Owner of Risotteria in New York City"


I commend this enterprising and obviously positive young film maker, Susan Cohen, for bringing us Generation Gluten Free and we will be ordering a copy. It is people making a difference day by day that change the way things have been.

If you'd like a copy or to watch the trailer just visit their website:



2/08/2010

Celebrities With Celiac Disease Are Stars of Hope

Just to show that you can achieve anything in life, no matter if you have Celiac or gluten sensitivities...

The winning team in the Super Bowl of 2010 was the New Orlean's Saints. Their Quarterback, Drew Brees, is allergic to wheat, gluten, soy & dairy according to his personal information found on Wikipedia.

So set your goals in life and know that you aren't alone in the struggles to get there.


Other famous people with Celiac Disease are:

•Keith Olbermann (“Countdown with Keith Olbermann”)

•Elizabeth Hasselback (“The View”)

•Heidi Collins (CNN anchor)

•Jane Swift (Mass. Lieutenant Governor)

•Katherine, Duchess of Kent

•Susie Essman (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”)

•Rich Gannon’s (NFL Quarterback) daughter, Danielle

•Joe C (Kid Rock’s Friend and Rapper) – Now Deceased

•Mickey Redmon (former pro hockey player, does hockey commentary for Fox Sports Detroit)

•Sarah Vowell

•Jennifer Esposito

•Thom Hartmann (Air America Radio)

•Amy Yoder Begley (Competed in Beijing Olympics as a runner)

•Cedric Benson (NFL running back for the Cincinnati Bengals – formerly Chicago Bears, Texas Longhorns)

•Joe Stanton (Cartoonist who draws Batman, Green Lantern, Archie & Scooby-Do)

•Steve from WGN Radio
 
 
Celebrities Who Have Been Tied to the Gluten-Free Diet (some for dietary reasons)

•Drew Brees (NFL Quarterback – Gluten Intolerant but does not have celiac disease)

•Victoria Beckham (Posh Spice)

•Sarah Vowell (Comedian, Spokesperson, voice of Violet from the movie Incredibles)

•Terence Stamp (actor in Star Wars Episode 1)

•Lady Antonia Frasier (noted author of historical novels)

•Amanda Donohoe (actress LA Law)

•Dannii Minogue (pop star/actress/model )

•Dr. Phil’s wife (Robin)

•Goldie Hawn (actress)

•Juliette Lewis (actress)

2/07/2010

The World Of Gluten Free Food Blogging



What do you do when you want to make a dish that was an old favorite and you need a gluten free version?
Well if you are like thousands of others, you do an internet search.

Gluten Free blogging has taken the internet super highway by storm!
The internet has opened up the possibilities for many seeking easier ways to live a gluten free lifestyle. One of the ways is by giving us the ability to network on sites like Blogspot, Facebook and Twitter. No land is too far away and gluten free communities are now expanding when they may have been isolated before due to locational access.


In other words, we ALL are one big neighborhood and it is only a search engine query away.
So much progress is being made day by day  - People are sharing personal triumphs and failures in Gluten Free living which is only aiding us all in our journeys to health.

Food blogging in particular has exploded and so has the gluten free food blogging arena. 
I have added some links of some of the finest gluten free food bloggers found on the internet in the
NEW R.O.C.K. Charlotte Gluten Free School Lunch section.
Photobucket

Bookmark them if you haven't because there is creativity, stories and gluten free recipe tips galore to get you started in creating your own gluten free lifestyle.

2/06/2010

Gluten Free Summer Camps For Kids Make Being The Same A Reality



It's that time of year that all parents start thinking about Summer Camps.

Our R.O.C.K. Star, Erin, attended Camp Wee-Kan-Eat-It last year which is sponsored by the Georgia Celiac Foundation. At first we were scared to send her to a camp away from our watchful gluten free house. But the camp proved to teach her independence and responsibility for her own health care which is an invaluable lesson for sure.

Not to mention that it is a proven fact that children benefit more from social interaction with other children they can empathize with when living a gluten free lifestyle. No longer would they only know a child or two who has the same issues they have.

Here is a list of Gluten Free Summer Camp programs available.


Maybe it's time to see how they do..We think you'll be surprised:-)
Besides, who wouldn't want a gluten free s'more?


2/03/2010

R.O.C.K. Charlotte at The Rock Health Fair



On February 27th, R.O.C.K. Charlotte will have a booth at


located at
1113 Fordham Rd.
Charlotte, N.C.

for their annual Free Health Fair
from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Opened to the public and all are welcome!

Free Screenings

Free Healthy Snack

Blood Pressure

Diabetes

Other screenings

And Health Information


Sponsored by the Men's Fellowship along with the Health and Fitness Ministry. Dr. Brent Maxwell, Shawn Carter and his nurse's staff, Strafford- Richardson YMCA and several others have committed to this effort. There will be Blood Pressure Tests, Sugar Diabetes, Prostate check( the blood test ), possibly eye exams also along with some other information concerning our health. For further information, contact Elder Thompson or Dr. Alston.

Thanks goes to The Rock Worship Center and Dr. Alston for helping out the cause of Celiac Awareness:-)

2/01/2010

R.O.C.K. Charlotte - Perpetually Changing For Gluten Free Greatness



Just like the caterpillar changes into a butterfly...
We are always making changes to our website - Adding info about Celiac Disease and gluten free living, gluten free recipes, fun games, R.O.C.K. Charlotte events, and favorite gluten free product lists.

So don't miss out on the fun and be sure to visit often:-)
*Information on our site and shared by members of our support forums is not intended to be medical advice or to replace the relationship between a patient and his/her physician*