On Support Groups

Hello! In this blog post, I’m going to introduce you to a couple of great support groups available to those with Celiac Disease. I’ll also explain why support groups are useful to those with Celiac Disease. You may think that support groups aren’t necessary, but it’s always a good idea to talk to someone who may be going through the same situation you are. An added bonus of a Celiac Disease support groups is not only that it allows one to connect with other people who have Celiac Disease, but it can also help one stay on a gluten-free diet by keeping each other accountable.

Following a strict gluten-free diet can be difficult, and if someone with Celiac Disease slips up it can put them at risk for a number of different complications. A support group is a very good way to avoid this.

There are both in-person and online support groups available to those with Celiac Disease. There are several different ways to find these groups; I’ll list a few of them here:

• First, one can always check at their local hospital, the doctors will often know other people who share the disease, and can help get everyone together
•   Second, one can find different support groups through various organizations such as:  
• The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness
• The Celiac Disease Foundation
• R.O.C.K (Raising Our Celiac Kids)
•  Finally, one can tap into online communities such as:
• Online blogs (like this one!)
• Newsletter subscriptions
• E-mail alerts for breaking news in the Celiac Disease  community

If you do decide to attend one of these meetings it’s a good idea to reach out to someone and ask them for any extra help you need. There may be people who are willing to show you the ropes while grocery shopping; or offer other helpful tips. Groups can also meet at restaurants so that newer members can learn how to order from restaurant menus. Another way a support group can help is to answer questions for new members.

I hope that this information is helpful in finding a support group that it right for you and your loved ones. This will be my last blog post here. I wish you and your loved ones the best in their lives. I want you to know that you can have a happy and fulfilled life even with Celiac Disease. It's been fun, bye!

App Time

There are many apps readily available that can help you save time and trouble in supermarkets and restaurants. Gluten and allergen-free information are available at your fingertips. You can use apps to scan items at grocery stores and see whether or not they contain gluten. You can also search for reputable gluten-free restaurants, or communicate your gluten-free requirements in other languages. I’ve created a list of gluten-free apps that should be helpful in yours or your loved one’s lives.

First, I’ll list several apps that can help with one’s shopping while gluten-free:

Allergy & Gluten Free Diet Tracker by Fooducate: ($4.99) With this app, one can use their device to scan a product’s barcode, search for specific products, or browse for foods by category. They can easily see whether or not a product contains allergens such as gluten, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, egg, milk, lactose or soy. There is also an interesting “One Click” button option that allows someone to call the manufacturer directly for additional information on the product in question. fooducate.com

Gluten-Free Groceries by Triumph Dining: ($17.99) This app’s tagline is that it is known as the “yellow pages of gluten-free food.” It allows one to quickly and simply find gluten-free groceries. The app lists more than 30,000 gluten-free products from popular brands to smaller specialty companies. This app offers several different language translations as well. triumphdining.com/glutenfree/apps.php

Is That Gluten Free?: ($7.99) This app allows someone to safely grocery shop with a database of more than 20,000 manufacturer-verified gluten-free products from more than 660 brands. One can search by categories, brands, ingredients, or keyword without difficulty. bit.ly/15al1xk

Next I’ll introduce you to some apps that can be quite useful when eating out:

AllergyEats Mobile: (Free) This app provides peer-based feedback on how well (or poorly) restaurants in one’s area accommodate the needs of food-allergic diners. One can customize their search by selecting from the top 10 allergens (gluten, wheat, corn, dairy, eggs, fish, peanuts, shellfish, soy and tree nuts), entering a specific location, or by choosing the “Find Near Me” option. allergyeats.com

Dine Gluten Free: (Free) Much like the previous app, this app helps one find peer reviews of thousands of “gluten-free-friendly” businesses in the U.S. and around the world. The reviews are searchable by location and include restaurants, bakeries, markets, hotels, cruises and even colleges. glutenfreetravelsite.com

Find Me Gluten Free: (Free) With this app one can search for gluten-free dining options by entering a specific location or browse the “Popular Chains” option, which includes links to the chain restaurants’ websites and gluten-free menus. This app also has “User Reviews” which often contains valuable information and tips. findmeglutenfree.com

iCanEat OnTheGo Gluten Free & Allergen Free: ($2.99) This app is very helpful when one wants to eat at a fast-food place. The app includes 34 different U.S. chains. All one has to do is enter their allergen concerns into the 3,900-plus-item fast food menu database. glutenfreepassport.com

iEatOut Gluten & Allergen Free: ($2.99)This app is similar to the previous app, but with a focus on ethnic restaurants. It provides resources for seven different ethnic restaurant cuisines including Chinese, French, Indian, Italian, Mexican, Thai, and steak and seafood. This app allows one to easily browse through menu choices, ingredients, sauces, food preparation and cross-contamination considerations so as to avoid any combination of food allergens. glutenfreepassport.com

Finally, here a two apps which can be quite useful if someone with Celiac Disease is planning on traveling to another country:

Gluten Free and Allergy Free Travel Translation Cards: (Free) With this app one can learn to safely and effectively communicate their food concerns when ordering meals in foreign-speaking countries. It includes 13 different languages, which is very helpful when managing a gluten-free diet as well as other food allergies. glutenfreepassport.com/allergy-gluten-free-travel/gf-translation-cards

Gluten Free Restaurant Cards from CeliacTravel.com: (Free) This app has gluten-free restaurant cards in 54 different languages to use when you dine out at a restaurant, either in the U.S. or abroad. celiactravel.com

These apps are only a small sampling of what’s out there. I encourage you to do some research on your own to find the app that suits your needs the best. In my next blog post, I’ll be sharing information about Celiac Disease support groups, what they are, where they are, and how they can help you. I’ll see you then!

Wonderful Websites

Hello lovelies! In this post I'm going to introduce you to a couple good websites that will help you find even more information related to Celiac Disease. These websites will enable you to better care for yourself or a loved one who's suffering from this disease.

The first website is one called kidshealth.org. What I really love about Kid’s health is that it has three subsites: one for the parents, one for teenagers, and one for children. In each of these sections the language and information within is specifically targeted toward each age group. This makes it a lot easier for each group to understand the information within, and use it to better understand and adapt to this disease in their lives, or in the lives of their loved ones. Kid’s Health also provides free recipes and meal planners to aid in proper nutrition planning. Additionally this site has an option to switch the language to Spanish, which is very accommodating.

The next website is one called celiac.org. This site sponsors the Celiac Disease Foundation and is useful in finding support groups for Celiac Disease. They have a map with local chapters listed on it. They also assist patients with Celiac Disease in finding a doctor, as well as provide a symptoms checklist so that they can perform a cursory self-check.

Americanceliac.org describes itself as being “The unified voice of the Celiac community.” I found this website to be very helpful in providing information about Celiac Disease. I especially liked how they had specific sections for families and on living with Celiac Disease.

If what you’re looking for is gluten-free recipes I would suggest checking out pinterest.com and searching “gluten-free recipes.” Another useful site for recipes is allrecipes.com. Both these sites are extremely useful in meal planning. This meal plan below was created by the Celiac Disease Foundation and can help give you an idea for the types of meal planning that is available to you:

 

Finally, I’d like to leave you all with a link to a post made by healthcaretechnicians.org. In this post, they list the top 50 Celiac Disease blogs. I encourage you to check them out!

http://www.healthcaretechnicians.org/who-needs-wheat-anyways-the-top-50-celiac-blogs/

The more information you have the better prepared you will be to deal with your, or your loved one’s, Celiac Disease. In my next blog post I’ll share with you some apps that can also help someone with Celiac out in their daily lives. See you then!