Anyone with gluten sensitivity, be it celiac disease or an allergy, knows it’s important to keep tabs on the latest GF list. If we’re lucky, that list gets a little longer each time. But more importantly, the new gluten-free grocery list shows you what ISN’T gluten-free anymore. I’ll take a shorter list with little risk of a gluten reaction over a long list with the risk of reaction any day. Anything to avoid a glutening.

Trader Joe’s 2009 Gluten-Free List

Enjoy! I’m printing mine out now.

GF-Branded

But more importantly, I’ve found a small niche in the journals read skimmed. We all know about the genetic ties linking family members, but I’m more interested in your subjective take on why and how celiac became a part of our lives.

In my case, I firmly believe two high-stress years finally triggered my predisposed disorder. Had I practiced relaxation techniques during that time, I’m convinced I could have delayed or all-out avoided the gluten restrictions.

So what about you? Can you link it to certain events of your lives? Certain levels of exercise or co-conditions?

Let me know the comments!

I’ve taken the leap into the world of micro-blogging and am now the proud father of a Celiac Snack account on Twitter. Even if you don’t want to let people know every little thing that happens in your day-to-day life, it’s a great way to search the web for real-time information regarding Celiac and the gluten-free lifestyle.

Twitter Search for Gluten-Free Info

Twitter Search for Celiac Disease Info

I’ll be using it to supplement CeliacSnack.com in hopes of sharing (and learning) information to keep gluten-free living healthy and hopefully a little easier.

CeliacSnack on Twitter

The event will offer delicious gluten-free goodies from 20 chefs picked from the upper echelons of the GF cooking community. Take a look at last year’s event for a taste of what’s to come.

The price for entry is a steep $150, but how many times can you go out on the town knowing everything in front of you is safe to eat? I’ll be there to report on (and enjoy) all the gluten-free offerings.

Even if you aren’t attending, it’s worth your time to peruse their site to learn more from one of the top celiac disease institutions in the country.

University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center Benefit

Telluride, Colorado

However, as often happens in a small town, I ran into the owner, Shawn, while walking around town. I sadly asked her if she offered salads. Knowing my regular order, she gave me a curious look and said, “Yeah sure, but…”

I finished her thought with a shrug, “I’m gluten-free now.”

Before my shrug could drop, she replied, “Ah, celiac or gluten intolerance?” I took a second to compose a smile. She proceeded to offer in-stock gluten-free breads, tips on shopping and eating gluten-free, and even denied me the mustard I ordered because she couldn’t guarantee its gluten-free status. All this without prompting. As a result I went back three more times in the four days I was there.

I am repeatedly surprised by the pockets of gluten-free knowledge in my travels, and walked away with a renewed confidence in my ability to live gluten-free no matter where I find myself. Moral of the story; no harm in asking for help. You might be surprised at people’s knowledge and willingness to accommodate.

In a study examining blood flow to the brain, 15 patients with untreated celiac disease were compared to 15 patients treated with a gluten-free diet for a year.  The findings were amazing. In the untreated group, 73% had abnormalities in brain circulation by testing while only 7% in the treated group showed any abnormalities. The patients with the brain circulation problems were frequently suffering from anxiety and depression as well.

While the sampling was small, the potential ramifications of the empirical data are interesting nonetheless. I have always been a proponent of the mind/body mindset, as it were, and this only strengthens that opinion. I will be on the lookout for more information about this possible link.

The article is a must-read for Celiacs, and further proof that a gluten-free diet has far-reaching benefits above and beyond a healthy GI system.

Gluten Sensitivity and Depression – Celiac.com

I have to admit, Trader Joe’s was a complete mystery to me before I went gluten-free. Having never stepped foot in one, the best I could surmise from the outside was that Joe evidently traded something, but I had no idea it was groceries.

Then came Celiac, and my new brethren informed me Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods would be my new best friends. Each has their pros and cons, but I will say two grocery bags cost a lot less when they have a TJ’s logo on the side.

So, during my recent shopping spree, I was happy to hear from a helpful Joe (?) that Trader Joe’s recently updated their gluten-free list. I haven’t done a line-by-line comparison between this new list and the one on my fridge door, and to be honest this may or may not imply new products. It’s possible they just fine-tuned their previous list, but it does clearly state that the list was updated in December, 2008. Either way, it’s worth printing out a new copy for your next trade trip.

Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free List

[PDF]

In an ironic twist, as my adjustment to the gluten-free diet became commonplace, my desire to write about it was replaced by my desire to just live by it. My memorized list of safe foods expanded as I discovered new restaurants and products.

In hindsight, this would have been the best time to dive deeper and share the day-to-day challenges and triumphs of eating gluten-free. I’m willing to bet other Celiacs are at a similar stage, and I plan to provide some info to help the newly initiated, as well as host a forum to exchange GF info and tips.

Michael and I will continue to bring you Celiac news, gluten-free products, restaurant reviews, and personal observations that I hope will become conversations with, and between, our readers.

So keep an eye on Celiac Snack, your source for gluten-free knowledge to snack on in 2009.

If we get 15,000 people like you to sign up for free dining cards, we’ll make a $10,000 donation in support of a national celiac disease awareness campaign. When we hit our goal of 15,000 dining cards in August, we’ll ask the gluten free community to help us decide which non-profit(s) receives the donation.

This effort dovetails with Celiac Snack’s effort to educate restaurants at all levels; from server to owner. Drop by their site today to order your free cards and do your part to raise Celiac Awareness.

$10,000 Challenge for Celiac Awareness [thanks Kelly]

This means that while a restaurant manager might see the advantages in offering celiac-friendly menu items, his first attempt to devise such n offering is likely to be discouraging when dealing with the industrialized offerings of Sysco. While Sysco adapts to trends – they have a nutrient calculator and vegetarian diet offerings delineated on their site – a simple search for celiac, or even gluten, returns zero hits.

Helping restaurants might mean helping Sysco. While Sysco could easily seem like the barrier here, seeing them as the ultimate vehicle is more productive. Because in some cases, a gluten-free item doesn’t need to be a special manufacture, it can be the standard, and that’s music to Sysco’s ears.

Contact Sysco