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He is absolutely right!!! Rethink. I have been a raw foodist ( raw veggies,fruits, nuts and seeds)t for 3 1/2 years. Cured breast cancer, arthritis, fibromyalgia etc. It is a natural healthy gluten-free diet when not consuming grains which I do not. I went to an MS conference where they served the highest fat food I have ever seen at a banquet. The SAD Standard American Diet is killing us. Warmest Regards, Helen
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My doctor said that the gluten free diet is the hardest diet of any on the market and he doesn't recommend it because nobody can do it. I happen to disagree with that assessment. People can, and do, live with this diet. However, someone who doesn't have to live with it shouldn't be critical of someone who is. What I eat is my own choice and my own business. Charlotte
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Not meaning to offend, this is so true! There are too many calories in these treats and they are not necessary. Too many carbs and sugar - certainly! Our food plan is not complicated - it can be simple and healthy and doesn't have to include sugar treats in such quantities! The No-Grain Diet book by Dr. Joseph Mercola is quite interesting. I have gone to him and he is very much informed about celiac disease. His new book is, I believe, on the top 5 list - it just came out in April of this year. Perhaps this will not be a popular opinion, but I thought I would send it on just the same. Guess the great thing is we can all do as we please, whatever that may be. Thanks for your post and have a happy summer. Jane
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How rude!
I had a neighbor who was very unsympathetic to my need for a g/f diet, and at progressive dinners in the neighborhood she made comments about not considering anyone's diet. Then she got sick, and was diagnosed Celiac. I really did try to hide my smirk, and actually helped her to get through the first months. She ardently maintains her gluten-free diet these days, and cannot remember being rude about my diet.
Jack Challem is just an ignorant man. I have written to him and the editor of GNC. Take care. Valerie
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I think that Jack Challem has made an honest assessment of the gluten-free diet. Check the ingredients of most of the manufactured gluten-free mixes. They contain white rice and starches. White rice and starches do not contain significant amounts of nutrients and the calorie count is high. As celiacs we can eat most of the nutritious grains available - quinoa, amaranth. buckwheat, brown rice, and millet. In addition all of the nuts, berries, fruits, and vegetables are allowed in
the celiac diet. We are so conditioned by the prepared foods that the general population consumes that we don't stand tall and say, "We follow a diet that would benefit everyone". We need to be the leaders when it comes to stepping away from processed foods. We do not have a choice, but we can be positive about the diet we must follow. Joan
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I haven't seen the article, but I don't know what else we could expect from someone who has NO idea what we go through. If that particular conference was loaded with overweight celiacs, I would tend to see how he came to that conclusion. It really is easier to eat healthier when you're "forced" to by this diet. I would like to read the article though, then let him know how I feel. These conferences are also an outlet for us and a chance to indulge in treats we've missed out on for years. I wonder what HE eats. Later, Wendy
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I haven't read the article, but based on the quote you gave, I don't see the problem. Please don't take this the wrong way, but I think the author is right. I'm not always great about avoiding refined sugar and carbs, but when I do, I feel so much healthier. I think we eat way too much junk in our society, whether or not we have celiac disease. Since we do have this illness, it is harder for us to get at the junk food. I think the author is just saying that since it is harder for us, doesn't it make sense for us to replace such foods with wholesome snacks? Why go out of our way to find snacks that are bad for us when we can have
something healthful instead? Am I missing something? Thanks, Melissa in NH
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Thank you. We discussed the insulting aspects of this at our support group meeting this past weekend. Jere in SoCal
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I sadly have to agree...many celiac foods are loaded with carbs and sugar...I am disheartened by people asking for gluten free candy for their kids on this list, when we obviously can see the impact of an unhealthy diet..... Sorry..... Michelle
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Just my opinion here and I haven't seen the whole article either... but I am totally NOT offended. I actually agree with what he is saying. (maybe he was not as polite as he could've been???) I have seen the same thing in many celiac groups. I'm sure many are not "greedily lunging for an iced doughnut" but as a group organizer I did see many who did not see past the carbs/breads/sweets!! In my own life I had to get beyond that as well. I have changed my diet to almost NO grains and lowered my sugar intake drastically and have improved my health (and gut) almost 100% more than just eating GF and including grains and sugar.
Again, just my opinion but thought I'd share my input... Thanks, Sherry
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I am sorry to offend you, but I agree with the article (though I haven't seen it).
When I was first diagnosed almost 15 years ago, I went to a conference to learn about this "rare" condiditon I had been diagnosed with. There were hundreds and hundreds of people at this conference and I saw only 1 obese person. At that time there were very few commercial GF products....most had to be made at home and really didn't taste so great. Today we have more products available than you can name. As celiacs we want for little if we are willing to pay the price.....and unfortunately we do pay a very high price. As a group, look at us. Many of us over-eat sweets, starches and unhealthy fats. Attend a group meeting of celiacs today and notice how many are obese. Cholesterols are too high, blood sugars are too high.
We are not a healthy group as a whole and it is not because we have celiac disease. Read the e-mails on this list---we crave cookies, cakes, candy---everything we see everyone else eat. We are upset if manufacturers of all the unhealthy "junk" eaten by the rest of the population will not confirm their products are "safe" for us.
Years ago I ate with other celiacs and the meals were healthy...lots of fresh produce--fruits and vegetables, plain meats, fish, etc. Observe the meals today. Primarily processed foods with an emphasis on starches and sugars. I like these things as well as everyone else, but I feel the gluten-free food manufacturers have not really done us a favor---we do not consume these things as treats but over-eat them daily and often to the exclusion of basic foods. I have attended conferences and been embarrassed and disgusted at the way celiacs grab and hoard GF goodies......we need to look at ourselves. We are not healthy eaters by a long shot.
Sorry to disagree with you, but this has been a concern of mine for a long time. I have a celiac grandchild and I cringe at her diet. Unfortunately she has a lot of company. My celiac doctor tells me that once diagnosed, our cholesterol and fat levels go through the roof. We need to wake up. I for one feel this article was written by a man who is calling it as he sees it. It is sad but true. Carol
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I expect better from a professional writer than to lambaste people in general. While he could have easily made his point without insulting people, he chose to use a more antagonistic approach. I would have been much more agreeable to his opinion if it had not been so condescending. Frank
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You've got a point, but so does he - in fact a lot of folks continue to have distress until they get more probiotically oriented and less starch/sugar oriented. I think you will have the best impact if you praise him for trying to learn about CD and thank him for raising awareness, but also ask him kindly to consider that these treats can be "the fun part" of a healthful diet - everything in moderation, and when you have not had access, then, why not take advantage of the special
opportunity to try something festive and special, especially since they tend to be pricey, and it is a great opportunity to sample what is available before purchasing some for a special occasion? Good luck! Hilary
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I really appreciate all of your input, whatever position you take. My own position is that no one should eat great quantities of empty calories. I find that many of the gf treats are too high in fat for me. My objection is to someone outside of the celiac community who can, and probably does, enjoy many foods that we cannot eat, criticizing a group of people who are at a conference to try to educate themselves, and as a part of that day, enjoy a few items that they would not normally eat. I believe that as a whole the celiac community is a very dedicated and disciplined group and make more dietary changes than any other group of
people. Ours is not a fad diet that someone adopts for a week or a month, but by necessity is a lifestyle change. I have sick relatives who refuse to be tested for celiac disease because they say they could never give up (fill in the blank). His article does sound judgmental. I did not get the impression that he was saying that the people who went to the conference were eating in large quantities, but rather that they were overwhelmingly interested in in the foodstuff. We're all
human, and most of us would enjoy an occasional treat that would not make us sick. Before I wrote this item to the listserv, I would have said "all of us" but now am aware that some people are strictly paolithic eaters and extremely disciplined. I think that it is more important to watch your intake when you are at home 364 days a year than it is the one day you are at a conference of this type. When I go out, I am usually the only one in my group who IS watching what I eat. I see my friends and family chow down on a regular basis, so I think that if I should be fortunate enough to be able to go to one of these conferences,
I should be able to indulge for that one day, and it should not warrant public censure in a magazine.
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