<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Comments to Universal Diet Posting

--Lynn - Once again, you have written a most helpful article which
states your position clearly. Thank you for sharing it with us.

--Ann - The diet review was very informative, and I still stick to it,
but as I told you I also use the SCD (less oats) diet to cut my carbos,
and add oleic fats.

--Mary - I'm a long-time fan of your diplomacy and common-sense approach
to helping celiacs. (I think we finally met at the CSA Dallas conference
years ago.) Thank you for your post. It's an excellent essay and I will
encourage Elaine Monarch to publish it. I especially like how you spell
out the difference between a gluten intolerance and other intolerances.
For my part, I'll share your essay with the celiacs in my local support
group. (Elaine refers everyone with multiple food intolerances to me
because I'm outspoken about being aware of them. (Some seem to go away
after gut recovery.)

--LynnR - Janet, that was so beautifully written, it almost brought
tears to my eyes. Thanks.

--Ellen - Thanks for sending this. It's great that CSA has modified it's
dietary advice. The oats question is an interesting one. Many people in
my support group are eating oats without problem, myself included. I
haven't heard anyone who has tried oats say that they have problems with
it.
     It appears also that CSA is now making referrals to callers to the
San Francisco Bay area group, even though we're not a CSA chapter. I
really appreciate that. We have local group meetings all over the Bay
area and an annual conference at Stanford. We have a single mailing list
with over 500 names. If CSA ever wants to hold it's meeting again in San
Francisco, please let me know. We'd love to have you back.

- - From Jessie:  Thanks to Janet R for her article on the GF diet.  I
wonder if in a couple of places she is not making some rather sweeping
generalizations.  (from Janet:  NOT.  I have a lot of knowledge about
all the group's literature about the GF diet.)

     For instance:  <This means that most vinegars, except malt vinegar
(where the flavoring from barley is added at the end of the process),
are acceptable to most people on a gluten-free diet. The single word
vinegar on food labels denotes apple cider vinegar. This all generally
means we probably can order a vinaigrette dressing in a restaurant (not
a creamy dressing) and not have to bother taking along our own bottle of
salad dressing, as we once used to.>

     In the above - Are you sure that in all cases  'the single word
vinegar ..denotes apple cider vinegar?  Also, there is 'pure apple cider
vinegar' and 'apple cider vinegar', both in my experience are more
expensive than white vinegar.   I agree that recently white vinegar
seems to be safe. As a vinaigrette dressing also contains oils, and
unless you are sure it is olive or peanut or other safe oil, there is a
chance of the presence of vegetable oils such as triticale which may
contain gluten.

     In the case of wines, good quality varietal wines appear to be gf,
but some 'house wines' are not of such good quality and I would suggest
caution.




     I am not talking here about 'other reactions' which celiacs might
have to foods, but the possible presence of gluten. "Diner discretion is
advised"

-From Ann:  Good summary!!!! but one important point  needs to be made.
In Canada, gluten free means exactly that..no gluten.  But in the US,
the FDA allows 200 parts per million of gluten to be called gf.  I think
that is why so many of us have problems with vinegar...the residual
gluten. I think we really need to get that 200 parts per million to be
abolished.  Gluten free should really be gluten free.

(Connie Sarros recently posted the following which answers  Ann's
concern:

Several people raised the concern that we do not have the capability to
test for miniscule amounts gluten in products.  According to the Food
Allergy Research and Resource Program at The University of Nebraska,
testing can be done to 10 ppm.  They use the ELISA test and most of the
companies in the U.S. use the U of NE to test for gluten.



-From Janice:  Thank you Janet. Very well worded. Thanks.

-From Bory, CA:  Thanks much for your wonderful article in todays List
Serv. I am posting it with proper credits to our Celiac BB on
Yahoo/Prodigy.  It is about time someone said the things you did. Every
Celiac should read it. Again Thanks

-From Jackie, AZ: Great email Janet!  Cogent and informative.  I am not
currently a member of a local organization (and so can't include in a
newsletter) but I am forwarding your email to my friends/relatives who
are celiac (or relatives of celiac) and not on the listserve.  I have
been obsessed with celiac since my 12-year old daughter was diagnosed in
April and thought I knew it all, but your email included some
information that was  new to me. Thanks for sharing it.

-From Gladys: As a long time member of CSA, I welcome this news with
open arms. This is a major breakthrough. Congratulations to each of you
who have worked so many years on this  project.   Our next support group
meeting here in Florence, SC will be August 2nd. I will have copies of
your posting for each of our members. Also am trying to get our 2 local
hospitals dietitians interested in joining the special group you have
for them. This posting will be of great assistance.

-From Genevieve:  I liked your article. I am glad we all are finally
using the same diet. I can't tolerate some milk products, but {  --    }
can.  For years the baby was thrown out with the water. We have made
such strides; I have been attending meeting and reading since the Dallas
CSA conference.

-From Angel in NY:  Thank you so very much for this thorough,
informative writing. I am printing it out for my own binder of celiac
info and it is going right in front! I am also forwarding it to my
family members! Thank you, again. You are a wonderful, giving person!

-From Richard: Thanks for your summary. It should be particularly
helpful to new folks but everybody should have learned something.

-From Wendy: Thank you, thank you, thank you for your wonderfully
written letter. This is truly a wonderful step forward for all celiacs
and their families. To have guidelines that are consistent is an amazing
act of progress, and one for which I am truly grateful.
---From Helen in ID: Thanks for writing such a great letter. I agree
100%. There are quite a few of us, me included, that did not or would
not have gotten well "just" going gluten-free.  I had to give up many,
many foods before I got well. I hope this help some of those other folks
figure their own diets out.

- From Grace:  I am firmly in favor of everyone working together.

--I am thankful  for quite a number of responses who just were grateful
to learn about the changes and that I shared the information with all of
you. - Janet Rinehart



Janet in Houston

Houston Celiac Support Group

www.houstonceliacs.org <http://www.houstonceliacs.org/>  (our chapter
Introductory Packet)

*Support summarization of posts, reply to the SENDER not the Celiac List*