Interview with Nancy Spears (GR Gluten-Free Fair Coordinator)

After attending the gluten-free food fair last Saturday, I thought I'd drop Nancy Spears a note and ask her how she felt it went.  Nancy is the event coordinator for the Grand Rapids Gluten-free Food Fair.  She also a board member for the Greater Grand Rapids Celiac Support Group and the Celiac Kids Association.  I was struck by the statement that she made on the Celiac Kids "About" page when she wrote,

"I have spent years unknowingly poisoning my husband, my three daughters, and one of my sons with homemade pancakes, waffles, cookies, and cakes . . . I understand the feelings that many of you go through as your children are diagnosed celiac. Twelve years ago, I cried in the pasta isle at a local Meijer store and read labels until I could hardly see."

She, other members of her team and Anchor Baptist Church have taken on the challenge of helping and supporting people with celiac disease, a serious autoimmune response to even the tiniest particle of wheat, barley or rye - or any gluten containing grain.  Here is the e-interview:

How many people ended up attending this year's event?  1565 people registered

People seemed to be pretty happy with the event.  What kind of feedback did you get?   People loved the venue.  The DeltaPlex was a great location and there was lots of parking.  We have received lots of comments about the event from people.  One person, diagnosed 1-1/2 yrs. comment about how nice it was to be able to taste products.  She found many products that she would buy now, but had not purchased in the past.  It is so hard to spend money on something new because of past disappointments.  One of our goals was to get people who eat gluten free face to face with vendors and restaurants.  We succeeded in doing that and the vendors were very pleased with the experience.

How many people are in your adult and children support groups?  The email list  for the celiac kids group is over 170 with a monthly attendance of 20-35 and the adult group is about the same.  Attendance at each has been as high as seventy, depending on the topic, the weather, the time of year, etc.

What are the top 3 biggest social difficulties people run into when they get diagnosed with celiac disease?  

1.  People don't understand that cheating is not a choice.  2.  Family/friends not being supportive  3.  Missing the favorite foods-have not found a gluten free "replacement"

How have you seen the food allergy community, and the celiac community change over the years?  It is growing!!! More people are being diagnosed because doctors know what to look for.  There are so many people with a-typical symptoms,  and 38% of people being diagnosed have no symptoms.  Family genes do matter.  Everyone related to a person diagnosed should be tested.  Awareness has led to more people self-diagnosing--without going to a doctor.  People should still go for the diagnosis when it is possible.  It is important because of family genes (and less people think you are crazy).  Regardless, people who feel better or function better on a gluten free diet should be on one, even if the testing is negative! 

Tell me what you thought was the best part about the Gluten Free Food Fair?  The best part of the whole event is that the church all agrees that we are called by God to do this.  People tell me what a great job I did organizing the event.  Although it is some work, I just invite vendors and people.  The church team works hard.  God does the rest and we are amazed!  It is so much fun to give this free gift to the gluten free commuity. I was very pleased with the turnout of vendors, stores, restaurants and the community. 

When is your next event?  Our next event is already scheduled for May 19, 2012. 

My thanks to Nancy Spears for taking the time to give these thoughtful responses.  Now we can mark our calendars for next year's event as well! 

Let the Tender Foodie know what you thought and if you have any feedback from this year's event or ideas for next year.

Gluten-Free Fair Success in G-Rap.

Many Attended

This past Saturday, I walked into the Delta Plex after hearing that 1565 people registered to attend the Gluten-Free Food Fair that day. 

If someone had told me 5 years ago, that this many peops would be attending a gluten-free anything, I would have been shocked.  But because the number of folks struggling to implement an allergen-free diets has exploded in the last few years,  the crowds were more of a bittersweet confirmation. The potential whys and wherefores of this explosion are just starting to be truly studied and discussed.  More on that in another post.

King Arthur Flour's Brownie Mix and a Couple of Nice Peops.

Multiple Food Allergies Need More Know-How

At the fair I witnessed that the market is also attempting to serve the millions who have multiple food allergies, yours truly included.  There is a long way to go in shared knowledge about multiple and more complex food allergies, which I predict, sadly, will also rise in the near future.  Many of the vendors at the booths were also the brains behind the product, the owners of the company, the big Kahunas.  They were the most knowledgeable about the factories, their partners and the ingredients.  There were a handful at the booths, however, that would confidently say things like, "All ingredients were processed in a factory free of the "Big 8" allergens (free of corn, wheat/gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, peanuts, treenuts, shellfish/seafood & fish)," even though the labeling on the products themselves said differently.  Also, one or two other vendors couldn't break down a few mystery ingredients listed their products.  Most everyone was just fantastically knowledgeable, however, and brought their own experience to the table.   I hope that all vendors will continue to be and learn ahead of this growing market, and also train their staff with an emphasis on ingredient and factory knowledge.  There is a great deal to learn for all of us.

Cool Products

I did find some interesting new products, some of which I'm going to try.  I'll tell you about them over the next few weeks as I do.  If you would like to try them as well, let me know what you think!  In the meantime, here is a quick list.

Allerbling: I love this product.  It is hard enough for adults to communicate about their food allergies.  Imagine what it is like for a kid?  I can't.  But this product could really help.  Just stick out your wrist, kiddo and let your teachers, your friends' parents have an immediate list of what you can't eat.  It's a cute little bracelet with interchangeable parts that represent even some of the more uncommon allergies as well as the Big 8.

Somewhat Organic Soap:  I have to say that their slogan, "Any more organic and we'd be lying to you,' caught my attention.  From what I understood, lye is the only non-organic ingredient in the soap.  What I liked about them is that they have a Simple Soap that they said has zero fragrance.  It does contain coconut and rosemary extract, however, so it isn't quite as simple as super senstive people might need, but the vendors did say that super sensitive kids really liked it.  Your call.  Their other soaps with essential oil fragrance were lovely and felt great.

1-2-3 Gluten-Free:  Along with gluten and dairy, I am also allergic to baker's yeast.  So I simply don't eat sandwiches or biscuits any more.  I picked up a package of the 1-2-3 biscuit mix because it is free of all of the Big-8 allergens, and it is also yeast-free.   I'm excited to try this.

Keeki Pure & Simple:  A gluten-free nail polish developed first for celiac kids who might chew their nails, it is also "suitable for vegans" and for adults.  Fun colors. 

Organic Bistro Entrees & Bowls:  These conscientious folks were offering a taste of different products throughout the day.  Most of the ingredients in the Thai Style Yellow Curry with Chicken that I tried were, indeed, organic.  It was delicious.  A great quick meal alternative when you don't have the time to put together a lunch.

Mrs. Glee's Noodles:  A quick cook noodle made from navy beans and non-GMO corn.  It is also fortified with some of the vitamins and minerals that Tender Foodies tend to lack, like B Vitamins, Folic Acid, and Iron; as well as natural protein from the "ungassed" beans. 

The brains behind Mrs. Glee's 

Restaurants Serving Gluten-Free

I was excited to find out that The Blue Water Grill has a dedicated gluten-free fryer, so you can get your french fries without cross contamination.  Brann's also was there serving sweet potato fries from their dedicated gluten-free fryer.  I was pleasantly surprised to find Vitale's serving up gluten-free pizza, with pizza crusts from Coco Charlotte, a local-to-Grand Rapids gluten-free baker.  Willy O's, however, was serving up a gluten-free, yeast-free and dairy-free veggie pizza.  It was thin and crispy and pretty good.  It set off a few pleasure bells in my head since I haven't had any kind of pizza in years  I will have to try it again when its fresh from the oven and without broccoli (not a big broccoli fan).

Saffron's Marketplace was also there and they have a great little exclusively gluten-free shop.  I stopped by there after the fair to check out the rice cheese and daiya cheese which was whispered about throughout the fair-goers as great dairy alternatives.  But alas, this favorite will remain a mystery to me as it contains inactive yeast.   

Your server rep from Vitales and a few gluten-free options including beer and pasta

Vitale's gluten-free pizza went like hotcakes and got rave reviews

Nutritional Learning Curves

I was disappointed that I couldnt' get there in time to see Marie Catrib's demonstration of gluten-free bread making.  But I was able to catch Heather Leets, RD Dietician with Spartan Stores.  Heather discussed that rice, potatos and corn are the most common replacements for wheat, however, their starch content is high, as is the potential for weight gain if you turn to these exclusively.  

Heather then reviewed some of her favorite protein-rich, low-starch, high-nutrition flours.  These flours are my favorites as well and include teff flour, quinoa, buckwheat, millet, amaranth and a new flour to me - sorghum. I experienced sorghum flour for the first time last week as I took the plunge and had a beer after 10 long years.  Gluten-free of course.  One interesting point Heather made, was that people with celiac disease (and I'd like to add any food allergy to that) can have a tougher time absorbing nutrition.   Whole grains like these are rich in protein, soluble and insoluble fiber, B Vitamins and minerals like iron, magnesium and selenium.  Amaranth, for instance has 3 times the fiber of wheat!  Personally, I feel a remarkable difference when these grains are part of my daily diet. 

I am also happy to have learned a little more about each of these vendors at a great event.

Thanks to the Celiac Ministries of Anchor Baptist Church for putting on this very successful fair!  Stay tuned for a Q&A with Nancy Spears, the mastermind behind the event.

Gluten-free Beer & My Quest for "Yes"

Food allergies can take the fun right out of food. 

So, on my birthday (Tuesday, May 17, mark your calendars), I decided to finally try a gluten-free beer.  I hadn't tasted a beer for nearly 10 years, so I was hesitant and a little excited.  It actually felt naughty.   I am becoming so used to "NO" and "CAN'T" that choosing to drink a beer actually felt like I was jumping out of an airplane, not just tossing back a little beverage with a friend. 

I took the leap and had a Redbridge. 

When gluten-free beer first came onto the market, it got less than stellar reviews.  In fact, the feedback was that gluten-free beer wasn't worth drinking, even if that was the last booze on earth.   As time has passed, however, the reviews have improved, but I still didn't holler, "Barkeep!"  What inspired me that night was the bartender at The Winchester.   She said, "We have gluten-free beer, you wanna try it?"  At that moment, she became a co-conspirator in my Quest for Yes.

I was pleasantly surprised.  Redbridge was good.  My beer drinking friend even liked it.  It was familiar and had a sweetness that made me instantly think,  "how refreshing this would be on a hot summer's day."

Redbridge is made from sorghum, a gluten-free grain that is best when toasted before cooking.  It is used in hot cereals, ground into flour for baking or popped like popcorn.  It, along with millet and other grains can be brewed into gluten-free beer.  And in my research for this article, I discovered that honey and bananas could also be used for that once-forbidden brew.  Who knew?

The Great Gluten-Grain Debate

There are several gluten-free beers out there that use barley or other gluten-containing grains.  According to certain brewers, distillers and even some celiac experts, the distillation and brewing processes remove the protein from gluten grains, making it "safe".  But other experts disagree, saying you can't rely on this.  Plus, there is no standard set by the FDA on what really constitutes a "gluten-free" product.  This includes alcohol.

For me, I do not react well to gluten grain alcohols, so I am in the camp that avoids those religiously.  Now that there are several beers (without any gluten-containing grains) that are worth a try, I am a little farther in my quest for "yes".

Gluten-free Beers that Use NON-gluten Grains. 

Have you tried them?  What's your favorite?

Redbridge:  Made from sorghum.

Bard's Tale Beer:  It advertises that it is 100% gluten-free malted sorghum.

New Grist Gluten-Free Beer:  Made from sorghum and rice.

Sprecher Mbege:  made from bananas, millet and sorghum in the tradition of East Africa.  This beer sparks my curiosity.  "Originally conceived of in an effort to provide a traditional African style beer for Milwaukee's African World Festival, our Mbege and Shakparo have won the hearts of people here at the brewery and have been promoted to year round beer status."

Sprecher Shakparo:  made from sorghum and millet.  "Sprecher's gluten free Shakparo Ale is a West African Shakparo-style beer brewed from sorghum and millet. An unfiltered, light, crisp ale with a cider or fruit profile and a dry vinous aftertaste, it is best characterized as an easy-drinking or session beer perfect for summer gatherings."

Ramapo Valley Honey Beer:   is made mainly from honey.  Another intriguing beer on my list to try.  "Molasses is used for flavor, nutrients and color. Bright golden in color, the taste naturally has notes of honey and hop. Noble hops add a touch of bitterness to balance the honey sweetness. This beer is Kosher certified for Passover."

Les Bierres Nouvelle France:  is a micro brewery in France that uses the assay Elisa process to test for the presence of gluten in their gluten-free beer.  They have three:

• Messagère is "a limpid and crystalline pale ale, with a bouquet of honey, reminding a touch of citrus fruits. Gluten-free beer"
• Messagère Red Ale is a gluten free rice and buckwheat beer with "a delicate, woodsy taste".
• Messagère Millet is a gluten free malted millet lager beer.

 
I'm inspired to try more.  Are you?

Update on Thursday, June 23, 2011 at 1:36PM by Elisabeth Veltman, The Tender Foodie

CORRECTION:   The Les Messagere Factory is in Quebec, Canada, not France.  Thanks to a reader for this correction.

The Cost of Food Allergies is $500 million in U.S.

The Big 8 Have a Big Price Tag

Food allergies are expensive.  If you needed more confirmation than your hospital and doctor bills (and lost work days) are pricey, then this study is for you.  It costs Americans $500 million dollars to be allergic to food. 

Total medical costs ranged from $225 million to $307 million, (depending on the type of calculation the researchers performed) and 52% of the medical costs were for doctors' visits alone. 

The researchers used information from several databases to find the total cost of emergency room care, hospitalizations, and visits to the physician's office for allergic reactions.  Those numbers were used to estimate the nationwide cost of treatment.  Researchers then published their results in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Four out of every 100 people have food allergies -- that's 12 milion people with a classic IgE reaction that can cause anything from itching, hives, anaphylaxis (closing of the airways) and death.  An estimated 90% of those allergies are from eight main food sources (called "The Big 8").  These are peanuts, treenuts, wheat/gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, fish and shellfish/seafood. 

Another 3 million people suffer from celiac disease - a severe autoimmune disease where even a crumb of wheat or gluten can be damaging.  18 million people (a new study by the University of Maryland School of Medicine) have a slow onset reaction or intolerance to wheat. It appears that the study focused on classic food allergies (IgE responses) and not slow onset reactions (IgG immune responses), and it would be interesting if they would have also included grocery bills and other lifestyle expenses in the mix as well.  But this information is a great help in diagnosing the breadth and depth of a big part of the food allergy puzzle.

The researchers were surprised to find that emergency room visits were not the bulk of the costs.  The large price tag on doctors visits were assumed to be more preventative and managed care. 

Is Buying Local Better? When it comes to Food, Yes.

A 10% Shift Brings Local Communities Millions

There are a few chains that I adore, like Target.  I also like the convenience of Walmart.  It is wonderful to have the products and cost savings that come with mass, global production.  Do I rage against the long-distance commerce machine?  No.  Buying local is not a panacea for every problem and it is not always possible.  But we are consumers who live in communities that need our business and support.  And there are many reasons why (and occasions when) mass, global production is not a wise or cost-effective use of our hard-earned dollars.  Try this statistic on for size:

If the people of an average American city were to shift 10% of their spending from chains to local businesses, it would bring an additional $235 MILLION to the community's economy.
www.elocal.com

Elocal.com has an incredible map that illustrates the costs and benefits of investing in our local economies -- from reducing pollution, to improving food quality, to increasing employment.

There is a simple, often missed wisdom in buying from local sources.  Especially when buying food.  If you have food allergies, buying local can also help us become a healthier Tender Foodie community.

Food Allergies:  The Benefits of Knowing Where Your Food Comes From

When I first started reading labels to ferret out wheat and dairy ingredients, I was pretty shocked to see how many "whole" foods from national food producers were laden with words I could not pronounce.  Many of those preservatives secretly house milk products like whey, and wheat derivatives disguised as anti-caking agents -- even in spices. Food labeling is slowly improving, but it is still tough to discern what potential allergens might lurk on grocery shelves.  On the flip side there may be foods that are perfectly safe, but manufacturers prefer to add "may contain X allergen" on the label, rather than put proper testing in place.  And in their defense, the FDA has yet to let manufacturers know what is "safe".  That's another story.

Buying local can help the food allergy community as well as the local community.  If you know your farmers and local food sources you can:

1. Avoid many of the preservatives needed to add shelf-life to foods that are warehoused for long periods of time and shipped long distances.
2. Know how your food is grown, made, processed, and delivered so you can reduce the possibility of cross-contamination from farm to factory to table.  You can ask questions of the people who actually handle your food. Questions like, "do you use GMO seeds or products?", "does your production facility also produce nuts or wheat?", etc.   
3. Influence you local producers and help them become aware of how many food allergy sufferers there are in their customer community.  Each voice adds to the next.  Smaller, local producers can make some (not all) changes more easily.   If food producers can serve a market that needs and wants organically grown products without cross contamination, they are more likely to work with their vendors to make that happen.  And do it more quickly.
4. Give your local producers power.  Many local farmers and producers of food have a huge amount of pressure from large distributors to produce food more cheaply.  Often this means adding antibiotics, hormones, cheaper feed, and more.  Buying from our local food producers who have the knowledge to raise our food with healthy, not harmful practices, actually encourages those practices, helps those food producers thrive, and influences the overall market.
5. Keep more nutrients in our food.  According to www.elocal.com, a typical carrot is picked up from the farm a week in advance and travels 1838 miles before reaching a store.  Then it sits on the shelf of the store.  Nutrients are most potent when fruits and vegetables are eaten as close to their harvest as possible.  Buying from your local farmers' markets is just better for your bod.

The "Buy Local" movement is often seen as elitist.  But the consumer community forgets how much power we have to influence products, pricing and the healthfulness of our foods.  If just 10% shift to local vendors equals $235 million dollars, think what else we can do to make our community better.