Celiac Project Podcast

Is all gluten free food created equal? When something is "certified" gluten free does that guarantee that the product is for sure under 20 PPM gluten free? Based on some research conducted by The Gluten Free Watchdog, Mike and Cam discuss the realities of gluten free labeling and the fact that we might not always be getting something that is completely safe for someone with celiac disease or who is very gluten sensitive.

Inspired by many listener emails and messages, Mike and Cam have a candid conversation about the correlation between anxiety and celiac disease or gluten sensitivity/intolerance--and it gets personal! They discuss the differences between the anxiety pre-gluten free vs. post-gluten free diet. They also share some of their own tips on dealing with anxiety when it rears it's ugly head.

We are excited to be joined by Maizy Boosin, the outspoken young celiac, who was winner of an episode of this season's Chopped Jr. (Season 4 episode entitled "Cup of Glee"). Maizy talks about how she got on the show, what's inspires her as a chef, and why it is so important to her to advocate for celiac disease.

Have you ever wondered what's really going on in your gut?  For people with autoimmmune issues such as celiac disease, there are studies that talk about healing the gut by changing the microbiome/flora in the intestines.  In this episode, we discuss those articles and talk about what you can do to continue your healing process. Fascinating stuff, especially if you are someone whose symptoms didn't disappear by simply going gluten free. 

In this episode Mike and Cam talk about a restaurant in Ireland with an extreme stance on serving gluten free. You have to have celiac disease and you have to have a doctor's note. They then take to Twitter to share their policy. We also talk about a bagel store owner in New York who found a way to persevere after his diagnosis of celiac.

In part 2 of our lively interview with Dr. Tom we go deeper into our discussion about autoimmunity and some of the potential causes and solutions to some of the problems that can arise to those with celiac, non-celiac gluten or wheat sensitivity (or other conditions and autoimmune disease). Dr. Tom is an internationally recognized speaker and workshop leader in the complications of Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity, Celiac Disease, and Autoimmune Disease as they occur inside and outside the intestines. He is the founder of www.theDr.com and the Gluten Summit and author of The Autoimmune Fix.  

We are so excited to be joined by Dr. Tom O'Bryan. Dr. Tom is an internationally recognized speaker and workshop leader in the complications of Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity, Celiac Disease, and Autoimmune Disease as they occur inside and outside the intestines. He is the founder of www.theDr.com and the Gluten Summit. In our lively interview with Dr. Tom we discuss many topics related to the facts of living with celiac and gluten sensitivities. We also talk about his exciting new book coming out this month, "The Autoimmune Fix: How to Stop the Hidden Autoimmune Damage That Keeps You Sick, Fat, and Tired Before It Turns Into Disease."  Be sure to come back next week for the conclusion of our discussion next week.

Mike and Cam discover that another labeling law change is slated for the next couple of years, this time for nutrition information on the products.  This leads to a discussion over the confusion of current serving sizes (you mean I'm supposed to only eat half of this sausage?!?!)  We also talk about the recent "Trends in Gluten-Free Nutrition: 2016 Conference" that recently took place. We share some of the companies that are doing the best job self-policing themselves to keep you safe. 

Mike and Cam are excited to be joined by special guest and longtime listener Aaron Bull. Aaron is a fellow celiac and a talented web designer and owner of Bull & Company MediaWorks. He and his company created the updated Celiac Project website. In addition, Aaron is an avid cyclist. We talk about some of the challenges of being on long rides & some helpful hints to make them easier. We also discuss some of the reasons that many people with celiac disease choose to work for themselves.

Mike and Cam talk about the Olympics, athletes who are gluten free, and some of the benefits they might be getting. We also discuss the difference between the placebo and nocebo effect. The Food Network "Chopped Junior" champion, Maizy Boosin, doesn't just have celiac disease, she advocates for awareness on an episode. Watching the show we were so impressed with Maizy as she pledged, if she won, to give half of her $10,000 prize to one of the celiac groups to help raise awareness! On the subject of food, we talk about two great celiac bloggers and authors, their obsessions with the Food Network (Erica Dermer) and one who staged her own version of Chopped Junior (April Peveteaux).

24 hours after the news comes out that Columbia University has developed a test for non-celiac gluten sensitivity (called wheat sensitivity in the test), Mike and Cam discuss. They also talk about their hopes for a celiac test for people who have already gone off gluten. To this point, they take a deeper look at the so called "gluten challenge,"some of the issues with it, and the fact that the medical community can't come to an agreement about how to actually administer the gluten challenge.

It is summertime and a perfect opportunity to talk about Cam's latest trip to Michigan. He talks about the ritual and preparation that helps him most enjoy his family's vacations. Mike and Cam also share many of their top travel tips to stay safe on the road including an app (and website) that no celiac or gluten-free eater should be without.

This week's podcast takes a look at a Buzzfeed video, in which four of their employees agree to go gluten free for a month. Mike and Cam share their many thoughts on this kind of "not so scientific" testing (including one woman who continues eating her veggie bacon not knowing it contains gluten #readtheingredientspeople!) You might be surprised by some of the outcomes of this experiment and some of our opinions of it.

In Part 2 of our special restaurant series, Ashley Mazur, Marketing & Media Director of the world famous Berghoff restaurant in Chicago shares some of the amazing history of the restaurant (including the fact that they were the first in Chicago to receive a liquor license after prohibition ended)! We go in depth from the restaurant's point of view as well as how they became one of the very first restaurants to go through Beyond Celiac's "Great Kitchens" program. You won't want to miss this informative, eye-opening episode as we hear some of the biggest challenges that a restaurant faces in order to keep its celiac and allergic guests safe.

We all have learned by now that not all gluten free restaurants and kitchens are created equally. On this week's podcast, Beckee Moreland talks about her mission to change that one kitchen at a time. Beckee helped start the GREAT Kitchens program, assisting restaurants, colleges and camps to have safe gluten free kitchens including the education of cooks and servers through an accreditation program.

This week Mike and Cam are joined by special guest Erin Smith, the Gluten Free Globetrotter. We talk to Erin about all things gluten free travel. Erin shares with us many of her top travel tips, thoughts and negotiating the world safely as a celiac. She has a unique perspective as she has traveled extensively and been diagnosed with celiac at a very young age.  Erin shares her thoughts on which countries, in her eyes, are most gluten free friendly.

Mike and Cam take a closer look at the Elle Cartoon as they discuss the blog post from the Huffington Post, "Gluten-Free Shaming is not OK" by chef and food writer Jackie Ourman. They share their thoughts on people's attempts at gluten-free humor and why it usually falls flat.

Mike tells Cam about a recent visit to a local pizza place that goes very wrong. Three pizzas are purchased, but which ones are gluten-free, and which is not? Are there ways that these types of restaurant "horror stories" can be avoided?  Or at the very least, what should restaurants do to improve safety for their gluten free diners?

We have be receiving so many great emails and comments from our listeners that we decided to do a podcast completely dedicated to talking about some of them. This podcast covers great topics and fascinating personal stories. Thanks to all who have shared with us and keep those emails coming--you might be mentioned on a future show!

Thanks to a fan recommendation (thanks Sara), this week's podcast is devoted to talking about dating with celiac disease. In this illuminating discussion, Mike and Cam are joined by Mike's nephew Sam and they look at some of the challenges to dating with celiac. They give many shout outs to Jessica Hanson (Tasty Meditation) who has been good enough to share here past dating experiences. They look at everything from the awkwardness of asking a date to brush their teeth to online dating. You won't want to miss Sam's prom "horror" story.