Posts belonging to Category Recipe Ideas

This week’s guest post comes from Jane Roberts. Jane is the Founder of Safe Foods, Inc- a consulting firm specializing in education and awareness of food allergies. She has received training from the University of Chicago, Tufts University/Astra USA Medical Training, Wayne State University and Albion College. She herself suffers from Celiac Disease. Jane will write a four-part series diving into Celiac Disease to provide greater understanding on the disease. Here is her first installment.

Diagnosing celiac disease is done through antibody blood tests and biopsy of the small intestine. So why do nearly 97% of the 3 million people in the United States remain undiagnosed? Carol Shilson, Executive Director of The University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center, answers this very question:

“The problem as I see it is 5-fold:

1. Many physicians are still under the impression; however incorrectly, that celiac disease is rare—so it is not on their radar to consider, never mind that many are also not sure about which blood tests to order.
2. Many people “try” the gluten free diet BEFORE being tested, which renders the screening tests for celiac disease invalid.
3. Symptoms of the disease are so vast that it can masquerade as another problem.
4. The Internet is full of misinformation about the disease, how to screen for it and its treatment, the gluten-free diet.
5. The pharmaceutical industry has not been interested in finding an alternative treatment, thus the disease does not receive the attention it deserves as the only current treatment, a restricted diet, yields success.”

Celiac disease is the world’s most common genetic autoimmune disorder. Approximately 1 in 100 people in the US and Europe has the disease and is 10-times more prevalent than Type-1 Diabetes. Left untreated, celiac disease may lead to serious complications like osteoporosis, thyroid disease, infertility and cancer.

Until recently, most physicians in the US, even those who specialize in Gastroenterology, were not well versed on the realities of celiac disease. Thankfully this is starting to change in medical textbooks, but re-education of doctors who have been in practice for years is still lacking.

According to Shilson, “Trying a gluten-free diet if you suspect you have celiac disease is not a good idea. What’s the big deal, it’s just a diet, right? Wrong.  It is a serious treatment for a serious disease—a genetic disease—so it is important to get diagnosed.“

And what about the pharmaceutical industry? Celiac disease has been overlooked until very recently because it has a successful treatment: abstinence from gluten. This really is the good news about celiac disease: if followed strictly, the diet is an effective treatment. In fact, studies have found that those with celiac disease who follow a strict gluten-free diet often have a lower mortality rate than the general population. In July of 2009, the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN confirmed this with their Increased Prevalence and Mortality in Undiagnosed Celiac Disease study.

But truly, the diet is not so easy, and even if you are diligent, it is nearly impossible to avoid incidences of cross-contamination.  Ingesting gluten—intentionally or not—for someone with celiac disease can have serious immediate and long-term implications. Thankfully, a few drugs are currently in the pipeline, but it will likely be years before any pill is able to truly replace the diet.

There is real promise that perhaps a vaccine or even a cure might beat the drugs to market!  In the meantime, it is critical to raise awareness about celiac disease and to get people properly diagnosed and on the road to better health.

This week’s guest post comes from Alisa Fleming, the founder of GoDairyFree.org and the author of Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance and Casein-Free Living. Aside from dairy-free diets, Alisa also caters information and recipes for gluten-free, soy-free, egg-free, vegan and multiple food allergy diets.

Not surprisingly, I frequently receive questions from viewers about dairy substitutes, obtaining nutrients, and finding milk-free products. But in terms of recipes, I am always amazed by the number of requests I receive for snacks and “treats,” particularly from those dealing with multiple food allergies or sensitivities.

Though I used to be quite the baking fiend, I have transitioned into the world of “no bake” snacks and afternoon treats over the years for a few reasons: they are generally quicker and easier to prepare, customization and small batches for experimenting are a cinch and it is much easier to accommodate multiple food allergies. No gluten to bind or eggs to help rise? Not a problem, just enjoy it as is!

One of my favorite homemade snacks is still the Chewy No Bake Granola Bars from my book. Milk and other allergens hide in all types of premade foods, and granola bars are certainly one of them. Very few granola bars on the market (particularly those scrumptious chewy ones) are made without dairy but with all natural ingredients, thus I began making my own at home several years ago.

So … since I am a guest on the Enjoy Life Blog, I thought I would customize my granola bar recipe into a new crunchy snack using some food allergy-friendly ingredients from Enjoy Life Food’s product line-up. With the family gatherings this weekend, hop to it and make some tasty treats everyone can enjoy!

No Bake Chocolate Chip Flax ‘n Oat Bars
Recipe by Alisa Fleming

Since I often make mini-batches of no bake snacks, but don’t have an assortment of mini-pans, I typically make “rounds” instead of bars using silicon muffin pans. No cutting or greasing required, and anytime we need a snack, we just pop one out! This recipe is dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, and optionally gluten-free, nut-free, and/or vegan.

• 3 Tablespoons Maple Syrup, Honey, Corn Syrup, or Agave Nectar (your choice)
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar or Evaporated Cane Juice
• 1 Tablespoon Coconut or Palm Oil (not shortening)
• 1/2 Cup Peanut Butter, SunButter, or Your Favorite Nut or Seed Butter
• 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• Generous Pinch or Two of Salt (omit if using salted nut or seed butter)
• 2 Tablespoons Ground Flaxseed
• 1 Cup Quick or Rolled Oats (use certified gluten-free oats or give quinoa flakes a go for gluten-free)
• 1 Cup Perky’s Crunchy Flax Cereal (can sub the rice cereal)
• 1/2 Cup Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips

1. In a medium-sized saucepan or skillet, combine the two sweeteners and the oil, and gently warm over low heat while stirring until the sugar crystals have dissolved. This should just take a couple of minutes.
2. Stir in the nut or seed butter, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Remove from the heat. Allow the mixture to cool for a couple of minutes.
3. Stir in the flaxseed, followed by the oats and cereal.
4. Now you have two choices here. If you want the chocolate chips to stay intact, let the mixture cool for few more minutes, and then stir in the chocolate chips. Or, if you are antsy like me, stir in the chocolate chips right away. They may melt a little against the warm pan, but I like them that way.
5. The mixture will be crumbly, but that is okay. Press it firmly into an 8 x 8 pan (use saran wrap or wax paper over your hand if it threatens to stick while pressing) or into 10 to 12 muffin tins. Make sure it is packed in there nicely, and then place the bars into the freezer to chill for 30 minutes to an hour.
6. Cut into bars or pop them out and eat. Store them in the refrigerator to keep fresh and from getting too soft.

Yields 10 to 12 snack bars