Many people are considering the merits of a Whole Food focus basis for planning their upcoming Thanksgiving meal.

Of course, the most important aspect of Thanksgiving is truly the opportunity give thanks for the blessings in our lives and to share that sentiment while being able to spend time with family and friends, so any food choices should enhance that overall experience.

Memories of Thanksgivings past are connected to our emotional perceptions of those times, so there are sounds, sights, smells/aromas, tastes, textures that all contributed to the sensory perceptions we have locked in our memory banks of those special times. When we again hear similar sounds, perceive similar smells, etc., it brings back a rush of emotion that makes us feel connected to that past and to hopefully many cherished memories that we can enjoy re-experiencing in the present.

Adults often want to recreate and evoke those sensory memories for themselves, while at the same time helping younger members to create similar sorts of hopefully happy memories for children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews, cousins, etc.

For many families, Thanksgiving conjures up memories of home and home is a safe haven most of us yearn for at holiday time.

To help insure those memories are as happy as they can be this year, it is important to take into account any particular dietary needs of family and/or other guests.

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GLUTEN

A summer issue of the Journal published by the Academy one of us belongs to had an interesting article on a new type of gluten-free pasta. The article title is: Green Banana Pasta: An Alternative for Gluten-Free Diets. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics – July 2012 (Vol. 112, Issue 7, Pages 1068-1072, DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2012.04.002).

The gluten-free flour pasta product is made from green banana flour, egg whites, water, and edible food source gum. Some people actually found the gluten-free pasta product more acceptable than pasta made from whole wheat flour.

(Image of Green Bananas courtesy of johnnyberg at rgbstock.com).

As a matter of fact, some people felt there was no significant difference in either the appearance, aroma, flavor or overall quality of the green banana flour based pasta product as compared to the whole wheat pasta. Inclusion of egg whites and edible gum in the green banana flour based pasta product actually promoted elasticity, firmness, moisture content, and uniformity in the green banana flour based pasta, which made it less sticky than most typical gluten-free pastas are.

Interestingly, the green banana based pasta includes a high amount of what are called “resistant starches” (meaning they are resistant to digestion by humans). Resistant starches typically help to better control glycemic indexes of food items they are found in, and may have positive effects on intestinal actions such as reducing resorption of cholesterol in the gut, may decrease fermentation of starch in the gut by intestinal bacteria (which would result in less gas production in the gut), and might improve intestinal regularity of movement.

GLUTEN FOCUS WEBINAR

We also wanted to mention an upcoming Nutri-Bites Webinar Series with a Gluten focus: Title: Behind the Claims: Chasing Down Gluten

• Date: Thursday, November 8, 2012
• Time: 2:00PM – 3:00 PM EST
• Register
• Presenter: Scott HegenbartManager Scientific AffairsConAgra Foods

Learner Educational Objectives:

• Recognize the function and food sources of gluten in food
• Discuss pros/cons of typical ingredient substitutions to replace gluten
• Become familiar with federal regulations regarding gluten-free labeling claims
• Describe the validation steps needed to label a food ‘gluten-free’
• Identify key resources on gluten-free standards and foods

DIABETES

Nov. 14, 2012 is World Diabetes Day and once again, the Diabetes Hands Foundation is promoting the Big Blue Test between October 14, 2012 -November 14, 2012.

“The Big Blue Test encourages people with diabetes to test their blood sugar, exercise for 14-20 minutes, test again and share their experience on BigBlueTest.org… For every test, people with diabetes in need receive life-saving supplies through Big Blue Test grants that are awarded to humanitarian diabetes charities in the US and around the world, made possible thanks to the program sponsor…Each entry = a $5 donation from Roche Diabetes Care, makers of ACCU-CHEK® diabetes products and services up to a total of $100,000.”

Exercise helps people with diabetes to lower elevated blood glucose levels. Persons with diabetes should learn about how much certain exercises of particular intensity & specific duration help them to better control their blood glucose levels. Lowering elevated blood glucose levels can help to lessen complications from diabetes in the lives of persons of all ages who are living with diabetes.

Again, those four simple steps are:

1. Test
2. Get Active
3. Test Again
4. Share the results to encourage others to exercise, too!

Help others while possibly helping yourself or helping someone you know–spread the word:

2012 video

2011 video  (safe and sound–great video, great song!)

 2013 WOMEN’S HEART HEALTH NATIONAL WEAR RED DAY

February 1, 2013, American Heart Association’s 10th Anniversary Celebration National Wear Red Day for Women’s Heart Health Awareness

Women’s Heart Health: Women Putting Women’s Health First for a Change, which raises the question”Are You a Priority in Your Own Life?”

This February 2013 accept the challenge of National Wear Red Day and wear red for women’s heart health! Make yourself a top priority in your own life.

According to a couple of different sources–two women who have survived life threatening cardiac emergencies–Carolyn Thomas of My Heart Sisters blog site  and Kathy Kastan (who has been a President of WomenHeart, The National Coalition for Women With Heart Disease in her book From the Heart: A Woman’s Guide to Living Well with Heart Disease, published in 2007, it is reported that nationally known cardiologist, Sharonne N. Hayes M.D., Founder of the Mayo Women’s Heart Clinic, tells women who attend the WomenHeart Science & Leadership Symposium for Women with Heart Disease about a study she is aware of addressing the priorities women have mentioned having as the latest millennium was dawning.

Back in the year 2000, it is reported that in a study underwritten by Proctor and Gamble and conducted by the Mayo Clinic (P&G 2000 Health Archetype Study) “Hierarchy of Female Concerns” identified that typically, the majority of women put everyone else’s health concerns above their own, in the following descending order of the top 6 responses given to the question asked of the women:

“What is most important to you?”

The top 6 responses of the women surveyed in descending order were reported as:

1. children
2. home
3. work/career
4. pets
5. spouses
6. self

Isn’t it time that maybe women started putting themselves first on that list? Can’t we possibly take better care of those we love if we take care of ourselves first and foremost?

Check out Kathy Kastan’s book (one of us actually read it while recently on vacation) or Carolyn Thomas’ blog, then explore ways you can get involved in raising heart health awareness.

Consider participating in this year’s American Heart Association National Wear Red Day and promote women’s heart health awareness among your family, friends and neighbors in your community and beyond. You can even sign up to spearhead support of National Wear Red Day at an area school, workplace, community center, etc.

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•New or updated apps:

• The Gluten Detective (less than $3USD) version 1.0 by Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. The app description states that it is designed as follows: “Gluten Detector tool helps you read labels and identify gluten-containing ingredients,
FAQs on food labeling, gluten, celiac disease, and more.
Create your own shopping list and e-mail it to friends or family. Tips on gluten-free grains, avoiding cross-contamination, and more.
Link to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Find a Registered Dietitian.”
• Gluten Free Registry: version 2.0 under $2 USD by Gluten Free Registry LLC compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Claims to list over 26,000 business locations in North America (with over 24,000 of those in the USA) including restaurants, bakeries, coffee houses, grocers, caterers and more. There is also an Android version 1.2 available at the same price point.

Read on for rest of update…

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Warmer weather usually means more rain storms and thus the potential for more rainbows as well.

Virtually all of us should be aiming to consume a “Rainbow of Color” from nature’s color wheel when it comes to fruits & veggies.

There are many health benefits associated with the colors of the rainbow nature so graciously provides, and particularly for those discussing prostate cancer prevention, incidence & progression, treatment, and survivorship as noted in the 4 part series we started late last month and will be continuing with this month.

Beyond their beneficial vitamin content, consider the rich antioxidant & anti-inflammatory content of some deeply colored fruits & vegetables.

How familiar are you with nature’s rainbow of fruits & veggies when it comes to matters of prostate cancer and actually overall health for anyone?

(Photo of basket of organic vegetables courtesy of Dahlia via rgbstock.com).

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We’re in the process of updating the blog site a bit and wanted to share some details quickly this Spring:

1. A Gluten-Free Play Dough (aka play doh) recipe is available at the Celiac Kids Recipes website (courtesy of the Celiac Sprue Association) as of the date of this blog post. Please consider that if a child (or an adult who plays with a child!) in your circle either is sensitive to gluten or has gluten enteropathy, or plays with another child (or adult!) who might need to remain gluten-free, this could be a worthwhile consideration.

(Graphic courtesy of  Alexbruda over at rgbstock.com)

2. A   Celiac Disease Screening Tool is being offered by the joint efforts of The University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center, along with The General Mills “Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition” and General Mills brand of Chex cereals (gluten free), that is available to the public through the Gluten Freely site. Diagnosis of any medical condition goes beyond initial screening, of course, but awareness can sometimes be the first step to obtaining a full screening and eventually an applicable diagnosis. It can be beneficial to focus on known factual information, not rumor or pop culture fiction.

There is also a review piece published in 2012: Advances in Coeliac Disease by Matthew J, Armstrong; Vinod S. Hegade; and Gerry Robins in Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2012;28(2):104-112. © 2012 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, available for those who can access Medscape. The authors note that the review “critically summarizes the key clinical and scientific advances in coeliac disease between July 2010 and 2011.”

3. A listing of potentially Gluten-Free candies for Easter time from 2009 (with some updates in 2010), including chocolate products, is listed at Heather’s “Celiac Family” site.  Although we don’t promote willy nilly candy consumption, the reality of life is that children of all ages may be drawn to Easter candy and it is better to be as informed as possible about options. As always, PLEASE check labels carefully, since manufacturers can change formulations and processing without prior notice in many instances, as that way you can avoid anything that might potentially contain gluten in it or have been potentially subject to cross-contamination with gluten.

4. After Passover, sometimes there are sales on “Kosher for Passover” items which might happen to be gluten-free. NOTE: “Kosher for Passover” is different than standard Kosher designation so do NOT confuse the two designations! Purim cleansing of any residence of anything Chavetz means all leavened products are removed from the residence for that time. “Kosher for Passover” items are unleavened and thus typically Gluten-Free, however, again, PLEASE check labels carefully, as always, so that you avoid anything that might potentially contain gluten in it or have been potentially subject to cross-contamination with gluten. Our thanks to Cheryl Harris for mentioning this.

5. An informal gluten-free menu swap is hosted on the www and over time has moved around a bit in terms of where you can find the archived information through the most current listings. Years back it started with Natalie’s Gluten Free Mommy site; and then moved over to Cheryl’s site of Gluten Free Goodness; and since Oct 17, 2011 is now housed at Heather’s Celiac Family site with some previous weekly schedules also available there.

Enjoy Spring!

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Gluten Free Symbol ©Wegmans.com

NOTE: June 25, 2012 updating to also mention the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics App: The Gluten Detective

Supermarket Chains such as Wegmans are trying to make it easier for consumers to locate store brand products within their stores that are gluten free and are doing so often by using a nutrition key (related to the concepts of Nutrition Keys we wrote about at the end of last year in our two part article series “Healthy Eating Need Not Be Just A Fairy Tale”on 30Dec2011 and 31Dec2011).  That blog series focused on nutrition labeling on the Front of Packages (FOP) at the Point-of-Purchase (POP). This Spring of 2012 expect to see an expanded marketing effort for the renamed national Nutrition Keys program (now being called Facts Up Front).

MarketResearch.com released a report last Feb. 1, 2011 entitled “Gluten-Free Foods and Beverages in the U.S., 3rd Edition” noting that it is estimated that the U.S. market for gluten-free food and beverage items is expected to surpass 5 Billion by the year 2015. It was at around 2.6 Billion in 2010 for a compounded annual growth rate of 30% over the period of 2006-2010 in the U.S, although growth rates are expected to slow a bit as we head towards 2015.

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(November 8, 2013 NOTE:  This blog post has been significantly updated since originally posted.

You might want to also see these related blog posts:

Holiday Baking- Does Your Choice of Flour Really Matter?

Gluten-Free Update January 2012 Including Apps

Gluten-Free Update Potpourri 

Gluten Free Update June 2012

November 2012 Potpourri: Gluten; Diabetes; 2013 Women’s Heart Health )

The holidays are exciting and everyone looks forward to them, although if you need to follow a special diet, it may be a bit disconcerting to think about how to handle a wide range of holiday situations.

How do you deal with invitations to holiday get togethers at friend’s homes, office parties, dining out at restaurants and buffets and even catered affairs, or just grabbing a quick bite to eat when tired from holiday shopping and trying to find something fast while still on the run?

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