Two Post Cereals Labeled Gluten-Free

Another mainstream cereal giant, Post Foods, is officially entering the gluten-free market. Perhaps Post is following the excellent example from General Mills. Soon, Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles will be labeled gluten-free and have less sugar. Previously, the ingredients did not contain gluten. Read the entire press release about gluten-free Pebbles.

"Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles, rice-based cereals, will also be certified as Gluten Free, a relatively unique distinction in the cereal category. In response to increased concerns over celiac disease and products containing wheat gluten, the brand went through a rigorous process to achieve Gluten Free status on both Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles products."

As always, check the box and make sure you are buying the new gluten-free one. I hope Kellogg's is paying attention. Remove the barley malt from Rice Krispies, please!

Update - February 2011: These cereals will not be certified gluten-free. For more information, read this blog post by Jules Shepard.

Finding Gluten-Free Support on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Ning, and Forums

Whether you or a family member are new to gluten-free life or have been gluten-free for years, social networking sites offer invaluable gluten-free support. You likely already discovered the plethora of gluten-free blogs and websites and may be overwhelmed by too much information.

With gluten-free social networking, it is easiest to start with what you know. For example, if you are on Facebook and using it to connect with former classmates, it will be easy for you to like some gluten-free Facebook pages and add gluten-free friends. If you are already using LinkedIn for professional reasons, you can join gluten-free groups there.

My recommendation is to join at least one national/international celiac forum, a local celiac support group, and Twitter. If you are only joining one forum, I suggest the Celiac Listserv. I belong to the DC Celiac Yahoo group, which is a fantastic local resource that even has an extensive restaurant database.

These articles from my Gluten-Free Social Media Tips blog provide information on social networking as well as many links to help you get started.

10 Reasons to Tweet Gluten-Free

Gluten-Free Tweeting 101: Follow These Easy Steps

Top 10 Gluten-Free Facebook Fan Pages

Discover LinkedIn Groups

Ning Makes Gluten-Free Social Networking Easy

Popular Gluten-Free Forums

Unless you are a blogger, gluten-free professional, or social media specialist, don’t go overboard joining everything here. Each one requires time and effort to get the most out of it. No matter how many Facebook pages I like and create, I still find myself on Twitter daily, spending less time on Facebook. If you have a question or need assistance, post a comment below or tweet me @MarylandCeliac.

Crave Bake Shop Baked Gluten-Free Cupcakes on Cupcake Wars

Tonight, Kyra Bussanich of Crave Bake Shop baked gluten-free cupcakes on Cupcake Wars on Food Network. The beginning of the episode had some terrific information about gluten-free.  Crave Bake Shop is a 100% gluten-free bakery located near Portland, Oregon.

The judges loved the gluten-free cupcake in the first round, which was a holiday cupcake made with cranberries and apple cider. In the second round, the three gluten-free cupcakes were inspired by holiday drinks. The flavors were egg nog, chai spice, and chocolate peppermint. They had beautiful decorations that impressed the judges. This quote from judge Candance Nelson from Sprinkles Cupcakes was amazing.

"I think you guys are like magical gluten-free elves that are working over there in that kitchen because I cannot tell that these are gluten-free cupcakes."

In the third round, Kyra had a display of Christmas trees on a table to hold the cupcakes, while the other finalist had an elegant sleigh display. Kyra added more ginger to the egg nog cupcakes at the request of the judges, but unfortunately she added too much.

While Kyra did not win Cupcake Wars, this was still a huge victory for gluten-free awareness.  This episode called Tree Lighting, the second season premiere, reairs several times this week.

Video: Celiac PSA on CBS

Thanks to a tip from Amy Ratner at Gluten-Free Living, I discovered this good celiac disease PSA that aired on CBS last night as part of CBS Cares. Pauley Perrette from NCIS is in the PSA. For more information, the PSA mentions celiac.org, which is the website for the Celiac Disease Foundation. Watch the video here or click below.

Is It Just Stress?

How are you? It is a simple question with a common answer – “I am stressed.” Whether you admit it to others or silently think it, you likely experience some degree of stress. Feeling stressed seems to be the norm in our hectic lives, where we struggle for balance in a constant race against time. Potential stressors include work, family, school, finances, health, relationships, housing, and parenting.

When doctors can’t find an answer for something, the catch all answer is “it is just stress.” Like many people, I was told this several times. Each time, I felt angry and determined to find the answer. I found new doctors and searched the Internet endlessly.

I did not find another answer. Doctors continued to think it was stress. Eventually, I started to believe them. I could no longer remember what came first: marital problems, daily headaches, migraines, insomnia, or fatigue. Luckily, I developed new symptoms and found another doctor. This time, the answer was not stress!

We blame stress for many symptoms, including digestive problems, anxiety, depression, pain, migraines, fatigue, and insomnia. Ask yourself how long you have been feeling like this?

If you accept stress as the answer, you may still be experiencing the same problems five years from now. As you stress yourself shopping for that perfect holiday gift, take a break to visit a doctor and demand to be tested for celiac disease. It is the best gift you can give yourself and your family!

Pre-Order 2011 Gluten-Free Books

Many gluten-free books will be released in 2011 and several are already available for pre-order on Amazon with a price guarantee. From gluten-free cookbooks about cupcakes to vegan and sugar-free, gluten-free consumers have many choices. Here is a sampling of some of the interesting new books. You can also view all the gluten-free books available for pre-order by clicking this link and sorting by publication date.

• The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen: Recipes for Noodles, Dumplings, Sauces, and More [Kindle Edition] by Laura B. Russell



• Cooking Light The Gluten-Free Cookbook: Simple Food Solutions for Everyday Meals by Editors of Cooking Light Magazine





• Gluten-Free in Five Minutes: 100 Rapid Recipes for Breads, Rolls, Cakes, Muffins, and More by Roben Ryberg

• BabyCakes Covers the Classics: Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes from Donuts to Snickerdoodles by Erin McKenna

• Bisquick to the Rescue: More than 100 Emergency Meals to save the day! – gluten and gluten-free recipes



New from bloggers:

Gluten-Free on a Shoestring: 125 Easy Recipes for Eating Well on the Cheap by Nicole Hunn

Simply Sugar- and Gluten-Free Meals in 20 Minutes: 120 Easy and Delicious Recipes by Amy Green

Gluten-Free Cupcakes: 50 Irresistible Recipes Made with Almond and Coconut Flour by Elana Amsterdam

You may also be interested in these books that will be released on December 8, 2010. Books make a great gift for yourself, friends, and family.

The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free

Gluten Free Food Storage, It's in the Bag

Allergy Free Cookbook for the Family

Special Diets for Special Kids, Volumes 1 and 2 Combined: Over 200 revised gluten-free casein-free recipes, plus research on the positive effects for children ... ADHD, allergies, celiac disease, and more! by Lisa Lewis (This book is still available for pre-order. It was scheduled to release last week, but didn't.)