Buy Unique Celiac Awareness Items at CafePress and Support Celiac Research

I am pleased to introduce the new Gluten-Free Optimist CafePress Shop. Keep reading because you won’t find any items in the shop that promote my blog. The goal is to increase celiac disease awareness and promote positive gluten-free thoughts with fun and unique items. For all purchases made in my shop between now and October 31, 2010, a minimum of $2 per item, except individual buttons and cards, will be donated to the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research.

The donation for an individual button or card will be 50 cents. The highest donation is for this awesome 10 pack of mini buttons, which are perfect for both kids and adults to wear in October. For each pack of mini buttons purchased, $5 will be donated!

This tote bag is my favorite item. This design is also available on shirts and as an individual greeting card, which would be perfect to send to a friend or family member who resists being tested for celiac disease.

My daughter designed this awesome T-shirt. Also, look at the gluten-free tastes so good design, which is available on many items, including aprons, postcards, and shirts. 

Looking for an item without any cute graphics? Then, there is this T-shirt and button. Want to give a gluten-free kid a special reward for a job well-done? This bear would be perfect!


Here is some information about shipping, returns, and  discount codes.

• Use coupon code 15OFFTEES through September 23, 2010, to receive 15% off the T-shirts. Great new discount codes will appear in a banner at the top of the shop page.

• Economy shipping is $5.25 for any item, and 50 cents extra for each additional item. One exception to this is if you are buying only one button or greeting card, then shipping is only $1.25, and 30 cents extra for each additional.

• "No sales tax when shipping outside CA, KY, NV, NC or WA."

• "100% satisfaction guaranteed. Rest assured, we'll take it back (no questions asked). With our money-back guarantee, whether it's too small, too big, too orange or too (fill in the blank), simply contact Customer Support within 30 days for a full refund or exchange."

Check back often for new products. Leave a comment with any product requests. Wearing a celiac awareness button, shirt, or tote bag is a fantastic way to spread awareness and get people talking about celiac disease!

Kicking for Celiac and a Guinness Record

Craig Pinto will hold a unique fundraiser for celiac disease while attempting to break the Guinness record. The professional arena football player will kick field goals for 12 straight hours. To break the worldwide record, he will need to make 500 field goals! The event will take place on October 10, 2010, at Bethpage High School in Long Island, New York. Here is a quote from Craig, who is passionate about raising celiac awareness.

"Kicking footballs for this long seems physically challenging, but so is living with Celiac Disease everyday, and both can be done successfully."

To make a donation, visit the Kicking 4 Celiac website. All proceeds will go to the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University.

Ibuprofen: Cheap, Generic, and Gluten-Free

Look what I found today! The regular price is only $1.77 for 50 tablets, and it is now labeled gluten-free!

After making this discovery at Target, I quickly checked other up & up (Target brand) over-the-counter products for gluten-free labels. While I couldn’t find any other products for adults labeled gluten-free, not even the up & up ibuprofen soft gels, I did find children’s oral suspensions in both ibuprofen and acetaminophen that were clearly labeled gluten-free in large letters on the side that match the colors on the packaging.

Keep checking over-the-counter generic drugs for gluten-free labels. Soon more will be labeled gluten-free, thanks to Perrigo. I am so happy that I never again need to pay substantially more to buy Advil! This is a great discovery to make today on National Celiac Awareness Day.

Who Do You Want to See Oprah Interview?

Since it is the farewell season of The Oprah Show, the show is asking for viewer ideas on who Oprah should interview. Submit your request to The Oprah Show for a show about celiac disease. Here is my submission to give you some ideas. There is a limit of 2,000 characters. Now is our chance to finally see celiac disease on The Oprah Show!

My Oprah Submission:

Over the years, the show has covered many health topics, but one that has never been discussed is celiac disease. Heidi Collins, former CNN news anchor, has celiac disease and would be a fantastic guest to have along with Dr. Alessio Fasano of the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Disease Research. Alice Bast, founder of the National Foundation for Celiac Disease Awareness (NFCA), would also be an excellent guest to have on this celiac disease show. Both Alice and Heidi suffered through devastating miscarriages and other health problems for years before finally being diagnosed with celiac disease. In fact, it took 22 doctors to diagnose Alice!

As a gluten-free blogger and freelance writer living with celiac disease, I am passionate about increasing celiac disease awareness and spreading accurate information. Unfortunately, there is so much inaccurate information about celiac disease and the gluten-free diet, making it difficult to even get a safe meal in some restaurants. 

Oprah, you have the unique power and ability to help the millions of Americans living undiagnosed with celiac disease and prevent them from experiencing the dangerous complications of untreated celiac disease. Please take a moment to read these startling stats about celiac disease. A show about celiac disease could save lives!  

When a Family Member Refuses to be Tested for Celiac Disease

It is frustrating to hear about people who refuse to be tested for celiac disease. Fortunately, when I was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2007, all of my family members were willing to be tested.

I often hear on Twitter and in celiac groups about family members who refuse to be tested for celiac disease. Perhaps their refusal is based on fear, denial, or inaccurate information. Here are some of my thoughts on how to help them.

Share the facts.

While there are many good gluten-free blogs and YouTube videos, sharing information directly from a medical source is important. This information from the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center is excellent in concisely explaining the symptoms of celiac disease and who needs to be tested. Complications of untreated celiac disease are described at the end of this fact sheet from the American College of Gastroenterology.

Focus on the positive.

Many people mistakenly think that gluten-free food doesn’t taste as good as gluten. While that was the case in the past, there are now so many great tasting gluten-free products, including Udi’s gluten-free bread. In fact, the Betty Crocker gluten-free brownies were rated number one in the Epicurious blind taste test of 21 gluten and gluten-free brownies.

Gluten-free products are also more readily available to consumers, and many mainstream products are very affordable. General Mills and Hain Celestial each make over 200 gluten-free products. Purchasing a gluten-free grocery guide, which lists thousands of gluten-free products available in many regular grocery stores, can be useful in locating products.

For eating out, there are numerous options, including chains like PF Chang’s, Bonefish Grill, Outback, ZPizza, and Uno Chicago Grill. For those who enjoy baking, there are terrific gluten-free all purpose flours as well as the new gluten-free Bisquick. 

Explain that planning makes it possible.

With some extra planning, anything is possible while eating gluten-free. The Gluten-Free Travel Site has reviews of restaurants, grocery stores, and hotels throughout the world. Many people with celiac disease are successfully traveling internationally, enjoying cruises, and camping.

If you were diagnosed with celiac disease years ago and family members are still refusing to be tested, be sure to share with them what gluten-free life is like today and how much it has improved. They may be remembering your bread that tasted like cardboard or your difficulty finding a restaurant. With your continued efforts, a family member may eventually surprise you and decide to be tested!