Enjoy Crepes Like Olympic Skier Hannah Kearney

United States Olympic skier Hannah Kearney loves to cook crepes with a variety of fillings for her teammates. While the crepes she makes probably aren’t gluten-free, her fillings could be used in gluten-free crepes. Hannah’s crepes are described in the Olympic blogs.

"I like to make the batter ahead of time and I'll have one with an egg and avocado and cheese for breakfast, then I'll have one with turkey and cheese for lunch, and then one with spinach and mushrooms for dinner," says Kearney. "Then for dessert you go with peanut butter and honey or cream cheese and jam."
But how much nutritional value do crepes have?

"It depends how you cook them," says Susie Parker-Simmons, a sports dietician for the U.S. Olympic Committee. "With Hannah, she's very nutritionally
sound. She has very good nutritional practices and loves cooking, which is fantastic." Parker-Simmons says that because of the way she makes them-with less
oil and sugar than store-bought varieties-and the diversity of fillings, they're reasonably healthy.

There are many recipes for gluten-free crepes. This one uses a blend of several flours, and the kid in the video is adorable. So, whip up some gluten-free crepes, and eat like an Olympic athlete!

Gluten-Free News: New Magazine, Protein Bars, Omni Hotels, and Much More

My gluten-free Google Alerts have been filled with positive gluten-free news over the last two weeks. From gluten-free menus at hotels to an Olympic pole vaulter with celiac disease, celiac awareness is increasing.  

Silvana Nardone, the founding editor-in-chief of Every Day with Rachael Ray, is now the editor-in-chief of the brand new Easy Eats digital magazine. The first issue of the beautiful magazine is completely free. Simply click on subscribe at the bottom of the page and choose special introductory deal. A one year subscription (6 issues) is $16. You can also sign up to be an Easy Eats recipe tester. The premiere issue has many recipes and a great article listing the Best Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread in a variety of categories. 

Speaking of magazines, Gorton’s is giving away 100 subscriptions to Living Without to celebrate their line of grilled fish fillets that are now gluten-free. 

NuGo Nutrition Debuts the First Almost Sugar-Free Protein Bar Without Maltitol or Artificial Sweeteners at Expo East. The new certified gluten-free bars have 15 grams of protein, 9 grams of fiber, and 2 grams of sugar from real dark chocolate and chicory root. Since I work for the company, I already sampled the new NuGO Slim bars. My daughter and I loved them!

Omni Hotels will be offering gluten-free breakfast buffet stations at all of their locations. Read about other hotels with gluten-free items in Hotels Go Gluten-Free. 

“Omni Hotels is rolling out a gluten-free breakfast buffet station companywide. The station will include gluten-free cereals, granola and a variety of breads and muffins. It has its own table—and toaster—to avoid cross-contamination with products containing wheat.

“We’re getting great positive feedback from our hotel guests on recognizing the importance of people with celiac disease,” says Rosenstock, who, personally, keeps gluten-free by choice and claims improved health as a result. “We’re getting letters from people who say they’ll always stay at Omni.” 

Rosenstock points out the gluten-free options don’t cost a hotel more money. It’s all about sourcing differently and planning for it.” 

A British home baker, Jennifer Buls of Absolute Treats, won the title of UK National Cupcake Champion with a lime and coconut cupcake. She bakes gluten-free, dairy-free, diabetic-friendly, and vegan cupcakes and has secured a permanent location for a tearoom in West Wales.  

There has been lots of coverage of the FDA’s proposed gluten-free labeling standards. A story was even featured on CBS News. For more information about submitting your comments to the FDA and to read what others are saying, visit Gluten-Free Living.

Jenn Suhr, an Olympic pole vaulter, was diagnosed with celiac disease this summer after “suffering leg cramps, dehydration and general weakness for months.” She competed last week at the World Athletics Championships in South Korea and finished fourth. Jenn is hoping to win Gold at the 2012 Olympics. 

Olympic runner Amy Yoder-Begley also has celiac disease and packed gluten-free food for the 2008 Olympics. She suffered for 10 years before being diagnosed with celiac disease. She is currently recovering from an injury and hopes to make it to London in 2012. It is so exciting to imagine celiac disease being mentioned during the 2012 Olympic broadcasts!

Gluten-Free Olympic Athletes Go for Gold in London 2012

Wondering what US Olympic athletes are gluten-free and may win a gold medal in London 2012? Pole vaulter Jenn Suhr was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2011 and is the world’s top ranked female pole vaulter. Swimmer Dana Vollmer is gluten intolerant and also can’t eat eggs. She will compete in the 100m butterfly and 4x200m freestyle relay. Dana is the new spokesperson for Crunchmaster Crackers. To read about gluten-free Olympic athletes from other countries, visit About.com. View the Olympic schedule for these gluten-free athletes.

Update July 30, 2012 - Dana Vollmer won a Gold medal and set a world record in the 100m butterfly!

Update August 4, 2012 - Dana Vollmer won a total of three gold medals and set two world records! She competed in the 4x200 free relay and 4x100 medley relay.

Update August 6, 2012 - Jenn Suhr won a Gold medal in the pole vault!

Celebrating 10 Years of Gluten-Free: 10 Things I’m Thankful For

As Celiac Awareness Month ends, this is the perfect time to reflect on how gluten-free life has improved in the past 10 years. It was 2007 when I was first diagnosed with celiac disease. At the time, I remember how hard it was to find gluten-free products in local stores, let alone delicious tasting ones. I remember family members helping me to research online about celiac disease and buying products for me to try.

In December 2008, I started my blog to focus on the positive side of gluten-free life. I never could have imagined then that starting my blog would ultimately lead to a new career for me in social media. You may remember the reviews my daughter did of gluten-free books for kids when she was in elementary school. Now, she is a freshman in high school and has her own blog where she reviews books for teens! 

10 Things I’m Thankful For

 

1. Being Diagnosed with Celiac Disease – That’s right, I’m thankful that I was diagnosed with celiac disease. After five years of health problems and countless doctor visits, it is great to finally have a diagnosis and treatment that resulted in improved health! 

2. FDA Standard for Gluten-Free – It is fabulous to finally have a standard for gluten-free labeling and to see many more products labeled gluten-free as a result. 

3. More Celiac Disease Awareness – I remember how exciting it was years ago to simply see a news story about celiac disease or a mention of gluten-free on TV shows, like Emeril or Cupcake Wars. Now we even have Olympic athletes with celiac disease!

4. More Gluten-Free Products in Local Stores – While I still shop at many different stores, it is great to be able to do my weekly grocery shopping at one major chain.

5. Generic OTC Meds Labeled as Gluten-Free – I remember how happy I was when I could finally buy a gluten-free generic pain reliever. No more paying for brand names!

6. Udi’s Gluten Free – Before Udi’s Gluten Free was even available on the East Coast, they sent me a big box of their delicious products to review. I still remember the first time I saw Udi’s in a local store, and now they are everywhere! We especially love their hamburger buns and cookies.

7. Wegmans – I’m so thankful that Wegmans finally opened in my county, as it truly is a gluten-free mecca. I have discovered many new gluten-free products there, but my favorite is the Wegmans generic gluten-free Rice Krispies. When Kellogg’s first announced gluten-free Rice Krispies, I immediately blogged about it, and it became one of my most popular blog posts. Unfortunately, the excitement was short-lived as Kellogg’s eventually discontinued them, and I desperately sought a replacement for what had become a staple cereal for me. Thank you Wegmans!

8. Not Your Average Joe’s – This restaurant chain has one of the largest gluten-free menus I have seen, featuring a variety of delicious entrees and even a gluten-free bread basket! 

9. Gluten-Free Bloggers – It is truly fantastic to now see so many passionate gluten-free bloggers spreading celiac awareness and sharing gluten-free reviews and news! I fondly remember the gluten-free bloggers that supported me when I first started blogging.

10. My Job at NuGo Nutrition – Teaching myself gluten-free blogging and social media led to my wonderful job as a social media specialist at NuGo Nutrition. When I first started working for NuGo six years ago, they made less than 10 gluten-free bars. Now, they make 27 certified gluten-free protein bars. While I eat several NuGo Dark, NuGo Slim, and NuGo Family flavors, my favorite is NuGo Dark Mint Chocolate Chip, which tastes like Thin Mints! 

I can’t wait to see the gluten-free and celiac disease advancements in the next 10 years!