Chelsea Clinton's Gluten-Free Wedding

Chelsea Clinton is set to wed Marc Mezvinsky today in what can only be described as the most high-profile gluten-free wedding ever! Until now, all-alternative banquet menus have been rare, but with Ms. Clinton blazing the trail for others, the gluten-free trend is sure to continue.

Many people may not realize that Chelsea Clinton has been a vegan since she was a teenager, meaning she doesn't eat meat, dairy, eggs, or any animal products. Chelsea is also said to have a gluten allergy, meaning she cannot eat wheat, rye or barley either; which is why her wedding cake will be gluten-free and vegan, along with most of the other food that she will be serving to her guests on Saturday.

A Gluten-free diet can be very restrictive, and vegan diets can be limiting too. Which is why gluten-free vegan's must be extremely careful with what they put in their body. While Chelsea probably chose her wedding menu due to her own personal health needs, it is likely to also have a trickle down effect on the general public. Grace Clerihew, of Table Tales, a New York Catering Firm responded to Chelsea's wedding menu saying, “This will empower people to make these requests. Prior to this, they might have thought it was not mainstream enough to even talk about, but now that they see it being done by such a public persona it becomes acceptable.”

While gluten-free and vegan diets are often met with a great deal of scrutiny from mainstream consumers, chefs and caterers that understand specific dietary restrictions make delicious dishes that often have even the most extreme critics of the diet going back for seconds. Says Paula LeDuc of Paula LeDuc Fine Catering in San Francisco, “We've gotten very savvy about creating wonderful things with alternative ingredients.” According to LeDuc, she always makes extra vegan dishes because many times guests will want to trade in their meat plate when they see the scrumptious vegan options that others are enjoying. In fact, LeDuc says that gluten-free requests have increased from about one per month last year, to one per week this year. LeDuc goes on to say, “Three or four years ago, gluten-free wasn't even part of the conversation.”

Original article written: 07/31/2010
Source: Celiac.com

Drew Brees - NOLA Saints quarterback

from Sports Illustrated (2007): Drew Brees - NOLA Saints quarterback

"Brees's long list of food allergies includes dairy, wheat, gluten, eggs and nuts. "If I stayed away from everything I'm allergic to, I'd lose 20 pounds," says the 6-foot 209-pounder. "Some are minor allergies, some major. I listen to my body and do the best I can." Here's Brees's diet regimen on a nongame day. He drinks water throughout the day and at meals.

7:30 a.m. Two wheat- and gluten-free waffles or pancakes. Four strips bacon or two links sausage. Side of corn grits or potato hash browns. A peach, pear or four slices of cantaloupe or honeydew.

Mid-morning (postworkout) AdvoCare recovery shake. About 10 ounces and 230 calories, it's vitamin-packed and high in soy protein. He drinks a second shake in the afternoon after the Saints practice.

2 p.m. Grilled chicken breast or grilled redfish fillet with a side of rice or green beans. Or shrimp and sausage gumbo.

7 p.m. "I love the New Orleans flavor," says Brees. "We go out a lot." A typical restaurant order: turtle soup, shrimp rémoulade and fried green tomatoes, green beans, spinach or broccoli. At home Brittany often makes wheat- and gluten-free pasta with marinara sauce, with a soyburger chopped in it. "She's big on soy products," says Brees. "I'll have soy milk, soy yogurt, soybeans."

9 p.m. XanGo mangosteen fruit-based juice. "I just take it out of the fridge and chugalug three ounces. It's supposed to have a lot of antioxidants."
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Man Swims From Alcatraz

David Milkes has a sister who was always hungry and was vomiting daily. She went from doctor to doctor before she was finally diagnosed with celiac disease.

David is a physician and recreational swimmer, but he decided to get into good physical shape and join the 28th annual "Alcatraz Challenge" to swim the 1.5 miles from Alcatraz to the shores of San Francisco Bay in an effort to bring attention to this disease.

He was warned that he might encounter gale-force winds, impenetrable fog, cold choppy water, and sharks. Gary Emich, the swimming coach, assured the swimmers that the type of sharks in the bay had no interest in devouring swimmers.

David swam the course in one hour four minutes and managed to raise $5250 which he donated to the Celiac Disease Center at Columbus University Medical Center (David's alma mater). Thank you, David!

Inspiring Celiac to Raise Funds and Awareness

Cynthia Kupper, RD, Executive Director of GIG North America sent the following information:

”Michele Wallick is sailing 7,000 nautical miles across the South Atlantic to raise awareness for the estimated 2,700,000 undiagnosed Americans with Celiac Disease. Michele was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in December 2006. She is partnering with the research expertise of University of Maryland’s Center for Celiac Research and the gluten free community network of the Gluten Intolerant Group of North America to raise funds for this Celiac Awareness Campaign. These funds will be used to promote more community awareness and education for health professionals.

Michele and her husband Greg will be sailing a catamaran from Cape Town, South Africa in early November. You will be able to read about their adventures, track their progress across the Atlantic and donate at Michele’s website www.gfadventures.com. Please consider helping Michele find the 2,700,000 undiagnosed Americans by donating to this Celiac Awareness Campaign. Donate at www.gluten.net/AtlanticCrossing.php. Their goal is to raise $14,000 - $2 for every mile of the crossing. Funds will be used to promote community awareness and education for health professionals.”

Oregon Athlete w/ Celiac Competes Aug. 15th

This is the story of Amy Yoder Begley a track and field athlete training with the renowned Alberto Salazar in Oregon to prepare for her Olympic debut. One of the many obstacles she's faced and overcome is Celiac disease. We can all cheer her on when she competes on Aug. 15th in Beijing.


Amy Yoder Begley competes in the women's 10,000-meter final during the Olympic Trials in Eugene.

Bette Hagman - An Icon passes‎

"It is with great sadness that I inform you that Bette Hagman (sic: the author of the Gluten Free Gourmet series of cookbooks) passed away quietly this afternoon at home. I took her nearly a hundred good wishes messages yesterday. She was pleased to get them and she and the caregiver were reading them before I left. They brought smiles and tears to her. They were exactly what she needed. Any messages that continue to come in will be given to her daughter.

Thank you all for your kindness and support for Bette. I know both she and her daughter appreciated it very much. Bette inspired and helped more people than she will ever know. We will miss her."

Cynthia Kupper, RD, CD
Executive Director
Gluten Intolerance Group of North America®