August:Sept 2011 - VictoriaCeliac.org
Transcription
August:Sept 2011 - VictoriaCeliac.org
Canadian Celiac Association August/September 2011 Volume 20 Issue 4 $3:00 VICTORIA CELIAC NEWS Serving Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands HELP FOR CELIACS NEEDING INFORMATION AND ADVICE More than 70 celiacs enjoy Summer fun in the park at the BBQ ANTI PANIC SESSIONS Free to CCA members, friends and family at Thrifty Foods store at the Tuscany Village location. Check in at the Customer Service Desk for directions to Lifestyle Centre on 2nd floor. Dates: Sat. Sept 17, Oct. 15, and Nov. 19 at 12:45 pm. . Sign up with Ellen Bayens ellen@theceliacscene.com or 250-727-6275 CHAPTER EVENTS FOR MEMBERS Celiac Celebration at Santé Gluten-Free Café ($25) When: Friday, October 7, 2011 at 6:30 pm Where: 2630 Quadra Street (across from Fairway Market) See http://bit.ly/QuadraHillside Parking: Plenty of on street parking See page 3 for details. TUSCANY THRIFTY FOODS store tours Wed. Sept 21, Oct. 19, and Nov. 23 at 6:30 pm. Register online through website http://www.thriftyfoods.com/EN/ main/cooking/centre/cooking-lifestyle-centre-ourclasses.html . Tours are $10 but participants receive a $10 Smile Card at the end of the tour. 250-483-1634 jodonnell@thriftyfoods.com http://bit.ly/qB0CSc LIFESTYLE MARKETS GF Walk & Talks through the aisles of the Douglas Street location. Get the gluten-free goods from diagnosis to diet. Ideal for the pre/newly diagnosed. Sat., Sept. 24, Oct. 22, and Nov. 26 at 10:30 a.m. Call 250-384-3388 “Grocery Department” between 9 am - 5 pm to register. Space limited. Sign up early. Savouring a Recipe Exchange? When: Sunday, November 6, 2011 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Where: Basement hall of St Aidan’s Church, 3703 St. Aidan’s St http://bit.ly/MaptoStAidan Parking: Plenty in church parking lot Accessibility: Wheelchair & walker accessible - take elevator in lobby to lower floor RSVP: Not necessary - just come! Details on page 3. MARKET ON MILLSTREAM 125-2401C Millstream Rd. 250-391-1110. “Aisle by Aisle Gluten-Free Guide” http://bit.ly/aVBA5A is always available at the Customer Service and the staff in the Self Care Department is eager to answer your questions at any time. Christmas Party Pot Luck When: Saturday, December 17, 2011 Where: St Aidan’s Church Hall. Details later of this hugely popular event. PLANET ORGANIC TOURS at the Saanich Plaza, Quadra/McKenzie at 10 am on Sat. Sept. 17, Oct. 15, Nov. 19 and Dec. 17. Sign up for free tour 250-727-9888. 1 Canadian Celiac Association August/September 2011 Volume 20 Issue 4 From the President’s Desk It’s August and this year the best of summer has been the food and definitely not the weather. Don’t you find it’s easier to eat GF in the summer?! I delight in summer berries and peaches, carrots that taste like carrots and fresh herbs from the garden for BBQ rubs. And much more interesting salad options than those winter ones. The Advocacy Committee: Hospitals can report that, although things move slowly sometimes, we are establishing successful relationships with those departments of the hospital most important to our celiac needs. We have direct contact now with the Director of Food Services, the Pharmacy Manager of Clinical Programs, and the South Island Leader of Chronic Disease Management and Nutrition Therapy Services. I expect we will be in a position by late fall to report the results of our discussions and negotiations to establish the processes celiacs need to know about and follow to ensure our safety when we are in contact with VIHA hospitals. Although we do not have a transition to a new newsletter editor in place at this time, we are working on it. Please read the Tribute to Christine in this newsletter. We are respecting her decision to retire after 12 amazing years on the job as a volunteer, but we are not letting her get away!! She will continue to contribute to your executive group. And that’s good news! Kathleen A Thank You to Joseph’s Coffee House! The Chapter wishes to thank Joseph & Uwen for staging a series of delicious First Tuesday Teas at Joseph’s Coffee House. The soups and ever-changing selection of gluten-free baking, often fresh out of the oven, were always delicious. Attendees enjoyed lively conversation in a relaxed atmosphere over excellent tea and coffees. We frequently bought out Joseph’s entire gluten-free inventory of banana bread, scones, muffins, cookies and cornetti on their way out! We are happy to report that construction on the Old Island Highway is now complete and that Joseph’s always has a host of fresh celiacfriendly baking on hand. Joseph’s also caters events, from wedding to corporate to large groups. For more information on Joseph’s 102 - 284 Helmcken Rd (@ Old Island Highway) (250) 590-2686 http://bit.ly/JosephsCoffeeHouse www.josephscoffeehouse.com info@josephscoffeehouse.com I’m newly diagnosed: where do I meet other Celiacs? What can I eat? organic organic Cart in Your Celiac Questions. organic • • •Aisle by Aisle Guide supplements, body care & make-up tags to help you easily identify products gluten free gluten free How do I properly gluten read a nutrition free label? Which is the tastiest brand of gluten-free bread? Full-time, expert Self-Care staff to offer advice and guidance, including manager Erin Shardlow www.themarketstores.com 125-2401 C Millstream Road 250.391.1110 8 AM-11 PM 2 PREPARED FOR: MARKET ON MILLSTREAM PUBLICATION: VICTORIA CELIAC ASSOCIATION WEBSITE INSERTION DATE: APRIL SIZE: HALF PAGE, 6.3” x 4.38” PREPARED BY: BRAVO ADVERTISING 250 590 1169 Canadian Celiac Association August/September 2011 Volume 20 Issue 4 Annual Salt Spring Expedition Once again we enjoyed a super ‘cruise’ to Salt Spring Island in June for a market browse and a fabulous gluten free lunch courtesy of the Laughing Daughters Gluten Free Bakery stall. Derek and Mhairi make us so welcome and go to so much effort to make our gluten free quiches. Big enough for lunch and dinner combined, the quiches are a sumptuous treat. Many of us also loaded our shopping bags with other goodies purchased from the stall -- lemon poppy seed cake is a particular favourite! Thank you Derek and Mhairi, you are so good to us. Above: Our !iends Derek and Mhairi Ba", Laughing Daughters Gluten Free Bakery Right: Chapter members chat and munch in the park EVENTS COMING UP FOR MEMBERS Savouring a Recipe Exchange? It is common knowledge that the Chapter’s celiacs have an ongoing love affair, if not an obsession, with GF treats and desserts. It is why we cordon off the dessert table until everyone has eaten their vegetables at the Christmas Potluck! This recipe exchange however focuses on the savoury, the salty and the not so sweet, just in time for Christmas entertainment! Bring copies of your favourite GF appetizer / snack / entrée / salad dressing / marinade recipes to share with fellow celiacs and leave with an armful of ideas that will make the holiday season that much easier to plan. You are welcome to bring samples of your creations for taste testing and instructional purposes (!) but if you cannot, please don’t let that stop you from attending. The focus is in the sharing of information and the fun! When: Sun., Nov. 6, 2011 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Where: Basement hall of St Aidan’s Church, 3703 Saint Aidans St http://bit.ly/MaptoStAidan Parking: Plenty in church parking lot Accessibility: Wheelchair & walker accessible take elevator in lobby to lower floor RSVP: Not necessary - just come! Celiac Celebration at Santé Gluten-Free Café ($25) (includes tip & gratuity) 30 lucky celiacs and their even luckier family or friends will have Santé all to themselves for an evening of delectable dining, officially celebrating the arrival of Victoria’s first and only gluten-free café! When: Fri., Oct. 7, 2011 at 6:30 pm Where: 2630 Quadra Street (across from Fairway Market) See http://bit.ly/QuadraHillside Parking: Plenty of on street parking Menu: Choice of appetizers, entreés, desserts and tea or drip coffee See http://bit.ly/SanteSetMenu RSVP: Please provide your selections to ellen@theceliacscene.com or call 250-727-6275 by Sunday evening, October 3. Accessibility: Wheelchair and walker-friendly Questions about the menu items? Extra-special diets? Please discuss with Hanna directly at 250-590-7174 and then place your order with Ellen. RSVP early - attendance capped at only 30 people For more information about Santé see http://bit.ly/SanteGFcafe 3 Canadian Celiac Association August/September 2011 Volume 20 Issue 4 TIME TO HAND OVER THE EDITORIAL HAT Twelve years ago This is your newsletter and many of you send me this month I got interesting and well-researched contributions to share involved in my with our members. Your involvement has made the first Chapter newsletter a real Chapter record. I can look back over newsletter. The the issues in my filing cabinet and see how we have headline was continued to provide a real and relevant service for newly “Victoria Chapter diagnosed and long-time celiacs. I often rummage back wins two national to find a particular article that is once again needed awards”. The Canadian Celiac The newsletter provides a venue for our loyal advertisers Association honoured Audrie Graham who won the to tell us about new and delicious gluten free products CCA national Special Award in recognition of the and places to eat and shop. Their on-going and International Year of the Older Person. Our Chapter also won conscientious support is the main source of revenue for the Chapter Achievement -- Kay Ernst Award for projects the newsletter printing and distribution costs. initiated by Mike Rose (Chapter President for many years) including a gluten free calendar, a TV video, buddy As well as reaching members all over Vancouver Island program kits for new members and handbooks that went and the Gulf Islands, the newsletter is now being sold in to the offices of gastroenterologists and internists. The public venues such as Origin Gluten Free Bakery and Chapter was also recognized for distributing dietitian Santé Gluten-Free Café. The newsletter has doubled in kits from the national office to all sites on Vancouver size and, for some time now, has been produced six times Island where dietitians practice -- great newsletter stories per year. The biggest issue is the one produced directly of interest to members. after the annual national conference containing summaries of all the presentations -- a big job!. It is an indication of the dedication of our Chapter members that Audrie Graham and Mike Rose are still I have enjoyed being editor so much and have valued the active members and many of the names on the executive opportunity to make a contribution in an area where I list from 1999 are still happily involved in our Chapter felt I can use my interest in writing and also could activities. expand my computer skills. I’m sure that the new editor will get as much pleasure out of this position as I have. As newsletter editor during the last twelve years I’ve reported on numerous Chapter social activities and Meanwhile, thank you to all the people who continue to awareness initiatives, yummy and nutritious recipes, make this newsletter useful and informative especially -updates on celiac research, medical information, personal Anne Wraggett, Bernice Carter, Ellen Bayens, Sandra stories, recommendations for restaurants with gluten free Fraser, Wilma Elias, Kathleen Shoemaker, Margaret choices, book reviews, holiday tips, conference McKenzie, Shirley Bond, Peter and Margaret Sandemanpresentations and much more. By sharing information Allen, Tami Levinson, Christine Graham, Mike Rose, and offering support we help each other adapt to a gluten Audrie Graham, Tom Spetter (our IT man) and all those free lifestyle and enjoy many social activities together. who, over the years, have also played a significant role in creating a great newsletter. Christine Rushforth THE CCA’s BLOG The CCA started a blog so our members at the International Celiac Symposium in Norway could tell everyone about what they were learning. We got such a good response we decided to keep using it to tell people about the CCA and about things happening in the gluten-free world. We didn’t really expect discussions about kissing someone who eats gluten or gluten in beer, but that is the joy of a blog – you never really know what people are really interested in. We are going to keep using the blog as one of the ways we convey important pieces of information to our readers, in addition to Celiac News, periodic email blasts and messages sent to your chapter leaders. If you have a specific question you would like to have addressed through any of these channels, send an email to AsktheCCA@celiac.ca 4 Canadian Celiac Association August/September 2011 Volume 20 Issue 4 Victoria Chapter News: The Queen is retiring!!!!!!!!!!!!! No, not that Queen; our own Victoria Chapter Queen! Christine Rushforth, long-time editor of our newsletter, The Victoria Celiac News, has decided to retire. The end of every Chapter event saw Christine scurry to collect the printed recipes so she could patiently retype them to share in the newsletter. And if she couldn’t attend herself, someone else was conscripted to collect them for her! The odd newsletter issue was just too jampacked to find room for recipes and usually there were complaints! What? No recipes?! Christine began helping Mike Rose (President of the Chapter, newsletter writer, and creator of the first half dozen Victoria Chapter Recipe Calendars) back in 1999. At some point over the next year or so, she took on the role of writing and assembling every issue. And she has been doing it ever since, producing what I believe is the very best celiac chapter newsletter in the country! In many ways, the newsletter truly “is” the chapter. For members who are unable or not interested in attending our events, the newsletter is their link to the chapter and a valuable source of reliable information. Through the newsletter, Christine has given the chapter a friendly, knowledgeable, and welcoming face. We cannot thank her enough for her enormous dedication in producing more than a decade of fabulous newsletters. Needless to say, this has been a big commitment but as a former government communications officer, one for which she was well qualified! We the readers benefited from her attention to detail, her writing skill, and her ability to assemble an attractive newsletter. She openly encouraged members to send in contributions of recipes, ideas, tips, links to articles of interest, shopping information, restaurant reviews, travel stories, book reviews, entire articles, and series of articles. Entering into a conversation with Christine usually ended up with a request to put it in writing – for the newsletter! Unconditionally welcoming of all contributions, she was a democratic editor, always letting contributors speak in their own voice and never flinching from printing opinionated letters. Behind her demure and regal look though, has been a steely focus on maintaining a high standard of accuracy and relevance in the newsletter. Controversy was always acceptable but material of questionable content never made it to print. Fortunately, although she is retiring from her position as Newsletter Editor, Christine is not withdrawing from the Chapter Executive entirely. She reigns on as our PastPast President. We are relieved that she will continue to endure our (hopefully gentle) teasing over her charming British accent and occasional distinctly British turns of phrase with her unfailing good grace. We look forward to seeing her always perfectly dressed in beautiful pastels looking like, well … a queen! On behalf of all chapter members and executive, a heartfelt thank you to Christine Rushforth for taking our newsletter to such a professional standard. Now we hope she will be able to relax and get the same pleasure out of it that we’ve all enjoyed for these many years; without all the work! Christine’s own note-taking ability is legendary among those of us who have attended conferences with her. She has reported in enormous detail on the sessions of every national conference, effectively bringing the conference information to those unable to attend in person. Other CCA chapters regularly reprint sections of The Victoria Celiac News. Anne Wraggett JOB VACANCY FOR NEWSLETTER EDITOR If you would like to consider taking on the role of newsletter editor or sharing the job with another member, please contact Kathleen Shoemaker at kathleenshoemaker@shaw.ca We can offer lots of introductory help to get you started and into the swing of the job. You need computer skills and writing skills (we will ask for evidence of these) as well as a willingness to commit some hours to the job. This role is both rewarding and fun. 5 Canadian Celiac Association August/September 2011 Volume 20 Issue 4 Contamination in Oats company also tested negative, but the six samples from that company ranged from <5 to 133 ppm. “Do I really need to spend the extra money for special pure oats? Aren’t regular oats OK?” It’s a question that people often ask. With all the costs of a gluten-free diet, it seems like the extra cost of oats are just one step too far. Some samples were primarily contaminated with barley; others were contaminated with both wheat and barley. There was no type of oats that was consistently safe. Flaked, steel cut, rolled, quick and oat bran all consistently demonstrated more gluten contamination that is safe. Organic oats contained lower gluten levels than regular oats, but still averaged 240 ppm – more than 10 times the safe level. Scientists at Health Canada recently published a study looking at gluten contamination of oats available on store shelves in Canada. Terry Koerner and colleagues collected samples of oats in Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia at two different times of the year so that they would get samples from different lots. So, do you really need to spend the extra money for special pure oats? Yes – it is the only way to be sure that your morning oatmeal or warm apple crisp is safe. Of the 133 samples tested only nine tested below 20 ppm, the maximum limit recommended for people with celiac disease. Three of the samples had undetectable levels of gluten (less than 5 ppm); the other six tested somewhere between 5 and 20 ppm. One sample contained more than 3800 ppm of gluten. Reference: T.B. Koerner, C. Cléroux, C. Poirier, I. Cantin, A. Alimkulov and H. Elamparo. Gluten contamination in the Canadian commercial oat supply. Food Additives and Contaminants Vol. 28, No. 6, June 2011, 705–710. Full text available online: http:// www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21623493 The only sample that tested negative in both lots was one from a company that specifically claimed to offer a wheat free pure oat product. One sample from another Article courtesy of the national office 6 Canadian Celiac Association August/September 2011 Volume 20 Issue 4 The Proposed Gluten Free Level of <20 ppm: How was it chosen? J. Decker Butzner, MD, FRCPC and Jo Anne Murray A recent article in the Fall/Winter 2010 issue of the Canadian Celiac Association’s (CCA) publication “Celiac News” reviews the CCA’s comments to Health Canada about the new definition of “gluten free.” This new definition has been accepted by several national celiac associations, national governments’ regulatory bodies, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO/FAO representatives from all over the world are members of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. This Commission develops food standards for nutritional value and safety that can be used by national governments. In 2008, the Codex Alimentarius Commission established that less than 20 parts gluten per million parts food (<20 ppm) to be the standard for labeling a product as “gluten free.” This can also be expressed as less than 20 milligrams gluten per kilogram food (<20 mg/kg). These amounts are equivalent and can be used interchangeably. All these measures are dry weights of ingredients. Each ingredient must contain <20 ppm (<20 mg/kg) gluten and the final food product must contain <20 ppm gluten. The CCA has recommended that Health Canada adopt <20 ppm (<20 mg/kg) as the standard to label a product “gluten free”. Here are examples of what 20 ppm (20 mg/kg) looks like. It is ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) in a 125 liter bathtub. It is one drop (0.05 ml) in 2.5 liters of water or 20 cents in $10,000. To put this in perspective, a slice of white bread containing gluten weighs 20g or 20,000 mg. It contains 2500 mg of gluten or 125,000 mg gluten/kg bread (125,000 ppm). Thus 2500 mg of gluten is 50X the minimal amount required for intestinal injury. Why is <20 ppm or <20 mg/kg considered safe? To evaluate this, researchers needed two pieces of information. 1) How much gluten free product (flour) does a person with well controlled celiac disease consume in a day? Studies to evaluate this have demonstrated that most adults with celiac disease consume somewhere between 200-350 grams (g) of gluten free product per day. The best study to evaluate this demonstrated the average daily gluten free flour consumption was about 330 g with a range of 177-574 g/day over 30 days by 46 adults with well controlled celiac disease. The median daily gluten consumption in gluten free products consumed by these individuals was <5 mg/day. On the surface this decision seems to be a backwards step for Canada where the current regulation states that gluten free foods can contain no “wheat, including spelt and kamut, or barley, rye or triticale or any part thereof.” When the Canadian regulations were adopted in 1995, it was impossible to test a product to a level of 20 ppm gluten in an ingredient. The old testing methods were indirect and likely could test only to a level of about 200-400 ppm gluten in an ingredient. Thus any product containing less than 200 ppm was considered to be gluten free. Recent research demonstrates that 50 mg of gluten per day causes intestinal injury in individuals with celiac disease. With the old testing methods, if a person with celiac disease ate 300 g of “gluten free” flour that contained 200 ppm gluten, they would eat 60 mg of gluten and would likely develop an intestinal injury (see # 1 and 2 below). Although Canada had the worlds strictest regulation, the old testing methods were not good enough to evaluate low levels of gluten contamination. In 2003, Spanish scientists developed a new testing method, the R5 Mendez ELISA, which can accurately test gluten levels as low as 3-5 ppm in dry food ingredients. 2) How little gluten does a well controlled patient with celiac disease need to ingest over a period of time to cause intestinal injury? Thirteen studies in the medical literature have evaluated this. Several studies have shown that adults and children who ingest greater than 200 mg of gluten per day develop an intestinal injury after varying periods of time (1 week to months) on this diet. The higher the dose of gluten the greater the intestinal injury and the sooner one develops symptoms of celiac disease. One study showed that adults who consumed 50 mg of gluten per day for three months developed a mild intestinal injury and no symptoms. Recent studies from Finland have demonstrated that daily ingestion of 20-36 mg of gluten/day did not cause intestinal injury. A study of well controlled patients with celiac disease who ingested 10 mg of gluten per day for three months did not cause intestinal injury. However, one individual experienced a clinical relapse of their celiac disease. In an English study, individuals who received 2.4-4.8 mg of gluten per day for six weeks developed no symptoms and had no intestinal injury. Based on this research, the Codex Alimentarius Commission decided that 10 mg should be considered the maximum tolerable daily intake of gluten in patients with celiac disease. However, these data should be 7 Canadian Celiac Association August/September 2011 Volume 20 Issue 4 gluten free product is, the more it costs to make and the more it will cost the consumer. In addition it may be difficult to reduce gluten to 0 ppm in some products. They would be lost to the consumer of gluten free foods even though they had <20 ppm gluten. If a product is safe at <20 ppm, there is no reason to increase the cost of production or reduce availability. evaluated with caution because rare patients may react to even lower gluten intake and the data for gluten exposure at 10 mg/day for periods of longer than three months are not known. From this data, how was the 20 ppm or 20 mg/kg gluten amount decided upon? At a level of 20 mg/kg, an individual who consumed 100 g of gluten free flour per day would ingest 2 mg of gluten. One who ingested 200 g of flour would receive 4 mg of gluten and an individual who ingested 300 g of flour would receive 6 mg of gluten. One would have to ingest 500 g of flour to receive 10 mg of gluten in gluten free products that contained < 20 mg/ kg (20 ppm) gluten. Remember the data demonstrate that most individuals with celiac disease consume between 200-350 g of gluten free flour per day. It is from this research that governments throughout the world have chosen <20 ppm or 20 mg/kg as the standard for labeling a product gluten free. A uniform standard (<20 ppm) for many countries provides individuals with celiac disease who travel the ability to know that a product labeled gluten free is as safe as the one they consume at home. It also enables suppliers of gluten free products to ship to more markets. Hopefully this will increase selection and decrease costs for the gluten free food consumer. For these reasons the CCA recommended that Health Canada accept <20 ppm (<20 mg/kg) as gluten free in Canada. Reprinted by kind permission of the Calgary Chapter Why not make the standard 0 ppm or 0 mg/kg? The simple answer is the less contaminated or the purer a 8 Canadian Celiac Association August/September 2011 Volume 20 Issue 4 ALL AT SEA AND GLUTEN FREE If you having been thinking about going on a cruise but worry about getting gluten free choices, fear not, eating gluten free aboard couldn’t be easier. In the Spring, Andrew and I joined the Queen Mary 2 at Dubai and enjoyed 23 luxurious days aboard until we disembarked in New York. Sailing through the pirate infested waters of the Gulf of Aden (sadly, no Johnny Depp), on to the Red Sea, the Suez Canal, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, we indulged in the finest fare. But one point of the day was special. Every afternoon at 3:30 pm we enjoyed afternoon tea with freshly baked warm scones, cream and strawberry jam as we listened to the string quartet play elegantly in the background. My scones were special of course. As we had entered the Queen’s Lounge, Roy the dining room manager, motioned discreetly to the white gloved waiters who brought my tea and gluten free scones fresh from the oven. Roy was also responsible for bringing me all the menus for the following day so I could make my selections that would be made gluten free by the chef dedicated to preparing the special diet menus. You’re probably thinking I’m a spoilt brat -- true. But I wasn’t allowed to bring Roy home with me so it was back to reality in Victoria. Cruise lines have got the message that guests with special diets need to be pampered too. I understand that it is now routine procedure on most cruise lines to bring the following day’s menus for guests to select options to be prepared gluten free. Gone are the days when cruise passengers survived on rice cakes. This was Audrie Graham’s experience on an Alaska cruise years back when she literally ran to a grocery store in Ketchikan and bought supplies of rice cakes. “I never thought I would fall in love with a rice cake,” said Audrie. But things have changed substantially and now Audrie recommends Holland America for great gluten free cruise dining. Anyone else have a good or bad experience on board? What are your recommendations? Our readers would like to know. Christine Rushforth http://www.celiactravel.com/ restaurant-cards.html Free restaurant cards in 51 languages IMPORTANT NOTICE GO GREEN Save our Chapter paper, printing and mailing costs. Read your newsletter online on our website www.victoriaceliac.org. Chapter members and advertisers are emailed the link to the online newsletter every two months. If you would prefer to read your newsletter online instead of receiving a copy in the mail, contact Sandra Fraser at tudorcottage@shaw.ca to cancel your mailed hard copy newsletter. 9 Canadian Celiac Association August/September 2011 Volume 20 Issue 4 Resilience Research Lab Psychology Department Vancouver Island University 900 Fifth Street Nanaimo BC V9R 5S5 www.viu.ca/resilience An Investigation of the Experiences of Adults Living with Celiac Disease: Summary This study was a student-led project designed to investigate how adults with celiac disease manage and cope with everyday life. A secondary goal of this project was to raise awareness about celiac disease in society, which was achieved through collaboration with the Resilience Research Lab team and with advertising support from the Canadian Celiac Association Victoria Chapter. A total of fourteen participants took part in a semi-structured interview that asked about experiences in the health care system, the impact of celiac disease on daily life, and what resilience means when a person is faced with a major health challenge. The results revealed five themes across the responses to the questions. 1) Varied experiences in the medical system, 2) diagnosis improved general health and well-being, 3) challenges in daily life, 4) coping through social support, community resources, and self-education, 5) perceptions of resilience in the face of medical illness. The interviews revealed valuable insight about how people cope with celiac disease (CD). The responses regarding experiences in the medical system were wide and ranged from negative to positive. Some physicians were proactive, supportive, and took the symptoms seriously. Others disregarded the symptoms, ordered the wrong tests, and treated the symptoms and not the cause. Overall, participants found that being diagnosed with CD improved their general health and well-being. Examples of benefits resulting from diagnosis include: relief from physical symptoms, more energy, new friends, and having an awareness of how to stay healthy. The benefits of being diagnosed with CD greatly outweighed any daily hassles. Participants talked about the impact of the gluten-free (GF) diet on daily life and mentioned the following challenges: eating at restaurants, travelling, business lunches, difficulty finding GF food, dealing with a lack of education in the public, and financial cost of the GF diet. In terms of coping with challenges, participants mentioned they receive social support from family, friends, and spouses. They also accessed community resources such as the Canadian Celiac Association (CCA) which creates a network of resources about CD and the GF diet including social events, peer counselling, and anti-panic sessions. Self-education was also important and many participants took charge of their health by researching information on the internet, talking to friends, and joining the CCA. This was important and necessary given the majority of physicians did not provide resources for learning about the GF diet. When asked about resilience in the context of medical illness, participants described a resilient person as one who maintains a positive attitude, accepts the situation, surrounds themselves with good people, and perseveres and takes ownership of their illness. Thank you to all of the participants who volunteered their time to participate in this study. Your time, contribution, and insight is greatly appreciated. For more information contact: Amy Moyer Email: Amy.Moyer@viu.ca or Resilience@viu.ca Phone: 1-250-753-3245 extension 2135 or 2258 www.viu.ca/resilience Note our email address! victoriaceliacs@hotmail.ca New to the Canadian Celiac Association? If you joined the CCA through our chapter, you may have already met with a volunteer who provided some information about local shopping, dining, our chapter’s events and so on. If you joined by contacting the CCA in Ontario directly we may have missed meeting you. And we’d like to meet you! Send an email to Shirley at glutenfreevictoria@shaw.ca and we’ll get in touch with you. 10 Canadian Celiac Association August/September 2011 Volume 20 Issue 4 Are you a Teen Tweeter? http://twitter.com/gracefullygless Our chapter would like to thank KINNIKINNICK FOODS of Edmonton who very kindly continue to provide sample packages of their products for new members. We really appreciate their support. Check out their website www.Kinnikinnick.com for their new online gluten-free cooking channel. Kinnikinnick is a totally gluten-free company and recently went nut-free as well. Their products are widely available. We would like to thank REAL FOODS http:// www.cornthins.com/ for supporting us by supplying samples of CORN THINS for new members. Available in multigrain, flax and soy, sesame and original, these are a welcome change from rice cakes and crackers. Corn Thins are available at Thrifty’s, Planet Organic and elsewhere. Shirley Bond Parents of Young People with Celiac Disease Support Group You can connect with other parents in our chapter if your child has been diagnosed with celiac disease so you can share information and tips. Email contact information is shared with all the families choosing to participate in communicating amongst themselves. Many of the new members signing up at the Anti-Panic sessions are parents with young children newly diagnosed. This group is growing If you would like to link up with this group all you have to do is send me an email at kathleenshoemaker@shaw.ca I’m sure you will be welcomed. Kathleen 11 Canadian Celiac Association August/September 2011 Volume 20 Issue 4 12 Canadian Celiac Association August/September 2011 Volume 20 Issue 4 Chia Seeds by Bernice Carter RN, BSN, MA Chia is also helpful as a remedy for GF recipes that don’t quite hold together as well as they should. I substitute a little ground Chia for flour and I have an instant nutrition boosting binder. The white Chia is invisible when baked. NOTE: You may need to increase your baking time by a few minutes when using Chia flour in place of other flours. Since becoming gluten free in Mar 2008 I have been on the look-out for non- gluten containing grains and seeds that are tasty, useful, and nutritious. It was difficult to meet all this criteria in one product, however, Chia does, and that is why it has been a delightful addition to my GF kitchen. Chia originated in Mexico where it was widely utilized by the Aztecs and their ancestors. It has high nutritional components including calcium, iron, potassium and antioxidants. It is also high in protein, and Omega 3 content. Some thought that Chia kept the Aztecs in prime physical and mental condition, and was thus a major reason for their success in warfare. Chia can be sprinkled on anything from yogurt and cereal to veggies, and can be used in soups. I am going to try it as a binder in my meatloaf and hamburgers next. Let personal preference and imagination guide you as you explore the uses of this mighty little seed. Enjoy and be well! References: Many of us remember the Chia Pet, and until a couple of years ago this was my only association with this tiny seed. Today Chia is spoken of as a ‘super food’ and I have come to learn that besides the above attributes it is also high in soluble fiber. When water is added to Chia it will turn into a gelatinous mass. It is this quality that slows the absorption of carbohydrates helping with the regulation of blood sugar and evening out the release of energy for our body’s various functions and activities. I use Chia’s gelatinous quality to augment my GF cooking and baking, and this is especially so in items that I wish to remain egg free. Several of the bread recipes I use from time to time fall into this category; personal preference; I just don’t care for the texture of bread with eggs in it. 1 tablespoon of freshly ground Chia seeds mixed with 3 tablespoons of hot water left for 5 10 minutes will replace one egg. This characteristic of 1. http://www.living-foods.com/articles/chia.html 2. Chia Seed & Oil; 2010; Prana training document. 3. http://www.veganbaking.net/vegan-recipes/ eggless-binders/chia-seed-binder.html 4. http://grainfreerecipes.com/1260/how-to-usechia-seeds/ 5. http://www.naturalnews.com/015405.html 6. http://glutenfreecooking.about.com/od/ glutenfreecookingbasics/p/chiaseedsflour.htm HAVE YOU RENEWED YOUR MEMBERSHIP? Invest in your own health. Enjoy the support, new information, news, resources, education and friendship that membership brings. Be a part of the nation-wide unified voice promoting awareness, advocacy, education and celiac research. Log on to http://www.celiac.ca and www.victoriaceliac.org or contact the CCA national office at 1-800-363-7296 info@celiac.ca A NEW OPTION FOR YOU If you wish to subscribe only to the Victoria Chapter newsletter you may now do so. An annual subscription to the mailed paper copy will cost you $20 or the online version will cost $15 per year. This will entitle you to the 6 newsletters per year that we produce. If you wish to attend any of the Victoria Chapter events, as a non- CCA member, you will be charged a nominal amount. Please contact Sandra Fraser 250-595-1466 or tudorcottage@shaw.ca to sign up for a newsletter only subscription. 13 Canadian Celiac Association August/September 2011 Volume 20 Issue 4 14 Canadian Celiac Association August/September 2011 Volume 20 Issue 4 IN THE MAILBOX Great Bread If you happen to have the opportunity to head over to the Moss St Market on any given Saturday, check out the table there by 2GF by Lesley. see http://www.theceliacscene.com/4442-gluten-freeServices-2GF-by-Lesley---Great-Food-Gluten-Free.html Noodles Anyone? We ate at Noodle Box in Yaletown last night and they presented me with a gf menu that was hot off the press. This will speed ordering along for many. The computer is not updated for the new menu but it will be. Tami Levinson Anti Panic Session Kudos Hi Ellen, I just wanted to thank both you and Shirley for your time on Saturday. I thought the Anti-Panic session was not only very helpful but also really positive. It was very encouraging and I appreciate hearing about your own personal experiences and challenges. I am also very exited to try some of your recipes, I haven’t had much luck so far with mine! Kristi You all know that I am a tried and true Kinnikinnick devotée and not very adventurous when it comes to trying other breads. However, I was treated to a loaf of Lesley’s New Grist GF Beer Bread and I am in love. It is day 5 and the bread only seems to be getting moister. The first ingredient is - wait for it - quinoa flour! I am down to my last two slices and making plans to head to the Market again this Saturday. Among other breads, she offers naan and foccacia that is 80% baked so that you an take it home and finish it off in your own oven, and I do mean finish it off. She uses all Bob’s Red Mill flours and bakes from the gluten-free kitchen that her sister allowed her to build in her basement. Hi Ellen and Shirley. Just wanted to say thank you for the excellent presentation yesterday. So much to learn but, there is hope and much of the food can be very delicious. Again, thank you for your time and effort. Dave ((om Pender Island) Lesley is donating baking treats to the picnic and will be making home-made ice cream on site under her market tent she plans to erect there. Seattle GF Pizza and Pasta We spent a weekend in Seattle with my nephew who was determined his auntie would be fed Seattle’s best GF. If I have inspired you to drop by the market - arrive early - opens at 10am - let her know that you are from the Chapter and give her your warmest welcome. I think this is a baker who will be going places! E%en Bayens First stop was Wheatless in Seattle, (10003 Greenwood Avenue North, Seattle - (206) 782-5735) where we picked up some yummy GF baking and a recommendation for a pizzza place for lunch just down the road. Skeptical, we headed for the restaurant. Razzis Pizzeria, 8523 Greenwood Ave N. 206-782-9005 www.razzis.com offered a 2-page menu of GF pizzas, pasta, GF garlic bread and GF sandwiches. I was stunned, I was stuck for choice. “Oh, we get plenty of customers asking for gluten free,” said our server nonchalantly. More Bread While on holiday in the UK I always head straight for the Genius bread available in most grocery stores. Genius is soft and pliable, behaving like wheat bread. It is a boon for making sandwiches to take on picnics etc. when you can’t toast your bread right before making your sandwich. At a cost of 2 pounds per loaf in Waitrose, the Genius bread I bought was a bargain. My fettuccini was excellent. The owner said they used Tinkyada pasta and he showed a real understanding of celiac requirements. Check out their website. Christine Rushforth I see the Glutino advertisement in this issue is promoting their new Genius bread now available here too. Excellent! Christine Rushforth 15 Canadian Celiac Association August/September 2011 Volume 20 Issue 4 Available at your local retailer or online at kinnikinnick.com Kinnikinnick Donuts Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Nut Free Great for Breakfast, Snack Time or any Occasion kinnikinnick ® 1-877-503-4466 info@kinnikinnick.com kinnikinnick.com twitter.com/gf_insider facebook.com/KinnikinnickFoods.GlutenFree 16 Canadian Celiac Association August/September 2011 Volume 20 Issue 4 $15.99 Available at BCLDB and private beer and wine stores SKU 809798 17 Canadian Celiac Association August/September 2011 Volume 20 Issue 4 SUMMER RECIPES Delicious Drop Biscuits 3/4 cup white rice flour 1/4 cup cornstarch 1/2 cup tapioca starch 2 tsp gluten-free baking powder 1 tsp xanthan gum 1/2 tsp salt 1 tbsp sugar--optional 2 eggs 1/3 cup cooking oil (GF) 1/2 cup milk or other liquid Is your garden overflowing with Zucchinis? If so try Margaret Sandeman-Allen’s recipe ZUCCHINI PANCAKES 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 cup GF flour 1/2 tsp baking powder pepper and salt 1/2 tsp dry oregano 1/4 tsp cayenne 11/2 cups grated Zucchini (squeezed in paper towel) 1 egg, beaten 1 small onion, chopped fine 3 tbs mayonnaise oil for frying Mix dry ingredients together. Add eggs, oil and milk, then beat. Mix well and drop on greased baking sheet, or greased muffin tins. Note: not paper liners Margaret Sandeman-A%en Bake at 375º.F for about 10 to 12 minutes. Take out of oven when golden brown. should make 1 dozen biscuits. Note: Do not beat eggs before adding to mix. Margaret Sandeman-A%en organic • Extensive assortment of items • Over 2,000 certified organic grocery items • We can special-order products in forgluten you free – just ask us! • Helpful Aisle by Aisle Guide • tags to help you easily identify products supplements, body care and gluten make-up • free gluten Self-Care staff to offer Full-time, expert free advice and guidance, including manager Erin Shardlowgluten organic organic organic free Exploring The Celiac Highway: Our informed staff can help you navigate through the many tasty product choices, properly read nutrition labels, and answer your questions. www.themarketstores.com 125-2401 C Millstream Road 250.391.1110 8 AM-11 PM PREPARED FOR: MARKET ON MILLSTREAM PUBLICATION: VICTORIA CELIAC ASSOCIATION WEBSITE INSERTION DATE: APRIL SIZE: HALF PAGE, 6.3” x 4.38” PREPARED BY: BRAVO ADVERTISING 250 590 1169 18 Canadian Celiac Association August/September 2011 Volume 20 Issue 4 19 Canadian Celiac Association August/September 2011 Volume 20 Issue 4 NEWS ON VICTORIA’S CELIAC SCENE™ Jackelope Bistro fresh, juicy homemade hamburgers on handmade GF corn rounds, SAFE FRIES! 760 Yates St in Odeon Alley http://bit.ly/ GFDowntownVictoria 250-361-9038 http://on.3.me/JackelopeFacebook VICTORIA 2GF by Lesley Lesley Davies is the newest home-based baker to enter the market in Victoria. Using Bob’s Red Mill’s ingredients in a kitchen dedicated to gluten free, Lesley and husband Miles offer a huge array of sweet and savoury gluten-free creations! Noodle Box Makes it Official - Gluten-Free Menu! Downtown, Herald St and UpTown in Victoria, Sidney & Langford In Vancouver Downtown and Kits http://bit.ly/NoodleBoxGFMenu thenoodlebox.net Find Lesley’s overflowing table at the Moss St Market facing the bandstand, across from the basketball net. The Market runs from 10 am to 2 pm, every Saturday until late October or early November at 1330 Fairfield Rd http://bit.ly/GFJamesBayFairfield http://bit.ly/2GFbyLesley Nourish Garden Bistro at Glendale Gardens GF options always offered, serve Janice Mansfield’s GF breads & baking, good practices, sensitive staff, open summers 505 Quayle Rd http://bit.ly/Interban 250-588-22405 www.nourishinsight.com Bubby Rose’s Bakery 313 Cook St has been transformed into a licensed restaurant, same owners. Hoping for GF options! 1022 Cook St location still creating celiac-friendly options in a GLUTEN bakery http://bit.ly/CookFortOakBay 250-590-5188 http://bit.ly/BubbyRosesBakery www.bubbyrosesbakery.com Q Pizza GF crust, sauce & toppings, good practices, fresh ingredients, prepared inside walk-in fridge! 4517 West Saanich Rd across from Med Grill http://bit.ly/ RoyOak 250-727-0476 Cranberry’s Coffee Cup excellent selection of GF lunch and snack items 916 Pandora Ave http://bit.ly/GFDowntownVictoria 250-590-5188 Santiago’s Café menu mostly GF, very knowledgeable 660 Oswego St http://bit.ly/GFDowntownVictoria 250-388-7376 Gatsby Mansion Inn and Restaurant extensive celiac-friendly menu 309 Belleville St http://bit.ly/GFJamesBayFairfield 250-388-9191 or 1-800-663-7557 www.gatsbymansion.com Brentwood Bay Café Zanzibar GF items noted on menu 1164 Stellys Cross Rd http://bit.ly/GFBrentwoodBay 250-544-1475 www.zanzibarcafe.ca Hernande’z Cocina Returns! back on The Scene with a dedicated grill for GF corn tortillas 735 Yates St http://bit.ly/GFDowntownVictoria 250-884-5313 www.hernandezcocina.com Langford Chris’s 2 for 1 Pizza manager is celiac, French Meadow GF crust, good practices, fresh ingredients, prepared inside walk-in fridge! 732 Goldstream Ave http://bit.ly/LangfordColwood 250-474-4343 www.chrisspizza.ca Hunter’s Club Bar & Grill at The Huntingdon Hotel & Suites GF items noted on menu 330 Quebec St http://bit.ly/GFJamesBayFairfield 250-381-3456 or 1-800-663-7557 www.huntingdonhotel.ca 20 Canadian Celiac Association August/September 2011 Volume 20 Issue 4 DEEP COVE PENDER ISLAND Deep Cove Market NEW Gluten-Free Product List: http://bit.ly/ DeepCoveGFguide 10940 West Saanich Rd http://bit.ly/DeepCove 250-656-2547 http://bit.ly/GFDeepCoveMarket www.deepcovemarket.com Memories Restaurant, Inn on Pender Island GF pizza 4709 Canal Rd http://bit.ly/GFPenderIsland 250-629-3353 www.innonpender.com SALTSPRING ISLAND Cedar Moon B & B celiac family opens home in gorgeous island setting 736 Beddis Rd http://bit.ly/GFSaltSpringBC 250-537-2627 http://bit.ly/CedarMoonBnB www.cedarmoonsaltspring.com SIDNEY Haro’s Restaurant GF options noted on menu 9805 Seaport Pl http://bit.ly/GFSidney Sidney Pier Hotel & Spa 250-655-9445 http://bit.ly/HarosGFoptions www.sidneypier.com LATE BREAKING NEWS Fairwinds Golf Club GF items noted on menu, for best service call ahead 3730 Fairwinds Dr http://bit.ly/GFNanooseBay 250-468-7666 or 888-781-2777 www.fairwinds.ca Portofino Bakery Portofino’s gluten-free line of baking* is now available at Thrifty Foods. They are launching with gluten-free seeded brown and brown bread, macadamia cookies and chocolate chunk cookies, banana/walnut muffins (4pac) and raspberry muffins (4 pac). Other products may be brought in depending on consumer response. *(prepared in a facility that also handles wheat see http://bit.ly/PortofinoGFproducts) NANAIMO SNEAK PREVIEW Blue Jewel Bakery & Café fabulous GF breads, sandwiches, cinnamon buns, cookies, squares, tasty raw food options. If in Nanaimo don’t miss the little café that could! 3018 Ross Rd http://bit.ly/GFNanaimo 250-585-1685 www.bluejewelbakery.com White Spot expects to roll out its GF menu as soon as all of their staff is trained, sometime in the fall. http:// bit.ly/GFSneakPreview NANOOSE BAY SAD TO SAY GOODBYE Gramma B’s in Qualicum may reopen one day in Nanaimo Silly Yak Bakery next door still open for business! Thai Village Restaurant almost entire menu is GF 2104 Cliffe Ave http://bit.ly/GFCourtenayBC 250-334-3812 www.thaivillagerestaurant.com Beacon Landing Seafood Restaurant in Sidney celiac-friendly chef left and so did the GF pizza PARKSVILLE - QUALICUM Little Italy in Victoria Thanks for the memories, Joanne & John Lefty’s Fresh Food Restaurants GF menu, sandwiches, pizzas, chocolate crunch brownie 101-280 East Island Hwy, Parksville 250-954-3886 710 Memorial Ave, Qualicum 250-752-7530 http://bit.ly/GFParksvilleQualicum www.leftys.tv E%en Bayens 21 Canadian Celiac Association August/September 2011 Volume 20 Issue 4 The Big Picture on The Celiac Scene Ever evolving mapping technology makes it possible to create maps to celiac-friendly dining options across entire cities, regions and provinces in one fell swoop. Use the enlarge (+) and reduce (-) functions to focus in on areas of interest. Click on coloured locators for more information or to learn which city or district map to view and print. Be sure to copy and paste the links into the URL field of your browser and not the search field. http://bit.ly/GFEdmonton http://bit.ly/GFCalgary http://bit.ly/GFWinnipeg http://bit.ly/GFToronto http://bit.ly/GFMontreal Visit http://bit.ly/GFFastFood for links to menus, allergy information and locations of 120+ celiac-friendly fastfood chains across Canada & the US. http://bit.ly/GFVictoria http://bit.ly/GFVancouverIsland http://bit.ly/GFreeBC http://bit.ly/GFAlberta http://bit.ly/GFSaskatchewan http://bit.ly/GFManitoba http://bit.ly/GFOntario http://bit.ly/GFQuebec http://bit.ly/GFNewBrunswick http://bit.ly/GFNovaScotia http://bit.ly/GFPEI http://bit.ly/GFNewfoundland Visit http://bit.ly/GFProducts to view the latest product or service to arrive on The Celiac Scene. If you have feedback on restaurants listed on The Scene, good or bad, new restaurant suggestions or encounter broken links on www.theceliacscene.com please contact ellen@theceliacscene.com . The Scene could not exist without the input of the Chapters and individual members of the Canadian Celiac Association, making The Scene the only celiacmaintained restaurant resource in North America. Thank you for your support. E%en Bayens The following larger cities allow for colour coding of the various districts: http://bit.ly/GFVancouver 22 Canadian Celiac Association August/September 2011 Volume 20 Issue 4 23 Canadian Celiac Association August/September 2011 Volume 20 Issue 4 What’s In A Name? Part VII, Section B Margarines, Shortenings and a Miscellany For several decades margarines and vegetable shortenings were made by partially hydrogenating refined vegetable oils. Now that the harmful effects of trans acids are known, governments of various countries are setting limits to the amounts of these substances that foods may contain. So manufacturers have turned to other methods for hardening oils. The ‘New’ Margarines Almost without exception, listed ingredients include oils such as canola, sunflower or soy, plus modified palm oil and/or palm kernel oil. (See Alberta Health Services, Trans Fat Help, then choose margarines.) Often the equivocal term ‘mixture of fats and oils’ appears, but does this indicate that the fats and oils are merely stirred together? In paper FAPC-134 (State University of Oklahoma) the use of mixtures containing the higher-melting fraction of palm and palm kernel oils is mentioned, but descriptions of processing are not clear. The paper deals more fully with fats prepared by interesterification, and repeats the non-substantiated saturated-fat-leads-to-raised-cholesterol-leads-to-atherosclerosis hypothesis. So ... how are the ‘new’ margarines made? An internet search yielded little information. I wrote to Unilever, maker of Becel and other brands of margarine, asking whether or not the fats were interesterified, but received no reply. However, based on the evidence listed, I have concluded that most margarines contain fats made by interesterification. (1) The relative amounts of soybean, and other oils, versus the more saturated modified palm or palm kernel oil, are suggestive of interesterification rather than simple mixtures. (2) The number of papers on interesterification is indicative. Using Google and typing in interesterification produced 109,000 entries ; interesterified fat has 28,300 listings; interesterified palm oil has 26,000 and interesterified palm kernel oil has 7,900. For Unilever interesterified fats 3,290 sites were listed. (3) USA Today, of 7/27/2009, reported that “Unilever will replace partially hydrogenated oils with a mixture of palm oil and interesterified fat (plant oil)”. (4) Trans-fat Free Margarines brought up papers on interesterification, including methods using enzymes. (5) Interesterified oils are available in bulk. Though I cannot give a definitive answer, I’m sure no process would generate so much information if it were not widely used, as in the making of margarines. The main fatty acids of palm oil as it comes from the fresh fruit of the oil palm, are: 1% C14, 45% C16, 5% C18, 39% oleic and 9% linoleic. The oil also contains much β-carotene (precursor of vitamin A), other carotenoids and vitamin E. This oil is fractionated and refined. Non-processed palm kernel oil, from the small nuts of the palm fruit, contains 4% C8, 4% C6, 50% C12 (lauric), 16% C14, 8% C16, 2% C18 saturated fatty acids, along with 14% oleic acid, 2% linoleic acid, and some vitamin E. This oil, a by-product of palm oil production, is obtained by expeller and solvent extraction (see Part IV). ‘Modified oil’ may mean any of: (a) the seeds are from genetically modified plants; (b) the oil is fractionated (see Part V and reference to McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology, Vol. 7); (c) the oil is hydrogenated or (d) interesterified. The refined oils used contain all the harmful by-products mentioned in Parts IV and V, which bodes ill for margarines which list readily-oxidized flax seed oil among the ingredients. The results of some small studies on the health effects of interesterified fats are summarized in Wikipedia (Interesterified fats, health effects). With respect to their safety, J. Watson, in Trans Fat’s Replacement – Interesterified Fats, noted that studies by Unilever chemists found no problems with interesterified oils, but three scientists associated with the Malaysian Palm Oil Board reported that use of interesterified products led to serious increases in blood glucose levels. In any case, the effects of long-term use will not be known for some time. (Remember, hydrogenated products had been widely used for forty or more years before it was realized that trans acids were unhealthful, that such large amounts of them were present in hydrogenated foodstuffs, and even then industrialists resisted accepting these facts.) Dr. Weil, pointing out that palm kernel oil is solvent-extracted, recommends against the use of interesterified fats and oils since we know so little about them. In How safe is trans-fat !ee margarine, Dr. Barry Sears is quoted as saying, “I consider this new type of trans-fat-free fat to be far more dangerous than standard trans-fat derivatives”. Lard The traditional fat for making fine pastry is lard. It is wrong to call lard a ‘saturated fat’ because more than half its fatty acids are unsaturated, the average composition being 45% oleic acid, 3% anti-microbial palmitoleic acid (sixteen carbon atoms, one double bond) and 10% linoleic acid. This leaves some 40% saturated fatty acids (14, 16 and 24 Canadian Celiac Association August/September 2011 Volume 20 Issue 4 18 carbon atoms, in the amounts 2%, 26% and 14%). Lard also contains vitamin E. Because of the high content of unsaturated acids, lard can turn rancid, so it used to be kept in the refrigerator. (Rancidity would be of the harmful oxidative type.) Today’s lards are not refrigerated; instead, synthetic antioxidants BHT and BHA are added, to give a shelf life of twelve to eighteen months. I wrote to Maple Leaf to inquire about the purity of Tenderflake Pure Lard and received a reply which included the information, “The lard is not interesterified. The citric acid is actually a processing aid added during deodorization as a sequestering agent to inactivate trace metals which are pro-oxidants. Much is filtered out before packaging ...” Mention of trace metals, along with the facts that two teaspoons (10 grams) of this lard contain 0.1 g of ‘trans fat’, and that no remark was made to my query about hydrogenation, caused me to write a second letter asking about hydrogenation. No reply has been received, which suggests it might be hydrogenated. Burns Pastry Lard is labelled ‘may be hydrogenated’. (Note that unadulterated lard is available at some butcher shops.) Vegetable Shortenings Like margarines, vegetable shortenings are synthetic fats made by hardening refined vegetable oils. Twenty percent water is incorporated into margarines to emulate butter (which is a water-in-oil emulsion), but none is added to vegetable shortenings -- or to vegetable oils. Crisco packages list the following ingredients: hydrogenated soybean oil, hydrogenated palm oil, soybean oil, mono- and di-glycerides. I wrote, asking about hydrogenation and interesterification, and received the reply “... Crisco contains both fully and partially hydrogenated palm oil. Partially hydrogenated oil is limited in amount and it is only added to ensure optimum product performance. Crisco shortening doesn’t contain any interesterified oils”. Fluffo shortening appears to be exactly the same as Crisco, except that some packages of this contain a colouring agent. Neither contains vitamin E, and no mention is made of added anti-oxidants. (As mentioned in Part V, fully hydrogenated oil is less unhealthful than partially hydrogenated oil. In the internet item How Baking Works, it is stated that margarine doesn’t give baked goods as fine a texture as butter.) A Miscellany of Oily Facts 1. Many baked goods for celiacs are made with (refined) vegetable oil and so are subject to oxidative rancidity on storage. It’s sad to have to report that the Origin bakery list of ingredients, which you may examine before buying any of their products, show many are made with vegetable oils. (If you know a non-celiac who likes shortbread, tell them that, though Kraft’s ‘Peak Frean’ packages display a picture of a typical shortbread cookie, they contain ‘Short Cake’. The short cakes are made with vegetable oil and, I was told, ‘taste awful’, and nothing like shortbread.) 2. Long-demonized eggs are now ‘in’. This is excellent, because egg whites contain an almost-perfect set of the essential amino acids required by humans, and the lecithin of cholesterol-containing yolks may be used as emulsifier in dressings. C. Leas (page 87) reports that Uffe Ravnskov (author of The Cholesterol Myths, on internet) ate one egg on Day 1, two on Day 2, and up to eight on Day 8, with no effect on his cholesterol level. In fact, the numbers went down slightly but, since cholesterol determinations are not precise, Ravnskov considered that there had been no change. (This, of course, was a very short-term study!) 3. Olestra is a synthetic fat made by esterifying sucrose (table sugar) with 6, 7 or 8 molecules of fatty acid. Enig’s information about it suggests it is best left on the shelf! 4. Bottles labelled MCT-Oil are available, but the name is entirely misleading. MCT means medium chain triglycerides, that is, those made from fatty acids containing (six?), eight, ten and twelve carbon atoms. However, the triglycerides present in MCT-Oil contain approximately 75% caprylic acid (eight carbons) and 25% capric acid (ten carbons), meaning that the parent oil has been stripped of its most valuable component, the twelve-carbon anti-viral, anti-bacterial lauric acid. To obtain lauric acid you must use coconut or palm kernel oil (in each lauric acid constitutes about fifty-percent of the acids present), but note that the kernel oil will contain residues of solvent such as hexane. Human milk contains lauric acid, and cow’s milk contains a little. (The lauric acid removed from the parent oil is used to manufacture toothpaste, soaps, shampoos and pharmaceuticals.) Capric acid has antimicrobial properties. 5. pH is a measure of acidity. Any substance with pH less than 7 is an acid, any substance with pH more than 7 is an alkali (alias a base). All acids are not created equal! Strong, corrosive acids have low pH values. (Hydrochloric acid -- a strong one --is secreted in the stomach to help digest proteins!) The organic acids of food – citric, ascorbic, acetic, fatty acids, and so forth, are weakly acidic, so have pH values not far below 7. 6. In biochemical reactions, the shape of a molecule is as important as its chemical structure. (See Part V, enzymes.) Thus, I consider that the non-natural shapes of interesterified fats, and of modified starches too, is another reason to 25 Canadian Celiac Association August/September 2011 Volume 20 Issue 4 question their safety. 7. Grain-fed beef has a higher ratio of ω-6 to ω-3 than meat from grass-fed cattle. Similarly, the oils of farmed fish are less healthful than those in wild fish. 8. Cocoa butter is unique in composition and properties. It is 59% palmitic acid and stearic acid, 38% oleic acid and about 3% linoleic acid. Palmitic and stearic acids are saturated, with 16 and 18 carbons, respectively.) 9. I was disappointed to note that Annalise Roberts, author of Gluten-Free Baking Classics, calls for (refined) canola oil. I have had excellent results with her recipes using the same volume of butter as specified for canola oil, even though butter contains 20% less fat than the oil. It is a slight bit more trouble to use butter because it must be creamed with sugar or cut into flour, but well worth the effort. 10. TBHQ = tertiary-butylhydroquinone, a synthetic antioxidant. 11. Throughout this series I have repeated the phrase refined vegetable oils in order to emphasise the fact that all grocery store oils, margarines and shortenings, and goods made using any of these, are contaminated with the non-natural products formed during the refining and other processing to which oils are subjected. (Parts III, IV and V.) As Udo Erasmus (pp. 88 and 138) points out, breakdown and other non-natural products formed are, in effect, food additives, and the mixture is different in every batch of treated oil, because the contaminants arise through use of “random processes that cannot be controlled”. It is important to realize that the fatty acid composition of various fats and oils given in lists, such as in the books by Leas or Enig or Erasmus, refer to the non-processed material. Refined and natural oils will vary particularly in the amounts of ω6 and ω3 acids (refined oils have unhealthful ratios of the essential fatty acids), and in the content of oxidation products. Also, refined oils are not absolutely trans-acid free, so government regulations are designed to keep the ‘trans-fat’ content within specified limits rather than aiming for zero content. Note that labels often refer to the ‘trans fat’ content per serving, which may be unrealistically small. 12. Oleic acid (cis) melts at 13ºC; the trans isomer melts as 44ºC. Bent cis molecules cannot pack as closely together as straight-chain trans molecules, so the melting point is always lower for a cis-acid than for its trans-isomer. This is important in cell membranes, where flexibility at body temperature is required. 13. The oil which makes up 45-55% of peanuts is quite highly unsaturated. It contains 41% oleic acid and 31% linoleic acid (a very bad ω-6 to ω-3 ratio!) and there is 1% of a mono-unsaturated acid with twenty carbon atoms. The saturated fatty acids are 12% palmitic and 5% stearic, but about 4% of the oil is a mixture of acids with twenty, twenty-two and twenty-four carbon atoms. Peanut oil contains about three times as much vitamin E as olive oil and, according to Enig, is fairly resistant to oxidation (which would be the oxidative type) “when handled properly”. Thus, I keep my opened bottle of peanut butter in the cold and dark of a refrigerator. The oils and solids will remain mixed if the bottle is laid on its side, taking no care which one is up. I do the same with my fish oil in the freezer. 14. Remember that the oil used by Mediterranean peoples is good grade olive oil, not the dead refined vegetable oils, margarines and vegetable shortenings of the North American “Mediterranean diet”. 15. So far as I am able to judge, foodstuffs are altered to increase shelf life, provide appealing taste, colour and texture, improve the handling quality, and permit the use of cheap materials, but not to increase the nutritive value. Therefore I believe that everyone should have some idea of what is in foods on grocers’ shelves. This, along with the fact that celiacs need to take particular care, and that children have a whole lifetime of eating ahead of them, caused me to update my knowledge of lipid biochemistry and write these pieces. My goal has been to give readers enough information to enable them to make informed choices of manufactured foods. In order to provide reading material which was both available and suitable for non-chemists, I was obliged to suggest books which contain diets and even recipes, but please note: my referrals are to the chemical or biochemical information on specific pages or in specified chapters. It would be absolutely inappropriate for me, a chemist, to suggest what you should eat, and I have not done so – though I have mentioned changes made in my own diet because of what I have read! Your choice of food must be guided by (a) your biochemical individuality, (b) your state of health, (c) your knowledge of the value of various food components, and (d) what happens during industrial manipulation of foodstuffs. It is with respect to the latter two that I have sought to help you, and will offer one piece of advice: READ and CONSIDER! If appropriate, re-read Parts 1 to VI, then consult reference material to supplement topics I had not the space to cover as fully as desirable. If you agree with me that it would be worth while to invest a few dollars in books and the time to study them, may I suggest The Omega Rx Zone by Dr. Barry Sears, biochemist (small paperback, $12, with understandable discussions of essential fatty acids; I make no 26 Canadian Celiac Association August/September 2011 Volume 20 Issue 4 comment on the diet!), and Know Your Fats ($40), an overall view of fats and oils written by Dr. Mary Enig (biochemist) for non-scientists. Of course, on internet you can find out about new-to-you substances mentioned on labels. At the risk of seeming to insult your intelligence, may I suggest that you avoid .com sites and blogs, where I have found much misinformation and many downright errors – including the gem that interesterified means “a sort of hydrogenated oil”! And, be critical of .org sites when posted by concerns which have vested interests. I have read all material suggested as ‘Further Reading’, and much more. Two books I’ve made much use of are (1) Dr. Mary Enig (biochemist) Know Your Fats, and (2) Drs. M. I. Gurr, J. L. Harwood and K. N. Frayn (British biochemists) Lipid Biochemistry, Fifth Edition. Both are available on interlibrary loan. I’ve also made some use of L. Stryer, Biochemistry (available at the University of Victoria bookstore.) The latter two books (on biochemistry) are expensive and would be of use only to those with some knowledge of organic chemistry. Chapter member Dr. Wilma Elias, Organic Chemist This is the last of this comprehensive and informative series. Wilma has extensively researched every article, written to manufacturers to check information and spent much time writing and re-writing in an effort to make the articles understandable by non-chemists. She hopes readers have saved these newsletter articles because she know of no similar compilation of information. Hopefu"y, we have learned something !om her articles and that we might go on to study some of the recommended reading materials. We would like to thank her very much for her considerable work in putting together this series so that we might understand what’s in our food and why we should be vigilant in reading labels. Christine Rushforth DO YOU LIVE IN THE CAMPBELL RIVER AREA? Campbell River has an informal Support Group of about ten people that meets at 7:00 pm the 2nd Wednesday of each month (except July and August) in the Sunshine Wellness Centre at the Campbell River Hospital. For more information, contact either Jacki Price 250 923 3638 or Carol Nelson 250 923 4319 27 Canadian Celiac Association CONTRIBUTE TO OUR OCTOBER NOVEMBER 2011 NEWSLETTER. Send your contribution to Kathleen Shoemaker 250-889-1113 kathleenshoemaker@shaw.ca 10 Lotus St. Victoria BC V9A 1P4 The deadline for contributions to the next newsletter is October 1, 2011. June/July 2011 Volume 20 Issue 3 Advertising in Victoria Celiac News We publish six times per year and reach a readership of 400 Vancouver Islanders who are looking for places to shop and eat gluten free. Deadlines for copy are Feb 1, Apr 1, June 1, Aug 1, Oct 1 and Dec 1. Advertising Rates Full Page $100 per issue Half Page $50 per issue Quarter Page $25 per issue Advertising contact: Bernice Carter at bernicecarter44@gmail.com SUPPORT LINE for advice and help 250-472-0141 Subscribe to Celiac-Canada Celiac-Canada is an electronic mailing list service and product and travel information site dedicated to offering support and information to persons with celiac disease and DH. There is no charge to subscribe. To subscribe, send a message to: admin@celiaccanada.com . Leave the subject of the email blank. In the body of the email type: subscribe celiac-canada. Send the email. To post a message you must be a subscriber. Any email posted is automatically relayed to all list subscribers. Return Address Victoria Chapter Canadian Celiac Association PO Box 5457 Stn B Victoria BC V8R 6S4 Victoria Chapter Address: PO Box 5457 Stn B, Victoria, B.C., V8R 6S4. Support Line for advice is (250) 472-0141. Victoria Chapter e-mail is victoriaceliacs@hotmail.ca Chapter Reg. Charity #89887-2734 RR0001. Publisher’s Warning The Victoria Chapter of the Canadian Celiac Association, the editor, and the National Office of the Canadian Celiac Association do not endorse any products, recipes, or businesses contained in the Celiac News, nor do they accept responsibility for any damages resulting from any information contained therein. Readers are advised to check the validity of any information with their Medical, Dietary and Pharmaceutical professionals. Mission Statement of the Canadian Celiac Association The Canadian Celiac Association is the national voice for people who are adversely affected by gluten, and is dedicated to improving diagnosis and quality of life. Vision Statement: The Gluten Problem, Found, Treated, Cured