Many years ago, it was believed that celiac disease was a rare childhood disorder that showed up in kids with distended bellies. Today we know this is not the case! In fact, celiac disease does not occur only in kids and young adults – rather some people can go symptom free until middle age and even into late adulthood before experiencing any issues.

Celiac Disease Awareness month is a great time to get involved with helping leading medical professionals better understand celiac disease and advance their research. Today we want to tell you about a celiac disease study from Alba Therapeutics. This particular trial is recruiting for a Phase II B phase of their clinical trial for patients with celiac disease.

Wendy Perrow, President and COO at Alba says that, “Understanding patients’ perspectives on specific disease related outcomes such as symptoms, and quality of life issues are critical to the development of new treatment options and are necessary parameters when evaluating them.”

Read more: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/alba-therapeutics-recruiting-for-a-phase-2b-clinical-trial-and-gains-exclusive-rights-to-the-first-and-only-patient-reported-outcome-questionnaire-for-patients-with-celiac-disease-2012-05-01-122300

The airwaves are buzzing with gluten-free news! Have you checked out one of the gluten-free podcasts lately? Below is a guide to current podcasts. Tune in via the web or free iTunes subscription for great content from leaders in the gluten-free world!

Hold the Gluten Podcast: This is a gluten free zone… You’ll find nary a wheat, barley, oat, or evil stalk of rye lurking here.  Join Maureen Stanley and Vanessa Weisbrod as they podcast about their gluten-free lives. This dynamic duo from Delight Gluten-Free Magazine interviews celebrities in the gluten-free world, chefs, doctors and so many more great folks! And, they’re super funny together. Nothing left out here! Listen in now to more than 50 episodes at: http://delightglutenfree.com/hold-the-gluten-podcast

The G-Freek Show: Show host Josh has one mission in mind..and it’s a good one. To make life easier for families living with celiac disease or gluten intolerance. With more than 15 episodes under his belt, Josh helps make life better for families one gluten-free brownie at a time! Listen in now at: http://www.gfreek.com/The_G-Freek_Show.html

Gluten-Free Voices:  Gluten-free expert, author, coach and celiac advocate Jules Shepard hosts a weekly show offering news, interviews with intriguing guests, gluten-free baking tips and otherwise lively conversation! Listen in now at: http://blog.julesglutenfree.com/gluten-free-radio-by-jules/

Everyday you hear about new people getting diagnosed with celiac disease who are looking for the best resources for managing a gluten-free lifestyle. The challenge becomes even more difficult for kids and families with multiple food needs in one household. During Celiac Disease Awareness Month we wnated to point out a few hot resources for families managing a gluten-free lifestyle on the go. Here are a few of our favorites for finding information on the web:

CNDHF & NASPGHAN Gluten-Free Diet Guide for Families: Available free of charge online, this guide from the Children’s Nutrition and Digestive Health Foundation and the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition guides families through the initial diagnosis of celiac disease and how to transition their lifestyle into being gluten-free. The guide includes useful and easy to read tables of ingredient information, safe and unsafe foods, and food prep tips, as well as a guide for daily meal planning. Download this free resource at: http://www.naspghan.org/user-assets/Documents/pdf/diseaseInfo/GlutenFreeDietGuide-E.pdf

Children’s Hospital Boston’s “Amy Goes Gluten-Free” Comic Book: The Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition at Children’s Hospital Boston recently released a comic book geared towards kids called “Amy Goes Gluten-Free: A Young Person’s Guide to Celiac Disease.” The book is designed to help kids navigate their way through a gluten-free diet and living with an autoimmune condition. The book contains fun and colorful pictures, nutrition tips and great stories for helping kids cope with celiac disease.
Purchase the comic book for $4 through Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00383DA3A

Traveling the Gluten-Free Way: Family vacations are extremely important. They are a time for the whole family to relax, experience new cultures and most importantly, HAVE FUN! But when someone in the family has to maintain a gluten-free diet, vacations can often become a stressful time as you’ve got to plan way ahead to find suitable family-and-gluten-free-friendly dining options. Thankfully, GlutenFreeTravelSite.com has pulled together an incredible bundle of user-generated reviews and suggestions for traveling the world on a gluten-free diet. The site features restaurant menus, hotels, resorts, theme parks, and so much more! Search by state, country, county or zip code to find the best gluten-free dining options wherever your vacation may bring you. Check out Gluten-Free Travel Site now at:http://glutenfreetravelsite.com/

How can we go farther to accommodate food allergies in schools and classrooms?  This great article from the Seattle Times shows that just a little effort can go a long way towards making all children feel included in all classroom festivities.

Kids love snack plates and they can be a great healthy options for classroom parties.  The nice thing about them is they are often filled with fresh veggies and hummus dip so they are healthy and free of all major allergens.  There are also super easy gluten-free cookie recipes that you can share with other parents as well as nut free recipes for kids with nut allergies.

Also, check out this great guide for going to school from Delight Gluten-Free Magazine. Pass the info along to your child’s teacher and help them create a safe gluten-free environment.

Read more: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/allyoucaneat/2018104494_how_far_should_you_go_to_accom.html