Archive for May, 2010
Increased Awareness of Celiac Disease in U.S. Brings Increased Support
In the United States, a slightly increased rate of celiac diagnosis among adults has already lead to increased support. Gluten-free foods and gluten-free recipes are more readily available than ever. The Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program (GFRAP) assists in the mutually beneficial relationship between people diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten intolerance and restaurants, resulting in an increase in the number of restaurants which can provide service to people following a gluten-free diet while increasing their patronage. Participating restaurants are able to provide gluten-free meals. As more and more people are diagnosed with gluten intolerance, their list of participating restaurants will surely grow.
Why is America way behind in celiac awareness? It probably has something to do with the fact that celiac disease is the only autoimmune disease that the government doesn’t support with research grants. Centers such as Dr. Green’s Celiac Disease Research Center are one-hundred percent dependent on charitable donations or university funds. Even though diagnosis is slightly up for celiac adults, this isn’t enough to raise awareness and bring relief for the three million people who suffer from celiac disease, nearly ninety-seven percent of whom don’t even know the cause of their painful symptoms. With increased diagnosis, we will surely see increased support, and soon the celiac community will be able to enjoy the same quality of life and food and cooking options which is enjoyed by, for instance, the lactose-intolerant community.
Tina Turbin
Pesticides Are Shown to be Linked to ADHD
As a concerned mother and a children’s author who cares very much for families and children, I found the following article to be both appalling and at the same time refreshing to know that such a critical issue is being exposed.
While it has been known that pesticides used for our food and vegetable supply pose a variety of health risks, the fact that these same pesticides are linked to so-called ADHD in children is a truth that every parent needs to know about.
Click here to read the full article. Afterwards, browse through this section of my website for MANY helpful tips, resources and information to improve your family’s and your children’s quality of life.
I hope the above information helps you.
Tina Turbin
Traveling with Your Celiac Child
As a gluten-free advocate and mother, I am often asked by parents for tips on how to travel with celiac children. A surprisingly easy task, traveling with your celiac child requires a little planning and a few of the same adjustments you’re already mastering at home.
First of all, how you’ll manage your trip depends on your travel arrangements—will you be flying or driving? Each airline has its own set of guidelines which you can usually find online or ask a customer service representative about over the phone. Bring extra gluten-free foods, at least twice as much as you’ll think you’ll require, just in case there are layovers. Oftentimes airplane attendants will be happy to store your gluten-free food for you upon request.
For car trips, bring along a cooler or two with already-prepared gluten-free foods and snacks for your celiac child. Luckily for your child, there are more and more gluten-free snacks available which are perfect for road trips. For instance, you can order online various snacks such as gluten-free jerky, gluten-free potato puffs, and gluten-free popcorn. If you’ll be stopping at restaurants along the way, you can visit a gluten-free restaurant site such as glutenfreerestaurants.org before your trip and plan ahead to eat at restaurants which offer gluten-free foods to its gluten-intolerant patrons. As with flying, I recommend bringing extra gluten-free food just in case there are any delays in your travel such as traffic or car problems.
Tina Turbin
Studies Show Link between Gluten Intolerance and Autism
Autism is a disorder that is causing more and more concern in the U.S., provoking much research and debate. Recently, various studies, particularly those conducted in the field of alternative medicine, have suggested that there may be a link between autism and food allergies, specifically to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. Researchers are showing that allergies may be responsible for causing or worsening autism.
Autism is a disorder that affects cognitive development and functioning in children, leading to problems with social interaction, communication skills, and behavior patterns. Until recently, autism was thought to be genetic, but now studies are showing that there may be environmental factors that influence the disease.
In the studies linking gluten allergies with autism, it has been demonstrated that these food proteins are broken down into smaller proteins (peptides) that function like narcotics in autistic, causing or worsening the symptoms of autism.
An allergic reaction to gluten can affect the entire body, leading to a variety of both physical and mental symptoms. Many of the mental symptoms, such as “brain fog,” are often mistakenly associated with children’s psychiatric disorders. Studies have shown that whereas gluten-intolerant adults are afflicted more usually with physical rather than mental symptoms, gluten-intolerant children more often suffer from the mental rather than physical symptoms of gluten sensitivity.
The remedy for gluten intolerance is a gluten-free diet. Parents with gluten-intolerant children find that shortly after cutting gluten from a gluten-intolerant child’s diet, a mental change is quite noticeable. The cognitive difficulties, odd or antisocial behavior, communication problems, and difficulties in school rapidly disappear.
Tina Turbin
Testing for Celiac Disease is Easy!
As hard as it is to get a celiac diagnosis in the U.S., the diagnosis isn’t difficult to test for. Simple blood tests detect the disease over ninety percent of the time. The diagnosis is then confirmed by an upper endoscopy. A small, flexible tube is slipped into the mouth of the sedated patient, down his esophagus and stomach and into the first part of the small intestine, where biopsies are taken and then examined for changes seen in celiac disease. If you suspect that you or someone you know may have celiac disease, make an appointment right away with your doctor to get tested!
Tina Turbin
Danny the Dragon Supports “The Cure”
A lovely response to a donation of my Danny the Dragon materials to a cause that I support dearly.
Tina
I came across a review for Tina Turbin‘s book Danny The Dragon “Meets Jimmy” on my friend’s blog. Because I have a child her son’s age and a child a bit younger, and because I trust her opinion on books that we will enjoy, I did not hesitate to order a copy of the book and audio CD for my own children. I have two kids, ages 4 and 2, who are bookophiles and I know they will love their book!
Additionally, I told Tina that I am walking in the 2010 Dallas Susan G. Komen 3-Day For The Cure and that I am hosting an event with a silent auction in order to raise the funds needed to participate – funds that will directly benefit breast cancer research. Tina was gracious and generous enough to donate a DVD, audio book and some other goodies to assist me in my efforts. I am so excited to be able to present someone with her items and spread the word about Danny the Dragon while raising awareness about breast cancer! Thank you, Tina!
Lyndsey Griffin
Celiac Diagnosis Is on the Rise
There is good news for the millions of Americans who suffer from celiac disease, or coeliac disease, and gluten intolerance—celiac diagnosis among adults is on the rise. Not only does this mean that more and more people are experiencing relief for their painful symptoms, but the door is opening for gluten intolerance support around the country.
Says Dr. Peter Green, MD, Professor of Medicine and head of the Celiac Disease Research Center at Columbia University, a higher rate of diagnosis means a higher rate of support. Dr. Green personally diagnoses 2,400 people a year at his center and works hard to raise awareness in the medical community so that doctors across the country will be able to recognize and test for the symptoms of celiac disease.
Although celiac diagnosis is on the rise, this is only among adults, leaving out the many children who suffer from gluten intolerance and from misdiagnosis. It is common for children to experience what Dr. Green calls a “brain fog,” leading to troubles in school and symptoms of psychiatric children’s disorders such as ADD, ADHD, and depression. It is not unusual for a celiac child to be mistakenly diagnosed with a psychiatric problem improperly administered medical drugs.
This is why Dr. Green and other celiac advocates are working harder than ever to raise celiac awareness. Although diagnosis is slightly up among adults, this is not enough. The diagnosis statistic must be fully reverted among children and adults. This is the only way to bring broad-scale relief and gluten-free awareness to this country.
Tina Turbin
Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy DVD – Featured in Booklist!
I’m really pleased and happy to share a review of my Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy DVD in the well-known and highly-regarded publication: Booklist.
Booklist, Issue: April 15th 2010
Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy.
Apr 2010. Victory, DVD
In this presentation of author Tina Turbin’s picture book, Carol Downing interprets the story in sign language while Janis Welch reads the text. Jimmy finds a large green shell at the beach. When the youngster lifts the shell, he hears voices coming from inside the vessel. After Jimmy takes the shell home, two creatures, Danny the Dragon and Skipper, emerge. The brightly colored illustrations depict Jimmy and his family as they serve dinner, play catch in the yard with friends, and finally settle down for the night.
Instead of utilizing animation, the film merely displays the book pages. But what sets the program apart is Downing’s signing, making the charming story accessible to both hearing and deaf children. See also ASL Tales: The Princess and the Pea (2009), featuring performance artist Pinky Aiello telling a nontraditional version of the familiar tale in American Sign Language.
— Candace Smith
Danny the Dragon Contest Winner – April
Sam Klein and his sister Cheryl Klein are this months winners of the new Danny the Dragon DVD, which includes sign language interpretation for the deaf and hard of hearing.
Thanks you all for entering the contest and helping us to launch the new DVD.
