Food Allergies? No Problem at Jules on the Green http://ow.ly/jXLT30aBcV0

Whoa… can’t wait to try this!!! Red Licorice you can make at home in 10 minutes?! Whatttttttttttttttt! http://ow.ly/U0tMT

General Mills Recalls 1.8 Million Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios Boxes made in July, Lodi, CA http://ow.ly/T5DKJ

In Georgia VT, Water Pollution Has Devalued Lakeside Properties By $1.8M | Vermont Public Radio http://ow.ly/R6YgT

Lucky Charms going gluten free this September! http://ow.ly/P3v9I

We take probiotics to ease a troubled tummy. New evidence probiotics may not be as gluten-free (or friendly!) as we thought!…

Whattttttttttt… Homemade, gluten-free “cadbury” eggs. Looks easy, fun and delicious!

http://ow.ly/KTOuG

There’s plenty of reasons to poke fun at fad diets– most of the time there’s no evidence that they work. Sometimes they work for some people and not all people. Sometimes they allow you to eat copious amounts of bacon (I could argue both ways on that one 😉

But for those with Celiac Disease, it is not a lifestyle choice, it is a medical necessity. I’ve taken to clarifying with folks, especially restaurants, that my condition is not a choice but a very serious auto-immune disorder.

Beyond the fad diet and Celiac, many people have reported feeling better on a gluten-free diet because they are gluten intolerant. The extent of gluten intolerance has been called into question by a recent study that found many reporting to be gluten intolerant actually had no ill effects when given gluten.

Jokes and discounting are hard to take for the many, many people who have Celiac Disease or are truly intolerant. It’s great to have celebrities put their face out for the cause! Thanks Jon, your coverage was great!

Xoxo,
GFVT

I just got back from a week in Germany and I can report good and bad news about gluten-free options there. Which do you want first?

Let’s start with the bad news. It was rather thin on gluten-free options. I was at a conference that served bagels, cookies and other baked goods with a piece of fruit and yogurt for lunch. I was limited to ~3 dishes at a Vietnamese restaurant that met my restrictions (our co-worker wanted some spicy food!).

The good news has several facets. First, everywhere I went, people were very knowledgeable about gluten-free needs. Not speaking any German, I carried a gluten-free restaurant dining card. Everyone readily understood this and helped me pick gluten-free items, successfully (I didn’t get sick!).

My experience at the Humboldt University cafeteria was excellent. They used a list of 30 numbers marking certain allergens or food additives. If I saw a dish label with #21, I knew it contained gluten and steered clear!

Also, Germans eat a lot of potatoes so there are lots of options for dinner as long as you eat meat.

So, on one hand, there weren’t a ton of options… but the options were sufficient and safe (from a gluten-free perspective).

Guten Appetit!

xoxo,
GFVT

Did you know The Kitchen Table is now hosting causal Sunday night dinners? Featuring a 3-course, fixed price meal for $30, this is a great chance to get out to one of Vermont’s very best restaurants. They had no problem accommodating my many food allergies and the food was, of course, amazing. If you aren’t into the fixed price deal, you can also order a la cart with items such as a burger on the low end and a steak at the top of the price list. As a bonus, wine is on special Sundays as well. If you haven’t been, I say mark your calendar and call in advance for a Sunday night supper reservation!

XOXO,
GFVT