Can We Eat That?

I'm Raising an Athlete on a Special Diet

We are a tennis playing family. I played competitively through high school and in junior tournaments. I loved it so much but I was never quite good enough. Maybe it's because my stamina ran out quickly in large part due to undiagnosed celiac.  My husband also played seriously on his high school team, and then played for a two year college before we met at the University of Georgia. 

My 7 yr old son, Charlie, had a racquet in his hand by his 3rd birthday. He begs to play every day it isn't raining; and he has really big dreams. I joke with my husband, who coaches him, that it's becoming obsessive. But in truth, it's really fun to watch them and I am very proud. So when I told Charlie yesterday that I read Novak Djokovic, the No. 2 player in the world, is now on a gluten free diet, he was so excited. "That's amazing! He's just like me!" 

 Here is the article:

"Feast of titles is largely down to diet change: Djokovic" 

By Zoran Milosavljevic

BELGRADE | Mon Apr 25, 2011 1:14pm EDT

Photo Credit: Reuters/Andrew Innerarity

(Reuters) - A change of diet has played a major role in Novak Djokovic's unbeaten run this year, the world number two said Monday after receiving a hero's welcome from fans in his home town.

The 23-year-old Serb, who has won 24 straight matches to land the Australian Open and Dubai Championship titles and Masters Series events in Miami and Indian Wells, said a doctor who joined his team eight months ago had improved his fitness.

"His name is Igor Cetojevic, he is a nutritionist and he's done a great job in changing my diet after we established I am allergic to some food ingredients like gluten," Djokovic told reporters on the opening day of the Serbia Open.

"It means I can't eat stuff like pizza, pasta and bread. I have lost some weight but it's only helped me because my movement is much sharper now and I feel great physically.

"A lot of people have been guessing and speculating what the secret formula of my good form was but there is no secret, it's just that all the pieces have fallen into place after years of hard work and we are now reaping the rewards," added Djokovic.

The rest of the article is can be found on reuters.com here

Important Tips for Living Gluten Free At College and University--Part Two

 

-Be positive and educate gently.  

-Be realistic and empower your child to follow through.

-Trust that you've raised your kids well enough, and don't stress.   

 

GENERAL TIPS

*Send care packages to your child (and his/her roommates).

*Familiarize your child with basic cooking skills and a few easy recipes (printed out for him/her).  If he/she has access to a fridge/freezer, stocking a variety of easy to heat/prepare meals, bread, pizza crusts, etc. can be helpful.

*Check with prospective schools for food allergy clubs or support groups.  Or, google local celiac support groups for stores/restaurants in the area with GF food options. 

*If you know of any students with celiac or food allergies, find out if you can contact them to ask questions about their experience.

*Some people feel that colleges don't want the parents doing the work, that they feel scolded when they try, and that they wanted the individual student to communicate with them.  

*Some people say that they thought smaller schools, in general, were more accommodating, while others say that it would be easier to manage a GF diet at a larger school because there's more variety.

 

USEFUL LINKS

Two great articles available at -- 
http://www.celiaccentral.org/Resources/Kids-Youth/Heading-to-College/360/

The NFCA has an archived webinar entitled "Heading Off to College with Celiac Disease" at 
http://www.celiaccentral.org/Events/Free-Webinars/Archived-Webinars/208/

www.glutenfreetravelsite.com --  a month or two ago, this website added a feature for gluten-free dining options on college campuses

The following book is recommended: "Gluten Free College Student Cookbook--201 GF/CF Recipes for Campus Cooking" by Joanne Bradley

*Glutenfreeda did a series of articles on college living and here are the links:
http://www.glutenfreeda.com/apr10-college-living-gf.asp
http://www.glutenfreeda.com/may10-college-living-gf.asp
http://www.glutenfreeda.com/mar10-college-living-gf.asp
http://www.glutenfreeda.com/feb10-college-living-gf.asp
http://www.glutenfreeda.com/jan10-college-living-gf.asp
http://www.glutenfreeda.com/dec09-college-living-gf.asp
http://www.glutenfreeda.com/oct09-college-living-gf.asp
http://www.glutenfreeda.com/sep09-college-living-gf.asp
http://www.glutenfreeda.com/aug09-college-living-gf.asp
http://www.glutenfreeda.com/jul09-college-living-gf.asp
http://www.glutenfreeda.com/jun09-college-living-gf.asp  
http://www.glutenfreeda.com/may09-college-living-gf.asp
http://www.glutenfreeda.com/apr09-college-living-gf.asp
http://www.glutenfreeda.com/mar09-college-living-gf.asp
http://www.glutenfreeda.com/feb09-college-living-gf.asp
http://www.glutenfreeda.com/Jan09-college-living-gf.asp

Study: Celiac Disease Prevalence 5-10 Times Higher in MS Patients | NFCA

3/25/2011

Celiac disease has been linked to a number of other autoimmune disorders, including multiple sclerosis (MS). A new study from Spain offers more insight into that link, as reported on Medscape Medical News. Spurred by a case study in which a woman diagnosed with MS and celiac disease showed improvement in both gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms after going gluten-free, researchers set out to learn more about the prevalence of celiac disease in MS patients. The research team analyzed blood tests and biopsies from 72 MS patients and 126 first-degree relatives, and compared the results to those of 123 controls. Elevated IgA antibodies – a sign of celiac disease - were detected in 10% of MS patients compared to only 2.4% of controls. In addition, 8 MS patients (11.1%) showed signs of villous atrophy, indicating the presence of celiac disease. Among first-degree relatives, 32% had celiac disease, according to the researchers. MS patients who were diagnosed with celiac disease were put on a gluten-free diet, and all showed signs of improvement in gastrointestinal symptoms as well as in neurological symptoms. The researchers said the results suggest a link between the gut and brain, but added that it was not clear whether celiac disease was causing the neurological issues or if it’s just a case of two conditions occurring at the same time. The researchers advised doctors to screen for celiac disease when treating patients with MS. To read more about this study, visit Medscape Medical News.

Note: NFCA maintains the position that views and information presented on articles and websites we link to are those of the authors, and not necessarily those of NFCA.

 

via www.celiaccentral.org