Welcome to the Live Chat sponsored by Gluten-Free and More in 2004! I am Jim Behling from Nu-World Amaranth and I will be your moderator this evening.

This January and February Nu-World Amaranth, the Celiac Sprue Association, the Celiac Disease Foundation, the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America, R.O.C.K., Celiac.com and cookbook authors Carol Fenster PhD and LynnRae Ries have come together with a complete lifestyle makeover for healthy, gluten-free living and more!

Visit our website (nuworldfoods.com/glutenfreeandmore ) to post your personal commitment to living a gluten-free lifestyle, and register for a chance to win a complete pantry and kitchen makeover with a registered dietitian or a phone or e-mail consultation with Danna Korn. There are also gift baskets of products and books. Tonight we are presenting a Live Chat and welcome your participation!

Our goal this evening is to help inform and educate you so that you may select the solution or idea that works best for you. This information does not serve as a replacement for medical diagnosis.

We will do our best to get to as many questions as possible. We apologize in advance if we are unable to answer your question. We invite you to visit the website in upcoming days for a recap of the chat.

The Gluten-Free and More program and website shares multiple viewpoints, ideas and solutions. While we are united as a community to support those living a gluten-free lifestyle, no one treatment, organization or path is endorsed over others.

Our guests this evening are Carol Fenster, PhD, President of The Savory Palate and author of The Gluten-Free 101 Cookbook, and Cynthia Kupper, RD, CD, Executive Director of the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America.

To submit a question, hit the ask question button and go! Please put your name at the beginning or end!

Carol Ft. Myers Beach Fl. - I am a newly diagnosed Celiac and I am confused by some of the do's and don't. Can you clarify mustard?

Carol Fenster: The confusion about mustard probably arises because the Coleman's mustard that we once used had undeclared wheat flour in it. To be on the safe side, you may use Durkee’s or Spice Islands or grind your own mustard seeds into dry mustard with a coffee grinder. If you're worried about regular, "wet" mustard it is more than likely made with corn as the basis for the vinegar so is safe. As always, if you're still concerned, check with the manufacturer.

Guest 30: was just diagnosed last week. What should my first steps be? Should I hire a personal nutritionist?

Cynthia Kupper: For anyone newly diagnosed, I would encourage you to seek the assistance of a qualified dietitian to help review your current diet and any changes that need to be made to keep the nutritional quality high. Just as important is connecting to a local support network that can help you to find the right places to shop and eat out.

Guest 6: What brand Vanilla flavoring do you use, and where can I find it?

Carol Fenster: The brand of vanilla that I use varies with what's on sale at my grocery store. Since vanilla is distilled and we know that, even if it was originally made with wheat, it would not survive the distillation process. So, vanilla is safe. I prefer "real" vanilla and use Durkee's, sometimes McCormicks, and sometimes the expensive brands at Williams-Sonoma.

Carol Ft. Myers Beach Fl: I am a Catholic - is there a gluten free communion wafer?

Cynthia Kupper: I am not aware of any gluten-free catholic communion wafers that are accepted by the Church. The Catholic doctrine states that communion wafers must have a small amount of wheat. However, you should talk to your perish priest. Some are willing to make special accommodations for persons with celiac disease.

Martha, Surprise, AZ My diabetic, Celiac friend would like to know how to convert carbs of wheat flour to carbs of rice flour she now will be using to bake bread with.

Cynthia Kupper: There are a few resources that show carb counting information for gluten-free flours. She can also find the carb information on package labels for ready-made products. Most important to remember is that gluten-free products tend to be denser than wheat products, so while the carb content is not that different, the density of the product makes the carb count appear to be much higher.

Charles: Budweiser claims that their beer is made form rice and the barley that is used in the brewing process is degraded and turned into amino acids. Their scientists have been unable to detect any gluten and they put it in writing -- it has caused me no problem.

Carol Fenster: I'm not aware of the Budweiser beer claim to be gluten-free. Wouldn't that be great! However, I'm aware of two new beers just now coming on the market. The first is from www.ramapovalleybrewery.com and the other is www.bardsbeer.com. I've been talking with the Bard's beer folks and am quite excited about it. It is based on sorghum, which is of course, gluten-free.

Question: My goal with the New Year is to lose weight. Any special things I should consider on a gluten-free diet?

Cynthia Kupper: Trying to lose weight on a gluten-free diet is no different than on a regular diet: exercise, exercise, exercise! Also take a look at the amount of food you are eating. Keep your diet low in fat, moderate to low sugar, avoid excess alcohol and watch your portions. Remember what I said about carbs in gluten-free products. Gluten-free products are denser and so often have more calories for the same portion size of wheat products.

Bill: What's the best egg substitute for baking breads?

Carol Fenster: The best gluten-free egg substitute is soft silken tofu. Be sure to use the soft silken version, not the hard version that we fry up like meat. Use 1/4 cup of the tofu in place of 1 egg. The tofu must be creamed into the bread dough with your mixer. It produces bread that is slightly heavier and more dense, but still delicious.

Sara from Savannah, Ga.: I am interested in substituting different flours such as amaranth, quinoa, and flax instead of always using rice. Is there a particular portion?

Carol Fenster: The best way to incorporate amaranth and quinoa flours into your diet, instead of using rice is to do the following: Mix together 1/2 cup amaranth flour or toasted amaranth bran flour with 1 1/2 cups sorghum flour, 1 1/2 cups potato starch, and 1 cup tapioca flour. This should make 4.5 cups. Store in a dark, dry place. As for the flax seeds, these are best used in smaller amounts such as 1/4 cup in a bread recipe.

Susan Hartford, CT: At the suggestion of a friend I have stopped eating wheat products for one week now. Finally after some 16 plus years I have never felt better. It's the first time I have been diaherrea free and the chronic fatigue has subsided. I would like to know my next best step. Should I have the Celiac Sprue blood test as a start?

Cynthia Kupper: Since you can see that being off wheat improves your health, I would strongly suggest that you find a doctor who will run the blood tests for celiac disease. You must also consider stopping the gluten-free diet, as being on it can falsely impact the test results.

Guest 30 asks: Can you list a few basics I definitely need to include in my gluten-free pantry?

Carol Fenster: The basics you should include in your pantry are: flours made from rice, potato starch, cornstarch, sorghum, amaranth, quinoa, Montina, and sweet rice flour. And then you need to have xanthan gum (and also guar gum which you can order from the online gluten-free vendors). Gelatin (unflavored) is a good thing to have on hand. You will also need some vinegar to act as a booster for the yeast breads, and of course, yeast. Red Star and Fleischmann's are gluten-free.

Sylvia Bower asks: What is your opinion of the Atkins Diet in conjunction with the gluten-free diet?

Cynthia Kupper: While the Atkins diet craze is actually beneficial to persons with celiac disease trying to eat out today, I am not a proponent of the Akins diet for a number of reasons. The restriction of carbohydrates can impact vitamin and mineral status. Carbs are our primary source of energy. Restricting them could cause some immediate ill effects.

Guest 5: If a recipe calls for buttermilk powder, can I and how can I substitute liquid buttermilk instead?

Carol Fenster: To replace buttermilk powder in a recipe, see if there is any liquid in the recipe. Use that same amount of buttermilk. So, if the recipe calls for 1 cup water, use 1 cup liquid buttermilk. Does this answer your question?
BobbieC asks: Cynthia--What is your advice as far as eating out?

Cynthia Kupper: When eating out, I choose moderate to high-end restaurants and avoid fast food. I choose places where language is not a barrier, and the foods are prepared fresh. Choose a couple menu items and then ask the questions you need. Be very specific...'does it have gluten’ is never the question. Be kind and patient. I can eat out anywhere...some times it just takes a bit of work.

Guest 30 -- if I am looking to succeed with a low-carb diet like Atkins AND Gluten-Free ...how do you suggest I do that?

Cynthia Kupper: I would suggest that you choose a diet that is moderate to low carb, make the carbs count nutritionally - high fiber, lots of nutrients - like amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat, teff. Do not go to extremes.

Guest 50: Should I get a bread machine?

Carol Fenster: Bread machines are great, but I personally bake my own bread by hand. I have more control over the loaf and get a more "natural" shape. My advice is to try the hand method first and see how it goes. Only if you have trouble with this method would I go to a bread machine. Instead, spend your money on a food processor and a good stand mixer. They will be invaluable in preparing gluten-free food.

Carol FMB- Can a celiac safely eat out in a Chinese restaurant with the msg?

Cynthia Kupper: MSG is not gluten-containing in the USA. The difficult issue is where it is made. I find the problem in Chinese restaurants has more to do with the 'americanization' of the food, allowing different hidden sources of gluten to be present. I find eating is authentic Japanese, Thai or Vietnamese restaurants easier than the Chinese restaurants in my area.

Marcy asks: What brand of apple cider vinegar is gluten-free?

Carol Fenster: All brands of cider vinegar are gluten-free. The distillation process doesn't allow any gluten to survive. However, most vinegars are made from corn so gluten is not a problem. The only vinegar we must still avoid is malt vinegar, which has the malt flavor added in AFTER the distillation process and is therefore, not safe.

Pam, Phoenix, AZ - I was diagnosed with Celiac 2 1/2 years ago. Although I am very careful, being asymptomatic, I often wonder if I am unknowingly getting gluten. Is it typically recommended to get retested periodically?

Cynthia Kupper: Most researchers and experts in celiac disease recommend that you periodically have the antibody studies rerun. Remember that the tests should normalize and what that says is you are doing a great job with your diet!

Guest 6 asks: Is there a way to take your old recipes and convert them to gluten-free?

Carol Fenster: You can convert old recipes to gluten-free with this standard conversion. If the recipe calls for 2 cups of flour, many of our new gluten-free flour blends can be used 1:1. However, if you're using the old rice-flour blends, you would use 1 3/4 or 1 7/8 cup of the rice flour blend. Of course, always add xanthan gum (about 1 teaspoon per cup of flour for breads.)

Dea asks: My son is Diabetic and has celiac disease. Although we count carbs exactly, baked goods seem to affect his sugars more than other foods. Can you tell me why?

Cynthia Kupper: The reason the baked goods may be affecting your child's sugars more than normal could be 2 fold: 1) gluten-free products are dense and may have more carbs than you realize, for a much smaller portion; 2) the baked goods are not high in fiber. I would encourage the use of bean flours, amaranth, montina, quinoa, teff, etc. These are higher fiber and higher protein flours. The new ADA guidelines for diabetes indicate that foods high in fiber can be used at a lower carb count. An example is Montina – in it’s pure form, you would not have to count the carbs from the Montina, just the other carb sources.

Kirsten from Rescue, CA: Have you ever used carob bean gum in your baking? I use it often and prefer it to other binders (especially xanthan gum, which makes me very gassy). It's used in Europe under the trade name Tartex Biobin.

Carol Fenster: No, I haven't used carob bean gum in my baking. I would love to know more about that, including where you buy it.

Guest 3 asks: Is there any connection between celiac disease and candida problems?

Cynthia Kupper: There appears to be a higher incidence of candida in patients with celiac disease than the normal population. However there is no strong clinical data that I am aware of suggesting celiac disease causes candida.

Guest 2 asks: Just diagnosed w/ celiac disease.... how does one still get the great marinades and sauces?

Carol Fenster: You can still have great marinades and sauces, even though you're gluten-free. You have to be careful in restaurants because sometimes wheat flour is used during the marinade process. However, many of the gluten-free cookbooks include marinade and sauce recipes.

Kathy asks: I would like to find a high fiber cereal that I do not have to cook. Do you have one that you can recommend?

Cynthia Kupper: Amaranth has several cold cereal products that are high in fiber. I am sure that there are others being developed, but off the top of my head I can't remember them all. You could also add rice bran to cold cereals.

Beth, Columbia, MS: Is it safe to purchase rice flour at oriental markets?

Carol Fenster: I prefer to purchase rice flour in bags, rather than in bulk form. That reduces the chances of cross-contamination by employees in the store. I don't buy rice flour in the Asian stores, but I know many people do. My concern is the degree of fineness of the rice flour and whether it performs the same way in baking as those we buy in regular health food stores. Some bakers tell me that the Asian rice flours are finer and that means they absorb water at a different rate than coarser rice flours.

BobbieC asks: Cynthia--Can you tell us something about the Gluten Free Restaurant Awareness Program?

Cynthia Kupper: The gluten-free restaurant Awareness program is a well developed, high quality program, inviting restaurants to voluntarily participate in providing an easier dining opportunity for the gluten-free community. The program follows a similar format as the old healthy heart program. It is a great way to bring awareness and cooperation to the food industry.

Guest 15 asks: I have DH and have been g/free for nearly 1 year. Still have itchies in my scalp. Any suggestions for shampoo brands? Martha in NC

Cynthia Kupper: With DH, it can take up to 2 years to rid the skin of the irritants causing the outbreaks. While gluten is not absorbed thru the skin, I would suggest that as long as you have an outbreak that you consider purchasing a gluten-free shampoo. Look for products that do not have wheat in them.

Martha, Surprise, AZ: I am a Dx Celiac 3 yrs now. My breads are made from white rice flour, tapioca flour, potato starch and sometimes brown rice flour. Should I be concerned this is not enough fiber and what would you suggest for more fiber in breads and my diet?

Carol Fenster: Yes, you need more fiber when you use only white rice flour, tapioca, and potato starch as your flours. You can try substituting 1/4-1/2 cup amaranth flour or toasted amaranth bran flour in the recipe. Or, try adding 1/4 cup rice bran to the recipe. I also add 1/4 cup flaxseed meal to the recipe. And ground nuts such as pecans or sunflower seeds add fiber.

Question: Can you really eat out anywhere? We are highly sensitive to small amounts of flour and we don't really know what is on the next plate in the restaurant kitchen.

Cynthia Kupper: Yes, I can eat anywhere! I won't say it is always healthy fare, but it is doable, without getting sick. Cross contamination is a concern; however, safety is important to restaurateurs. If they understand the issues clearly, they generally will make every effort to keep your food safe. The plate next to yours in the kitchen is not a major issue. How the food is prepared and handled is the issue. It is a personal choice to make "reasonable” decisions when eating out. I remain very sensitive after 12 years diagnosis, so I feel that I do well eating out and traveling. My tests would say the same. Dining out is very enjoyable and a necessity for many persons with celiac disease. I have worked very closely with Outback, BoneFish Grill and other restaurants to provide guidelines for you to use when eating in those establishments. It is also the purpose of the gluten-free restaurant awareness program…to make dining out easier and enjoyable.

Linda: Do you have any recommendations for bouillon? I have celiac disease and Dermatitis Herpetiformis, so one with sea salt would be best.

Cynthia Kupper: I know that some of the gluten-free companies have bouillon (EnerG Foods, for example). You could also consider making your own using meat bones and allowing the broth to reduce.

James, Pittsfield MA: I was recently diagnosed with celiac sprue. I am having a hard time finding food that I can eat. My doctor wants me to eliminate corn as well as the wheat, oat, barley and rye.

Carol Fenster: To avoid corn AND wheat in baking, try a flour blend using sorghum, potato starch, tapioca, and some amaranth flour or quinoa flour or teff flour. Corn is in almost everything we purchase, so read labels carefully. Buy baking powder by Featherweight to avoid corn.

Guest 53 asks: With the kids, car pools, work seems I am always on the go. And then there is the Super Bowl this Sunday...can you suggest any gluten-free on the go snacks? Something they will eat that is also good for them!

Carol Fenster: For some great, on the go snacks try the Amaranth Snackers from Nu-World Amaranth. They come in different flavors like chili-lime or barbecue. They can be mixed into party mixes (see the web site for recipe). Also, there is a recipe for Puffed amaranth marshmallow bars. And, fruit leather travels well, plus dried fruit and popcorn.

Linda: How important is it for DH patients to avoid table salt?

Cynthia Kupper: Persons with DH do not necessarily have to avoid table salt. The evidence suggesting that DH is aggravated by iodine is not strong. I would suggest that if you find your self-sensitive to iodine in table salt to avoid it, if not you can continue using it. Iodine is an important nutrient for our systems. I would not avoid it, if it is not a problem.

Guest 33 asks: Is it necessary to receive the fiber from baked goods or can vegetables and fruits replace that?

Carol Fenster: Fiber need not come only from baked goods. You should eat lots of fruit and vegetables, preferably raw and preferably with the skins left on. Nuts, beans, etc. also provide lots of fiber. And, flaxseed is great, too.

Mandy: Why have the gluten-free diet recommendations changed recently?

Cynthia Kupper: Many years ago, diet recommendations were based on limited knowledge and information. Sometimes recommendations were made on assumptions or antidotal responses. Today we have much more information and can debunk some of the old guidelines.

How can I get biscuits with rice or corn flours to rise? Amy, Lewisville, NC

Carol Fenster: Biscuits will rise better if you sift the flour first, and use both xanthan gum and guar gum instead of just one. Little biscuits rise better than big ones. Use 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda for a good leavening balance.

Sylvia asks: Would you tell us about the Celiac Task force?

Cynthia Kupper: the American Celiac Task Force is composed of patient organizations, manufacturers and other interested researchers, etc. The sole role of the Task force is to help celiacs by getting legislation passed to improve food labeling for food allergens, including wheat. We are well on our way to success.

Cynthia Kupper: It is exciting to be part of the live chat with Carol Fenster and the Gluten-Free and More Program. The opportunity to share my expertise as a registered dietitian and a person living with Celiac disease was wonderful. As a dietitian I am proud to be a part of the Gluten-Free and More program and pantry make-over. As a patient, I know the feeling of needing questions answered and not knowing where to find a dietitian who knows about the gluten-free diet. I only wish we had the opportunity to take more questions. I hope NWA will consider doing a live chat again in the future. Nu-World Amaranth’s innovative program has brought the leadership of organizations and other experts in the Celiac community together for a common good.

Carol Fenster: I want to thank Nu-World Amaranth for sponsoring this on-line chat. I am delighted to be a part of “Gluten-Free and More” and to join Cynthia Kupper, RD, CD, in answering your questions in this new, innovative way. I’m sorry if we didn’t get all of your questions answered, but I hope you will visit the Nu-World Amaranth web site often for additional information on the gluten-free diet, the role of amaranth in a gluten-diet, and recipes using the various amaranth products in a variety of healthy ways.

Thank you for participating in our first live chat. Cynthia, Carol, and the entire Nu-World Family appreciate all of your questions and your words of support.

We received an overwhelming number of questions tonight - and we apologize if we weren't able to get to yours! Please feel free to send additional questions to us at contactus@nuworldfamily.com. We will forward them on Carol and Cynthia. We invite you to post your personal pledge and register for the contest before you sign off tonight at nuworldfamily.com/glutenfreeandmore

On behalf of the Gluten-Free and More Partners and this evening’s hosts , Carol, Cynthia and Nu-World Amaranth, we wish you a healthy and prosperous new year! Keep up the good work on your New Year's resolution! Good night!

Comments from participants:

• This is wonderful!!!! Please do this again.
• Wow! This was great! Thanks a ton.
• Thank you Carol, Cynthia, and Jim!!!
• Thank you very much for this presentation, for you knowledge and your time.
• Thank you for this opportunity!
• This was a great idea, thanks so much, when's the next chat? :)
• Thank you for making this happen!

As a quick reminder, this site shares multiple viewpoints, ideas and solutions. While we are united as a community to support those living a gluten-free lifestyle, no one treatment, organization, or path is endorsed over others. Our goal is to help inform and educate you so that you may select the solution or idea that works best for you. This site does not serve as a replacement for medical diagnosis.