Ep 18 Melissa Secord of the CCA on Celiac Awareness Month
Release Date: 05/09/2018
A Canadian Celiac Podcast
On this episode I’m speaking with Megan who has been recently diagnosed with silent celiac disease, meaning she doesn’t experience any gastrointestinal symptoms she is aware of. Megan is also interested in behavioural eating and works with clients to undo years of dis-ordered eating. I speak to Megan about how she was diagnosed, as well as to how she’s coping as a silent celiac. Megan also gives us some insight into behaviours that you might notice in a celiac child than could indicate that the child is struggling with their behaviours around food. A parent of a celiac child often has a...
info_outlineA Canadian Celiac Podcast
It’s time again for me to talk with Ellen Bayens of about articles she has published and information she has provided to us over the past month. Ellen and I opened our conversation talking about Starbucks and their statement on the safety of their stores for someone who needs to eat gluten free. Ellen hopes they would want to be a leader in gluten free as they have been in other aspects of their business, but it appears that’s not the case at the moment. I’m always fascinated with the approaches that researchers take to solving the puzzle of celiac disease. Ellen presents us with...
info_outlineA Canadian Celiac Podcast
I’ve been using the app Find Me Gluten Free on my phone for more than five years, but I always had some reservations about how to interpret the information I was finding. I decided to go right to the top and speak with the app’s creator Jason Elmore. The app – Find Me Gluten Free has listings from around the world for restaurants, cafés and bakeries that offer gluten free food. Jason, himself celiac created the app as a place to list and review restaurants that offer gluten free. I was able to ask Jason all my questions including how to best utilize crowd-sourced reviews and...
info_outlineA Canadian Celiac Podcast
The beginning of February is my opportunity to again speak with Ellen Bayens of about studies and articles she has brought to our attention over the past month. Ellen and I spoke about the findings of Dr. Diana Mager and her team at the University of Alberta regarding food insecurity in families with a celiac child or children. This is something I covered in a recent podcast with Dr. Mager and something that will help shape the response of Celiac Canada to this issue. Ellen was able to give us a firsthand introduction to a link between Liver Disease and Celiac Disease that...
info_outlineA Canadian Celiac Podcast
I always get excited to speak with a guest who can fill in some of the blanks in my knowledge about food insecurity for Celiacs in Canada. I work with Celiac Canada to help educate foodbanks to be able to serve our community better. Dr. Diana Mager and her team at the University of Alberta have, in the past, taken a great interest in the nutritional needs of celiac children in Canada (Podcast Episode 292 - ). More recently Dr. Mager and her team have completed a cross-Canada survey of families to determine the food insecurity issues in families with celiac children. Her article was...
info_outlineA Canadian Celiac Podcast
It’s the beginning of a new month and a new year, which makes it a great time to chat with Ellen Bayens of . On this episode Ellen and I talk about some big picture issues including a study regarding public policies and quality of life for celiacs around the world. We look at one county in the UK that is changing the way celiacs are able to buy and have assistance with the purchase of gluten free food – is this just an experiment in one area to see what might happen on a national scale? The Low FODMAP diet is again a topic of discussion as many celiacs are using it to over time,...
info_outlineA Canadian Celiac Podcast
Recently, I spoke with Melissa Secord and Caleigh McAulay, RD after they attended the International Symposium on Celiac Disease held in Sheffield UK this fall. During that conversation Caleigh mentioned a presentation that she found very interesting by Anne Lee, RD. The presentation was titled "Is the Gluten-Free Diet Always Portrayed Negatively". I was interested to speak to Caleigh about this with a consideration as to who is eating gluten free besides those of us with celiac disease. Caleigh breaks it down for us and looks at the pros and cons of an expanded population eating gluten free....
info_outlineA Canadian Celiac Podcast
It’s hard to believe it’s December, but it’s another great opportunity to speak with my good friend Ellen Bayens of . Ellen and I chat about things that she has published on her blog over the past month. We start by talking about the podcast conversation I had with Celiac Canada’s Melissa Secord and Caleigh McAulay RD attending the International Symposium on Celiac Disease held in Sheffield UK earlier this fall. We talked about new paths to diagnosis, the 20 ppm standard for gluten free as well as the role of the different support groups internationally. Ellen tells us about a...
info_outlineA Canadian Celiac Podcast
It’s been a busy year for Celiac Canada and one highlight has to have been Melissa Secord and Caleigh McAulay RD attending the International Symposium on Celiac Disease held in Sheffield UK earlier this fall. Both Melissa and Caleigh returned with so much information regarding ongoing and upcoming research along with best practices from other countries. Melissa shares with us some new theories for better diagnosis as well as questioning some ideas we have held as fact. Caleigh presented a poster on behalf of Celiac Canada regarding our recent State of Celiac Survey and learned so much from...
info_outlineA Canadian Celiac Podcast
It’s the beginning of November and that means I get to catch up with my friend Ellen Bayens of . Ellen and I speak about the petition being circulated by Celiac Canada regarding a tax benefit to help with the cost of the gluten free diet. This important petition must be signed by November 10th, so if you haven’t signed and it’s before November 10, please follow the link, and send it on to friends and family – there’s strength in numbers! Recently there was a very broad recall of frozen waffles and pancakes which included some gluten free products and many different brands. Please...
info_outlineMay is Celiac Awareness Month and the Canadian Celiac Association has many events planned to celebrate and inform. Melissa Secord is the Executive Director of the CCA, and she explains what is being done online and across the country. Some of the events she mentions coming up are:
May 10 – Facebook Live Day sponsored by Schar
May 14 – CN Tower Lighting (green)
May 16 – Celiac Giving Day and Twitter Party 9pm EDT
May 23 – GF101 webinar– Open to the public with Val Vaartnou, Vancouver Chapter
May 29 – Bone Health webinar in partnership with Osteoporosis Canada (free)
As well, please link to my blog for my thoughts on my long relationship with the CCA.