I recently came across a website that claims to have a “Celiac Disease Home Test“.  What they call a “Biocard Celiac Home Test” where you get a single-one time use test kit.

They are based in Canada and I do not believe they sell directly yet to the US…however they have a phone number you can call to speak with them if you live in the US (so I’m not sure where that leads…if your able to purchase or not).  They have an instructional video you can watch that shows someone taking a Celiac home test.  Seems like a lot of careful work to me, however it is only $50 compared to what a test would cost from a doctor.  Also they go on to say that if you do in fact test positive you should seek out a doctor to see what to do next.  Kinda defeats the no doctor approach…but I could see how this would help those who don’t have health insurance or just don’t have the money at the moment.

Of course you could always start eating gluten free to see if you feel better.  However beware – once you start eating gluten free a test for Celiac Disease will come out negative.  The reasons for this are best explained by uchospitals.edu in their article about Blood Test for Celiac Disease.  Also they further explain why you should go beyond just the blood test and do a endoscopic biopsy (I did this along with the blood test).

So to take the test or not to take the test?

Personally I cannot try it out since I have been gluten free for seven years…but I’d be interested in hearing if anyone else has tried this at home test!  I don’t see why it couldn’t hurt to try if you suspect you show symptoms of  Celiac Disease.

Pumpkin Pie Spice Coffee Creamer

The only way I can drag myself out of bed in the mornings is to sit and have a big cup of coffee…and some creamer to go with that coffee of course.

Thankfully I have found an array of different coffee creamers that are gluten free…which is exciting because many of them have  great tasting flavors that normally I would not be able to eat if in food form.  I just picked up at Target this Limited Edition “Pumpkin Pie Spice” by International Delight – which it is incredibility good plus it smells wonderful. Now I do make gluten free pumpkin pies around Thanksgiving, but it smells just like the real thing which normally I would not be able to eat if it were just a regular gluten pumpkin pie.  Sadly they come out every year with their “Limited Editions” for different seasons.  But it is definitely worth a try!

-Jessika

Heinz Ketchup, Mustard and Relish.

I had posted before after reading on Heinz website that their mustard was gluten free and was very excited to try some.  Well on my latest trip to the grocery store, not only did I find Heinz gluten free mustard…but also Heinz gluten free relish!  I do believe it has been at least a good six years since the last time I was able to eat any form of relish.  Since Heinz makes both their Relish and Mustard with white wine distilled vinegar and not just distilled vinegar…its gluten free!

Finally a complete hot dog!

Finally I was able to make a regular hot dog!

Need:

• One white corn tortilla wrap
• Hot dog (make sure it’s gluten free!)
• Heinz Ketchup, Mustard and Relish

Also found Heinz Honey Mustardaise Sauce and Heinz Balsamic Vinaigrette Sauce.  They even came in little cute glass bottles (25 cents ea. at the 99 cent store…not bad).  The Balsamic Vinaigrette I found is great on salads while the Honey Mustardaise was great on rice and salad.

Little Mini Heinz

Here is where I plan to do little daily updates of my life and the everyday dealings of having Celiac Disease. First I feel I should tell a little bit about myself…

I was not always a “Celiac” or, at least, not a diagnosed Celiac. Growing up I had always suffered horrible stomach aches (when I ate, and when I didn’t eat), growing difficulties, memory loss, constant headaches, was unable to keep most foods down…to just name a few. Feeling all these, among others, growing up I thought it was how all people felt, so I just went along not knowing theres any other way to feel. Only when I was 15 years old did I begin the long process of going in and out of different doctors (gastroenteritis) and getting tons of blood work done (which was dreadful I must add), having a CAT scan, and an colonoscopy till they could find why I was getting so much worse, to the point where I could hardly stand up or walk anywhere. Only when my doctor suggested possibly a gluten intolerance did they do tests, ends up he was right, and I immediately starting on a gluten free diet. And within just a few days I was able to walk, think better, and feel better.

Now 21, it has been 6 years being on a gluten free diet.  I am newly married and live in CA with both my husband and our little dog

-Jessika