Next Meeting:

May 18th, 2013

May 25th
Road trip to
Key Westconsin

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Third Saturday of odd numbered months

9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

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Ripon Medical Center in the Green Lake Room located in the lower level.

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Annual Membership dues are $10.00 per year.

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Prospective members can attend two meetings before dues are assessed.

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Alan Klapperich
al@gigofecw.org
(920) 748-4877

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Educate, Motivate, Advocate

GiG of ECW's mission is to provide support to persons with gluten intolerances, including celiac disease, dermatitis herpetiformis, and other gluten sensitivities, in order to live healthy lives.

Celiac Disease

Celiac Disease is one of the most common and under-diagnosed diseases today. It is estimated that 1 in every 133 people in the USA is affected by this disease.
Sadly, 97% of them do not know it.

Celiac Disease is an auto-immune disease where the consumption of gluten [protein found in wheat, barley, rye] causes the body to attack [and damage] the small intestine. Untreated, this condition can lead to malnutrition since nutrients are not being absorbed properly.

Learn more about Celiac Disease... • Don't miss GiG's Educational Bulletins...

Dermatitis Herpetiformis

Dermatitis Herpetiformis (DH) is a chronic hereditary auto-immune skin disease the presents with groups of itchy, watery, blisters or pimples. Ingestion of gluten triggers the immune system so that it deposits Immunoglobulin A) under the top layer of skin [creating the itchy, watery blisters].

In DH, the primary target is the skin, whereas in celiac disease the damage occurs in the small intestine.

Learn more about Dermatitis Herpetiformis...

Gluten Sensitivity

Gluten Sensitivity [also known as Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity, The Gluten Syndrome] is a condition that is still evolving in the eyes of mainstream medicine. Only recently has the existence of Gluten Sensitivity been proven by the medical/research profession.

GS can present with many of the same symptoms of CD, however it does not present with intestinal damage. Because testing is focused on intestinal damage, the results in those with GS generally come back negative or inconclusive. This makes diagnosing GS even harder than CD. This means patients can often suffer longer because the condition is generally overlooked once celiac disease testing comes back negative.

Dr. Alessio Fasano [medical director of Univ. of Maryland's School of Medicine – Center for Celiac Research], reports seeing 60-70% of his patients fitting his criteria for gluten sensitivity. This means they test negative for CD and wheat allergy, but experience resolution of symptoms on a gluten-free diet. There's a growing number of doctors that say GS effects 10 – 30% of the population.

Learn more about Gluten Sensitivity... Also see our Gluten Sensitivity Links...

Wisconsin's Chef to Plate Participants 2013

May 01 2013 Awareness, Dining

Chef to Plate - Celebrating Restaurants Serving Up Gluten-Free Awareness” is a project of the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America.

The purpose of this international campaign is to spread awareness of celiac disease and gluten intolerances in partnership with gluten-free friendly restaurants. It's a great way to celebrate May - Celiac Awareness Month.

Wisconsin's Gluten-Free/Celiac Expos 2013

April 20 2013 Expos

A list of the gluten-free/celiac expos held in Wisconsin.

If you know of an expo not listed here, please let us know via this website or Facebook!

Grieving the Loss of Gluten

Jan. 19 2013 Lifestyle Mgmnt

“Grief is a state of being that results from the recognition that the world that “should be” is different from the world “that is,” a world that is forever changed by a loss.” ~ Dr. Kenneth W. Matheson.

Dr. Kenneth Matheson's definition paints a very realistic picture for those that are gluten-free. Our entire world is changed forever once we take the plunge.

Lack of Support From Family

Nov. 22 2012 Lifestyle Mgmnt

Lack of support from family members is something I hear about far too frequently. As disturbing as it is, it's one of the biggest hurdles those of us in the gluten-free community face.

Sadly, this state of affairs is very common. In some cases, it goes beyond a simple lack of support, it crosses over into deliberate sabotage or willful "poisoning" of food.

Gluten-Free Cosmetics/Hair Care Products

Nov. 16 2012 General

When it comes to skin/hair/personal care products, gluten-free or gluten-full is a topic that has been debated for many years and continues yet today. It's an epic battle that rivals "Tastes Great - Less Filling". First, let us explore the science side of this. Read more...

Gluten Free Turkeys 2012

Nov. 3 2012 Food

The 2012 holidays are upon us, here is a list of turkeys that are gluten-free. If a turkey isn't on this list, it maybe gluten-free, it just means it wasn't checked.

Always, always, always check the ingredient list! If you are unsure, call the manufacturer and ask questions.

Wisconsin's Chef to Plate Participants 2012

April 30 2012 Awareness

Wisconsin's Gluten-Free/Celiac Expos 2012

April 14 2012 Expos

A list of the gluten-free/celiac expos held in Wisconsin.

If you know of an expo not listed here, please let us know via this website or Facebook!

Fox Valley GF Friendly Restaurants

April 5 2012 Dining Out

Notes from FVC meeting - GF Friendly Restaurants

Peg and I attended the March meeting of the Fox Valley Celiac Support Group. This meeting had representatives from 7 different area restaurants explaining their GF menu options and how they provide those options. We also got to meet Andi and her husband from Manitowoc County Celiac Support Group. She's the one that tipped me off to this meeting!

Educating family & friends about gluten-free

April 1 2012 Lifestyle Mgmnt

Holidays and special family events are supposed to be filled with fun, laughter and lightheartedness. For those of us with dietary requirements, often times it met with dread and fear - with good reason.

Easter is only one week away. In many families, this means Easter Dinner at someone's house other than your own. Oh the humanity...

How many celiacs in Wisconsin?

March 27 2012 General

I came across a Google Search looking for the number of celiacs in Wisconsin.

Now there could be a few variations of this question:

How many diagnosed celiacs?
How many potential celiacs?

Since I don't have time to research "How many diagnosed celiacs", I'm going to answer "How many potential celiacs?". Since we know the general prevalence of celiac, we can calculate an estimate.

Happy Bellies Bake Shop

March 18 2012 Samples

We were lucky enough to have Shannon [one of our members] treat us with a sampling of goodies from:

Happy Bellies Bake Shop
105 North Durkee St.
Appleton, WI 54911
920-851-7771

There were so many treats it was hard to decide which one to try first!

Please - resist the urge to lick your monitor...

Dr. Rodney Ford is coming to Wisconsin!

January 31 2012 Event

Gluten:ZERO Global

GIG of ECW is proud [and excited] to announce that Dr. (Professor) Rodney Ford will be coming to the land of beer and cheese!

Save the date • Mark your calendars • Post it on your fridge.
You do not want to miss this!

When & Where: October 1st, 2012 - Madison, WI
When & Where: October 2nd, 2012 - Ripon, WI (tentatively*)

Barbara Kafka - The Intolerant Gourmet

December 4 2011 Samples

Most of the samples we get for the group are food-based - imagine that!

While this sample is not directly edible, the end results from this cookbook appear to be very edible!

[I suppose you could eat this book if you wanted to, but it probably would not be very good eats. Besides, if you ate it, you wouldn't be able to create the really good eats found inside!]

I came home for lunch on Friday and this found on our front-step. I haven't had a chance to actually try any of the recipes, but I did have a chance to look through it on Saturday while I waited for my van to get repaired.

Gluten-Free Turkeys 2011

November 18 2011 Food

The 2011 holidays are upon us, here is a list of turkeys that are gluten-free. If a turkey isn't on this list, it maybe gluten-free, it just means it wasn't checked.

Always, always, always check the ingredient list! If you are unsure, call the manufacturer and ask questions.

Jovial Foods Gluten-Free Pasta

August 21 2011 Samples

When I received an email from GiG National that Jovial Foods offered to send samples to GiG branches I was excited. Our group would have a chance to sample another new product!

I originally requested to have the samples for our September 17th meeting.

After thinking about it, I asked if we could get the samples in time for our group's August 20th annual gluten-free cookout.

A Day in the Life: Living in a Mixed House

July 31 2011 Lifestyle Mgmnt

This article was originally written and presented to the members of this support group in March 2009. I decided to correct some typographic errors and add some additional knowledge/information I didn't have when I originally wrote it.

This document draws upon my knowledge and experience I have acquired since going gluten-free in 2003. I have given you, the reader, a glimpse into how I personally carry out a gluten-free diet in a mixed house. I am not suggesting this is the only way or the best way; it's simply my way. Nothing more – nothing less. Please do not take any information found here as medical or professional advice. I'm not a doctor/nutritionist/dietitian, nor do I play one on TV. Before making any changes, discuss them with your healthcare team to make sure they are right for you.

My only intent is help others that may be struggling with the gluten-free lifestyle.

Al Klapperich
GiG of East Central WI - Branch Manager

Better Living Thru Gluten-Free Chemistry

June 26 2011 Medical

In January I had to re-enter the world of pharmaceuticals [much to my displeasure, but best for my long term health]. If you think determining the gluten-free status of food is difficult, try doing it with prescription medications! It's difficult at best to determine it by reading the ingredient label, and getting a pharmaceutical company to say if their product is gluten-free is like pulling teeth. Ugh...

The Food Allergen Labeling Consumer Protection Act of 2004 [FALCPA] requires packaged food items to declare wheat and other allergens, but medications do not fall under the umbrella of the FDA's rulings.

Medications contain the active ingredient, but generally it needs to combined with something else - something called an excipient.

It's official, we are now a GIG Branch

May 25 2011 Group

Well now, that only took two and a half years to complete!

I received notice earlier this week that everything was approved. I am now in the process of reading through the handbook and related materials - lots of information to keep straight. I think my head will 'splode!

Officially we are now called GiG of East Central Wisconsin. Along with the new name, I am also in the process of re-doing the website. The new website is GIGofECW.org.

Jules Gluten-Free Mixes

March 19 2011 Samples

The kind folks at Jules Gluten-Free sent the group a Jules Gluten-Free Bread Mix and a Jules Gluten-Free Cookie Mix.

We use Jules Gluten-Free Flour Mix all the time for a variety baked goods, but this was our first look-see at the bread and cookie mixes.

Cookies

Since we [when I say we, I mean Peg since she's the one with the baking skills] were short on time, we [Peg] decided to mix up the cookie dough Thursday night and store it in the fridge until Friday night. These cookies require the dough to be chilled before baking anyway.

Peg had one pan in the oven and one pan of dough balls on deck. As I peeked into the oven and saw that the cookies were a good 3+ inches in diameter, I mistakenly asked if the dough balls were the right size.

Snyder's of Hanover Gluten-free Pretzel

January 16 2011 Samples

Synder's of Hanover was kind of enough to hook us up with some of their gluten-free pretzel sticks this month. Having tried the other GF pretzels on the market, I was interested in trying Synder's version.

They are indeed as good as my fortunate GF friends that tried them before me said they were! They do look a bit different from the non-gluten-free pretzels in that they are bigger in diameter. It's really not an issue (at least for me) since they have that familiar pretzel taste, crunch, and snap! Besides, it just means there's more pretzel-y goodness per bite.

Gluten-Free Turkeys 2010

December 03 2010 Food

The holidays are upon us, here's a list of turkeys that are gluten-free.

Always, always, always check the ingredient list!

Jenni-O Products.

Jenni-O is a Hormel Company. Hormel will clearly gluten (wheat, barley/malt, rye, oats).

Jenni-O's website shows a Gluten-Free icon on each GF product.