Today, September 13, 2011 is National Celiac Disease Awareness Day. I am doing my part to help spread awareness by partnering with LUNA to offer one lucky reader a sampling of their new gluten-free protein bars! But first, the awareness part.
One of my favorite websites for Celiac Disease awareness is the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness or NFCA for short. Whenever I want to reference technical information about Celiac Disease, that is the site I always refer to. It is so important to help spread the word so that people out there who are needlessly suffering can be helped. I am sure with rising awareness most of us know someone, in real life, with Celiac Disease outside of our immediate family. Do you know someone who hasn’t been feeling well, but can’t really figure out why? Send them to this symptom checklist and have them browse the website.
Now, for the down & dirty facts:
Celiac and Gluten-Free Fast Facts:
- Celiac disease is an autoimmune digestive disease that damages the villi of the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food.
- One in 133 Americans have celiac disease.
- An estimated 3 million Americans across all races, ages and genders suffer from celiac.
- 95% of celiacs are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other conditions. (Source: Fasano A, et al. Arch Intern Med. 2003;163:286-292.)
- 6-10 years is the average time a person waits to be correctly diagnosed. (Source: Daniel Leffler, MD, MS, The Celiac Center at Beth Israel Deaconness Medical Center)
- 5-22% of celiac patients have an immediate family member (1st degree relative) who also has celiac.
- Celiac disease can lead to a number of other disorders including infertility, reduced bone density, neurological disorders, some cancers, and other autoimmune diseases.
Learn more about Related Diseases »(source)
Another favorite website is 1in133. They have successfully helped to re-open the Gluten-Free Labeling proposal for an additional 60 day comment period. Want to help? Complete this form & submit before October 3, 2011.
LUNA is now offering 5 gluten-free protein bars. I am a huge fan of these bars and like to use them after my long runs to get a quick burst of protein within that important window. I will usually eat one of these bars while I am driving home and then eat my real breakfast an hour or so later. The bars come in 5 flavors: mint chocolate chip (hello Thin Mint!), peanut butter chocolate, cookie dough, chocolate and chocolate cherry almond. One lucky reader will win a sampling of all 5 bars to try! All you have to do is follow the directions below in the Rafflecopter box. The giveaway will run until Monday night at midnight.
My son and me, November 2000. This is before we were gluten-free/diagnosed Celiac.
every day should be National Celiac Disease Awareness Day!
I agree!
I'd love to try and Mint Chocolate Chip or the Chocolate Peanut Butter! To "celebrate Celiac Disease Awareness day" I brought in Pamelas Ginger Snaps and put a little "poster" up on my desk counter explaining about Celiac Disease…doing my part to help spread the word!
Those are the same too I was looking at! To celebrate we went to Whole Foods and raided there fresh cookies section: almond horns, chocolate sandwich cookies and more!
I wish they would make bars without chocholate. I am so allergic and cannot find a decent bar that does not have any chocholate in it or a form or it.
Have you tried Zing Bars? The almond blueberry & cranberry orange are free of chocolate (the almond blueberry does have dairy, but the CO does not).
http://zingbars.com/
I, too, would love to try the Mint Chocolate Chip and my daughter would love to try the Chocolate PB. It's hard to find a yummy and healthy one. Thanks for promoting Celiac awareness! So much appreciated from a family of Celilacs!
Thanks for the info
I'm not an officially diagnosed celiac, as I was already eating GF when tested. But I have seen a HUGE difference in quality of life since going GF. I can make it through the day without being nauseous, I don't have a weird rash anymore, my acid reflux is virtually gone, my intestinal system is happy, and I feel like a normal person. So happy that I feel "normal" after being sick for 9 years!
[...] And another chance to win Luna bars at Gluten Free is Life! [...]
I live with three celiacs and all of them love Mint Chocolate Chip wherever and whenever they can find it! Thanks so much for this info!
I would most like to try Chocolate Cherry Almond
*Thanks* for the giveaway!
I LOVE the cookie dough one!!
So the chocolate one is one of the few flavors I find edible during my very long bouts of morning sickness (who needs to eat before 5 PM). I also really want to try cookie dough.
Oh man, I am so excited to see this. I definitely want to try Mint Chocolate Chip.
I've never tried these, but the cookie dough looks good!
The chocolate cherry almond Lara bar sounds great.
Chocolate!
I would love to try the chocolate bar.
Thank-you for the chance.
Lisa
Gluten Free
Heatlhy Living
I love apple pie!
I meant the vanilla almond with apple pie lol
I would like to try cookie dough or chocolate peanut butter.
I would love to try the choc peanut butter. Sounds great!
I love the chocolate peanut butter!
amoeidson(at)yahoo(dot)com
we would love to try these!
we would love to try cookie dough!
I would like to try the chocolate cherry almond! yum!!
The chocolate peanut butter and "thin mint" ones sound great. 200 calories. Not bad.
[...] [...]
I would love to try the PB chocolate. Anything with PB and chocolate tastes good!
Yumm, they all look good but you have me intrigued with the mint chocolate chip / Thin Mint comparison. I never thought of mint in a protein bar, but that would definitely be a favorite.
Wow – they all look good. I'm thinking either the chocolate peanut butter or cookie dough look the best. How to decide from so many awesome flavors?
[...] [...]