Gluten Free Charlotte: October 2012

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

"Sea Snax" a Healthy Snacking Alternative in Your GF World.......by Ann Oliphant, CNC

In the neverending quest for not just gluten-free but gluten-free and healthy snacks, I have recently come across what just may become your new snack-of-choice....Sea Snax. Yes, these little dark green sheets are seaweed and they are good!

Little, wispy sheets of slightly salty, goodness. Sea Snax come in handy little containers, perfect for packing in a lunch for work, school or travel. I like that while you are snacking you also are the recipent of some decent nutrition here! What other "snack" food packs a wallop of iodine? Iodine is sorely lacking in many of our diets and unfortunately iodized salt does not cut it, especially with so many on doctor's orders to lower sodium intake. Iodine is necessary, vital even, for thyroid function and breast health. You get approximately 15mcg. in a sheet of Nori. That's substantial! They are ofcourse also gluten free. Check out additonal nutritional value (tons of trace minerals) on their FAQ page at www.seasnax.com

Sea Snax also comes in a larger sheet...I can see using these on sandwiches; gluten free bread, avocado, sprouts...a littleVegenaise...good stuff! See their website for additional product line recipes.

You will also appreciate Sea Snax is Non-GMO verified. Sea Snax can be found at Whole Foods, Earth Fare and other natural foods stores in the area. Be sure and visit their website for the complete line of good-for-you snacks and order options.

Aside from the website above, follow Sea Snax on Twitter @SeaSnax and find them also on FB. You may become such the fanatic you feel compelled to purchase one of the SeaSnax hats or tees (available online).

Celiac Disease by the Numbers

1 out of every 133 Americans (about 3 million people) has CD.
97% of Americans estimated to have CD are not diagnosed.
CD has over 300 known symptoms although some people experience none.
Age of diagnosis is key: If you are diagnosed between age 2-4, your chance of getting an additional autoimmune disorder is 10.5%. Over the age of 20, that rockets up to 34%.
30% of the US population is estimated to have the genes necessary for CD.
2.5 babies are born every minute in the USA with the genetic makeup to have CD.
There are 15 states in the US with populations less than the total number of Celiacs in the US.
CD affects more people in the US than Crohn’s Disease, Cystic Fibrosis, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease combined.
500,000 new Celiac diagnoses are expected to occur in the US by 2012 -- thanks to efforts to raise public awareness of the disease.
People with CD dine out 80% less than they used to before diagnosis and believe less than 10% of eating establishments have a 'very good' or 'good' understanding of GF diets.
It takes an average of 11 years for patients to be properly diagnosed with CD even though a simple blood test exists.
The average cost of misdiagnosis is $5,000 - $12,000 per person per year. Improving the time to diagnosis could save the health care system millions of dollars annually in unnecessary medical care.
A recent study by Packaged Facts projects that the sales of GF food will reach $2.63 Billion by 2012.
GF foods are, on average, 242% more expensive then their non-GF counterparts.
The smallest amount of gluten which has been shown by a biopsy to cause damage to a Celiac is 0.1 gram per day - or 1/48th of a slice of bread.
The Food Allergen Labeling & Consumer Protection Act became law in 2006 allowing for easier reading of food labels for those with CD. What took so long?
12% of people in the US who have Down Syndrome also have CD.
6% of people in the US who have Type 1 Diabetes also have CD.
Among people who have a first-degree relative diagnosed with celiac, as many as 1 in 22 people may have the disease.
There are currently 0 drugs available to treat CD.