Gini Warner - The Gluten-Free Edge: Get Skinny the Gluten-Free Way!

Gini Warner and Ross Harris's book, The Gluten-Free Edge, is a wonderful compilation of fabulous recipes for managing a delicious gluten-free lifestyle. This cook-book offers both adults and children a wonderful way to enjoy a gluten-free diet.

People who suffer from gluten intolerance are unable to process the gluten that exists in their foods. Gluten is the term for the storage protein of wheat. There are similar proteins, to which people with celiac disease react, found in rye and barley. As a result, the latter two grains are included in the grains to be avoided when an individual is on a gluten-free diet. All other grains are tolerated by over 99 percent of those with celiac disease. Gluten intolerance can be traced to the fact that the human digestive system does not break down gluten as thoroughly as other proteins, leaving large amino acid fragments. In genetically predisposed people, these fragments trigger an inflammatory response in the small intestine that causes villous atrophy. This mechanism is more fully described in the book I coauthored, Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic.

Gluten intolerance manifests in several forms, as gluten sensitive enteropathy, or celiac disease; dermatitis herpetiformis, or DH; or gluten intolerance without celiac disease. Gluten sensitive enteropathy, or celiac disease, is a lifelong, unique autoimmune illness. It occurs in about 1 percent of the population, worldwide. There is little knowledge among physicians about the subtle clinical presentations, use of serologic testing, and long-term management. In addition to a gluten-free diet, those with celiac disease require advice and counseling about nutritious and varied substitutes for gluten (similar to the ingredients described in this book), assessment and monitoring of their health and nutrition status, and good medical follow-up for their disease, as those with celiac disease have an increased burden of disease compared to the general population. Patients in the United States often get no or inadequate medical follow-up. This compares dramatically with the health-care systems in most European countries, where celiac disease is regarded as a common and important condition. It is only with good, ongoing medical care, and great attention to a varied and nutritious diet, that an adequate quality of life can be maintained. Many people worldwide have adopted a gluten-free diet. For those with celiac disease, this diet can be lifesaving, while others simply find that the relief from gastrointestinal or neurological symptoms makes their life much more comfortable.

The Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University provides comprehensive medical care for adults and pediatric patients with celiac disease, including nutrition and attention to the multiple associated conditions that occur in celiac disease. The center is involved in the care of thousands of patients with celiac disease and gluten intolerance, providing better access to proper testing, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care.