Nearly 250 people attended the annual Iowa Celiacs Connect conference in Cedar Rapids on Saturday, October 2, The theme was Connect With Healthy Living, and they were there to make connections and learn more about celiac disease, gluten intolerance, healthy lifestyle choices, gluten free foods and food preparation.
The keynote speaker was Peter H.R. Green, MD, founder of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University in New York and coauthor of Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic. He gave a clear and engaging talk describing celiac disease, testing for the condition, its incidence and other gluten-related conditions. Green stated that it is not known why the incidence of celiac disease is increasing. He also talked about the benefits of a strict gluten-free diet for those diagnosed with celiac disease. Green talked about future directions, which included the fact that with greater awareness of the condition there will be more diagnoses but also better services, more foods available and nondietary therapies. He suggested supporting celebrities who speak up about celiac disease, raising money for research centers and inviting doctors to speak up.
Other sessions took place throughout the day. Kathy Bargary of Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids gave a presentation about chronic disease self-management programs. Judy Fitzgibbons and Dee Sandquist, Hy-Vee dietitians, spoke about 10 "superfoods" to help increase nutrition for those on a gluten-free diet. Some of these were leafy greens, legumes, nuts, chia seeds and flax seeds for fiber and an Indian rice grain flour blend, Montina. Feryl York, Mrs. Iowa International, 2010 and exercise instructor talked about the importance of exercise. She described in particular the benefits of yoga and Pilates. Joseph Collins, RN, ND, talked about comorbidities with celiac disease. He described the importance of adequate vitamin D to avoid other autoimmune conditions. Finally, Sherry Roeder, cochair of the Cedar Rapids Celiac Connect Support Group, narrated a video demonstration of baking gluten-free cinnamon rolls.
Besides the speakers, there was a children's program, a vendor hall with over 40 booths, door prizes throughout the day and a generous gluten-free luncheon. The luncheon included beef and pork, vegetables, salads, a variety of homemade desserts and bread from Breads from Anna. The children's lunch was breaded chicken tenders, fries, choice of vegetable, and homemade applesauce.
This year's conference reached full registration, so those who want to attend next year should sign up as soon as possible when registration is announced on the Iowa State Celiac Conference Web page.
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