Gluten-free Diet : A Comprehensive Resource Guide book review

 

When someone is diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten intolerance in this country, their doctor is likely to tell them to look for information on the internet about how to follow the gluten-free diet. This is not a joke and it probably happens every week at the very least. In my case the doctor who called with my test results told me I could still eat corn, rice and potatoes and promptly hung up the phone. To say I was stunned by this lack of direction from my ex-doctor is quite an understatement.

The good news for me was that someone in the local support group told me about Shelley Case's book - Gluten-Free Diet : A Comprehensive Resource Guide. They said I must get that book and no other. The bad news was that the book was out of stock at both Amazon.com and the author's website. There were two used copies on Amazon which went for $50 and $100, plus shipping. I was already overwhelmed that my new gluten-free pasta cost twice that of gluten pasta so I waited until Amazon notified me that the new (third) edition of the Gluten-Free Diet  book was available for purchase. Thankfully it wasn't long before I had the hot reference guide in my hands.

It was so comforting to go through the pages of that fabulous book and find out there were many companies devoted to making gluten-free food. When one is first navigating the gluten-free world, all they can think about is everything they can not have. This guide proved to me that I would not have to do without most of my favorite foods. I'd just have to locate excellent gluten-free versions of them. While that is not an easy task in the beginning of this challenging journey, at least this informative guide gave me somewhere to start.

Shelley's latest (fourth) edition of Gluten-Free Diet : A Comprehensive Resource Guide (Revised and Expanded Edition) is even better than the last one, which is pretty hard to fathom. As laws and food manufacturing techniques continue to change, people on the gluten-free diet must keep up to date on the latest gluten-free news. That is the only way we can truly enjoy this lifestyle to the fullest.

Shelley Case has dedicated over fifteen years of her career as a nutritionist to help the gluten-free community be well informed consumers. You might wonder why the foremost authority on the gluten-free diet in North America is from Canada. The answer is obvious. Celiac and gluten intolerance were barely on the radar of most health professionals here just a few years ago. Since most doctors were not looking for celiac, few people were being diagnosed with it and therefore there was little need for nutritionists to help patients learn the gluten-free diet.

When Shelley started working with gluten-free patients many years ago, they all wanted the same thing - a list of everything they needed to know to learn their new way of life. The problem was there was no such list, book or guide available. The need of Shelley's patients gave birth to the idea of Gluten-Free Diet : A Comprehensive Resource Guide. The success of the book (and future editions of it) catapulted the nutritionist into being an internationally respected nutrition expert on celiac disease and the gluten-free diet. Her impressive bio is too lengthy to list here in full (read it in your copy of the book, page 10). Today in the U.S. there are many nutritionists learning about celiac and the gluten-free diet. Shelley Case is often a speaker at nutritionist conferences in the U.S. and Canada, teaching others about celiac and the gluten-free diet so they can help their patients better. She also speaks at celiac patient conferences as well as food industry conferences.       

Here are some of the topics covered in Gluten-Free Diet : A Comprehensive Resource Guide (Revised and Expanded  Edition)  

Celiac Disease and Dermatitis Herpeteformis ; explains both conditions in detail.

The Gluten-Free Diet ; defines gluten and the gluten-free diet in detail, the history of oats as related to the diet, confusing ingredients related to the diet, and gluten-free labeling laws in the U.S., Canada and Europe.

Nutrition and the Gluten-free Diet ; explains in detail what nutritional deficiencies people with celiac might have and what foods help balance things out, explains alternative flours including characteristics of each one and their nutritional values as all gluten-free flours are not created equal.

Gluten-free Cooking ; explains over 30 gluten-free flours, gluten-free baking tips and over 40 recipes (including a rather famous gluten-free pizza crust!).

Gluten-Free Shopping and Cross-contamination ; includes helpful hints for both issues and explains where to find other tools to make these tasks easier.

Gluten-Free Resources ; includes websites links for celiac organizations all over the world, gluten-free travel and eating out resources, allergy resources, pharmaceutical resources (how to find the gluten-free status of medications - not a pill for celiac) and resources for health professionals.

Gluten-Free Products ; lists over 3100 foods by company and product name (if it's gluten-free and available in this country, it's likely listed in this exhaustively researched section of the book ).

Gluten-Free Bakeries, Stores and Distributors ; lists over 270 companies in the U.S. and Canada (the majority are in the U.S), including 50 gluten-free bakeries, and 25 retail stores that sell only gluten-free products (no label reading required!).

Here is what some well respected professionals in the celiac community have to say about the book and author:

 "Shelley's book is a tremendous guide for the celiac community and a well-researched tool that be trusted as you manage a gluten-free diet." ---- Vanessa Maltin - Author of Beyond Rice Cakes and Food & Lifestyle Editor for Delight Gluten Free magazine.

"Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide is a must have for all dietitians. It is the most detailed and accurate source of information about the gluten-free diet available. Gluten-free consumers love this book." --- Cynthia Kupper, RD, Executive Director - Gluten Intolerance Group of North America.
 

“A most comprehensive book that provides a wealth of critically important information for anyone who lives the gluten-free lifestyle. Get a copy right away; it will become your main resource for all your gluten-free questions.” --- Carol Fenster, Author of 1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes (Wiley, 2008) and founder of Savory Palate, Inc.

"Shelley's book is stuffed with practical information and helpful hints. I consult it frequently and have learned more about the gluten-free diet from it than from any other single resource." --- Lani K. Thompson, Publisher, Clan Thompson Gluten-Free Databases.   

"There are few people more knowledgeable about the gluten-free diet than Shelley Case. She covers the questionable ingredients, ingredients that shouldn't be questioned, as well as the intricacies of the diet. Her book is the premiere resource for anyone wanting to know what they can and can't eat when living a gluten-free lifestyle." --- Danna Korn, Author of  Living Gluten-Free for Dummies and Founder, R.O.C.K. (Raising Our Celiac Kids). 

"The only experience better than reading Shelley's incredibly detailed book is seeing her in person giving one of her outstanding lectures." --- Cynthia S. Rudert, M.D., Medical Advisor: Celiac Disease Foundation, Medical Advisor: Gluten Intolerance Group, Medical Director: Atlanta Metro Celiacs.

Whether you are new to the gluten-free world or just need a refresher course about what is and isn't allowed on the gluten-free diet, this guide is a 'must have' book. Come to think of it, most doctors could learn a thing (or 100 things) from this book. Maybe you just want to know where to find certified gluten-free oats, mini powdered doughnuts or Cheeze-It type crackers - it's all in this national best seller! 

Tiffany also writes the Gluten-Free Travel Examiner page. 

For more info: Gluten-Free Diet : A Comprehensive Resource Guide is also available at Amazon.com.