Parents are really good at asking doctors questions about their kid's health, but do we always let our kids speak up and ask what's on their mind? Today we  are letting them do just that! We have a very special episode that features some of our loyal podcast listeners…all adorable kids who have some burning questions for doctors about celiac disease and the gluten-free diet.  And of course, we have two fabulous physicians joining us to answer these questions, Dr. Danny Mallon, the director of the Celiac Disease Program at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Dr. Ritu Verma, the director of the Celiac Disease Center at the University of Chicago.

Our podcasts about research are often are the most popular, so hopefully today’s will also deliver. Today’s topic explores another often-misunderstood condition Postural Tachycardia Syndrome or (POTS) as it often called - and its possible connection to celiac disease. This is a condition that presents with a variety of symptoms that can be difficult to diagnose – like chronic fatigue, lightheadedness, fainting, an uncomfortable, rapid increase in heartbeat when standing up, and a range of GI symptoms. POTS has even been referred to as the “invisible disease.” Today we want to discuss the gastrointestinal symptoms associated with this condition and its possible link with celiac disease.  We have a team of fantastic experts with us here in the studio to help us better understand POTS and the studies linking it to celiac disease. We have Dr. Jeffrey Moak, the director of electrophysiology and pacing in the department of cardiology at Children’s National Hospital and Dr. Jocelyn Silvester, the director of research for the Celiac Program at Boston Children’s Hospital. Studies referred to during the episode https://jnnp.bmj.com/content/jnnp/76/4/579.full.pdf https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25554987/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6314490/ https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.119.013602 Thank you to the Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

There was so much knowledge, research, and collaboration at the 2019 International Celiac Disease Symposium in Paris, France. To breakdown some of the major themes from the conference, Vanessa has three experts in the studio: Dr. Jocelyn Silvester from Boston Children's Hospital, Dr. Ritu Verma from the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center, and Dr. Benny Kerzner from Children's National Medical Center.  After the group shares some of the big takeaways from the conference, they dive into a discussion about the gluten-free bakery tour they went on with a group of pediatric gastroenterologists from around the United States. Here were their favorites spots:  Helmut Newcake: http://www.helmutnewcake.com/ Chambelland: https://chambelland.com/en/ Yummy and Guilt-Free: https://www.yummyandguiltfree.com/  Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

The field of psychology and how it relates to gastroenterology is rapidly expanding and today we are going to talk all about it...or more specifically, psycho-gastroenterology. To explain the intricacies of this unique field, we’ve got Dr. Shayna Coburn from our Celiac Disease Program at Children’s National in the studio. Dr. Coburn runs the psychological services for our Program which includes offering consultations and empirically-supported interventions to help families navigate the challenges of diagnosis of celiac disease and management of the gluten-free diet. She also lives a gluten-free lifestyle herself, so she is very equipped to help navigate this topic!  During the episode we talk about three resources. Here are the links:  Psychology Today Find a Psychologist: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us  Celiac and Psychology Free Online Continuing Education Program: http://www.celiacpsychce.org/  Rome Foundation Psycho-Gastroenterology Directory: https://romegipsych.org  Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

One of the most difficult times to be diagnosed with celiac disease is during your teen years. We see patients at Children's National on a regular basis in the clinic struggling with the challenges of being a teenager and dealing with the gluten-free diet at the same time. To help our teens feel more connected and supported, we have our awesome teen mentor Chloe in the studio with us. One of Chloe's summer projects was working on a guide for teens and she's here to talk all about it! 

There were hundreds of presentations at Digestive Disease Week and Vanessa and Sandy were there for many of them. They've pulled together some of their favorites and in this episode are talking about a lively debate between Dr. Edwin Liu from Colorado Children's Hopital and Dr. Benjamin Lebwohl from Columbia University's Celiac Disease Center about the pros and cons of mass screening for celiac disease. Additionally they dive into a study looking at the economic impact of celiac disease in regards to health care utilization, and the reliabilty of patients predicting a gluten exposure. It's a fabulous episode!  Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

Vanessa and Sandy are live at Digestive Disease Week meeting with doctors, researchers and patient advocacy groups about the latest and greatest developments about celiac disease and related autoimmune conditions. In this Live from Digestive Disease Week episode they sit down with Dr. Jocelyn SIlvester from Boston Children's Hospital to discuss a quote from Dr. Peter Green, "Patients with celiac disease deserve a medication."  Tune in to see what they have to say about this bold statement and very hot topic! 

Today’s podcast hits on an important topic that comes up regularly in the media. We hear lots of news reports about people going on a gluten-free diet when they don’t need to be medically. We most often think about this as happening in adults, but a study led by a team of researchers at the Mayo Clinic now reports this is happening amongst school age children as well.  To share more with our listeners about this controversial topic, I have Dr. Imad Absah in the studio with me. Dr. Absah is a pediatric gastroenterologist at the Mayo Clinic and a leader of the Gluten-Free Diet in School Aged Children in Olmsted County, Minnesota study that was published in the Avicenna Journal of Medicine.   Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

We're certain that many of our listeners have heard the debates about the merits and downfalls of having a gluten sensing device, like Nima. Do they actually provide peace of mind or make users even more anxious? And, do they really work? We're here today to discuss the results of a recent study that measures exactly that. To share more with our listeners about this controversial topic, I have Dr. Randi Wolf in the studio with me. Dr. Wolf is a faculty member and researcher at Teachers College at Columbia University. She was a leader of the Benefits and Barriers to Portable Gluten Detection study that was published in a recent issue of the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.  To learn more about the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and find information about various studies underway, please visit:  celiacdiseasecenter.columbia.edu. Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible.  Photo Credit: NIMA Website: https://nimasensor.com/blog/ 

This week's podcast is about an issue we see frequently in the Celiac Clinic at Children's National. Getting access to safe gluten-free food in schools. For the last 10 years, our Celiac Program has worked with patients and families to set up accommodations in schools and there is a huge range in the availability and accommodations offered in the school districts local to us here in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia, but also around the country. Listen in as Vanessa and Joyana discuss gluten-free food in schools and how to gain access to options for your child through setting up a 504 plan.  Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

Today’s podcast is an exciting one. We've talked about gluten-free traveling before and the risks associated with it. But today we're going to discuss an almost entirely carefree travel opportunity. Can you even imagine boarding a cruise ship where you know they are stocked up with gluten-free options?  To share more with our listeners about this amazing opportunity, we have Maureen Basye in the studio. Maureen is a celiac travel specialist and the founder of the inaugural gluten-free cruise with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.  Now, in full disclosure, Maureen asked Vanessa to be a speaker on the trip, so if you end up joining us, you’ll get to hang out with her too! To learn more about the voyage, please visit www.celiaccruise.com  Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

Today’s podcast is going to shed light on the concept of the microbiome and its possible link to the brain and disorders like dementia and Parkinson's. For years we've heard that our diets could possibly be linked to different diseases...but connections between our guts and our brains? How can that be? To help our listeners better understand what the microbiome really is and these possible connections to brain disorders, we have Dr. Aline Charabaty in the studio. Dr. Charabaty is the Director of the Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease at Sibley Memorial Hospital  - Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Washington, DC and very knowledgeable on the microbiome. Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

Today we are talking about the recent Celiac Disease Symposium at the Columbia Celiac Disease Center. This biennial event hosts two forums, one scientific and one clinical, and attracts, researchers, physicians, patients, parents, and nutritionists from around the world. It’s an amazing time to come together to learn, see old friends and make some new ones. Unfortunately, this year because of the Corona virus, the conference had a last-minute shift and only the speakers were able to gather in New York City. Thankfully the organizers (Dr. Peter Green and his team) were able to set up a web-based service so that the attendees could tune in via live stream and still partake in the incredible sharing of knowledge.  Since we know many of our listeners were unable to attend, we are going to do a recap of the conference today on the podcast and talk about some of the big topics with one of our favorite guests, Dr. Jocelyn Silvester from Boston Children’s Hospital. Thank you to the Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

Today’s podcast is about advances in new ways to diagnose celiac disease. One thing we struggle a lot with is making sure that people are getting a proper celiac disease diagnosis before starting a gluten-free diet. Often times patients will go on a gluten-free diet to try it out to see if symptoms improve…they all of a sudden feel great so go to the doctor to get tested, only to learn that they can’t actually get tested for celiac unless they are eating gluten…..But a new test is hoping to change that by allowing for celiac screening while someone is on a gluten-free diet.  To help our listeners better understand this new test, we have Dr. Jocelyn Silvester…a gastroenterologist from Boston Children’s Hospital in the studio with us today. Dr. Silvester is a true leader in the celiac disease community and is working on new research herself about the future of diagnostic tests. Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

Today's podcast is dedicated to our wonderful patients and families at Children's National. A few months ago, we did a Hot Topics podcast answering some of the most common questions we hear in the Clinic. That podcast was so well-received, we wanted to follow up with another one. So, we asked you all to email us your questions and you definitely did! Here are all of the answers!  Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

Today’s podcast is about a topic that that is very important in the lives of people with celiac….genetics. Close to 40 percent of the population in America carries these genes, but only 3 percent of them go on to develop celiac...why would they do so?  And, we have lots of families who regularly ask us if they carry the gene if they should just go gluten-free to prevent getting celiac disease. Is this right?  To help our listeners better understand celiac genetic testing, I have Dr. Benny Kerzner in the studio with me. Dr. Kerzner is not only a leader in the global celiac disease community, but the also the medical director of our Celiac Program here at Children’s National.  Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

Traveling is such an incredible part of life. There are so many sights around the world and thankfully, there are also lots of places with amazing gluten-free options. To discuss some of the best (and worst) destinations, we've got the Gluten-Free Globetrotter Erin Smith! She's an avid travler and has lots of wisdom to pass along!  Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

With $6.00 loaves of bread and pasta that's double the price as it's gluten-containing counterparts, sticking to a gluten-free diet can become quite an expensive task. To help our listeners keep some extra change in their pockets, we've got Beth Moncel of Budget Bytes in the studio today to discuss lots of money saving tips for gluten-free consumers.  Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

Today’s podcast is all about meal delivery services. For those of you who have been listening since the beginning of our Podcast, you may remember the one last spring where we talked about Hello Fresh, Blue Apron and Terras Kitchen. We received so many great comments about that episode that we decided to do an update and include even more services that offer gluten-free meal delivery options including Plated and Sunbasket. We know how busy you all are and how helpful it can be to find some convenient options to make the hectic dinner process a little bit easier. Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

Can kids be exposed to gluten at school? During this week's podcast, Vanessa and Joyana discuss an exciting project that hopes to determine the potential levels of gluten exposure for kids with celiac disease in a school setting. Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

Today’s podcast is about how celiac disease may affect pregnancy for women. Our guest is the Dr. Louise Grode from the Department of Medicine at Horsens Regional Hospital in Denmark who is the lead author on a new study published in the journal Human Reproduction. The study team looked at the chance and timing of pregnancy as well as potential complications including live and stillbirths, molar and ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages, and found an increased risk of stillbirths and miscarriages in women with undiagnosed celiac disease. We are so excited to have Dr. Grode join us to talk about this important research and how women with celiac disease can plan to have successful pregnancies. Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

Today’s podcast is all about parenting a child with celiac disease. We know this is a super important topic to many of our listeners - you're working everyday to help your kids understand the lifelong need for a gluten-free diet and how to navigate different social situations. Thankfully there are many parents who have gone through this already and two of them are joining us in the studio today to talk about their journey of raising kids with celiac disease. We have Katie Rothenberg who is mom to 7-year-old Nadia and Jon Landy who is dad to a teenager, Matthew. Both are members of the Celiac Program Advisory Board at Children’s National and we are so glad to have them joining us to share their experiences of strategies that were great, and some that they might change in the future. Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

Today’s podcast is all about natural ways to boost important nutrients in our diet, specifically iron, calcium, vitamin D and magnesium. This is especially important for patients with celiac disease who may be nutrient deficient. To help us dive into the topic, we have Dietitan Kathleen Walters in the studio to talk about these specific nutrients and foods that contain lots of them.  Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

Todays’ topic is about the recent “Doggie Bag” study published in the journal Gastroenterology, that suggests that a truly “gluten-free diet may be more aspirational than achievable.” We talk a lot about strict gluten-free diets on the podcast, but this study points out that even at our strictest, we may still be exposed to gluten.   To help us better understand why this is and what it means for the future of patients with celiac disease, we have Dr. Jocelyn Silvester from Boston Children’s Hospital in the studio. Dr. Silvester is the lead researcher on the study and one of our favorite podcast guests!

Today’s podcast is very special! We are excited to welcome two of our teen mentors from the Celiac Program at Children’s National onto the show! Joining us in the studio are Dana Musser and Miranda Neusner. Both were diagnosed with celiac disease at a very young age and have expertly navigated their gluten-free diets through various stages of childhood. They are loaded with awesome tips for teens living a gluten-free lifestyle and we so thrilled that they are sharing their experiences about dining in restaurants, going on dates, and participating in school activities with all of our listeners.  Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

Today’s podcast is a very special interview with a family who has been close to our celiac program for over a decade! Abe Kuhn was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2001 when he was just a tiny little boy with many health issues. Now, 17 years later, Abe is a thriving college student, basketball player and a peer mentor children with celiac disease. Today Abe is going to talk to us about the college search process and what the last two years have been like for him being on his own at school. We also have Abe’s mom and dad in the studio to talk about the experience of being parents of a child with celiac and sending him off to college.  Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

Today’s podcast is about empowering young children with celiac disease to own their celiac disease through reading. Author Kaitlin Puccio is in the studio to talk with us about her book, The Adventures of Celia Kaye and her mission to encourage children with celiac disease not to see their condition as a limitation, rather as an inspiration. Her book is about a little girl has celiac disease and believes she needs to hide it from her friends. She goes to great lengths to keep her diagnosis a secret by becoming a storyteller.  Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

Today’s podcast is about the connection between our bellies and our brains. While it seems like the two are totally different parts of our bodies, they are actually very closely connected and the food we eat can dramatically affect how our brains function. To help us better understand this fascinating topic, we have Dr. Ilana Kahn in the studio. Dr. Kahn is the Clinical Director of Neuroimmunology at Children’s National Medical Center and is currently leading a research team investigating the link between celiac disease and neurological conditions. My co-host Ellen Wilcox sat down with Dr. Kahn. Take it away Ellen! Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible.   

Today’s podcast is about new devices that will allow people to measure the amount of gluten they are consuming without drawing blood and instead looking at gluten that is excreted in urine and stool. To help our listeners better understand these devices, how to use them and current research underway to validate their effectiveness, we have Dr. Jocelyn Silvester from Boston Children’s Hospital in the studio. Dr. Silvester is a leader in the celiac disease community and just finished a fascinating study called the DOGGIE Bag Study that looked at the gluten content in the urine and stool of patients with celiac disease as well as measured the gluten levels in the food they ate on correlating days. We know you'll be just as interested in her work as we are! Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

Bring on the questions! We get so many questions here at Children's National that we decided to dedicate and entire podcast episode to answering them! Vanessa and Joyana will answer questions about gluten in medications in the emergency room, package labeling on cookies, kissing your boyfriend, proteins in grains, cleaning your kitchen, gluten in laundry detergent and the use of hand sanitizer at school.  If more questions come up, be sure to send them to celiac@childrensnational.org.  Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

You may have seen the recent headlines about a new study showing that women with celiac disease could be twice as likely as the general population to develop anorexia. For this particular study, researchers looked at more than 100,000 women and found that women over the age of 20 with celiac disease were doubly likely to develop anorexia later in life and women diagnosed before the age of 19 were nearly 5 times more likely to be diagnosed with anorexia than healthy women.  To help us better understand these staggering rates of disordered eating in women living with celiac disease, we’ve got Dr. Rose-Marie Satherly from the Department of Life Sciences and Medicine at King’s College in the studio. Dr. Satherly’s research is focused on the link between celiac and disordered eating and we are truly excited to learn from her today!  Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

For many children, attending summer camp is the best part of their childhood. They make lifelong friends, go on incredible adventures and eat tasty treats like s’mores around the campfire! For some kids, being diagnosed with celiac disease and needing to be on a gluten-free diet can put a slight snag in summer plans. But, today’s guest is here to tell us that the gluten-free diet should not interfere with your summer fun…and in fact, every child can experience one of childhood’s most fun rites of passage! We are so excited to have Anne Tursky the assistant executive director of the New Jersey Y Camps and Pninit Cole, a gluten-free advocate, as well as an NJY Camp parent who's daughter has celiac disease. Anne and Pin spearheaded the gluten-free program at NJY Camps where kids can enjoy a safe, tasty and super fun summer.  Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

Recent studies have shown that people living with celiac disease have an increased risk of developing heart disease. One study published last year that looked at adults -  found that patients with celiac disease were almost twice as likely as healthy individuals to develop cardiovascular disease. Another study published in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition looked at adolescents and found that by age 17, the prevalence of risk factors for heart disease was higher in adolescents with celiac disease than the general population. So, what is the connection between our guts and our hearts? To help us dive into this topic we have Dr. Michele Mietus-Snyder, a preventive cardiologist from Children’s National Medical Center in the studio.  Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

We all know that the only treatment for celiac disease is a lifelong gluten-free diet and that cheating regularly can lead to long-term health complications like malnourishment and other autoimmune disorders. We hear our doctors telling us constantly that even a small amount of gluten can cause damage to the gut, but is it possible for our gluten-free diets to become overly strict and lead to being unhappy? Perhaps… According to a new study published in January, people with celiac disease who are extremely vigilant about not eating gluten may be more anxious, exhausted and report an overall lower quality of life.  To help us discuss this study and how to strict we really need to be, we have Dr. Randi Wolf from Teacher’s College at Columbia University in the studio. Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

Education is really important when it comes to living with a chronic disease. With celiac disease, patients and their families have to keep up reading food labels, new food products, changing food products, drug development, and research. Medical providers have to stay current on new testing methods, guidelines for managing the disease, and all of the food stuff too in order to help patients manage the gluten-free diet. It’s a lot!  On this episode of the podcast, we're sitting down with Dr. Alan Leichtner, the Chief Medical Education Officer at Boston Children’s Hospital to discuss celiac disease education. He’s going to talk to us about education of patients and families as well as education of medical professionals…and he’s going to answer some of our listener questions about what to do if you think your doctor needs a little beefing up on celiac disease!  Links we talk about on the episode:  NASPGHAN Clinical Guide: https://naspghan.org/professional-resources/medical-professional-resources/celiac-disease/  Evidence-Informed Recommendations for the Management of Celiac Disease in Children: https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/138/3/e20153147Celiac Disease Foundation: https://celiac.org/about-celiac-disease/what-is-celiac-disease/

When Vanessa was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2004, going to college on a gluten-free diet was a difficult experience. She remembers the extremely limited options available at her university and how hard it was to find safe food. But, 14 years later, times have definitely changed and now colleges and universities are developing outstanding gluten-free programs to keep their students with celiac disease well fed and very culinarily happy! To talk about going to college on a gluten-free diet and how the University of Connecticut has set up a comprehensive gluten-free program, we've got Robert Landolphi in the studio. After hearing what he has to say, you'll want to go back to college just to eat in his gluten-free dining halls!  Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

Do vaccines contain gluten? During today's podcast we're going to discuss whether or not vaccines are safe for people living with celiac disease. While the truth is that vaccines do not contain any form of gluten, it turns out that according to a new study, about one quarter of people with celiac disease and more than 40 percent of people with a gluten sensitivity do not believe that vaccines are safe for people on a gluten-free diet. And, a large percentage of these folks are forgoing critically important vaccinations like the flu vaccine because of misinformation. To discuss this new study and where some of the misconceptions are coming from, we've got Dr. Benjamin Lebwohl in the studio. He's the director of clinical research at the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University and very involved in the gluten-free community.  Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

There is so much information floating around the world wide web about celiac disease and so much of it is conflicting. We're talking about things like “does my child need a biopsy if they have a positive blood test for celiac disease. It seems like such an invasive procedure that they don’t really need.” Or, “what does genetic testing actually mean?” And, should doctors across medical disciplines be routinely screening for celiac disease even if their patients don’t have obvious symptoms.  To discuss these controversies, we've got two of the top celiac disease physicians in the world in the studio -  Dr. Ivor Hill is the Director of the Celiac Disease Center and Section Chief of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. And, Dr. Benny Kerzner is the medical director of our Celiac Disease Program here at Children’s National!  Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

When you’re diagnosed with celiac disease, you typically think of gluten as being in food, but it’s important to remember that gluten can hide in other products like prescription drugs, over the counter medications and nutritional supplements. Until recently, few regulations were in place to help consumers with celiac disease identify gluten in their medicines. But new steps by the FDA may help make the process easier to determine the gluten-free status of a drug. To help us discuss this important topic, we’ve got Dr. Steve Plogsted in the studio. He’s a clinical pharmacist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and maintains the GlutenFreeDrugs.com website. Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

Why do some people develop celiac disease and others don't? We know there is a genetic component with the HLA genes and some environmental factors, but to date, researchers are still unclear why exactly the disease develops. To help dive into this topic, we have Dr. Maureen Leonard, the clinical director for the Center for Celiac Research and Treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital in the studio. Dr. Leonard is leading a team of researchers as they investigate how our genetics and environmental factors affect the development celiac disease in hopes of predicting who will get the disease…and they’re doing it by looking at babies.  Thank you to the Walter and Jean Boek Global Autoimmune Institute for their ongoing support to make this podcast possible. 

Many of us travel to see family and friends for the holidays. It is already a stressful time with traveling and being out of our comfort zones. But for people with celiac disease, we have an added challenge. Staying in homes that are most often not gluten-free. So how do we navigate these situations? What can we do to prepare to be a gluten-free house guest? To help talk about this topic, we’ve got the Gluten-Free Globetrotter Erin Smith in the studio. Erin is an expert at traveling and staying outside her comfort zones while maintaining her gluten-free lifestyle. She is here today to share some of her best tips for staying safe as a gluten-free house guest.

With thousands of gluten-free products on grocery store shelves, how do you pick the best? Josh Scheiffer from the Gluten-Free Buyers Guide had this same thought and nearly a decade later he's mastered helping consumers connect with the tastiest products on the marketplace. Through a product nomination process and allowing over 3,000 gluten-free individuals to cast their ballots, the Gluten-Free Buyers Guide narrows down the best and most delicious products in over 60 categories! Josh is in the studio to talk more about it.

Whether it's gluten-free, a nut allergy or a sensitivity to dairy, lots of families are juggling multiple food intolerances during the holidays. To help our listeners plan for a tasty holiday season, we've got Jaimie Mertz from the Red Bandana Bakery in the studio to discuss the opening of her new bakery in Bethesda, MD and how she is able to expertly bake for customers with a variety of special diets. 

Several laws offer protection for people living with celiac disease, like the Affordable Care Act, the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act and the Gluten-Free Food Labeling Law. To help our listeners better understand these protections, we've brought Janelle Smith from the Celiac Disease Foundation into our studio to discuss the laws and how they can help (or potentially hurt) individuals with celiac disease. 

Eating outside of the home, especially in restaurants, can be a difficult experience for people living a gluten-free lifestyle. Cross-contamination happens regularly and even at restaurants with gluten-free menus, busy kitchens and poor communication can sometimes lead to mistakes. On this episode of the podcast, Carla Borsoi from NIMA sensor joins us to discuss the new NIMA device and how it is helping customers determine if the food they receive in a restaurant is really gluten-free. 

Food bullying. It can range from teasing others at school or online in social media groups, to kids throwing bread at children with celiac disease. In many cases it’s parents that are doing the bullying...But how do you address this problem? As the issue has come up numerous times in the past few weeks in our Celiac Clinic at Children's National Hospital, we wanted to address it on the podcast. Joining Vanessa in the studio are two of the CNMC community education specialists, Kate Raber and Joyana McMahon.  Links in Episode:  The Princess and the Peanut Allergy: https://www.amazon.com/Princess-Peanut-Allergy-Wendy-McClure/dp/0807566233Can I Have Some Cake Too? https://www.amazon.com/Have-Story-about-Allergies-Friendship/dp/1935914286What Treat Can Ruben Eat? https://www.amazon.com/What-Treat-Can-Ruben-Eat/dp/1481753762Pediatrics study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3529950/    

There are more than 20 innovative therapies under development for treating celiac disease including a vaccine, enzyme therapies and other drugs. Celiac Disease Foundation CEO Marilyn Geller joins our Children's National team in the podcast studio to discuss how these therapies are being studied and why patient involvement in research is crucial to their development. Vanessa and Marilyn discuss the importance of patients joining clinical trials and how the Celiac Disease Foundation's iCureCeliac patient registry is helping researchers advance these important therapies. 

As a parent, it's never easy to hear that your child has a chronic medical condition like celiac disease. Parents often feel overwhelmed, sad, anxious and extremely guilty, especially when their child is diagnosed with a genetic condition that they may have passed on to them. To help parents cope with these feelings and help their families adjust to the gluten-free lifestyle, we've brought Dr. Shayna Coburn from Children's National Health System into the podcast studio to talk about managing emotions and determining when it's time to seek professional help. 

How are restaurants trained to prepare gluten-free food? Is serving gluten-free options helping them increase profits? In this episode of the podcast, Kim Koeller from Gluten-Free Passport discusses the proper practices for a restaurant to offer gluten-free food and how customers can make sure they are dining at a venue that can safely accommodate their dietary needs.

Meal delivery services are popping up like hot cakes and claiming to cater to various lifestyles, but are they suitable for a gluten-free diet? On this episode of the podcast, Vanessa talks about her experiences with three different services and how they accommodate (or don't accommodate) gluten-free diets, the costs, and pros/cons of various services. Note: The Celiac Program Children's National Health System does not support or endorse any of these services. The information in this podcast is purely informational to help individuals living a gluten-free lifestyle determine the proper questions to ask to ensure a safe gluten-free meal.