Gluten Free Travel Blog

Special Offer to Try CeliAct: Gluten Free Vitamins developed to support the health of those with Celiac Disease

I've always been a big believer in vitamins. I take them. My kids take them (despite our pediatrician telling me years ago that I was wasting my money). And when our son was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, it added several more reasons to continue investing in our kids' heath with vitamins. 

After all, people with Celiac, whose digestive systems have been compromised (in some cases, for many years), need to heal their gut. And it doesn't hurt to have a bit of extra support in that department, beyond the gluten-free diet. Couple that with the fact that gluten-free breads and cereals are not fortified with added vitamins and minerals the way "regular" breads and cereals are, and you see how people on gluten-free diets can greatly benefit from supplementing. 

Perhaps you're already taking what you believe is a good multivitamin. Perhaps you've added targeted supplements for bone health, cardiovascular support, or digestive support. Hopefully you've confirmed with the manufacturers that all your supplements are gluten-free. And chances are, you're spending a good bit of money on all those pills.

Have you ever wished someone would "put it all together" and formulate a supplement geared to Celiacs and others following gluten-free diets...one that includes everything you need in areas you may be deficient...and one that promotes optimal health and vitality? 

Recently, that wish came true for many with the launch of a product aptly named CeliAct. I had the good fortune of being introduced to the two men at Eagle Therapeutics who launched this revolutionary formula, and I want to share with you what makes CeliAct so special -- and so targeted to Celiacs. 

A Multivitamin for Added Assurance -- Because of the imperfection of most people's gluten-free diets -- as well as the time it can potentially take for the intestine to full heal -- basic nutrients are needed on a daily basis. In a study done at the University of Naples, a group of 400 men and women with Celiac who had been following a gluten-free diet for at least two years were studied. Around 50% showed intestinal damage, and nearly 25% showed a "severely damaged" intestine, meaning nutrient absorption was severely compromised. Another study showed that more than half of Celiac patients who'd been following a GF diet for over 10 years STILL showed a higher total plasma homocysteine level than the general population, indicating B vitamin deficiencies. CeliAct includes a full range of vitamins and minerals, including key B vitamins to counteract anemia, the leading co-morbidity among Celiacs.

Bone Density Support -- Built into the multivitamin are calcium, magnesium, and Vitamin D. These nutrients are critical, as one study published in Nutrition in Clinical Practice showed that up to 40% of newly diagnosed Celiacs have osteopenia and 26% have osteoporosis. While thsese are newly diagnosed patients, bone density is something that takes a lot of time to improve. Exacerbating this is the fact that many Celiacs are lactose intolerant, making recovery time even longer. 

Intestinal Healing Nutrients -- With a study by the Mayo Clinic showing that only 37% of subjects showed mucosal recovery after two years on a gluten-free diet (and only 66% showed recovery after five years), it's wise to supplement with nutrients like zinc, glutamine, and citrus bioflavonoids to promote cellular repair and the healing of the intestinal lining. 

Probiotic Defense -- Celiac patients are vulnerable to dysbiosis, an overabundance of harmful bacterial strains in the gut. Supplementing good bacteria into your diet is one of the most important things you can do to increase intestinal strength, assist in digestion, and treat leaky gut syndrome. Specific research shows one of the three probiotics in CeliAct, called Bifidobacterium Lactis, can especially help people with Celiac. What else makes CeliAct's probiotics so special? Well, they've been shown to be extremely resilient at room temperature, meaning that even without refrigeration they're loaded with viable organisms (unlike many probiotics on the market that don't have any viable organisms in them once the customer takes them!).

Enzymes to Promote Proper Digestion -- When your food isn't properly broken down, you don't get the essential nutrients you need. CeliAct vegetarian digestive enzyme blend contains a range of different digestive enzymes to give Celics the extra boost they need in digesting carbs, fats, and proteins. 

Best of all, these five components are rolled into ONE formula...you only need to take 3 tablets, twice per day. Say goodbye to multiple bottles and handfuls of vitamins! There's just one more thing the folks at CeliAct recommend...and which couldn't be put into this main formula: Fish Oil.

Interestingly, fat is the #1 nutritional deficiency for people with Celiac. But I'm not talking about any old fat...but rather the "good" fats found in fatty fish. These keep intestinal inflammation in check, which is essential for healing and optimal nutrient absorption. And a healthy fat intake is important for producing new cells, fighting infection, and making healthy skin and nails as well. CeliAct Fish Oil gives you the extra "healthy" fat you're probably lacking, without the fishy aftertaste. If you know much about fish oil, you probably know that the source of the fish oil is critical, since some fish can be sources of contaminants like mercury. CeliAct's formula contains only oil from small fish sourced from cold, Norwegian waters in order to avoid high mercury levels. 

Of course, it goes without saying that these supplements are completely gluten-free. In fact, the products are batch-tested using the hightest sensitivity possible (less than 3 ppm). And right now, CeliAct is offering friends of GlutenFreeTravelSite and Gluten Free Travel Blog a FREE bottle of Fish Oil with the purchase of CeliAct (a $13.95 savings). Simply choose "CeliAct + Fish Oil" on the order form, for $54.95. Then use offer/promo code ActGFTS, when prompted. The $13.95 will be subtracted from your final cost on the last page of the checkout process, making your total for BOTH formulas only $41. 

For those of you with kids with Celiac Disease (like me!), you'll be happy to hear that a CeliAct formula geared to kids is in development. Stay tuned...

Easily Find -- And Be Reminded of -- Gluten Free Restaurants on GlutenFreeTravelSite

As you know, our website, GlutenFreeTravelSite, showcases thousands of user-submitted gluten-free dining and travel reviews, searchable by location. It's a great place to get new ideas for dining near your home -- or when you're on the road. But if you're like our family, a lot of those places you read about and intend to visit sometimes get forgotten... And with all the new "gluten-free friendly" places cropping up, sometimes it's hard to keep track of them all! Enter near2there, the new location-based reminder service within GlutenFreeTravelSite that keeps track of places you want to go and alerts you when you are "near to there!"  You'll notice the new "Remind Me" button  within each review on our website. Simply click on it and you'll be directed to download the FREE near2there software (for iPhones or Android-based phones) -- or go directly to the app store on your phone to download.  You'll be able to set your radius preferences for receiving reminders within 1/4 mile (for city living) to 2 miles (for suburban living). Once you've downloaded the free software, you're all set to click on the "Remind Me" buttons and receive alerts linking back to the address and reviews of all your "must try" gluten-free establishments!    One user, Janet H, from California, said, “Oh my gosh I think this program is amazing! It is such a great idea. I usually go online and research restaurants due to my dietary restrictions before going on vacation and then print out a list of restaurants to check out. But once I am there, I often miss going as I am not aware of how close they are to me and I forget why I chose it. What I love about this app is that it adds the website address where I added the reminder so I can see exactly why I chose it.  I can't wait to use this on my next vacation. Easting out for us is a chore but hopefully not anymore! Thanks so much for this app, it's genius!”

Gluten Free Restaurants: Bonefish Grill has one of best Gluten-Free Menus, hands down

Our family was recently invited by Bonefish Grill to enjoy dinner at one of their restaurants near our home -- and to sample a wide range of items from their gluten-free menu, many of which we had never tried. 

Whether or not you're gluten-free, if you like seafood, Bonefish should be on your restaurant radar. With over 150 locations in 28 states, there's likely one close to you -- or in a future travel destination. This is not your typical seafood restaurant...it's a bit more upscale, with an element of trendiness, but still casual. It's equally comfortable for couples and families, young and old. In fact, they seem to have a lot of "raving fans"...in 2010, they took four top honors in Zagat's Survey of National Chain Restaurants, including Top Food, Best Seafood, and Top Healthy Options.

We've been to a handful of Bonefish locations in several different states over the years and were thrilled to discover -- upon learning of our 2-year-old son's Celiac diagnosis in 2005 -- that they offered a gluten-free menu. In our area of Northern Virginia, just outside Washington, DC, they were among the first restaurant chains to offer gluten-free options. Remember, back in 2005, awareness of Celiac Disease among restauranteurs was not what it is today....

And, in fact, it is because we now have so many choices of where to dine gluten-free in our area that we hadn't eaten at a Bonefish in a while. Their kind invitation enabled us to sample many gluten free menu items we had never tried, as our sons typically order the same thing to share every time we go: the filet mignon. It's not that they don't like fish or seafood (they do)...but in their opinion, it's hard to beat a great steak! But this time we told them we were going to "branch out" a bit and see what else Bonefish had to offer! 

Well, their list of GF offerings is impressive, to be sure: several appetizers, all their salads, 5 varieties of fish, shrimp, scallops, lobster, 2 steaks, a signature chicken dish, ample side dish options, and at least 2 wonderful desserts! Upon double-checking, the charming Managing Partner, Stephen, confirmed that many of the specials that night were also gluten-free. And if you're in the mood for a cocktail, Bonefish offers Redbridge gluten-free beer in addition to an extensive wine list and cocktail menu.

We started with the Mussels Josephine and Saucy Shrimp. Both were generous portions -- enough for 2 or 3 to share -- and had great flavors. I especially liked the mussels, and our younger son -- the one following a gluten-free diet -- did as well. They were served in a tomato, garlic, basil and lemon/wine sauce...just the right intensity of flavor. The Saucy Shrimp were also good, a very unique dish of shrimp served in a lime tomato garlic sauce with Kalamata olives and Feta. Sort of a Greek twist on shrimp, and very saucy. (That evening, they were also offering this as a main course, with the addition of scallops, too.)

We moved on to the salad course, trying the Caeser (minus the croutons, of course!) and the House Salad, which was dressed with a delicious citrus herb vinaigrette. Bonefish makes its salad dressings in-house, and they are all gluten-free. 

We ordered a range of main courses and shared them all: the Chilean Sea Bass (one of their most popular selections, served with mango salsa), the Sea Scallops and Shrimp (we chose the lemon butter sauce with this), Lily's Chicken (another popular item on their menu), and yes...the Filet Mignon. The nice thing about Bonefish is that you can customize your fish or seafood with one of three gluten-free signature sauces (mango salsa, chimichurri, and lemon butter). Only their Pan Asian sauce is off-limits for the gluten-free, since it contains soy sauce (I did point out that there are now several gluten-free soy sauces available which they might want to consider using in their recipe).

All of our selections were delicious. I especially enjoyed the seabass combined with the delicious mango salsa, something I've enjoyed at Bonefish before. Our whole family loved Lily's Chicken, which is wood-grilled and topped with goat cheese, spinach, artichoke hearts, and a lemon basil sauce. What a great combination of flavors! The sea scallops were a decent size and cooked to perfection, and the filet mignon was cooked to our liking, tender, and flavorful (although we regretfully didn't opt to add the garlic gorgonzola butter on top, which in hindsight sounded wonderful!). Oh well...perhaps next time....There are 6 gluten-free sides to choose from, including garlic whipped potatoes, herbed Jasmine rice, and various vegetables. I really loved the rice...which seemed to have a hint of lime and had a wonderfully sticky texture. 

The piece de resistance was indeed, dessert. (This should not come as a shock to anyone who has elementary-school-aged boys!) At the insistence of our server (and we didn't need much convincing!), we opted to try each of the three gluten-free options available: the Macadamia Nut Brownie, Creme Brulee, and Chocolate Creme Brulee with a hint of Grand Mariner (a special that evening).

Yes, this was certainly hardship duty, trying to decide on our favorite! The three males at the table, who initially pondered why there had to be macadamia nuts in the flourless brownie (they tend to be chocolate "purists," literally fought over the brownie once they each had their first biteful! The delicious vanilla ice cream and whipped cream provided the perfect balance to the rich, warm chocolate decadence. It is hard to say which of the two creme brulees were tastier, and I was thankful that our kids got to sample this wonderful dessert. It is often included on gluten-free menus, but they'd never tried before. I think they now appreciate the wonderful creamy-custard texture against the crunchy carmelized sugar topping and realize why mom was always suggesting they try it!

One other important note about Bonefish...they are a virtually nut-free restaurant. The only item currently containing nuts is the Macadamia Nut Brownie. They no longer use pine nuts in their house salad and removed the peanuts from their Pan Asian sauce. 

I highly recommend this high-quality restaurant focused on fresh ingredients, wonderful flavors, and friendly service. This particular location of Bonefish in Ashburn, Virginia, has another great asset: its Managing Partner Stephen Cunningham, who was always circulating around the restaurant talking with guests, many of whom seemed to be regulars. Be sure to introduce yourself if you visit and let him know about any special dietary requests. 

 

Our Blog featured by National Foundation for Celiac Awareness

Our Blog was featured yesterday as part of the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness "A Blogger A Day" campaign in honor of Celiac Awareness Month. Scroll down to the May 11 entry on their Blog, "Celiac Central: Bits and Bites" to read about some of my favorite Gluten Free Travel Blog posts from the past year (in case you missed them!), as well as the great features of our sister website, GlutenFreeTravelSite, a searchable online database of gluten-free dining and travel reviews. 

Gluten Free In France Part II: Dining Gluten Free in Paris

There are certainly some Celiac travelers that will tell you they got by just fine following their gluten-free diet in Paris. But I have to say it is not the easiest place to navigate on a gluten-free diet, and there are likely many other European cities where you could have an easier time. 

Don't get me wrong...our family enjoyed our recent trip to Paris IMMENSELY. The weather was perfect...I cannot imagine how it could have been better. Mid-70s every day, sunny, and flowers in bloom everywhere. It even made waiting in lines (for the Louvre, Musee de Orsay, Versailles, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame) pleasant! We will likely have much fonder memories of Paris than had it been 50 degrees and rainy! 

Really the only disappointment of the trip was in trying to find places that understood what it meant to be gluten-free. In terms of Celiac awareness, I think Paris (and France in general) is probably where the U.S. was 6-10 years ago. I got my first warning of this months before our trip when I contacted the French Celiac association and they responded saying they had NO restaurant recommendations. None. Even McDonald's sounded like a risky bet. And our second warning was that Disneyland Paris (where we had planned to spend one day) didn't have a range of gluten-free options available (except for pre-packaged microwavable "allergen free" meals). The awareness the term "gluten free" was almost non-existent there, as we came to find out. For more on Disneyland Paris, see Part I of this Gluten Free In France series.

So...on the days we had planned to go into Paris from our resort east of the city we figured we would eat a big breakfast in our villa (which had a full kitchen) and take ample gluten-free snacks for our son -- and all of us -- to much on while sightseeing (not "sitting down" for lunch would also enable us to pack in more sightseeing anyway...the real reason we were in Paris). Dinner would be the only meal we'd have to research and plan for.

My advance research -- on GlutenFreeTravelSite and a range of gluten-free Blogs -- turned up some leads. There was, indeed, a 100% dedicated gluten-free restaurant -- the only one in Paris -- that many people recommended. (I'm not sure why the French Celiac association didn't know about this, since it's been open for at least several years.) And then there were a fair number of other restaurants I read about where people were able to get the chef to work around their gluten-free needs, but I worried a bit about cross-contact and just how careful the chefs would be. For example, there were many who mentioned ordering omelettes or steak frites (steak served with fries), but as you and I know, there's a lot more knowledge on the part of the restaurant -- and questioning on your part -- that needs to happen to ensure those items are prepared safely! 

The concierge at our resort researched one of the restaurant leads for us, a restaurant called Le Reminet. It was centrally located near Notre Dame and looked very quaint and romantic on their website. The lead turned out to be a good one, as the restaurant confirmed with our concierge that they would be happy to accommodate us. We were thrilled, as we had planned to meet up with friends from Germany at the end of our first day in Paris, and we wanted to find a restaurant that was centrally located (the gluten-free one was in the northern part of Paris, in Montmartre). It turned out to be a wonderful evening. We had a delightful meal in a beautiful setting, and they seemed happy to have us, despite our special requests and terrible attempts at speaking French (thank goodness our waiter spoke almost perfect English!). You can read all about the details on our dinner at Le Reminet in my review on GlutenFreeTravelSite. 

For our other two dinners in Paris, we did indeed make reservations at Des Si Et Des Mets, the only "gluten free" restaurant in Paris. It certainly has attracted quite a following, judging from the web posts about it -- and the many gluten-free diners patronizing the restaurant.

Our second night there -- a Friday -- was particularly busy for them. We arrived early (for Paris)...around 7 pm. We were the first ones seated, but within an hour, the place was full. We met two other English-speaking families (one from the NY metro area and the other from the U.S. but currently living in the UK) who had one or more people following gluten-free diets due to Celiac. It was like an old reunion chatting with these families and comparing notes on their own experiences dining in Paris. Both families had encountered similar challenges and were just happy to find Des Si Et Des Mets! I can highly recommend this restaurant. Not only is it 100% safe for gluten-free patrons, but it is in a darling section of Montmartre...right up a winding cobblestone street from where Van Gogh lived while in Paris. You can combine a visit to the restaurant with a tour of Montmartre and its many street artists, the white-domed Romano-Byzantine Sacre Coeur cathedral, and the Moulin Rouge. For more details on the food at Des Si Et Des Mets and what our family ordered each night we dined there, read my comprehensive review on GlutenFreeTravelSite. 

One other note: There is a chain of small markets called Naturalia that sell natural, organic foods and have a small section of the store with gluten-free products like bread, pasta, cakes, crackers, and cookies. We popped in one just down the street from Des Si Et Des Mets (almost right across the street from Van Gogh's house with the big blue door) and purchased a few items, including some pasta made with rice, corn and quinoa; gluten-free Madelines, and gluten-free marble mini cakes. It was right before Easter, and we also purchased a large, hollow chocolate egg for our son, clearly labeled gluten-free. It wasn't one of the "chocolate chickens" my son had been looking for (they are very popular around Easter time in France) but it was nice to buy him this and the other treats to have for when the rest of us grabbed a chocolate croissant or Nutella crepe.

Paris is a unique and incredible city, and gluten-free or not, if you have an opportunity to visit, you don't want to pass it up. Just adjust your expectations and don't fret when the street vendor doesn't have gluten-free crepes, the numerous boulangeries don't have gluten-free baguettes, and the patisseries don't have gluten-free macaroons. Yes, we're used to finding our gluten-free substitutions in the U.S., but France isn't quite there yet. And as we learned pretty quickly on the first day, you can waste a lot of time hunting down gluten-free leads that end in disappointment (contrary to what many bloggers report, the macaroons at Laduree, a famous "sweet shop" with several locations throughout Paris, are NOT gluten-free, according to the employees there). The food in Paris is special, but the sights...the museums...the gardens...the history...and the architecture...THAT's what you go there for. And those are captured in our photos and will be our cherished memories for years to come. 

Gluten Free in France Part I: Disneyland Paris

For those of you who've visited Disney World in Orlando, Florida, you know how well all the parks, restaurants, and resorts handle all special dietary needs -- gluten-free included. They've become somewhat of the "gold standard" for gluten-free travel -- at least with kids! 

Unfortunately, Disneyland Paris is not yet at that point, but hopefully with some prodding -- along with some much-needed awareness of Celiac Disease and gluten-free diets in France -- they will at some point get there.

Our family visited Disneyland Paris for a day in April during our recent trip to France with our kids over their Spring Break. We were actually staying at a Marriott Vacation Club International property right near Disneyland (my mother owns a time share with them). This gave us proximity to Paris (the resort was about 40 minutes east of the city) and a full 2-level "villa" with two bedrooms, 2 1/2  baths, living room/dining room, and full kitchen.This is the only way we felt we could reasonably visit France, given what we'd heard about the relative lack of awareness of Celiac Disease and gluten-free diets. Staying someplace with a full kitchen would at least enable us to have a big breakfast before departing for the day -- and give us the flexibility to eat there for dinner, too, on those days we returned from our sightseeing early enough. 

We were thankful for this arrangement, because our experience did indeed corroborate what I heard/read on most Blogs and message boards about dining gluten-free in Paris: it is difficult. We thought Disneyland would at least be easy, but again, before leaving on the trip, our research turned up the disappointing news...Disneyland Paris does not have the range of offerings and knowledge of gluten-free food preparation of their sister properties in the U.S. Literally the only options for dining are pre-packaged microwavable, allergen-free meals offered at select locations throughout the park. These meals, provided by an outside company, are free of dozens of common (and uncommon) allergens, not just gluten, so they did not leave much to work with in terms of viable ingredients. We did not even try these, choosing instead to bring a bag of snacks and a gluten-free PB&J sandwich for our son to eat throughout the day. We were glad to have this stockpile, as even our attempt to get Ben & Jerry's ice cream (a gluten-free flavor we were familiar with) turned out to be a major and time-consuming production. For more details on this and other experiences attempting to get a basic gluten-free dinner, be sure to read my more detailed review of Disneyland Paris on our website GlutenFreeTravelSite. 

Obviously, not everyone with gluten-free needs visiting Disneyland Paris will have the option of staying at a place like the Marriott time-share. My recommendation -- if you are considering a trip there (and I'd never recommend it over Disney World in Orlando unless of course your objective was to spend a lot of time in Paris, as we did) would be to consider staying in one of the Disney-owned hotels surrounding the park. We never had the opportunity to talk with a chef or manager at any of these hotels to find out their degree of knowledge of gluten-free food preparation (again, more details about this in my review), but I have to believe that you'd have a decent chance of at least being able to get eggs and fruit for breakfast and basic things like steak, grilled chicken or fish, and potatoes and veggies for lunch/dinner if staying at one of these hotels, due to the higher level of service compared to restaurants in the parks.

I plan on contacting Disney about the different treatment of special diets in Disneyland Paris versus their parks in the U.S. I commend them on offering something, because I'm sure the meals would have been fine in a pinch -- or if we'd spent several days at Disneyland and Disney Studios. And I also commend them on addressing ALL -- and I do mean ALL! -- of the other allergens and special dietary needs. This is so critical for children who suffer life-threatening anaphylactic reactions to certain foods. 

But I fail to see why Disneyland Paris can't simply train some of the chefs -- at least at the sit-down restaurants -- to be able to offer a safe, gluten-free steak, burger, or piece of grilled chicken (along with gluten-free sides) for its gluten-free guests. It would only require research into the ingredients of the food it currently offers (and in some cases, finding gluten-free substitutions), as well as training on preparation and avoiding cross contact. Providing a list of gluten-free "quick serve" options or items from food carts throughout the park would also be relatively easy. They offer the turkey legs just like the parks in Orlando, but you have no idea if they're gluten-free because they offer no information or guidance on this. So we weren't about to take that risk. And what about the ice cream treats and popsicles offered all over? Likely many are gluten-free as well, but trying to confirm this on your own -- especially since labeled ingredients are in French and they aren't always brands you're familiar with -- is not, in my opinion, a viable option when you're looking out for the health of your child. 

I'd be very interested in hearing your feedback if you've traveled to Disneyland Paris and what you did at mealtime! Please share your comments with us by clicking on Comments below. 

GlutenFreeTravelSite donating 5% of merchandise sales to National Foundation for Celiac Awareness during May

In honor of Celiac Awareness Month in May, our sister website, GlutenFreeTravelSite, will be donating 5% of merchandise proceeds to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA). And there's no better -- or more fun -- way to build awareness of this increasingly common autoimmune disease than to proclaim "These Buns Are Gluten Free" on a pair of cute shorts, comfy sweatpants, or a T-shirt. 

The shorts, sweatpants, and T-shirts are offered by GlutenFreeTravel-Site to boost awareness of Celiac Disease, which affects almost 1% of the population...but which is under-diagnosed to the point that only about 5% of those people that have it have been correctly diagnosed! In addition, a study conducted by Dr. Alessio Fasano of the University of Maryland's Center for Celiac Research recently estimated that approximately 6% of the U.S. poplulation suffers from gluten-sensitvity, distinct from Celiac Disease but also necessitating a gluten-free diet. 

GlutenFreeTravelSite is proud to partner with the NFCA in this -- and other -- efforts to raise awareness of Celiac Disease and serve the gluten-free community. Throughout the month of May, NFCA is featuring a different Gluten-Free Blogger each day (stay tuned for a link to my profile and Top 3 blog posts later this month.) Founded to raise awareness among the general public and healthcare communities -- and to facilitate research to better understand the causes, mechanisms, and treatment of Celiac Disease -- NFCA is always involved in exciting and worthwhile endeavors. 

In addition to the many incredibly helpful programs already detailed on their website, NFCA just launched a new section of their site, Kids Central, which will help parents of Celiac kids -- and the kids themselves -- stay on the right track. This is still a work in progress, so be sure to visit their page and give them feedback on what you'd like to see them cover. 

So, the question is: How can you help this great organization continue its life-changing work? You can make a donation in honor of Celiac Awareness Month. Every dollar makes a difference in the lives of diagnosed Celiacs -- and those that have been suffering but have yet to be diagnosed. For those of you in the Northeast, you can give to NFCA in another way. Mark your calendar for an exciting event...the "Catwalk for Celiac" gluten-free dinner and fashion show, to be held on May 19 in Wood-Ridge, NJ. There will be a DJ, raffles, prizes, and more! All proceeds will be donated to NFCA, and it promised to be tons of fun!