 It's about time our gluten-free selves receive the princess treatment!
Introducing Princess Water, a remarkable gluten-free, vegan, and sugar-free seltzer that is low in calories and crafted from all-natural ingredients. This unique beverage is a delightful concoction of filtered water, premium vodka, fragrant rose petals, vibrant hibiscus flowers, zesty ginger root, and refreshing orange peels. It resembles a hibiscus tea with a hint of rose, perfect for a night out. Each ingredient is carefully selected to ensure the drink is inherently gluten-free, providing a safe choice for those with celiac disease. What truly sets Princess Water apart from traditional seltzers is its commitment to quality and safety. While many popular seltzer brands utilize alcohol sourced from malt, which can pose a risk for those with celiac, Princess Water prides itself on using pure vodka. This adherence to quality guarantees 100% celiac safety for all its customers, allowing everyone to enjoy guilt-free and worry-free refreshments. One of the standout qualities of this drink is its absence of sugar, chemicals, and artificial coloring. The standard version has 95 calories and an alcohol content of 4.8%, while a more indulgent version contains 160 calories and % alcohol content of 8.2%. Certified gluten-free, Princess Water is the perfect refreshment choice for any occasion, regardless of weather or setting. Whether you're lounging by the pool, celebrating holidays, or unwinding at home, this drink offers a refreshing escape. Princess Water is an excellent choice for individuals with celiac disease and gluten allergies, as it is produced with a strict focus on preventing cross-contamination. This commitment to safety ensures that you can enjoy your drink with confidence, knowing it is free from gluten. http://drinkquivr.com/princess-water
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 I had the incredible opportunity to intern with Katarina Mollo this summer at the Massachusetts Hospital for Children, where she serves as a dietitian in the celiac clinic. Working closely with a dedicated team of nurses and doctors, I gained invaluable insights into the complexities of managing celiac disease. I am truly grateful for this enriching experience, which deepened my understanding of the condition.
One of the most fascinating topics I explored with Katarina was the connection between celiac disease and lactose intolerance, a subject that significantly impacts many patients. Research indicates that lactose intolerance is particularly prevalent among individuals with celiac disease during the first year following their diagnosis. This correlation arises because both conditions affect the same area of the small intestine, leading to similar digestive challenges. The small intestine is responsible for producing lactase, an enzyme critical for breaking down lactose—the sugar commonly found in dairy products. When someone with celiac disease consumes gluten, it damages the intestinal lining, impairing its ability to produce lactase. Consequently, this damage results in the body’s inability to digest dairy effectively, leading to discomfort and gastrointestinal issues. Moreover, it is important to understand that this dairy sensitivity is not solely an immediate response to gluten consumption; rather, it can recur each time gluten is ingested. Many patients report experiencing symptoms of lactose intolerance after eating gluten, highlighting the ongoing impact of intestinal damage. To support recovery and minimize symptoms, it is generally advised that individuals with celiac disease eliminate dairy products from their diet for at least one week (or more, depending on symptoms). This period allows the small intestine a chance to heal from gluten exposure, ultimately aiding in the restoration of normal digestive function and reducing the risk of further illness. Understanding this relationship between celiac disease and lactose intolerance is vital for effective dietary management and improving the quality of life for affected individuals. The rise in popularity of gluten-free diets can be attributed to the influence of social media and marketing, which often promotes these diets as being healthier and beneficial for gastrointestinal health. However, for those who do not have celiac disease, gluten allergies, or intolerances, there are potential downsides to following a gluten-free diet. This type of diet can be costly and may result in deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals that are typically found in gluten-containing foods. Furthermore, adhering to a strictly gluten-free diet does not guarantee a healthier overall diet or weight loss. Many people are not aware that gluten-free foods tend to be low in fiber, vitamin B12, iron, magnesium, folate, niacin, riboflavin, and thiamine. Deficiencies in these vitamins can lead to short-term issues such as fatigue, headaches, and shortness of breath, as well as more serious health problems like heart disease, gastrointestinal issues, and cancer.
Despite these potential drawbacks, a gluten-free diet is the only viable option for some individuals. It can offer significant benefits to those with celiac disease or gluten allergies, such as healing the small intestine and reducing chronic inflammation. For individuals with celiac disease, consuming gluten can result in malnutrition, bone weakening, infertility, cancer, lactose intolerance, and nervous system issues like seizures or tremors. Therefore, it is crucial for individuals with celiac disease or intolerances to carefully monitor their intake of essential vitamins and minerals and consider using supplements to prevent deficiencies.  May is a significant month for me, not only because it marks the beginning of spring and Mother's Day but also because it is Celiac Awareness Month. I want to take this opportunity to discuss the importance of Mother's Day and Celiac Awareness Month and how much they mean to me.
My family is of Italian descent on both sides. Having said that, neither side of the family was familiar with gluten allergies, let alone celiac disease. My mother never had to worry about the food she ate, the ingredients in it, or what she touched after eating gluten. That all changed when I was diagnosed at two years old. After 30 years of never having to worry about food, ingredients, or food preparation, everything changed for my mother. When I was diagnosed with celiac at two years old, my parents switched to a gluten-free diet. They didn't hesitate in making this decision because they knew it was essential for my health. They also had my older sister go gluten-free. My parents were eager to learn everything about celiac disease and its treatment, even if it meant changing their entire lifestyle to keep me healthy. I am forever grateful for their dedication, as I can't imagine how challenging it must have been to change their entire lifestyle in an instant. They took me to celiac clinics, events, dietitians, nutritionists, and any resource that could help them understand and manage this disease. My mother is not only my biggest supporter but also my fiercest fighter. Despite her name being Karen, she defies the stereotype (unless you mess with my celiac). My mom always made sure I had a meal or snacks before leaving the house so I wouldn't go hungry. She prepared all of my meals at family gatherings and tried to make it as normal as possible so I wouldn't feel left out or uncomfortable. She bakes me a cake every year on my birthday, confirmation, graduation, etc. because no bakery makes gluten-free cakes big enough. My mom felt my sickness when I ate gluten and also felt my anger. I wouldn't trade my mother for the world; she is my sunshine, and I hope to have her in every lifetime. I love you, Mom; words cannot express how appreciative I am of you. Happy Mother's Day to you; I love you to the moon and back. My parents have raised me to respect anyone that I come in contact with, more importantly, someone above me. But, they have also told me that it is okay to stick up for myself when it came to my doctors. It has been recorded that "up to 83% of Americans with celiac are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other conditions" (BeyondCeliac). I was apart of that percentage, which is one of the reasons I became a dietetic major. Before my diagnosis, I was put on an all wheat diet which could have killed me. Celiac disease is misconstrued by not only restaurant workers and friends, but doctors. Gluten allergies / preferences / intolerances are completely different than celiac disease.
In my nutrition class, we had to write a short writing prompt (in the form of an outline) on why we decided to study nutrition. I wanted to share this with you so you could get a better understanding of myself and the future I want;
I'm not sure if you've heard but I am FINALLY 21. Navigating gluten free alcohol is a whole new world for me and has been a little difficult. When I was a waitress at home, the bartender said to me "make sure you ask if bartenders clean their taps before you order a drink. There's so much cross-contamination in our taps." It made realize that it's going to be a lot more difficult for me to go out drinking unless I order a canned seltzer. Make sure that when you are going to bars with Celiac or any other allergy, you are sure that there is absolutely no cross-contamination. For example, think about the taps, shakers, tongs, fruit being put in your drink and what has touched it, every syrup is gluten free, etc. Do not feel embarrassed or nervous to ask your server or bartender as many questions as you feel necessary when you go out to drink. I personally look up as much information as possible on my own and then ask questions after.
Most vodkas are distilled which make them gluten free. Even if they are made with wheat, rye, or barley, pure distilled vodka, tequila, whiskey, bourbon, gin, is gluten free. Gluten Free Alcohol:
 I have had some issues with my health lately and one of the main questions I've been asked is "do you think this is related to your Celiac?" Therefore, I want to talk about autoimmune disorders because many people think that Celiac Disease is just an "allergy" to gluten, not a disease...? Nobody realizes that this is an autoimmune deficiency .... this means that my body is open to any sickness/new disease at any point in time.
An autoimmune disease is when you're body attacks healthy cells, tissues, and organs which weakens the bodily functions and can potentially be life-threatening. There are over 100 autoimmune diseases, including Celiac Disease. Most of these 100+ autoimmune diseases have no cure or requires lifelong treatment to reduce symptoms of the disease (ex. type 1 diabetes). A healthy immune system produces antibodies that destroys harmful substances in your body. An autoimmune disorder cannot tell the difference between healthy tissue and harmful agents. Scientists do not know what causes/triggers these diseases, similarly to Celiac. Since I have an autoimmune disease, I get sick faster and easier than someone with a healthy immune system. I am also more likely to develop another autoimmune disease, specifically, a 25% chance. This is called "Multiple Autoimmune Syndrome (MAS)." This syndrome is most likely in people with inflammatory bowel disease. Celiac is considered type 3 Multiple Autoimmune Syndrome, meaning that someone who already has MAS is more likely to develop Celiac and vice versa. 78% of people affected by autoimmune diseases are women because of hormonal changes, reproductive function, environmental changes, etc. Some autoimmune diseases are genetically passed down, others are not. Celiac comes in clusters but is triggered by environmental changes so there is no way to tell who will develop the disease. Celiac disease is not just an "allergy to gluten," as people love to say... (it's a disease). This disease affects my whole body. Autoimmune diseases affect my whole body. I am constantly in a battle with my own body and my own immune system. This disease and every autoimmune disease needs to be taken more seriously. Every time I am cross-contaminated I am slowly killing my body. Nobody wants to feel like this so please spread this blog to help me educate more people on this disease. I am going to speak more about this topic but I wanted to clear some questions that I've been asked.  When I was around 7 years-old, I was diagnosed with paroxysmal tachycardia. This is a condition that results in my heart having an irregular heartbeat. This resulted in many visits with cardiologists and tracking of each heartbeat with my heart monitor.
This condition was not something that I ever grew out of, it was an underlying issue that didn't act up for years. Until ... it came back last year ... worse. I was having heart rates ranging from 60-167 beats/minute. My heart rate would go from 56 beats/minute to 160 in only 2 minutes. I tracked this information with my Apple Watch and wrote it in my notes for my doctor. When I decided to ask my pediatrician about this, she took my blood and then never said anything about it again. Therefore, I ignored it too. About two weeks ago, I went to the doctors office at my school for something unrelated to my heart. When they took my blood pressure, the doctor said that it was abnormally high. She took it for a second time at the end of my appointment and said it is still too high. What I did not expect was the doctor who took my blood pressure is a cardiologist at the hospital near by. This was shocking to me because after trying to advocate for myself at my own doctors and being ignored, these two women found my issue after only three visits. They asked if I could return two more times to get my heart rate / blood pressure checked a couple more times. I agreed. On my third visit, they found that my results were still a bit too high so they did some tests. They first gave me an EKG which came back normal, I then got four vials of blood taken. But, there was one test that changed it all for them. They gave me the "Stand Test" which consisted of my heart rate being taken as soon as I laid down (which came back normal), then I laid down for two minutes and stood up (came back normal), but the last test is standing up for two minutes then getting my bp taken again. This is where my test came back abnormally. After all these tests, they explained to me how that was the test to diagnose "POTS Syndrome", I failed it. Therefore, this all suggests that I have POTS. After finding this out, I was told that I need to see a cardiologist ASAP and I will be going on a heart monitor for two weeks. POTS stands for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. After doing some research, I have almost all of the symptoms but have never been diagnosed. This syndrome is mostly diagnosed in women between the ages of 15-50 and very common in people with autoimmune deficiencies. (Me, a 20 year old, with an autoimmune deficiency). Some symptoms include nausea, irregular heartbeats and palpitations, tremors, dizzy, fainting, etc. I have all of those symptoms, including fainting, which have increased lately. Prolonged periods of standing worsen this syndrome which would make sense why I have always been so lightheaded after standing for long periods of time. This is an extremely confusing syndrome that I am still trying to learn about since it is so new to me. This just proves how much more comes from having an autoimmune disease. Yes I can't eat wheat because of Celiac, but my body is also fighting off every new disease and syndrome that tries to attack me due to my autoimmune deficiency. "If POTS is autoimmune, it may be more common in people with other autoimmune diseases such as celiac disease." (theceliacmd). I will explain more when I know more <3.  When I share with others that I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease at the young age of two, I often receive reactions expressing surprise. At that time, Celiac Disease was relatively new, and it was uncommon for individuals to receive a diagnosis before reaching their thirties or beyond. This is due to the fact that Celiac Disease is triggered by a combination of environmental factors, knowledge of which was limited back then.
According to research from PubMed Central, various factors such as intestinal infections, the quality and quantity of gluten consumed, intestinal microbiota, and early nutrition may contribute to the switch from gluten tolerance to an immune response (PubMed Central). Regrettably, I wasn't aware of this information until I read the mentioned article. Despite living with Celiac Disease for almost two decades, I continue to learn something new about it every day. Celiac Disease, as I've come to understand, arises from a combination of both environmental and genetic factors. Specifically, gluten serves as the environmental trigger for this condition. Various environmental factors have been found to play a role in the immune system's response, including the amount and quality of ingested gluten, the type and duration of wheat dough fermentation, early infant feeding, intestinal microorganisms, and their changes over time, as well as the presence of intestinal infections and stressors (PubMed). The concept of a disease being triggered by both genetic and environmental factors can be perplexing to comprehend. For those seeking reliable information on Celiac Disease, BeyondCeliac is an excellent resource. According to the same article from BeyondCeliac, while approximately 40% of the general population has genes related to the development of Celiac Disease, only 1% of the population actually develops the condition (BeyondCeliac). The specific factors that cause Celiac Disease remain elusive, and the specific triggers are not yet fully understood. However, it is evident that there is a history of the disease within families, and some individuals may carry the gene without ever encountering the necessary triggers (BeyondCeliac).
- Johns Hopkins Medicine |