Gluten Free Wilmington: March 2012

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

K38 - Las Olas

Just ate at the newest installation of the K38 empire, Las Olas, at the Forum Shops at Landfall (in the out parcel). The manager (I think his name was Teddie) told me they now have a new stand alone kitchen (for all their restaurants) that makes all the chips in a dedicated fryer and that they now are gluten-free (unlike in the past). He also told me that for people like myself with severe food allergies (or auto-immune reactions in my case) that they can do all the prep at Las Olas in a separate clean part of the kitchen to address cross-contamination issues. I was truly astounded by this manager's knowledge of gluten-containing sauces, items, etc. on menu! There are many restaurants where we all can tell the staff is "winging it" and really barely understand the issue -- NOT the case here.

Red Robin

Not that healthy, but very tasty! They have gluten free hamburger buns now and also a dedicated gluten-free fryer for their french fries. The manager there and his staff were surprisingly knowledgeable about gluten and the service was great.

Epic Food Co.!

First, hello to everyone! I am a local physician who has Celiac and finally diagnosed myself 10 years ago, after years of wrong diagnoses. I understand Celiac and food allergies and sensitivities very well, along with common and not so common effects they can have on seemingly unrelated parts of the body. I am here to help, if I can.

Also, I wanted to let everyone know about Epic Food Co. that just opened at the Forum Shops by Landfall (I have ZERO financial interest here by the way). James Bain, former chef at Harvest Moon (old famous ILM food spot for those new to area), and his wife have opened this great new place. He understands food allergies well and has lots of gluten-free items labeled on the menu (gluten-free pasta, wraps, sauces, etc.). Homemade food, many organic options, etc. It is nice "grab and go" food (healthy fast food - if that isn't an oxymoron?). Plus, James is a great guy! They have a Facebook page with lots of pics and descriptions of food.

Celiac Disease by the Numbers

1 out of every 133 Americans (about 3 million people) has CD.
97% of Americans estimated to have CD are not diagnosed.
CD has over 300 known symptoms although some people experience none.
Age of diagnosis is key: If you are diagnosed between age 2-4, your chance of getting an additional autoimmune disorder is 10.5%. Over the age of 20, that rockets up to 34%.
30% of the US population is estimated to have the genes necessary for CD.
2.5 babies are born every minute in the USA with the genetic makeup to have CD.
There are 15 states in the US with populations less than the total number of Celiacs in the US.
CD affects more people in the US than Crohn’s Disease, Cystic Fibrosis, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease combined.
500,000 new Celiac diagnoses are expected to occur in the US by 2012 -- thanks to efforts to raise public awareness of the disease.
People with CD dine out 80% less than they used to before diagnosis and believe less than 10% of eating establishments have a 'very good' or 'good' understanding of GF diets.
It takes an average of 11 years for patients to be properly diagnosed with CD even though a simple blood test exists.
The average cost of misdiagnosis is $5,000 - $12,000 per person per year. Improving the time to diagnosis could save the health care system millions of dollars annually in unnecessary medical care.
A recent study by Packaged Facts projects that the sales of GF food will reach $2.63 Billion by 2012.
GF foods are, on average, 242% more expensive then their non-GF counterparts.
The smallest amount of gluten which has been shown by a biopsy to cause damage to a Celiac is 0.1 gram per day - or 1/48th of a slice of bread.
The Food Allergen Labeling & Consumer Protection Act became law in 2006 allowing for easier reading of food labels for those with CD. What took so long?
12% of people in the US who have Down Syndrome also have CD.
6% of people in the US who have Type 1 Diabetes also have CD.
Among people who have a first-degree relative diagnosed with celiac, as many as 1 in 22 people may have the disease.
There are currently 0 drugs available to treat CD.