Last week, I received an email from somebody asking how he should best respond to his girlfriend, who has celiac disease, when she does not feel well.

I opened the question to the forum and as usual, you folks rocked with your responses.

But there was one comment from Miss Dee Meanor (love the name!) which just totally captured the essence of celiac disease in a way I could not communicate as I continue to struggle with this affliction.I was so blown away by her response that I asked her if I could make her comment its own blog post to give people a vivid portrayal of our disease.

She complied. Here it is.

So many times we look okay on the outside and no one can see the bone-weary tiredness, the aching joints, the fuzzy brain, and/or the war going on inside our bodies. We go to work when we don’t feel well because we have to. Our sick leave is reserved for times when we simply can’t function at all or for the multitude of doctor visits that are sure to arise from other complications caused by the disease.

Our “tired” when we’re glutened is not the same “tired” that you feel. There should really be a new word invented for the “gluten tired” that makes it a Herculean task just to walk through the house.

Don’t feel offended if she seems fine with people outside the home and then sick when she returns home.

We often smile and chat with people because we feel we have to. Sometimes our jobs depend on it. Sometimes we have social occasions that we must attend and don’t want to be the guest that dampens the entire occasion. (i.e. weddings, business dinners, family holiday celebrations).

When we come home we are spent physically and emotionally. It takes a toll on everyone, but especially loved ones who get the short end of the physical and emotional stick. In other words, know that we become good at smiling through the pain for others because we have to, but appreciate NOT having to do that with the ones we love. She thanks you for allowing her to feel safe enough to drop the act when she is with you. Sadly, many of us have loved ones that take offense and feel they are being treated worse than strangers.

Don’t take offense if she doesn’t want to be touched at all. Know that sometimes a gentle hug or caress can hurt. My husband loves to put his arm around my waist, but if I’ve been “glutened” I will flinch and draw away as a reflex. What he can’t see is that I feel like my abdomen is an overflated balloon. I have even looked in the mirror sometimes thinking I must look six months pregnant and am surprised to see that I look no different. The best thing is for the two of you to open the communication lines. 

We actually joke about what my husband calls the “Don’t touch the tummy!” moments.

Know that advance plans are scary for us because we never know from day-to-day how we’re are going to feel. That event scheduled two months from now can’t be fully appreciated until the day before. I’ve actually been a paranoid basket case just before an event and have eaten next to nothing. We simply can’t get as excited at events on the calendar as others. It isn’t because we aren’t excited to do things with you. We are afraid that we’re going to feel horrible on that date and don’t want to disappoint you.

Sometimes things that are exciting for most people like cruises, resorts, and multiple destinations are scary for us. Buzzwords like “all-inclusive” are particularly horrifying because we’re locked in to where and what we eat . Part of the fun for any trip is sharing meals. Unfortunately, for us that becomes the biggest stress and fear. Throw in a trip where we don’t speak their language and the fear is magnified.

Be willing to be flexible. One crumb can make that dream vacation or even dinner and a movie become months of torture. One vacation in San Diego I ate dinner at one location I knew to be safe and then we went to another for my husband to eat at his favorite Mexican eatery. We still had a great time.

Be her champion. My husband is now a pro at questioning restaurant staff and talking to managers when I feel like I just can’t talk about gluten or cross-contamination another moment. He is my second set of eyes for little things like spoons being double-dipped from gluten items into the gluten-free ones. He educates others. He doesn’t ask what he can do to help because he knows I hate being an invalid. Instead he says, “Let me do that for you.”. (Those six little words say more than all the Hallmark cards ever written 

He takes over when I can’t function. Last February I came out of surgery and the nurse tried to give me a cracker and ginger ale in recovery. He was on it like a dog with a bone and practically slapped the cracker out of her hand.

This is the man I hope I never have to live one single day without.

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Who is Miss Dee Meanor?

I am a wife, mother, grandmother, and librarian who was born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, but am now living in South Carolina. Among other things I love to ride horses over large obstacles, garden, take boat rides on the lake, read good books, sit on the beach, feed the birds, and spend time with my family (not necessarily in that order). The next thing on my bucket list is to visit Charlotte, NC, and ride on a NASCAR track with a driver. (I don’t watch NASCAR or particularly like to drive, I just like to ride in (or on) fast things and saw this experience on Groupon. Best of all, it does not require me to eat anything.)

I happen to have Celiac Disease, but it does not define who I am. It is just something I have to deal with so I can get on with the things I really want to do. I actually feel blessed to have finally put a name to what has made me sick for decades even though I miss Southern Fried Everything and really good beer. I am fortunate to have a husband who took eating gluten-free as a Top Chef challenge rather a personal affront. He is my biggest support network, my best friend, and the love of my life.

I hope that awareness of Non-Celiac Gluten Intolerance soon gets the same attention from the medical community that Celiac Disease is finally generating. I sometimes think they must feel like forgotten stepchildren, but we (Celiacs) share many of the same symptoms and understand that it is just as life-altering. We are all in the same boat and gluten is trying to sink it. The best advice I can give anyone is to listen to your body first and foremost. You can look really good on medical tests, but know your symptoms aren’t in your head. Usually by the time gluten intolerance is finally detected the damage is quite extensive. Also, if you have chronic ANYTHING, look suspiciously at gluten. Hives were one of my first chronic symptoms although my tests showed no allergy to wheat. The hives continued well into my forties. It was blamed on stress and I was prescribed Xanax. I still hived, but didn’t care. I sometimes miss Xanax.

Celiac disease may increase the risk of asthma by 60 percent, according to research. For every 100,000 people with celiac disease, 147 will develop asthma, which would not have occurred if it weren’t for the digestive disorder. The study found that asthmatics were also more likely to develop celiac disease.

The researchers compared over 28,000 Swedes diagnosed with celiac disease to over 140,000 healthy controls.

Celiac disease and asthma

I had been experiencing a variety of medical problems, increasing for months. So heading to Walt Disney World already seemed less exciting than it normally would, when one of my doctors said the dreaded words: “You need to stop eating gluten.”

No way. This was not happening. Just two weeks before a trip to the most magical place on earth—a trip I was already concerned how I would feel for—and now I had to nix the gluten!?!? No Mickey Head pretzels?? No easy stroll through the park, hopping from one snack cart or restaurant to another??

As I began to think about the foods that I look forward to when planning a visit with the Mouse, I just kept thinking of all the things filled with wheat. So I did what any over-planner would do and I found out every single thing I might want that I could still get gluten free.

Unfortunately, that pretzel wasn’t on the list. Neither are churros.

But thanks to Erin McKenna’s Bakery NYC found at Disney Springs, you can find gluten-fee (and vegan!) mini brownie cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies, cinnamon sugar donuts and chocolate dipped donuts at a variety places through the resort.

And that is merely the icing on the cake!!

Various locations which offer chicken strips or fries are able to produce these gluten free and even guarantee they will not be contaminated by frying them in a separate batch of oil from all those other gluten-ous items you need to stay away from.

Throughout the four parks and even a variety of hotel restaurants, in the places burgers orsandwiches were available, often so too were gluten free breads or rolls for those yummy fillings to rest upon!

For years I have looked forward to even one small dish of Disney Mac and Cheese during each trip. Thankfully this is something available in gluten-free form at most of the restaurants where the traditional version is sold. A wonderful treat for kids and for cheese loving grown-ups alike.

Just want one of those adorable Mickey Waffles? Luckily a variety of the hotel restaurants which offer the waffles also have a gluten-free version available. But so do the Tusker House in Animal Kingdom, Hollywood & Vine in Hollywood Studios and the Crystal Palace inMagic Kingdom.

If you have gotten this far and are waiting to hear the good news about a Disney Parks favorite—yes! The Dole Whip found in various locations in the resort is gluten-free! But even if you just want an ice cream from one of the ice cream carts located throughout the parks, most of them have gluten-free options available.

Even the majority of restaurants at Disney Springs have gluten-free offers. I had really tasty great gluten-free pasta dish at Portobello Country Italian Trattoria. Cookes of Dublineven has gluten-free fish and chips, shrimp, and onion rings!

Worried about something I haven’t mentioned?

Even if you’re not that sure what may or may not be gluten free simply by glancing at the regular menu, fear not my gluten-free friends! Each restaurant in Walt Disney World, whether table service or counter, has an “Allergy Friendly Menu” available which will list the items that are already gluten-free or can be altered by the chef so that they will be safe for your restricted diet. And if you’re still not sure, the chefs will gladly speak with you to make sure you can have a meal that not only is safe for you but will be enjoyable to you as well.

As it turns out, the last minute before a trip to Disney was perhaps the best time to find out that I had to cut out the gluten. The chefs work hard to make it as tasty as possible. But even better, Disney has worked to make it easy to identify the items that are safe for your restricted diet whether it is gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free or a combination of them all. I actually find it was easier to identify gluten-free options while at Disney than once I came home to the grocery store.

And best of all? In a world where everything extra gets an extra fee, those who buy gluten free at home will be happy to know that Disney doesn’t charge you for making the food safe for you to eat. Although restaurants across the country will charge you a premium for that gluten-free option, so far Disney does not charge any gluten-free added fees!

Go forth my gluten-free friends. Eat, drink, and play. Don’t worry about finding something you can eat. The options are overwhelming!

What would you do if you are allergic to wheat gluten and, therefore, could not take certain medicines?

This is a dilemma for Michael Weber, who suffers from celiac disease, which is an autoimmune disorder that can occur in genetically predisposed people who ingest the protein. This can damage the small intestine and lead to neurological diseases, among other illnesses. However, the protein is sometimes used to coat prescription drug and over-the-counter medicine capsules, among other things.

After taking a generic drug seven years ago and developing side effects consistent with ingesting gluten, Weber petitioned the FDA to either eliminate wheat gluten in medicines or require new labeling on drugs containing the protein. The agency response has been slow. In 2011, the FDA sought public comments about the issue, but otherwise has not taken action.

So Weber has now filed a lawsuit to demand the FDA do something.

After taking the drug, “I called my pharmacy and they were not able to determine that drug was gluten-free,” says Weber, a medical office assistant in Eastchester, N.Y. “So then I had to find which manufacturer produced the generic. I went to their website and then had to speak to somebody at the company. They said that was not a gluten-free batch… So I had to discontinue taking the drug. I would like to be able to take drugs and not have any fears or go through all these hoops.”

In his lawsuit, he argues the failure to address the issue is hurting millions of Americans. About 1% of the U.S. population has celiac disease, according to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. “The absence of rules to address wheat gluten in prescription medications has serious and ongoing public health implications,” says Katie Einspanier, an attorney at Public Citizen, which represents him.

An FDA spokeswoman wrote us that the agency does not comment on pending litigation. We also asked what, if any, steps the agency may take to alert the public to medicines that contain wheat gluten and will update you accordingly. In 2011, a paper issued by the FDA Office of Food Safety detailed the adverse effects people with Celiac disease can suffer from exposure to gluten.

It’s not clear exactly how many medicines contain wheat gluten. A list maintained by Steve Plogsted, a nutrition support pharmacist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, shows the protein is found in more than 150 prescription and OTC medicines. He tells us he obtains information from drug makers and government sources, and does this on a voluntary basis without funding.

Recently, the drug information service at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick N.J., began a database. But in a recent essay in the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, researchers noted most drugs “cannot be considered truly gluten free due to the lack of final product testing” and some drug makers could not verify the absence of cross-contamination during production.

“Unfortunately, there is no clear answer to the question of the prevalence of gluten in either OTC or prescription medications,” a spokeswoman for the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness writes us. “This highlights “the need for comprehensive research to identify safe thresholds of gluten in medication, its impact on people with celiac disease, and the pervasiveness of gluten” in production.

Meanwhile, spokespeople for the Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America, which represents prescription drug makers, and the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, which represents over-the-counter medicines, declined comment regarding the lawsuit and say they are uncertain how many of their members use gluten in their products.

In comments made to the FDA in 2011, the CHPA said the amount in OTC drugs where gluten “is not intentionally added is minute, especially when compared to the intake via the food supply.” The trade group also argued, though, that “banning use of specific grains would disrupt the supply chain, resulting in major reformulation of products.

“Reformulation to ensure elimination of gluten would have significant consequences to manufacturing cost and resources,” the trade group continued, adding that cross contamination could still occur. The CHPA, however, did suggest that labeling – such as the information provided for people who may experience allergic reactions – would be worth discussing.

 Those of us with Celiac Disease are required to follow a strictly gluten-free diet. Okay. But what about the gluten that could be lurking in products we use daily? What about our cosmetics? This is a question that seems to never have an answer that’s set in stone. However, many Celiacs have reported experiencing a range of symptoms, such as rashes, hives, burning, itching, and even swelling–all caused by their cosmetics.

These reactions seem to be typical among many Celiacs, which begs this question:

Do Celiacs need to follow a gluten-free skincare regimen?

That choice is yours to make. If you’ve been using department store cosmetics and feel “glutened” afterward, or have experienced rashes, redness, burning, or swelling, perhaps it’s time to give gluten-free cosmetics a try.

Why Do Gluten-Free Cosmetics Matter?

Because the FDA rules that govern makeup are different than they are from food, it can be pretty difficult to understand if there’s gluten present in your cosmetics or not. The general answer for most of the well-known cosmetics manufacturers is yes.

What’s alarming about that is the fact that many makeup manufacturers can’t tell you where their ingredients come from because they don’t know. As a result, those of us with Celiac Disease are left to fend for ourselves.

Some of the most common cosmetic ingredients are wheat and oat derivatives. It’s no secret that their use is widespread in the cosmetics world. What’s really important to remember is that even if a grain isn’t mentioned in the ingredient name, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t contain gluten.

In fact, the word “gluten” is highly unlikely to appear on the ingredient labels of cosmetics at all! As a result, you need to be diligent about reading those ingredient labels, and if you’re unsure of what to look for, we’re here to help!

The list above is pretty exhaustive, but there may be other ingredients out there, too. If you’re not sure about an ingredient (and it’s not on this list), do some research first. There’s always the option to just say no, and opt for cosmetics that you’ll know are good for you.

Two skincare companies that offer great lines of gluten-free cosmetics are 100% Pure and Acure Organics.
Via:blog.naturalhealthyconcepts.com

Dude note: Sometimes emails sent to me need no introduction. Just read, absorb and share. Thank you.

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To the waitress(es) who mocked me for ordering gluten free:

This is not a thank you letter.

You know the kind. The social media posts that call out a social injustice, but in turn end up “thanking” the culprit for some sort of inspirational reason. Honestly, I thought about wording this in that way. Then I thought about the way it felt when you openly mocked my disease.

The same way it feels when I see people do it in the media. The same way it feels when I read about children getting bullied at school for the same reason.

I will not say thank you.

“What you don’t know is that what one of you labeled as “attention-seeking behavior,” is actually considered “unwanted visibility” in the Celiac community.”

We only met once, as your shift was over shortly after you took our order. You don’t know much about me, or I about you.

What you don’t know is that I could hear you. You were right behind me — or was that the point?

What you don’t know is that the words you and the other(s) were saying are the exact words I fear the staff is thinking every time I go out. Are they taking me seriously? Will the food be safe? Will I spend the next 12-24 hours violently ill and have my intestines damaged because I took this risk of going out?

What you don’t know is that I didn’t want to ask you all those questions. I long for the days I could look at a menu and order simply and without fear.

What you don’t know is that what one of you labeled as “attention-seeking behavior,” is actually considered “unwanted visibility” in the Celiac community. Having to explain my disease can be and is emotionally exhaustive.

I will not say thank you.

What you don’t know is that there are millions of people with Celiac Disease. MILLIONS.

What you don’t know is what it’s like to feel like a burden to your friends and family because of something you can’t control.

What you don’t know is what it’s like to be afraid of food.

What you don’t know is what it’s like to constantly wash your hands every day, praying you don’t get sick when you touch your food.

What you don’t know is what it’s like to never relax.

“What you don’t know is the feeling of those jokes going straight to my (albeit sensitive) heart, knowing that the most serious, dangerous part of my life, the thing that I cannot afford to stop thinking about, is a punchline.”

What you don’t know is that my mind can never shut down from thinking about gluten free. You see, my life literally depends on it.

What you don’t know is that I will never again in my entire life be able to eat something without doing FBI-like research on it to know if it’s safe.

I will not say thank you.

What you don’t know is what it’s like to go to any social event and know that you can’t eat a single thing there.

What you don’t know is the overwhelming feelings of both gratitude and isolation when a friend or family member goes out of their way to bring food to that social event that is safe for you to eat.

What you don’t know is that my husband had to very thoroughly brush his teeth after our meal before he could kiss me again, because a simple kiss on lips that have touched gluten is dangerous for my body.

I will not say thank you.

What you don’t know is that I have to endure jokes about gluten free every single day.

What you don’t know is the feeling of those jokes going straight to my (albeit sensitive) heart, knowing that the most serious, dangerous part of my life, the thing that I cannot afford to stop thinking about, is a punchline.

“What you don’t know is that I’m not angry with you; you simply just don’t understand.”

What you don’t know is that I wish I could have said these things to your face. Not to be aggressive or mean, but to simply get the words out. Simply to let one more person know that Celiac Disease is real and it’s not easy.

What you don’t know is that I’m not angry with you; you simply just don’t understand.

You may have actually known some of these things. I wouldn’t know that, though, because we only met briefly.

I don’t know anything about your life. I’m sure you have struggles; everyone does. This is mine.

So no, I will not say thank you. There is not some grand inspirational lesson learned in this. This is my every day life, and it will only get worse unless people tell the world what it’s like to live with Celiac.

And that’s what I plan to do.

Via : glutendude.com

When you have celiac disease you’re well-acquainted with the digestive symptoms of the condition. But other than the gut and small intestine, celiac disease also affects other important body systems—including the bones and skeleton. Osteoporosis, a disease in which bones become weakened, thin and brittle, can result from celiac disease.

In fact, those who have celiac disease have a 3.5 percent chance of being diagnosed with osteoporosis compared to only .05 percent in the general population. They also have double the risk of bone fractures.

Those who have celiac disease are also more at risk for the main complication of osteoporosis—fractures, according to Seymour Katz, MD, clinical professor of medicine at the New York University School of Medicine. Katz is also an attending gastroenterologist at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System and St. Francis Hospital.

He notes that the incidence of fractures among those with celiac disease up to age 70 is about 40 percent, about twice that of the general population, according to some studies. Katz authored a review study on gastrointestinal diseases and their link to osteoporosis, published in the journal Gastroenterology & Hepatology in 2010.

“In the general population, osteoporosis strikes patients most often when they’re in their 50s and 60s. But in patients with celiac disease, you can see osteoporosis 15 years earlier,” says Donald Kirby, MD, director for the Center for Human Nutrition at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland. Osteoporosis can often set in over the age of 65, but for untreated celiac disease patients the bone disease can even occur in childhood

The presence of osteoporosis in a younger adult or child should alert doctors to possible undiagnosed, underlying celiac disease, Kirby says. Because celiac disease is often silent and can lay dormant for many years, osteoporosis can be the first tip off that a patient has the condition, according to Kirby.

As we age our bones tend to lose calcium, and as a result, bones can become less dense and more brittle.

Those who have undiagnosed celiac disease are at increased risk for osteoporosis because when they eat gluten, their immune systems go into overdrive and destroy the lining of the small intestine that usually absorbs nutrients from food. Thus, as well as being prone to malnutrition, celiac disease patients do not absorb enough calcium and vitamin D to build strong bones and prevent them from weakening. Because celiac disease patients  don’t absorb the nutrients from food, they can also be underweight, another risk factor for osteoporosis.

The major complication of osteoporosis is an increased risk for fractures in the spine, hip, shoulder and other bones. These fractures can sometimes lead to significant periods of illness and, in the elderly, disability or even death when long periods of immobility after a fracture lead to fatal pneumonia.

The link between celiac disease and low bone mass—or bone mineral density—as well as osteoporosis and increased fracture risk has been documented in several large international studies.

In a Swedish study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology in 2009, researchers tested 6,480 women between the ages of 50 to 64 for the presence of an antibody or protein known as tissue transglutaminase autoantibody, considered a marker for celiac disease. The same women also answered questionnaires regarding their health and history of fractures, and underwent bone imaging scans of the wrist.

Results indicated that women with high levels of the autoantibody for celiac disease also had sustained a greater number of fractures and had lower bone mineral density at the wrist than women with lower levels. Women with higher levels of the autoantibody for celiac disease were also more likely to have osteoporosis.

In a Canadian study published in the Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology, 376 women from Manitoba, Canada, were tested for celiac disease autoantibodies and also underwent bone mineral density imaging scans called dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scans. A DEXA imaging scan is most accurate way to diagnose osteoporosis.

The women in the study positive for the celiac disease autoantibodies were also more likely to have osteoporosis. More than 67 percent who tested positive were also diagnosed with osteoporosis through the DEXA bone scans.  In contrast, only 44.8 percent of women who tested negative for celiac disease autoantibodies had osteoporosis.

The good news about osteoporosis in celiac disease patients is that it can often be prevented or improved with a gluten-free diet, particularly in children. “It’s a whole lot easier to prevent osteoporosis than to treat it,” Kirby says. In those who have lowered bone density that has not become serious enough to be classified as osteoporosis, a gluten-free diet and calcium with vitamin D supplementation may be sufficient to strengthen the patients’ bones.

Often the successful treatment of celiac disease will enable patients to absorb the nutrients they need to prevent osteoporosis. Other than vitamin D and calcium, weight-bearing exercise is also beneficial for prevention. “Patients with celiac disease can have a low bone mass, and after treatment with a gluten-free diet, they will increase their bone density,” says Meryl S. LeBoff, MD, director of the skeletal health and osteoporosis center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

The greatest increases in bone density occur in the first year of treatment with a gluten-free diet, according to LeBoff. “It is so important to diagnose patients with celiac disease because not only can treatment result in alleviating symptoms of the disease but it can also improve bone mineral density,” LeBoff says.

Children with celiac disease who are treated with a gluten-free diet are much more likely to reach a normal bone mass than adults. Even after successful treatment for celiac disease, adults may have osteoporosis or bones that have lower bone mass than normal for their age group.

Experts say that adult celiac disease patients should consider being tested for osteoporosis because there’s such a strong link between the two diseases and because adults are less likely to improve their bone density with a gluten-free diet alone and may need supplements and medication.

In adults, bone mineral density after treatment with a gluten-free diet only increases about 5 percent a year, according to Katz.

Still, osteoporosis can be successfully treated, and the treatments can help slow down the bone loss that is the hallmark of the disease as well as prevent fractures. Treatment most often consists of medications known as bisphosphonates, such as alendronate (Fosamax), which act against cells called osteoclasts involved in the loss of bone mass in osteoporosis.

Other treatments include calcitonin, teriparatide (Forteo, given by injection) and hormone replacement therapy. All these medicines act against osteoclasts and can reduce the risk of fracture in patients with osteoporosis.

Are any of these medications superior for patients with celiac disease? That question hasn’t really been studied but, Kirby notes that celiac disease patients, particularly those who still have some symptoms of malabsorption, will recover bone mass more successfully with medications given by injection or infusion, rather than oral pills.

The decision of whether or not to start a patient on osteoporosis medications rather than just calcium and vitamin D supplements is made after a physician assesses the severity of the patient’s low bone mass and/or osteoporosis and their fracture risk, according to Katz.

People with gluten intolerance do not have the same increased risk for osteoporosis as those who have celiac disease because they don’t have problems absorbing nutrients, according to Kirby. As a result they don’t have the same vitamin D and calcium deficiencies as celiac disease patients.

A gluten-free diet can lead to both a better quality of life and improved gastrointestinal symptoms and bone mass for those with celiac disease and osteoporosis. But keeping both diseases at bay is not always an easy task.

“Many patients feel better when they go on a gluten-free diet. But after a while they start to eat gluten—to have a pizza, a beer and other foods with gluten. It’s not an easy diet to stick with,” Katz notes.

When low bone mass or osteoporosis is a complication of celiac disease, patients also have to consistently take calcium and vitamin D and any prescribed medications.  They also have to regularly do weight bearing exercise such as walking or running.

“It’s so important for celiac disease patients to understand the importance of a gluten-free diet in treating their underlying disease as well as preventive strategies for osteoporosis,” LeBoff says.

Barbara Boughton is an award-winning health and medical writer. Her articles have appeared in publications such as The Lancet Oncology, Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Alternative Medicine Magazine, and Consumer Reports. She is the co-author of  Reduce Your Cancer Risk: Twelve Steps to a Healthier Life.