New convention centre hosts National Celiac Conference May 13th to 15th

By Louise Rachlis
When Betty Salewicz was one year old, she was extremely ill with digestive difficulties, a problem that was finally diagnosed as celiac disease.
The toddler was in hospital for many months and then put on the "banana diet" — the treatment at that time when the cause of celiac disease was not known.
She ate just a bowl of mashed bananas, three times a day.
When she was seven, she was taken off the diet and told she’d outgrown her problem.
It wasn’t until she was in her thirties and had given birth to her third child that she was once again diagnosed with celiac disease. By then, the cause was known, and the treatment was for her to follow a gluten free diet for the rest of her life.
Now 80, Betty has seen huge progress in diagnosis and understanding of the disease. She is a member of the Ottawa Chapter of the Celiac Association, which is hosting the 30th Annual National Conference of the Canadian Celiac Association in Ottawa, May 13th to 15th.. They will be one of the first organizations to hold an event in the new convention centre.
“Celiac disease is no longer considered a rare disease,” she says. “Studies have shown that it may affect as many as one in every 133 people in North America, over 90 per cent of whom are undiagnosed. It is treated by following a gluten free diet for life because we react to the gluten in wheat, rye and barley. It is an autoimmune disease, not an allergy.”
Celiac disease is a medical condition in which the absorptive surface of the small intestine is damaged by a number of proteins found in grains, and referred to collectively as ‘gluten’. This results in an inability of the body to absorb nutrients such as protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals, which are necessary for good health.

We now suspect that approximately one per cent of the Canadian population is affected by celiac disease, and the rate is increasing. A wide range of symptoms may be present. Symptoms may appear together or singularly in children or adults. In general, the symptoms of untreated celiac disease indicate the presence of malabsorption because of the damaged small intestine.

Gluten is a collective term for proteins found in wheat, rye, and barley. It is the gluten in the flour that helps bread and other baked goods bind and prevents crumbling. This feature has made gluten widely used in the production of many processed and packaged foods.

At present there is no cure, but celiac disease is readily treated by following the gluten-free diet, and eating out is not the problem it once was. “More and more restaurants are serving gluten free foods,” says June Williams, the president of the Ottawa Chapter of the Canadian Celiac Association, who is looking forward to the May celiac disease conference.
“The biggest challenge is cross contamination,” she says. “One thing we learn as people with celiac disease is not to be shy about asking your server about the ingredients in the food you choose off the menu to make sure it is gluten free. They don’t mind, and many are eager to learn.”
The conference will feature a roster of expert speakers drawn from across North America. Among them are keynote speaker Dr. Daniel Leffler, of Harvard University, co-author of Real Life with Celiac Disease; Dr. Peter Green, Columbia University, co-author of Celiac Disease: a Hidden Epidemic; Dr. Jon Meddings, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, and Dr. Ted Malahias, dentist, and frequent speaker on dental abnormalities in celiac disease.
“We are very excited to be hosting this conference,” says Mark Johnson, chair of the local publicity committee for the conference. “Delegates will hear the latest on the research, possible future treatment options, and more on how to cope with the disease.
”We extend a special invitation to Ottawa-area celiacs to avail themselves of this opportunity to learn. The wide array of gluten-free food that will be enjoyed makes it even more rewarding.”
As well as being active in the large support group, Betty is also part of a smaller group of eight or nine members who meet each month to discuss recipes and shopping for gluten free food. “We also go out together to restaurants, thereby spreading the word about gluten-free food. On one memorable occasion, we all showed up at noon at Colonnade Pizza and were served gluten-free pizza. What a wonderful treat that was!”
Among the benefits of membership in the Ottawa Chapter of the Canadian Celiac Association are a voice mailbox (613-786-1335) to ask questions about Celiac Disease, Dermatitis Herpetiformis and the gluten-free diet; four regular meetings a year in Ottawa, augmented by smaller meetings to provide support for the newly diagnosed; newsletters, literature, and sources of gluten-free products in the area. To join, call the voice mailbox and leave a message saying you want to be a member. Cost is $65, for which you will receive a hefty welcome package as well as a complimentary copy of the new book Celiac Disease for Dummies.
“The big problem we face in diagnosis is people who go on the diet before being tested,” says Quintin Wight of the Ottawa Chapter. "The gold standard is the blood test followed by an endoscopic biopsy. The blood tests used in Canada for the detection of celiac disease are extremely accurate, but when people who suspect they have celiac disease go on the diet first, it can interfere with later testing. The Canadian Celiac Association advises strongly against trial gluten-free diets prior to testing.”
“As there are 29 chapters across Canada, our turn to host the Annual National Conference does not come up very often and we really want to get the word out,” says Betty.
For more information on the conference or the Association, please visit www.celiac.ottawa.on.ca, or call (613) 786-1335.