Team Gluten Free ::: Experts

Danna Korn

Danna Korn is the author of “Living Gluten- Free for Dummies,” “Gluten-Free Cooking for Dummies,” “Wheat-Free, Worry-Free: The Art of Happy, Healthy, Gluten-Free Living,” and “Kids with Celiac Disease: A Family Guide to Raising Happy, Healthy Gluten-Free Children.”

Respected as one of the leading authorities on the gluten-free diet and the medical conditions that benefit from it, she has been featured in People Magazine, on ABC’s “20-20,” and dozens of other national media outlets.

Desiree Ficker

MEET DANNA KORN

Danna has been researching celiac disease and the gluten-free diet since her son, Tyler, was diagnosed with the condition in 1991. That same year, she founded R.O.C.K. (Raising Our Celiac Kids), a support group for families of children on a gluten-free diet. Today, Danna leads more than 140 chapters of R.O.C.K. throughout the U.S. and Canada.

She speaks frequently around the country to health care professionals, celiacs, parents of celiacs, parents of autistic kids involved in a gluten-free/casein-free dietary intervention program, and others on a gluten-free diet. Twice she has been an invited presenter at the International Symposium on Celiac Disease.

Danna is founder of GlutenFreedom, which offers consultation services to large natural food companies, testing companies, dietitians and nutritionists, and people newly diagnosed with gluten intolerance and celiac disease. She also coordinates the International Walk/Run for Celiac Disease each May in San Diego. The San Diego event is among the largest in the country.

But what Danna loves best is teaching people to live -- and love -- the gluten-free lifestyle. One of her many mantras is, “Gluten-free is good for me!”

“Danna gets an A+ for accuracy in her knowledge of the gluten-free diet and the medical conditions that benefit from it.” -Cynthia Rudert, M.D.

Gaining an Athletic Advantage
by Being Gluten-Free From Living Gluten-Free For Dummies, Danna Korn

Some athletes are afraid to go gluten-free because they are worried they won’t get enough carbohydrates in their diets to sustain their intense energy needs. Carbs before, during and after training or competition are essential to maintaining energy levels and speeding recovery after the event.

Not only is getting the carbs you need as an athlete possible, but being gluten-free can actually provide an athletic advantage. After all, you’re not doing your carb-loading with pizza and spaghetti – those are relatively worthless nutritionally speaking. These foods also cause blood-sugar peaks and valleys because they’re high-glycemic-load foods.

The gluten-freeness of the diet doesn’t deserve the credit in providing an athletic advantage; it’s more the high-protein, low-glycemic-load approach (that happens to be gluten-free) that counts. This approach has several advantages for athletes:

• Enabling the body to gradually learn to use energy more efficiently from fat stores and to be less dependent on the food in its gut

• Minimizing the hypoglycemic effect that sudden, intense exercise can cause

• Increasing the free fatty acids in the bloodstream, enabling you to save muscle glycogen (used for energy) during exercise

• Maintaining stable blood-sugar levels during exercise, which is essential for the growth of muscle and strength, as well as for the flow of energy

MEET DESIREE FICKER

I have been gluten free since the winter of 2006 after a terrible year of stomach issues during my training and racing. I actually had years of stomach issues and always attributed it to others things...overtraining, "something in the water" , even too much fiber!

Since eliminating gluten from my diet I have been much healthier and my racing has gone so much better. I still struggle with eating out and giving into temptation every once in a while, only to realize that I must stick to my diet in order to be healthy.

This off season I am working on baking new gluten free breads and treats. A gluten free diet doesn't always have to be a downer!

My favorite foods while training and racing:

Accel Gel by Accelerade
Laura Bars
Trail mix
Corn nuts
Food For Life rice bread (breakfast before rides and runs) with Justin's Nut Butter.

-Visit Desiree's Website-
www.desireeficker.com