Celiac Project Podcast

Mike and Cam welcome Mike's daughter, Jessica, back to the podcast! Jessica is now a junior in High School - how time flies! She shares many updates on her life, including how she handles eating at school, her thoughts on visiting colleges, and some recent health challenges she has had to navigate. We also get to hear briefly from her younger sister, Melanie, as they both share their top gluten free meals from their trip to Ohio. 

Mike recently took his family on a trip through Ohio. On this high energy vacation they encountered intriguing colleges, a long awaited visit to the Rock and Roll at the Hall of Fame, and so many memorable gluten free dining treats! While it was only about a four day trip, Mike and his family made it though Oxford, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Toledo and more! Journey with us, and hear about some of the best places to visit and eat when you plan your own adventure through Ohio!

Mike and Cam welcome Danielle Altonaga to the podcast. Danielle lives in Canada and shares her story of resilience after years of unexplained and complicated symptoms and medical issues. Danielle also has a unique perspective on living gluten free, as she had already been following the strict observance of living Kosher. You will be so inspired by Danielle as she has re-framed her struggles before and after getting diagnosed with celiac disease, living with an attitude of gratitude! You can also watch this month's episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/WTQeqS7E6qY

It's time for Summer News and Notes! Mike and Cam share some incredible listener letters including a long time listener who is faced with confusion over pre-packaged meals that may or may not contain gluten. We also go behind the scenes, sharing the latest court documents on one of Mary Vargas's most compelling and gut wrenching cases that is still in litigation, and much more!

Summer travel is in full swing so Mike and Cam share a couple of exciting recent trips! While Cam ventures back to Sin City, Las Vegas and is mostly on a good roll, he shares a cautionary moment where things go a little off the rails. Mike's latest adventure with his family takes him to Milwaukee for Lakefront Brewery's incredible Maifest celebration. It's a gluten free fest unlike anything Mike has ever attended and you won't believe the culinary highlights he experiences!

Mike and Cam are excited to welcome fashion designer, Richa Ranawat, all the way from India. Richa shares her incredible story of immense suffering all while desperate to find answers before finally being diagnosed with celiac disease. Along the way, she was diagnosed with other auto-immune conditions and allergies. After seeing 35 doctors and struggling with a myriad of symptoms, she finally started to get answers. Richa takes us on her journey of trauma, self discovery, and an unwavering resilience as she fights for her safety at every turn. We are so excited to share this incredible episode, and you can also watch it (along with captions) on YouTube!  https://youtu.be/cW13RNdoS8s 

Mike and Cam both embarked on recent trips to Michigan at the same time, and they both share some interesting gluten free dining experiences. Cam finds confusion with some store bought cheese with a troubling label. Meanwhile Mike brings the family to visit a couple of college campuses, and is blown away by the gluten free and allergen free offerings at one of the schools. Grab some gluten free snacks and road trip along with the guys!

Our 400th episode was loaded with so many surprises and fantastic information, that we kept the celiac awareness party going into June! This week, we throw the curtain back for Episode 401, where Mike and Cam have their pressing questions answered by Dr. Benjamin Lebwohl and Dr. Alessio Fasano! Plus, GI psychologist, Dr. Elyse Bedell, also shares great information on dealing with the psychological and social effects of celiac, and some tips to help you navigate emotions when times get tough.

We did it! Show 400! We decided to make it a special Celiac Awareness Party and we have incredible surprise guests checking in! So many guests that 400 is the first of a 2 part show. Mike and Cam also reminisce and have a toast with a twist on an old favorite. Don't miss this special show!  

Mike and Cam are so excited to welcome Doctor Alessio Fasano to the podcast. Dr. Fasano has a lot of optimism about the future of celiac treatment and diagnosis. In this special Celiac Awareness Month episode, Dr. Fasano shares his reflections from the past 10 years on celiac disease, and sheds light on what types of treatments to manage the disease will be realistic in the near future. Plus he shares his knowledge about how personalized medicine is the best way to treat celiac patients more effectively and with better results. You can watch this incredible episode on YouTube!  https://youtu.be/EH2QhdGX6RQ Go to YouTube.com/@celiacproject and subscribe to our brand new YouTube Channel!

Mike and Cam are kicking off another Celiac Awareness Month with their 9th Annual Celiac State of the Union show. This year they examine a number of areas that they feel are most important to the celiac and gluten free community. They also look at how society has changed since the beginning of the podcast in 2016 to the present, based on their own expectations of where they thought it would be nearly a decade later. 

Mike and Cam welcome Gluten Free Beer Brian to the show. Brian is an expert at gluten free brewing and beermaking, and the guys sample some of Brian's homemade brews as he gives them an introductory primer, sharing some helpful tips along the way. Pull up a barstool and find out what it takes to brew a top tier gluten free beer! The guys also preview their spectacular Celiac Awareness Month line up that will include 3 very special shows--including episode 400!!!

It's time for Spring News and Notes! In this lively episode, Mike and Cam share some entertaining letters. A listener who had a similar hospital experience as Mike, news about a blood pressure medication that causes celiac-type symptoms, and some clarity about "In and Out Burger" gluten free offerings. Plus, they have a comical debate over a curious way to label donuts--are they gluten-less or do they just have less gluten? You be the judge!

Mike and Cam welcome back attorney Mary Vargas, for part 2 of their compelling, and at times very personal conversation. In this episode, Mary shares her struggles helping her newly diagnosed son navigate college with celiac disease, which Mary has dealt with, ironically, in her own litigation of a case against a university. Along the way they share important tips for what many parents of young adults heading off to college know to be a daunting process. They wrap up by talking a little bit about other institutions that can be challenging for those with celiac including hospital stays, nursing homes, and long term care facilities. 

Returning guest and Disability Rights Lawyer, Mary Vargas, joins us for an eye opening conversation, so much so that it's a 2 part episode! In this week's show, Mary shares updates on some landmark cases including JD vs. Colonial Williamsburg, and the ripple effects of the case. We also revisit an ongoing case involving a man with celiac disease who was not given safe food in jail. In part 2, we dive into navigating some of the issues that can arrive in college, a topic that Mary has faced personally with her own son. 

Mike and Cam are excited to welcome back Vanessa Weisbrod to the podcast. Vanessa discusses her new position at the Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF), where she is the Chief Education and Community Engagement Officer.  Vanessa has hit the ground running and shares many of the exciting plans, programs and initiatives that she is working on at CDF. Included in the topics covered are Vanessa's vision for the future of celiac thought leaders, her work with Celiac Cruise, tackling food insecurity on a larger scale, and some of the hurdles that we face trying to change and reform gluten free labeling for food and drugs.

Cam is on the move again and his first trip in 2024 is snowboarding in Colorado! He decided to head back there after ending the year on a bit of a sour note. But on this trip he got back on his feet and, as usual, finds some gems to eat and drink and also shares some travel tips to stay safe and cut costs while shredding on the slopes!

Mike's daughters, Melanie(11) and Jessica(15) return to share updates! Jessica has lived with celiac disease since she was 3 years old, and Melanie learned from a very young age how to help advocate for her and her dad.  More recently, Melanie has been learning to navigate life with a dairy intolerance. Having to deal with social situations like turning down food at parties, has given her a deeper understanding of how Jessica, her dad, and many others live every day.

Mike and Cam kick off 2024 with an old favorite - Stump Mike and Cam! In this episode, the guys test their knowledge on various celiac and gluten free topics. Test your knowledge and play along with them. Will Mike and Cam come out winners or will they be stumped!

As 2023 draws to a close, Mike and Cam explore some of the reasons they believe that 2024 could be the best year yet for the celiac and gluten free community. From positive recent changes they have observed, to better supports and understanding of living a safe gluten free life, Mike and Cam are excited to see our community thrive as we move into 2024. We toast to a fabulous New Year ahead!