A Canadian Celiac Podcast

It's the beginning of April and that means I have the opportunity to speak with Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com to discuss the articles she has brought to our attention over the past month.

Ellen and I discuss a recent study that looks at how patients with celiac disease interact with their health care professionals. This is, of course dependent on the particular health care professional, but the study found that often celiac patients felt that their doctor was treating them with less respect as if they weren't very smart.

Ellen reminded us of the...

This podcast afforded me the distinct pleasure of having a conversation with both Registered Dietitian Selena De Vries and Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com.

Selena often shares her insights into ordering and eating at fast food restaurants – something most of us miss, and Ellen has extensive experience with eating safely at a variety of restaurants. Our  conversation can help identify what the real concerns are, and how to both prepare prior to arriving at the restaurant as well as the language to help you make safe choices.

We all get concerned about travelling, especially internationally, and...

It's the beginning of March 2026 and my opportunity again to chat with Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com about studies and topics she has brought to our attention over the past month.

Ellen and I tackle the tricky diagnosis of Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NSGS). I say tricky, because currently science is still struggling to find a way to make a diagnosis of celiac symptoms when a patient doesn't have the genetic predisposition for celiac disease. This question has been looking for an answer for a long time, and we may now be close. The good thing about NCGS...

On this podcast I speak with Registered Dietician Nicole Byrom. Both Nicole and I have daughters with Celiac Disease. We break down our conversation into three portions – talking about a parent having celiac disease, talking about a diagnosis for the child, and talking about the diagnosis of a sibling. We also recognize that children require different approaches depending on their ages. We've broken down our discussions looking at different age groups – ages 5-10, ages 10-13 and ages 14+.

For more information about the Kids Teach Kids program from Celiac Canada go to their link –

https://www.celiac...

It's the beginning of February 2026 which means I can take the opportunity to speak again with Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com about news and information she has brought to our attention over the past month. Ellen and I spoke about a new app that may solve your problems with record-keeping for your gluten free food deduction on your taxes. We try and take some of they mysteries out of the ROME IV Criteria and its relationship with DGBI's. Below is the link to fill out the University of Alberta Survey.

CELIAC SCENE NEWS

GLUTAX...

On this podcast I speak with Cindi Little the Everyday Gluten Free Gourmet. I wanted to chat with Cindi to explore some of the ways gluten free convenience foods and mixes which have relatively recently exploded onto the market can be used in creative ways to be more satisfying and help us expand our daily menu selections.

Cindi and I speak about gluten free breaded chicken pieces that are now widely available as well as the many gluten free sauce and gravy mixes we find in our grocery stores. Cindi and I acknowledge that many people don't...

Hapy New Year! It's the beginning of January 2026 which means I can take the opportunity to speak again with Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com about news and information she has brought to our attention over the past month.

Ellen speaks to us about a study done on children properly diagnosed with celiac disease who, after months on the gluten free diet and lower antibody numbers are still showing symptoms. The study may show a link between these symptoms and a condition called DGBI (Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction).

Ellen has informed us of the testing process...

On this podcast I speak with Melissa Secord, Executive Director of Celiac Canada regarding the recent petition that was up for signatures. The time to sign has now closed and I was interested in how successful the CCA was in getting signatures a second time for this petition, and what the next steps are to push for the reality to make gluten free more affordable in Canada.

Sue's Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.comEp

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Baking Website – https...

It's the beginning of December 2025 which means to me that I get to catchup with Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com about information she has brought to our attention over the past month.

First, by December 6th, let me remind you about signing the e-Petition from Celiac Canada to request that the Federal Government consider a Gluten-Free Tax Credit. Here's a link to sign the digital e-Petition - https://www.celiac.ca/petition-high-cost-of-gluten-free-food/

Ellen and I also spoke about a Survey that is online from Conquer Studies through Dr. Diana Major and the University of Alberta...

On this episode I'm again speaking with Cinde Little, the Everyday Gluten Free Gourmet regarding a new way for those of us who want to cook and bake gluten free, whether it be for ourselves or for others.

Cinde has organized a membership group to try recipes, communicate and learn together how to cook and bake gluten free. She hopes to take the anxiety of trying new recipes with lots of tips to help you understand how gluten free can be delicious for the whole family. Cinde is creating a welcoming community – something we can all use.

It's the beginning of November 2025 and my opportunity to discuss news and information that has come out in the past month with Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com. Ellen keeps us up to date on what's happening regarding celiac disease and gluten free.

First, let me urge you to sign the petition Celiac Canada is putting forth to the federal government regarding the cost of gluten free food and how they can assist the celiac population. This is a re-issue of the petition from last year, as unfortunately it died when an election was called. Last time we...

On this podcast I take the opportunity to speak with Melissa Secord, Executive Director of Celiac Canada regarding her recent attendance as part of the Canadian "team" at an international Celiac Conference in Finland.

First, let me remind you of the Step Up for Celiac fundraiser that is being held by Celiac Canada all across the country during the month of October.

https://www.celiac.ca/get-involved/stepupforceliac/

Melissa and I spoke about the presentations made at the conference and about discussions held with support organizations in other countries and their shared issues...

It's the beginning of October, so my chance to chat with Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com about articles and studies she has brought to our attention over the past month. As well, I take the opportunity to discuss something that's been on my mind for quite a while.

Ellen and I speak about a recent CFIA recall and you can get the full information here –

CFIA RECALL - Undeclared Wheat & Soy - Habibi Dubai Kunafa Pistachio Milk Chocolate

We talk about a new product from M &M (I did try it - this on...

Over this past summer I've been asked by different people if I know of a local dietician who is particularly knowledgeable about Celiac Disease. Unfortunately, I have to say I don't, but there is a great solution for us with Selena DeVries RD, as she has an online practice, can be paid by many healthcare plans and she herself is celiac.

In our conversation, Selena explains how to deal with ongoing symptoms even if you've been symptom free for a long time. She explains how lactose issues as well as thyroid issues can develop as we age – so...

It's the beginning of September, so my chance to chat with Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com about articles and studies she has brought to our attention over the past month.

During August, Ellen visited the Kinnikinnick storefront in Edmonton and the pictures she took of the amazing baked goods would make any celiac's mouth water. My Visit to Kinnikinnick Foods' Store Front in Edmonton

Ellen published a study about teens with celiac disease and the link with body image and potential mental health issues – this is a must read for parents of celiac children. There is...

This second part of the wrap up conversation with Ellen focused more on the experiences I had in the varied restaurants where we ate on our trip. Breakfast was usually the same and eaten in the hotel room, lunch was on the road and dinner was normally after we'd checked in to our hotel – but those were the only constants. I enjoy different ethnic cuisines, and I treated myself often.

Ellen and I spoke not only about fast food places which primarily made up our lunch choices, but franchise restaurants and why in both cases these can of...

On this podcast I get to catch up with Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com about the articles and information she has brought to our attention over the past month. Summer is usually a slow time when it comes to releasing information about studies and new products, but as usual, Ellen has found some valuable information to share with us.

Selena DeVries RD has a new program to help celiac patients relieve some of their ongoing symptoms with dietary supplementation. Selena has also written about the Gluten Free Diet as only the first step in treating our celiac...

While I was recording my relatively short podcast episodes from "the road" travelling from Eastern Ontario to Vancouver Island, I mentioned that I would have to chat to Ellen about some things I encountered along the way in a future podcast. Here is the first part of that podcast chatting about things I learned from my road trip. The second part will be somewhat longer, as we kept talking, and that will be available in the middle of August.

Some things I learned included how important it was for me to have a fridge and microwave in...

I'm back home from my road trip and am overdue talking to Ellen Bayens about things she has brought to our attention over the month of June on theceliacscene.com.

Ellen was excited to tell us about an experimental test for celiac disease coming out of Australia. The test involves drawing blood and introducing a form of gluten to the blood to look for a specific reaction to show that the individual has celiac disease. Both Ellen and I described this as a "game-changer" with many practical uses for diagnosis within our community. Hopefully this test will...

I made it to my final destination of Comox British Columbia where my daughter was joining her boyfriend who had been stationed there earlier this year. A very long trip but they organized for an apartment and everything went very smoothly. 

While staying in a hotel before they got their keys, we went out for breakfast to Smitty's (the GF dedicated restaurant in town was too busy to take us which is great for them!) I spoke to the server at Smitty's about gluten free and she was very knowledgeable. I try to order relatively simply when t...

We spent the next night in Kamloops, and I was lucky enough to have pizza left from lunch, so that filled the spot for dinner. In the morning, we headed towards the ferry terminal south of Vancouver for the ferry to Victoria at 3pm. I wanted to get to the ferry early, which was a good thing as we met so much traffic leaving for the mountains for the long holiday weekend. I decided to get another taco salad from Wendy's and enjoyed eating it while in the line for the ferry.

We arrived on Vancouver Island...

We left Regina on a nice sunny day and headed west. We stopped at Wendy's (again) for lunch, but this time I had the taco salad – without the corn chips as apparently, they aren't safe. You get a nice salad, a good portion of chili and some salsa. I poured the chili on the salad and thoroughly enjoyed my lunch in the car.

Cinde Little, the Everyday Gluten Free Gourmet was very kind to invite us for dinner at her home in Calgary that evening. She made a menu card especially for us. All the recipes came fr...

We arrived in Winnipeg in plenty of time to settle into our hotel and go to Montanas for dinner. I've eaten at Montanas a number of times and always get the ribs with Texas bold sauce and a baked potato with butter – very yummy!

I had my last sandwich on the road which worked out well as there aren't many places for me to have a hot lunch on the Trans Canada Highway between Winnipeg and Regina. Once in Regina I was excited to go out for fish and chips at a very busy sports bar/restaurant ca...

We left Sault Ste. Marie in an intense thunderstorm, and rain and wind stayed with us on and off for the next couple of days. Our drive to Thunder Bay was very scenic, but so many trees and so much wilderness. Not many places to stop – I was glad I had my cold cuts and buns with me for lunch.

Once we arrived in Thunder Bay the restaurant I had picked out was a short walk from our hotel. It was a Mexican restaurant called Nortenos Taqueria. I got the Beef Birria – it was so yummy I star...

We left the Kingston area with a very full car for our trip to Vancouver Island to relocate my daughter. Our first night stop was in North Bay. We got takeout from Boston Pizza, which I always enjoy. Then after a good night's sleep our next stop was the Big Nickel in Sudbury – very cool!

A friend recommended a gluten free bakery to me that was in Lively, west of Sudbury called Gluten Free Galore, but also goes by the name Amici. I bought white bread, two cupcakes, date squares, and sandwich buns which we put to go...

I'm going on a road trip with my daughter from Eastern Ontario to Vancouver Island. I thought I'd bring you along in a series of short episodes to let you know where I chose to eat, as well as other things I learned about being gluten free and travelling by car for days with my daughter and a dog in our vast beautiful country.

Go to my blog to see a photo of us ready to leave.

Sue's Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acan...

It's the beginning of June and again my opportunity to speak with Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com to discuss interesting articles she has brought to our attention during May. Ellen and I start off talking about May being Celiac Awareness Month and the Light Up events held in her city of Victoria. We also mention a popular event of Gluten Free Food Drives that happen across the country during May.

We also talk about my recent podcast regarding the Gluten Free Expo in Vancouver on June 7th and 8th. We are then led into discussing gluten free...

On this podcast I speak with Gerrit Janssen a Red Seal Chef who has turned his hand to working with the Gluten Free community including food producers to present Gluten Free Expos in western Canada. His next show is in Vancouver on June 7th and 8th. At a Gluten Free Expo you will be treated to a wide variety of local and bigger brands of gluten free food producers as well as an impressive line-up of speakers, some of whom I've spoken with on the podcast.

You can follow Gluten Free Expo on Facebook and Instagram at...

Celiac Awareness Month always brings with the hope of spring and the renewal of the plants and flowers in our communities. If you live in a rural area or on a farm, spring brings many more wonders. I'm hoping that it also brings a renewal of your involvement in the celiac community, in person or maybe online. This month Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene and I speak about Celiac Awareness Month, in particular about the mascot for the campaign and some of the activities and promotion related to it. On celiac.ca you'll find a graphic of "It Be" that's...

I love when I have recurring guests to catch us up on the podcast. Melissa Secord, the Executive Director of Celiac Canada is one of those treasured guests from many different episodes. You can find out more about our topics on Celiac Canada's website celiac.ca.

With the election looming as I recorded with Melissa, she was able to tell me about the letter writing campaign CCA has instituted to send letters to each of the candidates in your electoral riding. This is amazing – all you have to do is fill in some identifying information and press su...

It's the beginning of April, which means that I again have the pleasure of speaking with Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com. On this podcast Ellen and I speak about a new study that looks at vitamin deficiencies found with celiac disease and the gluten free diet. We also talk about gluten free food insecurity and Celiac Canada's efforts to assist.

Ellen posted on social media about a restaurant posting a sign saying they were not able to meet the needs of those requiring a strict gluten free diet or with a serious food allergy. There is a...

On this episode I'm speaking with Megan who has been recently diagnosed with silent celiac disease, meaning she doesn't experience any gastrointestinal symptoms she is aware of. Megan is also interested in behavioural eating and works with clients to undo years of dis-ordered eating. I speak to Megan about how she was diagnosed, as well as to how she's coping as a silent celiac. Megan also gives us some insight into behaviours that you might notice in a celiac child than could indicate that the child is struggling with their behaviours around food. A parent of a celiac child...

It's time again for me to talk with Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com about articles she has published and information she has provided to us over the past month.

Ellen and I opened our conversation talking about Starbucks and their statement on the safety of their stores for someone who needs to eat gluten free. Ellen hopes they would want to be a leader in gluten free as they have been in other aspects of their business, but it appears that's not the case at the moment.

Does Starbucks Offer a Gluten-Free Guarantee?

...

I've been using the app Find Me Gluten Free on my phone for more than five years, but I always had some reservations about how to interpret the information I was finding. I decided to go right to the top and speak with the app's creator Jason Elmore.

The app – Find Me Gluten Free has listings from around the world for restaurants, cafés and bakeries that offer gluten free food. Jason, himself celiac created the app as a place to list and review restaurants that offer gluten free.

I was able to ask Jason all...

The beginning of February is my opportunity to again speak with Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com about studies and articles she has brought to our attention over the past month.  Ellen and I spoke about the findings of Dr. Diana Mager and her team at the University of Alberta regarding food insecurity in families with a celiac child or children. This is something I covered in a recent podcast with Dr. Mager and something that will help shape the response of Celiac Canada to this issue.

Food Insecurity for Celiac Children | A Canadian Celiac Podcast 

Co...

I always get excited to speak with a guest who can fill in some of the blanks in my knowledge about food insecurity for Celiacs in Canada. I work with Celiac Canada to help educate foodbanks to be able to serve our community better. Dr. Diana Mager and her team at the University of Alberta have, in the past, taken a great interest in the nutritional needs of celiac children in Canada (Podcast Episode 292 - https://bit.ly/Ep292CeliacKidsFoodGuide). More recently Dr. Mager and her team have completed a cross-Canada survey of families to determine the food insecurity i...

It's the beginning of a new month and a new year, which makes it a great time to chat with Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com. On this episode Ellen and I talk about some big picture issues including a study regarding public policies and quality of life for celiacs around the world.

Public Policies vs Quality of Life for Celiacs

We look at one county in the UK that is changing the way celiacs are able to buy and have assistance with the purchase of gluten free food – is this just an experiment in one ar...

Recently, I spoke with Melissa Secord and Caleigh McAulay, RD after they attended the International Symposium on Celiac Disease held in Sheffield UK this fall. During that conversation Caleigh mentioned a presentation that she found very interesting by Anne Lee, RD. The presentation was titled "Is the Gluten-Free Diet Always Portrayed Negatively".

I was interested to speak to Caleigh about this with a consideration as to who is eating gluten free besides those of us with celiac disease. Caleigh breaks it down for us and looks at the pros and cons of an expanded population eating gluten...

It's hard to believe it's December, but it's another great opportunity to speak with my good friend Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com. Ellen and I chat about things that she has published on her blog over the past month.

We start by talking about the podcast conversation I had with Celiac Canada's Melissa Secord and Caleigh McAulay RD attending the International Symposium on Celiac Disease held in Sheffield UK earlier this fall. We talked about new paths to diagnosis, the 20 ppm standard for gluten free as well as the role of the different support groups internationally. Celiac...

It's been a busy year for Celiac Canada and one highlight has to have been Melissa Secord and Caleigh McAulay RD attending the International Symposium on Celiac Disease held in Sheffield UK earlier this fall.

Both Melissa and Caleigh returned with so much information regarding ongoing and upcoming research along with best practices from other countries. Melissa shares with us some new theories for better diagnosis as well as questioning some ideas we have held as fact. Caleigh presented a poster on behalf of Celiac Canada regarding our recent State of Celiac Survey and learned so much...