Katy Martin is a Chef and MBA registered Dietitian. Katy joins Mark Alyn to talk about Gluten Free eating and Celiac Disease. It's difficult to purchase food that is Gluten Free due to inconsistency in labeling, not all foods in the grocery store say if they are gluten free or not.

Katy has been eating gluten free for more than 15 years. Katy has suffered from celiac disease for the past 16 years. Celiac disease is caused by a reaction to gliadin, a prolamin (gluten protein) found in wheat, and similar proteins found in the crops of the tribe Triticeae (which includes other common grains such as barley and rye). Upon exposure to gliadin, and specifically to three pep tides found in prolamins, the enzyme tissue trans glutaminase modifies the protein, and the immune system cross-reacts with the small-bowel tissue, causing an inflammatory reaction. That leads to a truncating of the villi lining the small intestine (called villus atrophy). This interferes with the absorption of nutrients because the intestinal villi are responsible for absorption. The only known effective treatment is a lifelong gluten-free diet. While the disease is caused by a reaction to wheat proteins, it is usually classified as different from the other forms of wheat allergy.

She is now the head chef at Tolerant foods, preparing a variety of gluten free products including a pasta! Katy is on a quest to help get America to start eating gluten free.

Learn more at www.latenighthealth.com/eating-gluten-free-for-celiac-disease