Wendy Turnbull

As an infant, Wendy became critically ill after eating her first solid food - a cereal made from durum wheat. Her parents spent months looking for a physician who could identify her symptoms. She was finally diagnosed with celiac disease and put on a gluten-free diet. Her parents were told celiac was a childhood disease and she would eventually outgrow it. Wendy’s health quickly rebounded thanks to a diet of bananas and cottage cheese. New foods were gradually introduced until she was eating a regular diet with no apparent side effects. Thirty years later, a serious infection once again triggered active symptoms of celiac.

A lot of information has surfaced about celiac disease in recent years. Celiac is a chronic condition with a familial genetic tendency. It is found in the young and old, the rich and the poor - in all parts of the world where wheat is a constant staple. The only treatment for celiac is a lifelong commitment to a gluten-free diet. For many years there were few gluten-free products available. The substitute for wheat flour was potato, tapioca, or a white rice flour/starch combination. Baking with these substitutes proved disappointing.

Being an avid baker, Wendy became passionate about finding a flour blend that would yield delicious baking that was wheat-like in texture that everyone, celiacs and their family and friends could enjoy. As a former registered nurse, she also wanted the baking to be nutritious. The result is a blend of complementary whole-grain flours she calls GEMS flour.

Her book, Canadian Bestseller Gems of Gluten-Free Bakingoffers time-tested, easy-to-follow recipes for delicious breads, muffins, cakes, pies and cookies. Wendy was actively involved with the Canadian Celiac Association and was a frequent presenter at conferences across North America.

She lived in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Wendy has two children, Shauna and Nathan and is the proud grandmother of her first grandchild, Jack.

Sadly, Wendy passed away on April 28, 2013.