Jules E. D. Shepard

Jules Shepard (gfJules.com) didn't set out to lead, inspire and advocate for the gluten-free community. But to anyone who knows her, it's no surprise she does. A celiac patient living gluten-free and dairy-free for over 12 years, author, baking and lifestyle consultant, speaker and flour inventor Jules Shepard is well-versed in every aspect of living gluten free. Diagnosed in 1999, and as an indomitable perfectionist with a penchant for equality and fairness, this former attorney was simply unwilling to accept the dry, gritty, vacuous foods that were the norm then. Two years in her kitchen, and Jules had perfected an all-purpose flour blend that enabled her to continue her passion for baking. As word spread of her amazing flour, people begged her to produce it commercially. Ever the accommodating Southerner, she did. But as the gluten-free community burgeoned, so did the need for accurate information, advocacy and leadership. So in addition to running her flour company and authoring, to date, three highly regarded books, Jules took to the road. Jules logs tens of thousands of miles a year speaking to, teaching and encouraging gluten-free consumer and trade gatherings. When the FDA appeared stuck in neutral regarding long-overdue gluten-free food labeling regulations, Jules brought the gluten-free community together and built an 11-foot-tall, one-ton gluten-free cake to get the FDA's attention. The FDA not only attended the event, but promised to front-burner the legislation, which it has. This mother of two also hosts a weekly radio show, personally pens one of the community's most active blogs, oversees Facebook's annual "Gluten Free Cookie Swap" and moderates her FaceBook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram presences. She rarely sleeps. Her first book, "Nearly Normal Cooking for Gluten-Free Eating," continues to be a favorite in the gluten-free community. Her resource book, "The First Year: Celiac Disease and Living Gluten Free" has brought hope and encouragement to people all over the world in their initial struggles to live a happy gluten-free life. Her latest book, "Free for All Cooking: 150 Easy, Gluten-Free Allergy-Friendly Recipes the Whole Family Can Enjoy," tackles not only the struggles of rendering family recipes gluten-free, but also free from others of the top 8 allergens. Keep up with her latest recipes and tips on gfJules.com and her free weekly recipe newsletter at gfJules.com. Also see Jules' articles on Prevention.com: http://blogs.prevention.com/living-well-gluten-free/