More than ever, people understand that our bodies just weren't designed to handle the amount of processed flour found in many of today's food.

Some people with vague, undiagnosed illnesses feel better after cutting out gluten, a protein in flour-based foods. Many Americans, including professional athletes and celebrities such as Zooey Deschanel and men's tennis leader Djovak Nokovic, say they look and perform better since dropping gluten from their diets.

"Unfortunately, a lot of people who commit to a gluten-free lifestyle believe they have to sacrifice their favorite desserts, because gluten-free treats are often loaded with sugar but low on flavor," says Kyra Bussanich, (www.kyrasbakeshop.com), author of a new, full-color recipe book, "Sweet Cravings: 50 Seductive Desserts for a Gluten-Free Lifestyle" (Ten Speed Press; Random House, Inc.)

Bussanich's gluten-free cupcakes twice bested their floury competition on "Cupcake Wars" (2011 and 2012) and were a runner-up for the show's Cupcake Champion. She shares her secrets in recipes such as Mexican Chocolate Baked Alaska, Persian Love Cakes with Cardamom Buttercream and Vanilla Chiffon Cake with Blackberry Coulis.

After suffering a life-threatening illness at 20, Bussanich recovered with the help of a new diet without gluten. She began testing gluten-free recipes while attending the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu patisserie program and later opened her popular business, Kyra's Bake Shop.

"My recipes are not good 'for being gluten-free;' they're just good, and that's why people who eat gluten visit my bakery and order gluten-free desserts," she says. "For me, being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease allowed me to turn lemons into gluten-free lemon meringue pie!"

She invites anyone who doubts that gluten-free can be delicious to try the following recipe:

Apple Crisp

6 large tart apples (Pippin or Granny Smith)
1/3 cup sugar, or 1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons tapioca starch
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Generous pinch salt
3 tablespoons cold butter

Topping

1/2 cup sweet white rice flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1 cup packed golden brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup gluten-free oats
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Peel, core and slice the apples into 1/4-inch slices. Put the apple slices into a large bowl and sprinkle the sugar over the top. Add the tapioca starch, cinnamon, five-spice, ginger and salt and toss together to evenly coat the apple slices. Pour into a 9 by 13-inch baking pan, dot the top with pieces of the butter and set aside. To make the topping, combine the flours, tapioca starch, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, five-spice and ginger in a mixing bowl. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, mix in the butter until it is uniformly incorporated into the flour mixture. Stir in the oats and pecans.

Crumble the oat topping evenly over the apples. Bake until the topping is golden brown and set and the apples are warm and bubbly, 55 to 60 minutes.
You can prepare everything ahead of time. Refrigerate the apple filling and keep the topping frozen until ready to assemble and bake. Don't refrigerate the unbaked topping overnight since the millet flour will interact with the butter and taste and smell cheesy when it's baked.

About Kyra Bussanich

Kyra Bussanich is a two-time winner of The Food Network's hit show, "Cupcake Wars." She graduated with honors from Le Cordon Bleu and opened her award-winning bakery, Kyra's Bake Shop, which features gourmet, gluten-free sweets. She has branched beyond desserts to other gluten-free goods in order to help those with celiac and other autoimmune diseases enjoy quality treats.

PEORIA, Ill. (Sept. 16, 2013) ? October is Liver Awareness Month, and the American Red Cross reminds eligible donors that organ transplant patients often rely on donated blood products. Liver transplant patients may need 30 or more transfusions during the surgery.

Recently, a liver transplant patient at a hospital served by the Red Cross was treated with more than 75 units of red blood cells, platelets and plasma.

Liver transplants are the second most common transplant, with more than 6,000 performed every year in the U.S. ? and more than 16,000 Americans are currently waiting for a liver transplant, according to the American Liver Foundation.

Ways to protect your liver from disease

There are a variety of ways to help protect your liver from disease. The American Liver Foundation offers these simple tips:

- Maintain a healthy diet low in fatty foods.

- Limit alcohol intake.

- Do not smoke.

- Manage medications appropriately.

- Limit contact with toxins.

- Exercise regularly.

For more information, visit liverfoundation.org.

Please visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS to make an appointment to donate blood or platelets to help patients like these and many others.

Upcoming blood donation opportunities:

Carroll County

Oct. 14 from 12-5 p.m. at Savanna Moose Lodge, 125 Main St. in Savanna, Ill.

Henry County

Oct. 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Black Hawk College-East, 26230 Black Hawk Road in Galva, Ill.

Oct. 9 from 2-6 p.m. at First Christian Church, 105 Dwight St. in Kewanee, Ill.

Oct. 14 from 2:30-6 p.m. at Hooppole Community Center, 1404 Washington St. in Hooppole, Ill.

Mercer County

Oct. 3 from 1-6:30 p.m. at Calvary Lutheran Church, 121 N. Meridian St. in New Windsor, Ill.

Oct. 15 from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at VFW Hall, 106 SW Third Ave. in Aledo, Ill.

Whiteside County

Oct. 2 from 2-6 p.m. at American Red Cross, 112 W. Second St. in Rock Falls, Ill.

Oct. 3 from 9:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. at CGH Medical Center, 100 E. LeFevre Road in Sterling, Ill.

Oct. 8 from 1-6 p.m. at Robert Fulton Community Center, 912 Fourth St. in Fulton, Ill.

Oct. 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at American Red Cross, 112 W. Second St. in Rock Falls, Ill.

Oct. 14 from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Prophetstown-Lyndon-Tampico CUSD 3, 79 Grove St. in Prophetstown, Ill.

Oct. 15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Morrison Institute of Technology, 701 Portland in Morrison, Ill.

The need is constant. The gratification is instant. Give blood.®

How to donate blood

Simply call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver's license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. The Red Cross is supported in part through generous financial donations from the United Way. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

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One Month. One Cause. One Million Miles.

Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation to host Million Mile Run to raise awareness and funds during National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, September '13

Philadelphia, PA - In an effort to raise the profile of National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation will go the distance this September introducing the Million Mile Run. With firsthand knowledge of just how far parents of children with cancer would go to find a cure for their child, the Foundation will challenge supporters across the country to do just that,  collectively walk or run one million miles during the month of September to work toward better treatments and ultimately cures.

The brainchild of Foundation Co-Executive Director, Jay Scott, a running enthusiast, the Million Mile Run will invite ambitious individuals, as well as teams, to pledge to walk/run and contribute to the one million mile goal during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Drawing from the inspiration of Foundation creator Alexandra "Alex" Scott, who set out to raise $1 million through lemonade stands in 2004, Jay Scott feels that through combined efforts, reaching one million miles in just thirty days is attainable.

"The Million Mile Run will act as an easy way for walkers and runners of all abilities to contribute to the fight against childhood cancer and raise the profile of the awareness month," says Scott. "Though some people have commented that one million miles might be a crazy goal, and maybe they are right, my daughter Alex taught me that when you set your mind to something and garner the help of others, anything is possible. She reached her million, and I think we can too."

The Million Mile Run will utilize both the MapMyRun application and the ability for participants to manually enter the miles they log daily. Individuals who participate will average 3-4 miles a day, while teams can split up the 100 miles. For instance, a group of 4 employees can walk a mile at lunch every day and easily reach their goal. Additionally, participants are urged to recruit friends and family members to pledge dollar amounts for each mile, or provide a straight donation.

"September has become highly recognizable within the childhood cancer community as an important time of year," says Liz Scott, Alex's mom and Co-Executive Director of the Foundation. "However, for the general public, it still flies highly under the radar. We think the Million Mile Run has the ability and mass appeal to change that, one mile at a time."

Individuals and teams who are interested in participating or learning more about the Million Mile Run can visit MillionMileRun.org where they will find a video detailing the effort.

About Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation
Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) emerged from the front yard lemonade stand of cancer patient Alexandra "Alex" Scott (1996-2004). In 2000, 4-year-old Alex announced that she wanted to hold a lemonade stand to raise money to help find a cure for all children with cancer. Since Alex held that first stand, the Foundation bearing her name has evolved into a national fundraising movement, complete with thousands of supporters across the country carrying on her legacy of hope. To date, Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, a registered 501(c)3 charity, has raised more than $60 million toward fulfilling Alex's dream of finding a cure, funding over 300 pediatric cancer research projects nationally. For more information on Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, visit AlexsLemonade.org.

How far is 1 Million Miles?

A trip to the moon and back, twice.

More than 40 times around the earth.

More than 3,000 trips from NYC to Los Angeles.