Archives for July 2012

Summertime & The Living Is Easy

July 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

How’s your summer going?

If you’re like me, you’ve been taking full advantage of these warm, lazy summer days and enjoying time outdoors with your family.

Along with picnics and long bike rides, summer is also a time for vacations and travel.

I haven’t taken my vacation yet, but it’s coming right up and I can hardly wait!

Meanwhile, for those of you who might be traveling, be sure to read this and this, plus this excellent post from Whole Life Nutrition.

And you’ll be on your way.

Of course, you might find your Gluten-free lifestyle challenged over and over again while on vacation.

I know I’ve had my share of ‘unique’ situations.

Case in point, last year I spent a couple of weeks at a charming lakeside resort and frequented the fabulous health food store at the center of town.

Turns out, there was a little café located right next door – specializing in crepes.

You can imagine my delight when I noticed a menu posting had gluten-free, dairy-free, plus egg & soy-free options!

This seemed too good to be true…and in fact, it was.

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Filed Under: EAT, TRAVEL Tagged With: , , , , , ,

HOW TO WRITE YOUR BIO – WITHOUT USING WORDS!

July 27, 2012 By 2 Comments

Did you know that your home is a reflection of who you are? 

Yes, it’s literally like looking in a mirror.

Except that, you won’t see your face staring back at you.

What you WILL see is different aspects of your personality and all phases of your life – up until this point in time.

Pretty cool, huh?

The way you furnish your home, it’s like writing your bio.

But instead of words, you’re using color, texture, and various materials and furnishings to tell the story of who you are.

It is a story, by the way.

And it’s the perfect Bio.

Who better than you to tell it like it is?

Keep reading to see how you can write your story.

 

Look to the Past

It’s hard to escape the past.

We have memories –good and bad – that follow us wherever we go.

The secret is to delve into those memories and recapture moments from your past that complement how you live today.

If something no longer serves you, remove it.

Whatever resonates – keep it.

Like it or not, your home reflects all the different stages of your life.

It’s what made you who you are today.

 

Embrace the Present

Good design tells a story and it’s one that engages and envelops you.

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Filed Under: HOLISTIC HOME Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Asian Noodle Salad

July 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I got tripped up this past week.

Chances are, this has likely happened to you somewhere along the way.

Just when you feel you’ve really gotten the hang of things, and are feeling confident about your gluten-free diet – out of nowhere you discover you’ve unintentionally slipped up.

Perhaps you innocently ate some licorice, not realizing that wheat lurks therein.

Perhaps a previously ‘safe’ food sneaked in a new ingredient on the labeling, and unbeknownst to you – that new ingredient contains either gluten or another allergen.

It can happen so easily.

And it can happen to anyone, even those of us who’ve gotten this down to a science, and are very much aware of all the potential traps and pitfalls.

People like myself.

The other day, while browsing through my stash of cookbooks, I happened upon a delicious sounding recipe for a Chinese Noodle Salad  – which I’ve included at the end of today’s post.

Of course, I’ve adapted this somewhat from the original.

I made this a few nights ago for dinner, and thought it was a delicious addition to my repertoire.

Yet, after the meal I suddenly felt extremely congested.

My nose was so stuffy I could hardly breathe, but I didn’t have a cold.

Must have been something I ate, I thought.

Next morning, my sinuses were still telling me that something was up. I had a slight headache, but I was still clueless.

It was until I’d helped myself to another serving of the Chinese Noodle Salad, and my husband commented on how congested I sounded and wondered what was wrong – that I decided, OK, enough – and knew I had to get to the bottom of it.

What was in the salad that was making me sick?

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Filed Under: EAT, RECIPES Tagged With: , , , , ,

Your Body’s GPS

July 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

At one time or another, we’ve all experienced the gut feeling that tells us when something is right or wrong.

I like to think of this as our bodies’ inner intelligence.

It’s how we know we’re hungry.

Or, if we’ve eaten too much.

Other times, if you’ve made the wrong decision, your body might instinctively become tense.

You might suddenly have a stomachache or headache.

That’s your body trying to tell you something.

Yet, how many of us tend to ignore that little Voice, instead of paying attention?

If you have a tendency to numb your feelings, you may associate that state of numbness as a state of calm, but in truth, you are creating constant tension in your body.

Here’s another way to look at it:

When you are feeling hurt and angry, and resort to food to comfort yourself, do you devour that food with pleasure?

Or are you more likely to polish off a bag of chips, then wonder “how the heck did that happen?”

For many of us, it’s the latter – especially if we’re not paying attention in the first place.

What I’ve become more and more aware of lately, is that the human body is such a finely crafted machine. It always knows when something is ‘off’ – then does it’s very best to try and fix it.

That’s because our bodies are always striving for homeostasis – or balance.

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Filed Under: EAT, HEALTH & WELLNESS, PLAY Tagged With: , , , , ,