Coffee, Tea or Chocolate?

teaThere’s definitely a nip in the air lately.

With the weather getting cooler, and Halloween just around the corner, I’ve been thinking a lot these days about things like chocolate – and hot drinks, in general.

Depending on my mood, I might opt for a mug of hot chocolate – dairy-free, of course – or a steaming cup of tea.

And while I’ve never been much of a coffee drinker, I do like a good, bracing cup of tea first thing in the morning, preferably a robust variety of green tea such as Hojicha or Gunpowder.

The names alone are part of the experience!

Regardless of whether you’re a tea or coffee drinker, chances are you’ve visited a local Starbuck’s on at least one occasion.

Perhaps it’s a regular part of your daily routine?

Of course, you could just as easily get your tea or coffee fix in the aisles of your local grocery store, which usually offer such a wide assortment of brands and flavors, it can be really hard to decide.

And – if you’re not careful – this is where being gluten-free presents just one more challenge, since any of these flavored brews just might be suspect.

Yes, you read that correctly – tea and coffee may not be gluten-free.

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3 Fun Facts About Your Brain

Fortune CookiesIf you’re wondering what your brain has to do with your health, the answer is everything.

That’s because what you eat has a profound impact on your brain.

Period.

There’s no getting around it, and the outcome isn’t always positive. But’s that’s just how it is.

For example, a common complaint among people with Celiac Disease or food sensitivities is something we refer to as “Brain Fog”.

Brain Fog is when your mind feels sluggish and you can’t think clearly.

You literally feel like you’re in a fog, with a heavy cloud hanging over your head – just waiting for the skies to lift.

(This is a great example of what happens when you eat foods you are sensitive to, especially when your body can’t handle it).

Those who’ve never experienced Brain Fog sometimes have a hard time understanding what it feels like, but trust me – it’s very real.

The obvious solution is of, course, to stay away from those foods you are sensitive, or allergic to.

And by all means – stay away from gluten!

Here’s the funny thing, though. There’s a bit of a “catch-22” going on with your brain.

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Are You Shooting Yourself In The Foot?

CautionlHave you ever accompanied a friend, or family member to a doctor’s appointment?

Last week, I did just that, in the role of official note taker.

As luck would have it, the discussion eventually came around to the subject of gluten; by reviewing some of the lab work and test results, the doctor made some key observations and suddenly announced that my friend was likely highly sensitive to gluten.

When I heard the word “gluten” my ears instantly perked up.

I couldn’t help it.

I suddenly found myself glued to every word the doctor was saying, and incredibly grateful for what proved to be a unique opportunity to hear his opinion.

I particularly loved the following analogy.

The doctor was comparing the human body to a used vehicle, traveling along the Road of Life.

Along the way, he said, we encounter many potholes – especially once we’ve reached a certain point in our lives.

And having an autoimmune disease like Celiac Disease, or gluten sensitivity, is one them.

The solution is simple, though.

Just like a car, our bodies need to be properly maintained and require the occasional tune-ups for dealing with those potholes – so that’s what we’re talking about here:

The occasional tune-up!

Understandably, the doctor was quite insistent about eliminating gluten from the diet – completely.

“Otherwise,” he said, “You are shooting yourself in the foot.”

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Hitting The Road

Cargo OverloadI’ve just wrapped up a ten-day vacation in Eastern Washington.

The great thing about a road trip, in my humble opinion, is that you can take everything you need with you – without having to deal with limits on excess baggage, or airport security.

For anyone who is Celiac, or dealing with food allergies, that makes a road trip ideal.

Whatever you need, you can bring it along, relying on local grocery stores to stock up on fresh produce and whatever else you might need.

Of course, that also means you might not exactly be traveling light.

In fact, if you’re like me, the words “travel light” might not be in your DNA.

But that’s exactly what makes a road trip so ideal!

For this annual escape, we always stay at the same place – a comfortable time-share condo, that is ours for exactly one week.

When we arrive it is always sparkling clean, and tastefully furnished – and that includes a well-stocked kitchen.

Even though the condo comes with a fully equipped kitchen, in the last couple of years, I’ve started bringing more and more of my own equipment.

Perhaps you can relate.

The big concern here, is cross-contamination.

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5 Ways to Fine Tune Your Ingredients

Carrot SoupWhether or not you are new to the gluten-free lifestyle, it’s easy to fall prey to less than wise food choices.

Perhaps even more surprising, you can follow a gluten-free diet religiously and still be eating poorly.

How is that possible?

Well, just because your diet is gluten-free – or vegan, vegetarian or something else entirely – it doesn’t mean your diet is healthy.

After all, temptation is everywhere.

And regardless of which diet you follow, processed, sugary foods are often pervasive.

However, fear not.

Below are some easy tips that could easily get you back on the right track.

 

Embrace Whole Foods

There is joy to be found in eating low on the food chain.

That means embracing the foods that come directly from the earth, with little to no processing.

In fact, that is the very definition of a whole food.

The fewer ingredients, the better off you will be.

Plus, you can be sure that none of these products contain gluten or any other suspect ingredients.

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Are Your Kids Missing School?

Allergy ConceptNot too long ago, a friend of mine mentioned that her two-year old grandson had been extremely sick over the past few months.

The poor little guy had been in and out of our local Children’s Hospital, subjected to one test after another.

But there was still no clear diagnosis.

Eventually, his doctors began to suspect that the real culprit was the new carpet recently installed in the family’s home.

As shocking as this might seem, the truth is things like this happen all the time.

Here’s something else that might surprise you:

Asthma in children is on the rise, resulting in a lot of missed school days. (According to the latest statistics, more than 25 million people are affected!)

The culprit?

Once again, these statistics can be traced directly to toxins in the environment, in this case a group of chemicals commonly referred to as VOC’s.

That stands for Volatile Organic Compounds  – even the word volatile sounds scary, doesn’t it?

You know how, when food has gone bad, it typically has a rather awful smell?

Well, think of VOC’s as being the household equivalent to rotten food.

Just as you wouldn’t eat food that has obviously seen better days – you really don’t want to surround yourself with toxins that poison the air you breathe, do you?

(According to recent studies, indoor air pollution can actually be 50% worse than outdoor air).

That’s why paying attention to your child’s sleep environment is such a great place to start!

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A Simple Summer Tomato Salad

TomatolI was lucky enough to spend a few relaxing days at our cabin this past weekend, enjoying the gorgeous weather and some much-needed time away from our usual routine.

We read, took long walks, and played Sudoku – and also enjoyed plenty of delicious food.

For many of us, the holiday weekend marks the end of summer as we slowly segue into Fall.

But, according to my calendar, summer isn’t officially over for several weeks.

While fresh produce is still abundant at the Farmer’s Market, tomatoes are something I like to take full advantage of this time of year.

As it happened, I had a surplus of tomatoes on hand this past weekend.

I wasn’t sure what to do with them, but the rustic country setting inspired me to keep things simple.

And that’s when – seemingly out of nowhere – I was suddenly reminded of my mother’s Tomato Salad.

Not only did I grow up with this salad as a summertime staple, but it was also a personal favorite.

And yet – I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten it!

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My Top 3 Rules For Dining Out

Dining OutA few months ago, my husband bought a book called “Younger Next Year”.

(The title alone is intriguing).

He took it along on our vacation to Hawaii this past June, and read it cover to cover.

Chapter 3 was titled “How’s Your Wife?”

What the authors were getting at was whether or not your spouse, or significant other was also on board with any lifestyle changes you might be contemplating.

To drive home their point, they were strongly recommending that your partner in life also read the book.

So I did!

Because really, when you think about it, change is hard enough – but if we don’t have the support of our loved ones, it can be that much harder, right?

The book focused mostly on exercise and lifestyle changes, taking an extensive look at the science behind human behavior.

(The authors, Chris Crowley & Henry S. Lodge M.D., have also written a companion book for women – “Younger Next Year for Women” – which you can be sure is next on my list).

Of course, I especially enjoyed the chapters on food!

Even though being gluten-free wasn’t part of the conversation, it didn’t matter.

That’s because the rules sometimes apply across the board – regardless.

And when it comes to eating sensibly, well, that’s something that most of us can benefit from. In any case, their advice for dining out was spot on, which is how I came up with my own, slightly altered version:

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A Totally Awesome, Dairy-Free “Yogurt”

Breakfast ParfaitSome recipes are a happy accident.

And today’s awesome Yogurt is one of them!

I call it yogurt because that’s exactly what it tastes like – even though it contains no dairy, or starter and doesn’t require any fancy equipment like one of those yogurt makers.

So, how did this recipe come about?

Well, what I refer to as a happy accident was a simple case of a smoothie recipe that was a bit too thick – it wasn’t something I couldn’t even drink.

In fact, it was so rich, thick and creamy, that eating it with a spoon was the only option. Yum.

With the first bite, I knew right away that I was onto something.

The two secret ingredients are coconut milk and creamy avocado. (Trust me, this is a wicked combination!)

And the wonderful, yogurt-like tang comes from frozen mango and honey.

It’s really that simple!

My imagination went a step further as a leafed through the luscious-sounding recipes in Kris Carr’s “Crazy, Sexy Kitchen”.

(Note:  Even though she caters to a mostly vegan crowd, that doesn’t mean you won’t benefit from these amazing recipes created by Chef Chad Sarno and others.

At least, I don’t let minor details like that keep me from trying new things).

After drooling over some of the photos – things like French Toast (which I love & haven’t had in years) or a Breakfast Scramble – what really caught my attention was the Breakfast Parfait.

There was just one small problem.

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The ABC’s of Gluten-Free Bread, cont’d

BreadLast week, we explored a couple of options for living a fabulous gluten-free life, with a ready supply of bread.

Those options, of course, are to either purchase your bread, fresh off the shelf – or give it up entirely.

However, not too many of us are ready to do the latter.

That’s why I think the best option – even it it’s a bit more challenging – is to simply:

 

Bake Your Own

If you’re feeling ambitious, or adventurous – or a little of both – then by all means why not try your hand at baking your own gluten-free bread?

Sound daunting?

The best part about baking gluten-free bread is that there is NO kneading, and it doesn’t take long to rise.

I actually prefer to bake my own gluten-free bread.

Because that way, I know exactly what’s in it.

I’ve baked my own gluten-free bread many times, and it takes maybe two hours, tops – start to finish!

If you decide to go this route, the first thing you’ll need is a good recipe and you’ll find numerous resources online, or at your local bookstore.

My favorite recipes come from sites like Whole Life Nutrition or The Gluten-Free Goddess.

And don’t overlook The Gluten-Free Girl!

Personally, I think a good quality mixer is essential, but not everyone would agree.

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