The Amazing Benefits of Coconut Milk

May 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Are you Dairy free?

Many of us who are Celiac or gluten intolerant are also allergic to Dairy.

Lucky for us, there are a number of dairy-free alternatives on the market for our morning cereal, including almond or rice milk, soy or even hemp milk.

But when I want something rich and creamy to replace the cream in a recipe, nothing satisfies quite like coconut milk.

I’ve been craving some of this amazing Avocado Pudding recently.

The other day, as I grabbed an avocado from the fridge, I spotted a jar of leftover Coconut Cream – and suddenly had an epiphany.

What if I added some coconut cream to the original recipe?

I imagined something even more decadent, rich and creamy, a sort of chocolate mousse with a twist.

Coconut cream, by the way, refers to the thick layer of solids you find at the top of a can of coconut milk.

For this particular recipe, the full fat variety is best – especially since it yields a generous amount of coconut cream.

In other words, when you open a can of Lite Coconut Milk, there will be some cream on top, but not nearly as much.

Of course, once you’ve scooped out the cream, the remaining liquid in the can will be thinned out and less flavorful – but still perfect for smoothies.

Coconut milk is also ideal for cream-based soups.

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Welcome To National Celiac Awareness Month

May 18, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Here we are halfway into May and I have yet to mention that it is National Celiac Awareness Month.

So today, I’m making a point of spreading the word.

The fact that it is National Celiac Awareness Month is a big deal for anyone in the Celiac and gluten-free community.

The reason why is simple – the intense focus helps to bring awareness to a good Cause.

The folks at the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness have come up with theme for this years’ campaign:  Keep It Simple and Safe – or K.I.S.S.

Hence their slogan “Whether you fear the kitchen or avoid dining out, prepare to KISS those concerns good-bye”.

I love that!

For the entire month of May, a total of 16 bloggers are offering advice on living gluten-free – with the goal of helping others on the journey.

Whether you are new to the Gluten-free lifestyle or an acknowledged veteran, there is something here for everyone.

In other news, Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bread has a “Spread the Bread” awareness campaign.

By clicking on this link, you can receive a $1 coupon, good toward a loaf of gluten-free bread. All they ask in return is that you support other partners in the gluten free community.

That’s a win-win solution!

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How To Get The Support You Need

May 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Last weekend, I attended a cooking class titled “Eating Around the Top 8 Allergens”.

In case you’re not familiar, the usual list typically includes the following:

Wheat                                      Dairy

Eggs                                        Peanuts

Soy                                          Tree Nuts

Fish                                         Shellfish

Sometimes – depending on the source – you will see foods like Corn on the list, as well.

Notice how every single one of these foods – with the exception perhaps of Fish & Shellfish – is pervasive in our diets.

We’re not always aware of this, until the day we are told to no longer eat Gluten or Dairy.

Then we find out that ingredient is seemingly in everything!

So, the goal of this class – according to the description – was to “demystify food allergies and introduce us to a world  of delicious, non-allergenic foods.”

It didn’t matter whether you were recently diagnosed, or living with allergies for awhile.

I fell into the latter category, of course, and was struck by two things during the two and a half hours I spent in the classroom.

 

There are Always Fabulous New Ideas and Solutions.

Yes, even when you’re feeling down in the dumps, and possibly deprived as a result of your food restrictions – there are always new possibilities just around the corner.

As long as you are open-minded, you will not only glean new ideas, but most likely discover new foods that you may or may not have know existed.

You might even find that certain foods you disdained in the past can be quite delicious when properly prepared.

All this is to say:

 

There Is Strength in the Classroom

Misery loves company, as the saying goes.

But when you surround yourself with people who are in the same boat you are, you will be a lot less miserable.

That is why I encourage you to seek out local support groups, and even attend a class or two that is focused on dealing with food allergies.

Our local co-op even holds store tours for those on the Gluten-Free diet – so you never know what resources might be available to you in your area.

Personally, I love the synergy from being among a like-minded group of people who have similar needs.

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Dreams vs. Reality

May 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

For the Celiac and food allergic among us, a luscious buffet such as the one pictured at left, is enough to give us a panic attack.

We are suddenly on high alert, as we try to determine what harmful ingredients might be hiding in any given dish.

Is an item breaded?

If so, what kind of flour was used for the breading?

What is in the sauce? Are those rice crackers or something else?

Is anything seasoned with soy sauce?

Was the food prepared with butter or eggs?

The accidental ingestion of a forbidden food is one of our worst nightmares.

Who would have thought that everything could look so tempting, yet be off-limits at the same time?

And so it came to pass that I allowed myself to dream lately.

A few weeks ago, I subjected myself to another food allergy test.

The reason was in part experimental – really just to see if my body was in fact healing, due to some of the mindful practices I’ve engaged in over the past six months.

It took about three weeks for the test results to come back, and during that time I allowed myself to dream.

“What if?” I asked myself.

What if I could eat eggs again, and a few other foods I’d been craving? At first, I envisioned things like fluffy omelets, and soufflés.

Then I allowed myself to dream of baking with the addition of eggs, and suddenly it was like a whole new world opened up to me.

Visions of healthy breads and muffins, and light-as-air meringue literally made my mouth water.

So, you can imagine how thrilled I was when the test results came back and clearly showed absolutely no reaction to eggs, whatsoever.

I saw the same amazing results with dairy and some other allergens, as well.

Did this mean I was cured?!

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Breaking the Fast

April 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Not sure where to begin?

Why not start at the beginning?

After all, doesn’t every design project begin that way?

This is commonly referred to as the foundation – or blueprint – for what is to follow, typically a Floor Plan, or my clients’ Wish List.

Of course, the foundation of your day – and your gluten-free lifestyle – is your first meal of the day – Breakfast.

Maybe you’ve always eaten breakfast, or maybe this concept is new to you.

Perhaps you’re one of those people who never eats first thing in the morning, or before noon.

I recently heard a nutritionist talk about the value of starting one’s day off right, by eating a regular meal. She addressed the common dilemma of “But I don’t eat breakfast” – suggesting that you start small, that it’s really just a matter of changing your mindset.

Mindsets are powerful.

This is why, for most of us eating a Western diet – consisting of cereal, or eggs and bacon with a side of toast – might question what choices we have when eating gluten-free.

The answer is there’s still plenty to choose from – beginning with a great selection of gluten-free cereals.

That’s fine if your preferred first meal of the day is cold cereal with milk, or hot cereal such as gluten-free oatmeal or buckwheat.

Beyond that, I’m going to challenge you to think outside the box.

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Shooting Yourself In The Foot

April 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Last week, I accompanied a friend to a doctor’s appointment.

My role was official note taker.

As luck would have it, the discussion came around to the subject of gluten – even though this was far removed from the initial purpose of our visit.

In 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 felt incredibly grateful for this unique opportunity to hear his take on managing food allergies.

I particularly loved the following analogy.

The doctor compared 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. Having an autoimmune disease like Celiac Disease, or gluten sensitivity, is one of those potholes.

Which is why our bodies need to be properly maintained and require the occasional tune-ups – just like a car.

Understandably, the doctor was quite insistent that my friend completely eliminate gluten from her diet.

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

Those words really stayed with me. It was a much-needed reminder that it was time to revisit any bad habits I might have picked up along the way.

Let’s take a closer look at how this works.

For anyone who has ever dealt with a medical issue or two, on this so-called Road of Life, how many of us have gone into denial after the initial diagnosis?

How many of us have been told not to eat certain foods, yet we eat them anyway, telling ourselves that one little bite can’t hurt?

Well, the sad truth is, you’ve just ‘shot yourself in the foot’.

When we consume a food that our body is sensitive to, our autoimmune and nervous systems are suddenly placed on high alert.

The immune system, in particular, goes into full fight mode, trying to rid itself of the intruder.

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Introducing ‘Arbonne’!

April 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

On the heels of recommending several ways you can fine-tune your ingredients, I came across a list of foods & additives to avoid when eating gluten-free – a list that extends to beauty products and toiletries.

I thought this was rather fortuitous.

I picked this particular flyer up some time ago at Whole Foods – another very helpful resource, by the way, for a variety of special diets.

Here are some of the items on the list:

  • Binders
  • Caramel Coloring
  • Coatings (i.e. anything breaded)
  • Dextrins
  • Dispersing Agents
  • Emulsifiers
  • Fillers
  • Flavorings
  • Grain Alcohol (beer, ale, rye, scotch, etc.)
  • Homeopathic Remedies
  • Hydrolyzed Protein
  • Malt or Malt Flavoring
  • Modified Food Starch
  • Mono & Di-Glycerides
  • Preservatives
  • Soy Sauce
  • Spices (if anti-caking agents are used)
  • Vegetable Gum (when made from oats)

Pretty daunting, huh?

As if this list isn’t long enough, it’s equally smart to consider your toiletries and beauty products.

That’s right – along with over the counter and prescription medications, everything from toothpaste and other non- ingested products also need to be taken into consideration.

Which is why I’m excited to share with you a product line you may not be familiar with – Arbonne!

While I’m not in the business of selling beauty products, per se, I believe this particular company is another fabulous resource for anyone on a gluten-free or vegan diet.

Arbone products use botanically based formulas that are formulated WITHOUT gluten or animal products.

In fact, they are certified vegan, which means they also don’t use animals for testing.

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Coffee, Tea & Chocolate!

April 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

This trio of warming drinks has been on my mind lately.

And while I’ve never been a coffee drinker myself, I do like a good, bracing cup of tea.

In fact, my morning meal doesn’t seem complete without a big mug of this steaming brew, preferably a robust variety of green tea such as Hojicha or Gunpowder.

The names alone are part of the experience!

Whether a tea or coffee drinker, who among us hasn’t visited their local Starbuck’s on occasion, or made this a regular part of their daily routine?

Not only are there coffee shops on just about every corner, but the coffee and tea aisles in the local grocery store are nearly filled to overflowing with a wide assortment of brands and flavors.

And here is where the gluten-free among us can definitely run into some challenges, since these flavored brews may not be gluten-free.

As always, you need to be diligent about reading labels, and look for words like “natural flavors” listed in the ingredients – which indicates that particular beverage may or may not be suitable.

It isn’t always clear.

If anything sounds the least bit suspect – and the words gluten-free do not appear on the label – my advice to you is to keep looking!

As for chocolate – whether hot chocolate or chocolate candy – the same advice applies, especially if you are looking for suitable Easter candy.

In honor of the Easter holiday – and this trio of beverages – I’m sharing 3 recipes that feature chocolate in one form or another.

This way, you can indulge both your sweet tooth and your chocolate cravings while knowing these treats are absolutely safe for your special diet.

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How To Massage Your Greens

March 31, 2012 By 2 Comments

Did you know you can massage your food?

Yes, it’s true!

I learned of this technique about a year ago, when I first tasted a raw kale salad that was infinitely more tender than the kale salads I typically made at home.

I wasn’t sure what the restaurant had done to make the salad so tasty.

Before too long, I read about a technique that involved “massaging” your greens. I realized this was the exact process the restaurant had used to perfect their kale salad.

The sky’s the limit here, by the way – you’re not limited to kale.

Just about any greens can be massaged – chard, spinach, collards, arugula, lettuce – you name it.

Why the focus on Greens?

Kale, spinach, swiss chard and the like are the basis for a healthy, well-rounded diet.

Not only do leafy greens add necessary fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants – they are also considered essential to reducing the risk of cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis and other age-related illnesses.

Add the fact that they’re naturally gluten-free, and you’d be doing yourself a disservice not to include some of these leafy greens on a daily basis.

I’m still fairly new, myself, to introducing some of these nutritional powerhouses into my diet.

For the longest time I was strictly a lettuce and spinach kind of gal, until I decided to expand my horizons.

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The Raw Food Diet vs Gluten-Free

March 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The Raw Foods diet seems to be all the rage lately, and while it’s a seemingly healthy way of eating, I’m by no means an expert.

Which is why, when an acquaintance asked me:  “Are Raw Foods always Gluten-Free?” – I almost caught myself saying ‘yes’ before realizing that wasn’t necessarily true.

Eating Raw Foods involves sprouting grains – and those grains can be just about anything!

Which means, if you are sprouting wheat, or barley – then no, this is not a viable solution for your gluten-free diet.

It comes down to knowing which grains, or foods in general, are gluten-free in their natural state, and which are not.

I have a few cookbooks  – (really, you need a cookbook to prepare foods that don’t require cooking?) – and yes, I’ve have dabbled with a few recipes.

Ultimately, though, I like plenty of variety in my meals.

While I eat a fair amount of salads, and other foods in their raw state, I still prefer cold foods when the weather is warmer, and warming foods on colder days.

Also, if you’re going to go all out with the Raw Foods diet, it really pays to have a dehydrator.

And while I’ve been tempted, I haven’t bought one.

The reason why is simple. I already have way too much kitchen equipment and from what I’ve seen dehydrators are fairly large.

I have no idea where I’d store the thing, and I just don’t want anything else cluttering my kitchen counters.

Also, if I stop to ask myself “Do I really need it?” – the answer is no.

Yes, it’s possible to use your oven instead, and I have tried this but haven’t been all that thrilled with the results.

One other thing.

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