BRIGHT, SHINY OBJECTS

October 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Have you visited a Farmer’s Market lately?   

I’m not sure which I love more – the brilliant array of colors among the fresh produce, or the tempting selection from which to choose?

I often come home with more food than I know what to do with, even when I set off with something specific in mind. The thing is, everything looks so good that I fall prey to ‘Bright, Shiny Object’ syndrome.

Perhaps you’ve heard of this affliction.

It’s when you suddenly lose sight of the project at hand, your goals, or – in this case – your shopping list, and are suddenly captured by a thought or object that seems infinitely better.

That’s the Bright, Shiny Object calling to you.

This is why I might return from the Farmer’s Market with more food than I, or my family, can eat.

It is also why some of us might be tempted from time to time, to stray from our special diets. Cause let’s face it – temptation is everywhere!

I’m one of the fortunate few who can walk by a bakery without so much as a glance at the delicious array of goodies lining the cases. That said, I understand that for most of us, this can feel like pure torture.

Bright Shiny Objects everywhere – most of them laden with chocolate and gooey frosting.

How do you deal with these temptations?

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BREAKING THE FAST

October 14, 2011 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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HUMMUS FOR ALL SEASONS

October 7, 2011 By 2 Comments

I can hardly believe that Autumn has arrived.           

Already, I’m noticing that daylight starts to fade by early evening. We’ve entered that time of year when we like to hunker down and enjoy the warmth and comfort of our homes.

When I look out the window, I see the spectrum of Fall colors everywhere – gold, and vivid orange and yellow.

Squashes and pumpkins adorn the Farmer’s stalls and are piled high outside my neighborhood grocery store.

Yet, for some reason, part of me is still in summer mode, thinking of salads and warm weather menus, and day dreaming about this years’ vacation in the wine country of eastern Washington – an area where it’s just about impossible to drive half a mile without passing a winery, there are so many of them.

Now, I am not a wine expert, not by any stretch of the imagination.

I’m someone who is content to enjoy a glass of wine when the occasion calls for it, and that’s about it.

I recently learned that some vineyards use gluten as a clarifying agent during the wine-making process. I already knew that egg whites are sometimes used, but had never heard about gluten.

This was an eye-opener for me.

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GOING GLUTEN-FREE

September 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

“Food, wonderful food, glorious food.” … from the musical, Oliver

 

Food is such a sensory experience.   

Inextricably woven into the fabric of our lives, it evokes feelings of both pleasure and comfort on a daily basis.

We taste or nibble, and sometimes devour, depending on our moods and level of hunger. If we are really mindful and aware, we savor every morsel.

Our daily meals are as basic to our existence as taking our next breath.

Yet, when you add Celiac Disease, Gluten Intolerance or Food Allergies into the mix, things aren’t quite so simple.

Along the way, life gets a little more interesting, and a lot more challenging.

For this reason, I’ve decided to share with you my personal philosophy for designing a Gluten-Free Life, while embracing my twin passions for Food & Design.

Yes, I also happen to be an Interior Designer – hence the name Gluten-Free Designer! (You can visit my website at www.harmonydesignstudio.com ).

My own story started out simple enough, beginning with an article I read about nine years ago on Celiac Disease.

Up until that time I had never heard of Celiac Disease, but then I’d also never heard of gluten. I had no idea there was a name attached to the debilitating symptoms I’d been dealing with for years.

Yet something about the article caught my attention. I read it all the way through, then read it again. What I read in that article described me exactly – including the stomach pain and discomfort I experienced on a daily basis with no obvious explanation.

To think that all this was attributable to a single protein called Gluten was astounding, almost exciting!

Now – one of the unfortunate facts about Celiac Disease (or gluten intolerance or sensitivity, or whatever you want to call it) is that it can take on average years to diagnosis.

Perhaps this sounds familiar.

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