Search Results for: Celiac disease

Holiday Tips & Suggestions

As we move into the holiday season, there will be plenty of temptations lurking around every corner.

At every holiday gathering you’ll be faced with the same dilemma. How does one determine what is safe to eat, especially when dining away from home?

Well, there’s no reason to complicate things.

I tend to take that approach in general, meaning I don’t like a lot of fuss and bother. (Even my design style is minimalist).

Let’s review some of the likely scenarios you will encounter in the weeks ahead, along with some simple solutions for how to deal with them.

 

Friends & Family

As you make your way around the holiday circuit, be prepared for well-meaning friends and family who insist that “one little bite” can’t possible hurt.

Or who treat your new diet as more of an inconvenience to them, rather than consider the health benefits to you.

When Aunt Mabel offers you a generous slice of her famous holiday cheesecake, please do not to give in.

Instead, why not contribute to the meal yourself?

You could offer to bring a dish that everyone can enjoy. That way you will know for sure there is at least one item on the table that is safe for you to eat.

Or, if you’re feeling really ambitious, bake your own gluten-free cheesecake and bring it along to the party.

By the way, there is absolutely no harm to other family members if they eat gluten-free products. I’ve heard people express this concern, but there’s no truth to it whatsoever.

On the contrary, it’s more likely that as your own health steadily improves, other family members will also benefit.

 

Dining Out

These days, it’s so much easier to dine at a restaurant, even when you’re on a restricted diet.

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SORGHUM OR BARLEY?

If you’ve been doing your homework, you already know that beer traditionally contains gluten.

That’s because regular beer is made from barley, or hops, which is a big no-no for anyone on a gluten-free diet. If you are a beer drinker and have recently been diagnosed with Celiac disease you might be in despair.

If you also love pizza, and believe you can’t live without the combination of pizza and beer, rest assured you don’t have to give up either one.

Gluten-free beers are made from sorghum, a safe grain for anyone living a gluten-free lifestyle.

As it happens, I’m not a beer drinker myself, yet a friend of mine recently handed me this bottle across the table when we met for lunch.

She’d spotted it in a store and bought it – just for me.

I wasn’t sure what to say.

Our other friends at the table asked “Do you drink beer?”

“No” I said, meekly.

I never have – I just don’t care for it.

However, for those of you who DO drink beer, this is one of several options for you. Gluten-free beers are now readily available in most supermarkets, or specialty food stores.

Try it. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Postscript:  Since I took the beer home for my husband, he suggested that I at least try a small sip. I hesitated, then agreed on the condition he finish the bottle if I didn’t like it.

I’m happy to report that Yours Truly did take a sip, while trying very hard not to scrunch up my nose in anticipation of the taste.

I’ll let you guess who drank the remainder.

GOING GLUTEN-FREE

“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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1 IN 133

What is 1 in 133?                                             

It is first and foremost, a statistic – one that describes the prevalence of Celiac Disease & gluten intolerance in our society.

It is also the name given to a clever marketing campaign, designed to draw attention to food labeling laws.

Yes, this weeks’ post is a bit different from the norm.

However, I was motivated to get on the bandwagon, due to my personal interest in this common digestive disorder.

Since May is National Celiac Awareness Month, this is a fitting time to drum up support.

Whether referred to as Celiac Disease, gluten intolerance or gluten sensitivity, it all boils down to the same thing – an inability to digest gluten, a common protein in food.

The only known cure does not involve medication or surgery – a big plus – but it does require life-long adherence to a special, gluten-free diet. (Please note that his has nothing to do with the current fad to adopt a gluten-free diet in order to lose weight).

The ‘1 in 133’ website neatly sums up their mission with the following statement:

‘In 2007, the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) tasked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to finalize standards for gluten-free labeling. Four years later, the FDA has failed to fulfill that mandate. To the millions of Americans who eat gluten-free food, this inaction is a big deal’.

So, here’s where it really gets fun:

To highlight their cause, the campaign has set out to create the world’s largest Gluten-Free Cake, which will ultimately be 12 feet high!

This is no small feat for gluten free baking!

For anyone not familiar with gluten-free baking, it’s problematic at best, since gluten is the very substance which lends elasticity and moisture to baked goods.

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How to Look 20, When You’re Well Past 50 (60, Even)

HedbergPhoto3KK10FBFULLA while back, a friend whom I hadn’t seen in awhile exclaimed that I looked about 20.

Of course, I didn’t believe her. (When I look in the mirror, I’m as critical as the next person).

But I was pleasantly surprised and secretly quite pleased to hear this.

Who wouldn’t be, right?

After all, it isn’t exactly easy to pass for 40 years younger than your actual age!

“What about my gray hair?” I asked her, thinking that was a dead give-away.

She brushed that aside, saying it didn’t mean a whole lot.

Well, OK then.

The thing is, this wasn’t an isolated incident – which, to be perfectly honest, leaves me a bit baffled..

People want to know “What’s your secret?” – and while I might not be sure initially, when I think about the work I’m doing, and how I live my life, I realize – that’s the secret right there!

What I teach, after all – is a lifestyle.

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How to Look 20, When You’re Well Past 50 (60, Even)

HedbergWEB Color KK32 CROPA while back, a friend whom I hadn’t seen in awhile exclaimed that I looked about 20.

Of course, I didn’t believe her. (When I look in the mirror, I’m as critical as the next person).

But I was pleasantly surprised and secretly quite pleased to hear this.

Who wouldn’t be, right?

After all, it isn’t exactly easy to pass for 40 years younger than your actual age!

“What about my gray hair?” I asked her, thinking that was a dead give-away.

She brushed that aside, saying it didn’t mean a whole lot.

Well, OK then.

The thing is, this wasn’t an isolated incident – which, to be perfectly honest, leaves me a bit baffled..

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3 Things About Your Birth You Likely Never Thought About

Mothers dayIf you’re 40 or older, you might be thinking “Isn’t it a bit late for me?”

Or, “Why should I care?”

So yes, it might seem like it’s a bit late.

But here’s a few sobering facts:

  • The odds of acquiring an autoimmune disease later in life, are directly linked to what you were exposed to in your mother’s womb
  • Cord blood from newborns is routinely shown to contain high levels of toxic chemicals
  • Children born today have a shorter life expectancy

So again, what does any of this have to do with you, given your current age?

Well, those toxic chemicals?

They reside in all of us – young and old.

(It’s a fact of modern life).

It’s also why I love to suggest ways you can reduce your environmental exposure – especially in the privacy of your home.

It’s one of the easiest things you can do for yourself!

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How To Take Care of Your Inner Child

PlayAs the year comes to a close, it’s time to reflect once again, on the past twelve months and assess how far you’ve come.

That means celebrating your successes, for sure!

Perhaps it also means, taking the time to reflect on your “inner child”! (i.e. the part of you that hasn’t quite grown up).

Because no matter your age or how many decades have whizzed by, you’re still “young at heart” – wouldn’t you agree? 

This is exactly why your inner child still needs your attention.

Lots of it!

So let me ask you:

Are you taking care of your “inner child”?

Here are 3 easy things you can do to give her the love she needs.
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