food allergies

Inflammation 101

March 7, 2014 By Karen Leave a Comment

Have you ever had a doctor tell you that you had inflammation?

The first few times I heard that word bandied about, I didn’t know what the doctor was talking about.

Inflammation?

What exactly did that mean?

Well, it turns out that inflammation inside your body is not much different from an inflamed wound on the outside of your body.

(Except for the fact you can’t see it).

You know how – if you cut yourself – the area around the wound becomes red and sore?

We recognize this as a sign that our body is trying to fight infection.

What’s surprising, though, is that you can have a similar kind of ‘injury’ inside your body – the equivalent of a bruise, or sore that has gone unchecked.

And just like anywhere else, your immune system kicks in and sends a bunch of fighter cells to the injured spot, to do their hard work.

Even more surprising, it turns out that 70% of your immune system is in your gut!

What Is The Trade-Off?

January 17, 2014 By Karen Leave a Comment

Let’s say you’ve been diligently reading labels since going gluten-free, ever mindful that gluten can often be sneaky – showing up where you’d least expect it.

But did you ever stop to wonder, now that you’ve given up gluten – what not-so-great choices you might be making instead?

In other words, what is the trade-off?

For example, back when I first became gluten-free, I started eating a lot more eggs.

That’s because I was baking my own gluten-free bread, and the standard recipe called for three or four eggs per loaf.

Since eggs are gluten-free, I thought nothing of it.

Also, at least once a week, we’d have omelets for dinner – or even breakfast.

On occasion, I’d even whip up a soufflé.

(Sounds fancy, I know, but soufflés are actually pretty easy to make).

Then almond meal hit the market, and it seemed like a wonderful alternative to gluten-free flours.

Being an almond lover myself, I was ecstatic!

In a given week, I poured almond milk on my breakfast cereal and snacked on almonds by the handful.

So guess what happened?

After about a year on the gluten-free diet, I started experiencing many of the symptoms I’d had BEFORE going gluten-free.

What was that all about?

What Are You Craving?

November 8, 2013 By Karen 2 Comments

“Sugar is a food fraught with layers of emotional meaning, inextricably linked with your sense of comfort and well-being”. Andrea Nakayama

Do you sometimes crave a certain food?

Or is “often” a more accurate description?

Whether ‘sometimes”, or “often”, cravings are usually a sign that something is out of balance in your body.

It could be due to hormones, a nutritional imbalance, low blood sugar or even stress.

Of course, any food can become a substitute for what we’re really craving in the moment.

However, for many of us, our go-to comfort food is sugar.

If your downfall seems to be Sugar, you’re not alone.

Yet, as we head into the holiday season, this becomes even more of a challenge, with temptations around every corner.

In a twist of irony, though – the more you crave a certain food, that’s often your Body’s way of telling you in an oh-so-subtle-way to cut back.

And while you may not be able to ditch those sugar cravings completely – after all, we’re biologically programmed to love anything sweet – it is possible to get your sugar cravings under control by ditching soda and processed foods.

In lieu of refined sugar, consider alternate ways to satisfy your sweet tooth.

At the same time, keep in mind that alternate sweeteners such as agave, honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar and sucanat – to name a few – are still Sugar.

They may seem to be easier on your blood sugar levels – but the bottom line is still this:

Sugar is Sugar.

That’s a tough one to swallow, I know.

Consider too, that the very foods we often crave are often the very foods we’re highly sensitive, or allergic to!

(Yet another reason to avoid them).

Are Your Kids Missing School?

September 13, 2013 By Karen Leave a Comment

Not 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!

How to Customize Your Diet in 3 Easy Steps

June 14, 2013 By Karen Leave a Comment

First of all, here’s the good news:

Even before you became gluten-free or learned you had food allergies, you were already customizing your diet.

You did this every time you decided there was a food you didn’t like!

Don’t care for fish?

Spinach?

No problem.

(When I was growing up the culprit was oranges).

Most of the time, you can easily choose not to eat what you don’t like.

(Unless your parents are telling you otherwise)

We’ve all done this, right?

The challenge, then, is when you are given a specific medical diagnosis – be it Celiac Disease, or a food allergy that requires a special diet.

In other words, your choices have now been taken away – or, at least, that’s how your brain perceive it.

What seems like a logical solution becomes, instead – a threat!

(Our brains don’t like to feel threatened, either).

“What do you mean I can no longer order my favorite pizza?”

“What do you mean I can no longer eat eggs for breakfast?”

Are you kidding me?!

You become defensive, angry.

After all, there’s a big difference between deciding for yourself what you like or don’t like – versus being told what to eat.

How to Travel Gluten-Free

May 31, 2013 By Karen 1 Comment

18th Cent French Travel Kit

Back in the day, a gentleman or lady of means typically travelled with something like this.

Perfectly appointed with a travel size knife, fork and spoon and a pair of scissors – for what, I’m not exactly sure.

Fast forward to modern day travel.

Yes, travel in this day and age is a bit more challenging as we navigate airports and busy schedules.

Add a gluten-free diet and lifestyle to the mix, and your travel woes will likely be compounded by the constant worry of “what to eat?”

As we move into the summer travel season, I thought I’d take a moment to review some of my go-to tricks that I rely on whenever I travel.

Making sure, of course, that there’s always something on hand to eat!

(Most of the time, anyway).

For anyone with additional allergies – for example, dairy and eggs, along with gluten – travel becomes even more of a challenge.

What Are You Craving?

February 1, 2013 By karenkent Leave a Comment

“Sugar is a food fraught with layers of emotional meaning, inextricably linked with your sense of comfort and well-being”. Andrea Nakayama

Do you sometimes crave a certain food?

Or is “often” a more accurate description?

Whether ‘sometimes”, or “often”, cravings are usually a sign that something is out of balance in your body.

It could be due to hormones, a nutritional imbalance, low blood sugar or even stress.

Of course, any food can become a substitute for what we’re really craving in the moment.

However, for many of us, our go-to comfort food is Sugar.

If your downfall seems to be Sugar, you’re not alone.

In fact, the more you crave a certain food, it’s often your Body’s way of telling you in an oh-so-subtle-way to cut back.

In lieu of refined sugar, consider alternate ways to satisfy your sweet tooth.

At the same time, keep in mind that alternate sweeteners such as agave, honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar and sucanat – to name a few – are still Sugar.

They may seem to be easier on your blood sugar levels – but the bottom line is still this:

Sugar is Sugar.

That’s a tough one to swallow, I know.

Consider too, that the very foods we often crave are often the very foods we’re highly sensitive, or allergic to!

(Yet another reason to avoid them).

A strange anomaly, yes, but also fascinating, if you take the time to think about it.

Then again, perhaps salty – rather than sweet – foods are your downfall?

Are You An Olypmic Champion?

August 10, 2012 By karenkent Leave a Comment

Have you been watching the Olympics?

For the past two weeks, many of us have been faithfully watching TV every night, mesmerized by world-class athletes who have devoted their lives to this competition.

Yesterday, I was also an Olympic champ – of sorts.

I went to my weekly water aerobics class (a new activity for me), and the instructor had come up with her own version of the Olympic games – encapsulated into an hour of fun in the pool.

Using various poolside equipment, we pretended to ‘run’ a triathlon, ‘bike’, play water polo, jump hurdles, walk the balance beam, throw a javelin and even pair up for synchronized swimming.

Which wasn’t all that synchronized, to be perfectly honest.

But that wasn’t the point.

The point was to have fun.

Which we did, complete with medals handed out at the end for our efforts.

This got me to thinking.

Even though I’m not really an Olympic athlete – not even close – I do have a somewhat Olympic attitude towards my choices about diet and the gluten-free lifestyle.

And there’s no reason you can’t have that too!

What do I mean by an “Olympic attitude”?

Shooting Yourself In The Foot

April 20, 2012 By karenkent 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.

TRAVELING IN STYLE

November 4, 2011 By karenkent Leave a Comment

Back in the day, a gentleman or lady of means typically traveled with something like this.

Perfectly appointed with a travel size knife, fork and spoon and a pair of scissors – for what, I’m not exactly sure.

Fast forward to modern day travel.

Yes, travel in this day and age is certainly challenging as we navigate airports and our busy schedules.

For anyone living a gluten-free lifestyle, your travel woes are likely compounded by the constant worry of what are you going to eat?

Two weeks ago, I was in Austin, Texas followed by a few days in Asheville, North Carolina.

While I wouldn’t call myself a seasoned traveler, I do have a go-to system that I rely on whenever I travel, a system that ensures I have will have enough to eat.

Most of the time, anyway.

Because I have additional allergies, to both dairy and eggs, along with gluten, I’m unable to enjoy even a breakfast of scrambled eggs while on the go.

So I always include individual packets of gluten-free oatmeal, or a bag of gluten-free granola in my travel kit, then rely on restaurant fare for fruit or juice.

Better still, after I reach my destination, I like to stop in at a local health food store to stock up on fruits and healthy snacks. If you have a mini refrigerator in your hotel room, that’s ideal.

As for the plane trip itself?

I’ve been using this nifty bento-style lunchbox from Laptop Lunches for about a year, and I love it!

The best part is that you can be as creative as you like with your portable meal, choosing a different food for each container.

In the photo above, I packed Sushi and my favorite stuffed Collard Greens. (this way I get in my daily greens, along with some protein and healthy carbs).

[Read more…]

Filed Under: EAT, TRAVEL Tagged With: bento-box, food allergies, gluten-free, healthy snacks, travel

Inflammation 101

What Is The Trade-Off?

What Are You Craving?

Are Your Kids Missing School?

How to Customize Your Diet in 3 Easy Steps

How to Travel Gluten-Free

What Are You Craving?

Are You An Olypmic Champion?

Shooting Yourself In The Foot

TRAVELING IN STYLE

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