gluten-free

Happy 4th Of July!

June 28, 2013 By Karen Leave a Comment

Many of us are taking time away from our busy schedules this week, to celebrate the 4^th. of July.

Whether barbecues or fireworks are your thing – the festivities usually mean that summer is now in full swing!

So, real quick, I wanted to share a few easy tips for your holiday celebration – so you can enjoy your summertime barbecues without feeling left out.

(That’s the worst place to be).

First, if you’re wondering where to find gluten-free hamburger and hotdog buns, check out these suggestions:

*Of course, I can’t offer guarantees, but if you order today, chances are good you’ll have these in time for the 4^th! (Check with the bakery to find out for sure).

Or – grab a bag of gluten-free hotdog or hamburger buns at your local grocer.

Second, if you find yourself sharing a summertime grill with gluten-loving family members or friends, be sure to save a safe spot on the grill for yourself – so your food won’t be contaminated from things like pesky bread crumbs.

Third, for an easy summertime dessert that takes it’s inspiration from the 4^th of July colors [Read more…]

Filed Under: EAT Tagged With: 4th of July, barbecues, fireworks, gluten-free, hamburgers, hotdogs, Little Aussie Bakery, Rudi's, summertime, Udi's

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 Make Your Own Vanilla Extract

June 7, 2013 By Karen Leave a Comment

Okay, you might be wondering why you’d even want to do that.

After all, can’t you go to any grocery store and snatch a bottle of vanilla extract off the shelf?

Already prepared and manufactured?

And isn’t it gluten-free?

And yes, the answer to each of those questions is likely “Yes”.

(Although you might want to call the manufacturer to see whether it’s indeed gluten-free).

So, the real issue here is Corn.

If you are sensitive to corn, or avoid it for any reason, please note that most extracts are made from alcohol.

And those alcohols are typically corn based.

When I stopped eating corn products several years ago, I was stumped by several things.

Including the fact there’s cornstarch in powdered sugar!

(I went through an entire holiday season with powdered sugar in almost every holiday treat I baked, and was totally clueless).

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.

Are You Getting The Nutrients You Need?

May 15, 2013 By Karen Leave a Comment

Did you know that up to 50% of people with Celiac disease have multiple nutritional deficiencies?

This holds true as much as ten years post diagnosis!

And this doesn’t even include those who are merely gluten-sensitive (as opposed to Celiac) or allergic to other foods, such as dairy, nuts or eggs.

Yet, I know from personal experience, that it is, in fact – true.

One thing about being gluten-free, or following any kind of special, medically prescribed diet, is that you may not be getting the nutrients you need.

So, you definitely want to make sure you are!

How do you know where you stand, nutrition-wise?

Take time to review each of the following, and you will have a better idea of your present habits, and what likely needs a bit of work.

Eat a High Quality Diet

Hands down, good health begins with a whole foods diet.

That means plenty of vegetables, fruit, and nuts and seeds, plus whole grains and legumes.

For protein, you want to rely on free-range poultry, grass-fed meat and wild caught fish.

In other words, the purer your diet, the better off you will be.

What Are You Resisting?

April 5, 2013 By Karen Leave a Comment

Does this sound familiar?

You’re at a restaurant, watching the person next to you devour a pile of crisp sweet potato fries.

They look SO tempting.

In that moment – what would you do?

Would you reach over and grab one, without a moment’s thought?

Which of the following outcomes best describes you?

A) You FIGHT the urge – you’d really like to sample just one.

B) You CAVE – there’s no way you can sit there and not have a taste.

C) You RESIST – as tempting as it might be, you remind yourself that it’s not worth the physical pain and discomfort.
Do you see yourself in any of these scenarios?

Of course, if you answered (C) – that is the correct answer!

It’s where you ultimately want to be, not only on occasion, but all the time.

Let’s go through the other two scenarios again, one by one.

Celebrating Easter -Gluten-Free!

March 29, 2013 By Karen Leave a Comment

Easter Sunday is just around the corner.

Are you gearing up for a day of celebration, and the arrival of Spring weather?

Whether your Easter celebration is religious in nature, or a reason to gather with family and friends – this is one more occasion where the gluten-free among us might be wondering:

What is there to eat?

A perfect Spring feast might revolve around a roast lamb or chicken, with fresh asparagus and baby potatoes on the side.

So, the bigger issue, is really about dessert.

Right?

For the kiddies, there are Easter egg hunts and baskets full of chocolate goodies.

But what about us bigger kids?

It’s Time For Spring Cleaning!

March 22, 2013 By Karen Leave a Comment

Spring has finally arrived!

How did you mark the occasion?

Do you have an annual tradition for celebrating the first day of Spring?

(Me – I went skiing, which – last time I checked – is generally not considered a Springtime activity).

It’s no accident, by the way, that Spring is considered a time of renewal.

In fact, in ancient Chinese art, the plum blossom is a symbol of Springtime – because it blooms early in the season, signifying new life ahead.

In traditional Chinese medicine, Spring is the also the season for cleansing.

It’s perhaps no surprise, then, that more people participate in detoxes of every kind during this time of year.

With this in mind, here are three simple ways you can welcome Springtime into your own home, and your life.

Cleanse Your Cupboards

You may have already cleared your cupboards, fridge and freezer of gluten-containing foods, along with your other allergens.

But why not go a step further?

This is the perfect time to thoroughly clean out your kitchen, and release any foods that don’t truly support your health.

So – out with the tired spices, white flours and processed junk food!

In with whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat and gluten-free oats.

Bring on the whole grain crackers, and minimally processed staples like pasta and whole grain flours for baking.

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies

March 15, 2013 By Karen Leave a Comment

The other night, I dreamed I was baking cookies.

Except these weren’t your typical cookies.

They were actually teeny tiny – as in miniature versions of the real thing.

And I was baking them in a teeny tiny, miniature oven, in a teeny tiny kitchen.

Because of the limited space, I kept knocking things over and making quite a mess, as you can imagine.

(Regular size people don’t fit real well in dollhouses).

Dreams are funny, this way, aren’t they?

And it’s not like I normally dream about cookies – or food.

I don’t!

However, I do collect miniatures, like what you see pictured here.

They look like the real thing, don’t they?

Since we’re on the subject of cookies, I decided it was time to share another cookie recipe.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: EAT, RECIPES Tagged With: chocolate chip, cookies, dairy-free, dessert, dreams, egg-free, gluten-free, miniature, paleo, recipes

5 Life Lessons From Downtown Abbey, cont’d

March 1, 2013 By karenkent Leave a Comment

Did you catch last weeks article about Downton Abbey?

If not, you can read about it here.

As you may already know, this hit TV series centers on the Crawley family, their elegant home Downton Abbey, and their fictitious lives.

Yet, despite its’ size, it is still home to a single family – who lives there much as any family would, along with the usual joys and times of sadness that we all endure.

In which respect, they are really no different from you and me – despite their vast wealth.

How does this relate to your own life?

Keep reading to learn more.

PAMPER YOURSELF

Unlike the women of Downton Abbey, chances are you don’t have a ladies maid at your disposal.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t pamper yourself.

You see – it doesn’t matter whether your home is a two-bedroom cottage, or a chateau high up on a hill.

Find time to enjoy more of what you love – whether it’s the things you do for fun, the occasional splurge, or the things you buy on a regular basis.

It’s another form of pampering, for sure!

How you spend your money or your time, matters.

Period.

So let the pampering begin!

No ladies maid required.

LOOK TO THE PAST

A show like Downton Abbey is, of course, steeped in history.

We see it in the historic portraits gracing the walls, the antique furnishings – mixed with a bit of 1920’s modern, I might add – and the cultural mores of the times.

In the same way, your home reflects all the different stages of your life.

It’s what made you who you are today.

Whether or not you’re aware of it, memories of your immediate past follow you wherever you go.

The secret is to delve into those memories and recapture moments from your past that complement how you live today.

Savor the best ones, for sure!

And if something no longer serves you – remove it.

That includes your furnishings, yes – but don’t stop there.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: EAT, LIVE Tagged With: Downton Abbey, gluten-free, goals, history, pamper yourself, support system