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.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: EAT Tagged With: , , , , , ,

5 Ways to Fine-Tune Your Ingredients

March 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Whether or not you are new to the gluten-free lifestyle, it’s easy to fall prey to less than wise food choices.

Perhaps even more surprising, you can follow a gluten-free diet religiously and still be eating poorly.

How is that possible?

Well, just because your diet is gluten-free – or vegan, vegetarian or something else entirely – it doesn’t mean your diet is healthy.

After all, temptation is everywhere.

And regardless of which diet you follow, processed, sugary foods are often pervasive.

However, fear not. Below are some easy tips that could easily get you back on the right track.

 

Embrace Whole Foods

There is joy to be found in eating low on the food chain.

That means embracing the foods that come directly from the earth, with little to no processing.

In fact, that is the very definition of a whole food.

The fewer ingredients, the better off you will be. Plus, you can be sure that none of these products contain gluten or any other suspect ingredients.

Indeed, whole foods are about as pure as you can get.

Next time you’re shopping for groceries, here are some questions you can ask before tossing less than healthy choices into your grocery cart.

  • Where does the food come from?
  • Is it naturally derived from the earth?
  • Can you imagine it growing in a field?

The journey of a whole food from earth to market is a direct one. These are the foods that are packed full of nutritional benefits that will jump-start your diet in no time.

And that’s what you want.

 

Eat the Rainbow

Look for the freshest, most beautiful ingredients you can find, especially when buying produce.

Remind yourself to ‘eat the rainbow’.

If you’re not sure what that means, eating the rainbow refers to the kaleidoscope of colors found in nature. Your choices in produce – in a range of colors from red, green, purple, orange and yellow – are the very foods you need to include to ensure optimal health.

Be sure to grab a copy of the March issue of Whole Living Magazine – for an in-depth look at what this concept really means.

Not only are the pictures gorgeous but there are also some delicious recipes for you to experiment with.

 

Focus on Quality

Beyond produce, look for hormone-free, grass-fed beef and organic, cage-free poultry. Choose wild fish over farmed.

Focus on quality, organic ingredients wherever possible, whether purchasing fresh, frozen or canned.

Speaking of canned, keep in mind that most cans – whether aluminum or steel – are coated with the chemical BPA (bisphenol A), which has recently been the subject of many health concerns.

I buy Eden brand canned beans and Nature Forest Coconut Milk –  two brands that are known to be BPA-free.

Make sure your diet also includes whole grains and legumes, nuts and seeds, and healthy fats.

That’s right – fats can be healthy, too!

[Read more…]

Filed Under: EAT Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Warming Foods For Colder Days

March 2, 2012 By 2 Comments

It’s a blustery day outside.

Every time I think that Spring is just around the corner, the temperature plummets again – a clear reminder that it is indeed still Winter.

This makes me want to do little more than curl up in front of a roaring fire with a hot cup of tea.

It’s the perfect thing, this time of year – a hot meal, or a bowl of soup, to warm us from the inside out.

What’s interesting to me is that while food can be literally hot or cold, according to how it’s been prepared, many foods also have inherent qualities of warmth or coolness – without going anywhere near a stove.

Take the cucumber, for example.

I don’t know about you, but cucumbers don’t tempt me in the least on a wintry day. Maybe that’s because they’re usually eaten raw, but it’s also because they have an inherently cooling effect.

Herbs and spices are also known to be either warm or cool.

A ‘warm’ herb, for example, can increase blood flow and create a warming sensation in the body. Such herbs and spices are often used for improved circulation, reduced joint pain or to stimulate the immune system.

The list includes ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom all of which remind me of warm gingerbread, fresh from the oven.

Dark chocolate and peppermint are wonderful as well, either used separately or paired together in drinks and desserts.

On the spicier side, we have hot peppers, garlic and cayenne – perfect in hot soups or stews.

Notice that such a meal, while heated and literally served hot, also contains ingredients that are considered hot by their very nature.

Colors do the same thing – and there is a rainbow of colors in our food!

But let’s go back to that fireplace for a moment.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: EAT, RECIPES Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Easy Tips For The Gluten-Free Traveler

February 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The focus, this week,  is once again on travel. 

Even though Winter hasn’t quite let go of its grip, many of us having been dreaming of sunnier places, maybe even starting to plan this year’s summer vacation.

Where will you go?

Today, I want to share with you an extremely well-written travel article I came across a few weeks ago, that I think is a fabulous resource!

It applies to everyone, by the way, whether you’re gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, or dealing with any kind of food allergy, or food related illness.

Since going gluten-free eight years ago, I haven’t yet traveled to a foreign country, other than Canada.

Which doesn’t really count, since the language and food options are pretty much what I’d find here – just with different packaging.

I have a good friend, though, who is gluten-free and accompanies her husband on regular trips to Paris.

She says she’s never had a problem.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: EAT, TRAVEL Tagged With: , , , , ,

7 Myths of the Gluten-Free Diet

February 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

It’s Too Expensive

While it’s true to some extent that eating Gluten-Free can be expensive, I do believe that there are ways to cut costs and still eat well.

I’m also a firm believer in emphasizing Quality – whether we’re talking food, design or clothing.

Anything of Quality is going to serve you well.

Clothing and furniture will last that much longer, and when it comes to food, well, it’s your health that’s at stake.

So even if the Gluten-Free lifestyle is a bit of an investment for you, I prefer to think of this as Supplemental Insurance.

In other words, you are investing in & taking better care of your body, with the ultimate goal of reducing your trips to the doctor  – and medical costs in general.

I’ve addressed this belief further in my Free Guide:  7 Ways to Design a Gluten Free Life.

 

It’s OK to Cheat

Actually, it’s never OK to cheat, especially if you’re Celiac and you know better.

I’ve heard horror stories about people who became a good deal sicker – beyond the point of ever being able to recover their health – just from not taking their gluten-free lifestyle seriously.

Again, this comes down to the gluten-free diet being a medical necessity if you are to maintain your health.

If it isn’t a necessity for you, and you’ve adopted a gluten-free diet for non-medical reasons, then that is a very different scenario.

 

The Gluten-Free Diet is Synonymous With Deprivation

Absolutely not.

This is the equivalent of telling yourself that you will never again be able to splurge on your favorite foods.

Or splurge, period.

I think you can absolutely have your cake and eat it too! These days, you can find gluten-free baked goods in any grocery store, and there are many gluten-free bakeries  – some of them even ship!

[Read more…]

Filed Under: EAT Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Hawaiian Interlude

January 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

As I sit here, writing these words, I realize that one week ago today, I was still on the island of Lanai, in Hawaii.

Around this time, I was likely sitting by the pool, basking in the sun, while buried in a good book.

At the time, I couldn’t imagine a better way to welcome in the New Year, and that feeling hasn’t changed!

The island of Lanai is one of the lesser known of the Hawaiian Islands – and it is certainly among the smallest.

The driver, who shuttled us from the airport to our hotel, described it this way:

“There are only three main roads, that are paved.” he said, “This one, that one, and the one over there.”

He had us laughing all the way to the hotel.

Since we were traveling, I once again resorted to my very own personal guidebook on how to travel in style – gluten-free.

You can read all about it in my previous post, if you like, or keep reading for a brief re-cap of my experience in Hawaii.

As always, I tossed a bag of cereal in my carry-on, so I knew I was good for my morning meal.

I like Udi’s Gluten-Free Granolas, preferring the original flavor sweetened only with honey.

That way, I can add my own extras like pumpkin seeds and raisins.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: EAT, TRAVEL Tagged With: , , , , ,

Sugar & Spice

January 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Welcome to 2012!

It’s the New Year, and many of you have made your New Years’ resolutions – for better or worse.

Among the more popular resolutions, are vows to revamp our diets and exercise more.

Or cut back on sugar.

All this in addition to mastering a gluten-free lifestyle!

I admit, I was a bit ahead of the game this year. Although, I don’t put that much store in New Year’s Resolutions per se – I’m more likely to adopt new habits throughout the year, as ideas present themselves to me.

And so it was this past year, as I decided late in the year to cut back on the usual excess of sweet treats over the holidays, challenging myself to new heights.

Normally, I love to bake this time of year, taking full advantage of the holidays and the opportunity to splurge.

However, I had a different goal in mind, wanting to rid myself of the usual sugar highs that accompany the holidays and family get-togethers.

I’m not entirely new to baking with alternative sweeteners. In fact, I’ve experimented for some time already, with options such as agave, or honey.

I particularly like agave, although it has a reputation for being somewhat controversial.

What was new for me, however, was the decision to go cold turkey, so to speak, and to bake our holiday treats without any refined sugars whatsoever.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: EAT Tagged With: , , , , ,

GLUTEN-FREE HOLIDAY BAKING

December 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The holidays are here and I’m in the mood for baking cookies!

This is my favorite time of the year for baking. Sometimes I need to reign myself in so I don’t overdo it. After all, who is going to eat all those cookies in a 2-person household?

Fortunately for me, my husband has quite the sweet tooth, and he’s only too happy to sample what I bake.

This year, however, I’ve decided to cut back on the excess of sweet treats – a bit of a challenge, given the holiday tradition in my family which goes back to our German roots.

This tradition involves an individual plate of Christmas cookies – yes, every member of the family gets their very own plate of cookies on Christmas morning, to eat as they choose.

Growing up, this was often the most exciting part of the holiday!

My mother would assemble the cookie plates on Christmas Eve, and we weren’t allowed to see them until morning. We even had special, Christmas themed holiday plates – just for the occasion.

As an interior designer, I understand how the needs of our families often change over the years, and our traditional way of doing things evolves – as new ideas present themselves.

Or, as so often happens in our homes, we simply want to ‘freshen’ the look.

Which is why, I’ve decided to make two changes this year:

  • The first, is to bake less.
  • The second, is to switch from paper Christmas themed plates to a more eco-friendly, re-usable choice – fine china. (Mostly because said paper plates, which have been re-used year after year, are looking a little ragged around the edges).

One thing, however, will never change, and that is my homemade Lebkuchen cookies – which I bake every Christmas.

For anyone not familiar with Lebkuchen, it is a German honey-spice cake – a thicker, chewy cookie filled with traditional Christmas spices like cinnamon and cloves.

In my pre-gluten-free days, we always had store-bought Lebkuchen.

However, years ago I came across this recipe from Sunset magazine, and I have faithfully baked these cookies every year since – to serve alongside the store-bought version.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: EAT, RECIPES Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Soup’s On

December 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and sincerely hope that you were able to overcome any challenges in making your feast gluten-free.

By the time you read this, chances are the turkey leftovers will long since have been eaten.

But that’s OK.

I’d still like to share with you my very simple recipe for home-made chicken stock. If you can even call this a recipe.

Yes, it’s that simple!

Of course, this works just as well for turkey or any kind of bird.

I think chicken stock is incredibly easy to make yourself, although at times less convenient than store bought. The best part is that it is absolutely Gluten-Free.

And you won’t have to worry about reading labels!

Seriously, though, all you really need to pull this off is a chicken carcass or two.

Whenever we have a roast chicken for dinner, I remove the extra meat before storing the leftovers in the fridge. I also save the bones in a separate container.

Next morning, I toss the bones, some water and a few seasonings into my crockpot, and let the slow cooker do its thing for the rest of the day.

That’s the beauty of a slow cooker – it really frees up your time for work, or play, and you don’t have to do another thing for six to eight hours, or until the food is done.

In this crazy, hectic world we live in, what could be better than freeing up some of your time?

 

HOME-MADE CHICKEN STOCK

Bones & carcass from 1 Chicken

6 cups water

1 carrot, cut into chunks (or a small handful of baby carrots)

1 or 2 celery sprigs, optional

1 bay leaf

5-6 whole peppercorns

 

You can dig around in your vegetable drawer and choose some other add-ins, such as:

Onion, cut into chunks

Root vegetables, cut into chunks

 

Toss everything into the ceramic pot of your slow cooker, and set the timer for a minimum of 6 hours. Depending on the brand of slow cooker, you might need a little more time to really bring out the flavors.

Alternatively, you can replicate the exact same recipe in a pot, on the stove. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 1 ½ – 2 hours.

When done cooking, set a large sieve inside an equally large bowl and pour the soup stock into the sieve. The point is to catch all the loose vegetables, peppercorns, etc. so you have a clear broth.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: EAT, RECIPES Tagged With: , , , , ,

Holiday Tips & Suggestions

November 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

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.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: EAT, HEALTH & WELLNESS Tagged With: , , , , , ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »