Eating Out

Working with people diagnosed with food allergies and Celiac disease has opened my eyes to the world around me. Prior to this, the only person I knew with severe food allergies was a younger cousin of mine whom I spend very little time with.  But, when you start paying attention, you figure out there are many people living with food allergies, Celiac disease or other food related intolerances or restrictions.

One day, I came into work and a co-worker, Genevieve  Fraser, asked if I was the one with the food allergy therapist magnet on my car. When I said yes, she informed me that she has an anaphylactic allergy to peanuts, and has since she was very young.  Suddenly, it was in my awareness that I had been bringing peanut butter to work almost every day that I am in that office, not even realizing my office neighbor, just across the hall, has to carry an Epipen everywhere she goes because of peanuts!  Boy did that get my attention!

I didn’t stop bringing peanut butter to work at first, but I noticed I felt nervous and worried every time I did, so I finally stopped bringing it.  However, I noticed being concerned about others using her office when she was not around, and wondering if people were taking peanuts in there.  I finally decided that I should learn more about what it is like living as an adult with a severe anaphylactic food allergy, rather than just going off what I read and my own assumptions.

When I asked Genevieve if I could do a feature interview on her, she was so great and willing to share her story. I have to say, this interview was so informative, empowering, emotional, and motivating, that it really helped put some aspects of living with life threatening food allergies into perspective.  Genevieve not only survived her childhood, despite bullying and being different, but has gone on to complete her college degree and is working on her master’s.  She has dedicated herself to helping others overcome challenging obstacles in their lives so that they can live a full life, despite whatever challenges they might be facing.  I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did! Read More »

Earlier this summer California Pizza Kitchen debuted gluten-free pizza on their menu. I was giddy. I loved CPK pre-gluten-free and couldn’t wait to go back and try their new pizza. Well,we did,and it was great,but our spirits were quickly dampened by the news that there could be major cross contamination issues going on in the kitchen.

I decided to go back and investigate to see what was going on and whether what I had heard about their procedures was indeed true. I was saddened by what I found out. While it had appeared that CPK went to great lengths to add the gluten-free pizza to their menu,they didn’t consider some of the most important issues. Cross contamination is real and can be very serious. Sure,some of those with Celiac Disease don’t react right away (or even at all),but some do and it isn’t pretty. This doesn’t even take into consideration those Read More »

As a runner I have learned the importance of properly fueling my body.

Skimping on calories & nutrients hurts performance and can hurt your body, too. Carbohydrates are important to supply muscles with glycogen for exercise and a snack of protein & carbs is important after running to help refuel & repair muscles. It imperative to begin this process as soon as possible after a run, but absolutely within 30 minutes.

I have been a little lax on refueling recently,but that has to stop. My current,soon-to-be history, routine for my long runs involved meeting up with my MIT group, running, socializing, driving home (with a coffee detour) and then eating breakfast. By the time I was actually sitting down to eat it was easily 1+ hours later. Not good.

Last week I shared my plan of action for better training with you guys. I am taking it seriously and am now going to include these Mix 1 Protein Shakes in the Saturday routine to see how they work for me. Read More »

Crunchy on the outside! Creamy on the inside!

Back in May Chick-fil-A added sweet potato waffle fries to their menu. The sweet potato fries are still in development, so they are just gathering feedback at this time, which also means they are only available in select locations.

Unfortunately, they were not available anywhere in Atlanta, but you can get them until August 31st at Chick-fil-A in Athens, GA.

Chick-fil-A is a great place to get fast food if you are on the gluten-free diet because Read More »

I love Panera Bread and that we have one not too far from us! Even if we forget that it is there half the time, it is nice when we remember it.  Bryan loves their bread and their creamy tomato soup and I truly miss their bread but love their salads and their creamy tomato soup also.  We went to lunch there last week, and like I always do before going somewhere to eat (even if we’ve been there a million times) I went Read More »

[Editor’s Note: This story is from 2011. It still illustrates why we must be vigilant about where we go to eat.]

Gluten-free Nation, you should be rightly shocked, dismayed and FURIOUS!  A chef in Glenwood Springs, Colorado is poisoning you…and bragging about it.

Chef Damian Cardone is wantonly feeding gluten pasta to patrons who request gluten-free food according to a post on his Facebook page. 

Cardone was deliberately feeding high gluten food to people as of March 10 according the dates on comments to his post.  

It gets worse.  Cardone seems to relish his campaign to feed gluten-free individuals gluten… Read More »

Copyright (c) 2012 Simone Marani

1.     Find a restaurant that can accommodate gluten free meals. Many restaurants are very familiar with gluten free meals or have a gluten free menu.  If you are new to gluten free dining, stick to a restaurant where you don’t have to explain yourself.  There is a list of gluten free restaurants at www.glutenfreerestaurants.org

2.     Do your homework ahead of time. Call ahead and speak with the chef and ask if the restaurant can accommodate your needs.  Also, review Read More »