Diet

Gluten Reaction 101

Living 100% Gluten-Free is a challenge. Most of us, even after we’ve learned about hidden sources of gluten and done our best to stay away from them….are going to get “glutened” from time to time. This happens most often with:

1-Cross contamination
2-Eating out at a new restaurant
3-Eating products that don’t have any “gluten” ingredients…but still aren’t 100% GF.

We have to be extremely careful with cross contamination in our own homes. Most of us are living with non-GF people. So make sure everyone knows which toaster is the GF one….and when your grandma is baking glutenous pies, cakes, and bread….stay far away from the kitchen.  Trust me, I know. Even a TINY bit of gluten will do THIS to me:

 


Of course, I often get the same reaction when eating out at a new place I’m unsure about. Many restaurants  offer “gluten-free” items, but they Read More »

My Food Philosophy – Finding My Inner Foodie

Yummy snacks can be simple and easy to make!

With all the working out I do it still surprises me how most days I honestly don’t get hungry. It’s something that confuses me, but something I’ve just accepted as a “normal” part of my life.

What helps me cope with this is focusing on how food is nourishing and will help me continue to be healthy. I continually look for ways to make my diet more “nutrient dense.” I’m happy to report that I have been increasing the amount of veggies I’m eating and have found more that I am enjoying! However the child in me is coming out because I have to hide them in my foods….whatever way works right?

Last night I made a delicious bowl of pasta with pesto, eggplant, and peppers. I added kale as well but I think it would of been better if I steamed the kale. Sorry for the absence of a picture, but I must say it was a beautiful {and colorful} creation! Read More »

Watch Your Waistline While on a Gluten Free Diet: Part Two

Keeping a slim and trim waistline seems to be an important topic lately. Members of the gluten free elite are trying to find ways to counter-act the effects of a gluten free diet on their weight.Carter_foodcart

In part one, the subject of will power was broached. Now that we have established that you have such a powerful tool at your disposal, let’s work on how to use it.

Selective Substitutions

Since the problem lies with the super-carbs, that is where you need to start. Put your powers to good use by having three days a week with no gluten free substitutes. Stick to lean meats, fruits and veggies on these days. This is a budget friendly idea as well. Put the savings towards buying that new smaller wardrobe. Read More »

Watch Your Waistline While on a Gluten Free Diet: Part One

weight loss gluten freeWhen cruising the gluten free forums, it is not hard to notice that there are a few issues associated with a gluten free diet that come up a lot. One of these issues is a rapidly expanding waistline.

The problem of gluten free weight gain comes from the higher concentration of carbohydrates and sugars found in gluten free foods. One serving of gluten free corn spaghetti has 7 more grams of carbs than the “regular” counterpart. That may not seem like much in terms of numbers, but your thighs can tell the difference.

With the holiday season quickly approaching, many people are beginning to search for a sure fire way to beat the bulge. This is even more challenging when you are already searching to find the gluten free jewels in every party menu. Read More »

Top 3 gluten-free myths, debunked

If you’re looking to start a gluten-free diet, or to simply experiment with gluten-free eating for the new year, make sure you aren’t distracted or discouraged by the common myths surrounding GF lifestyles. These myths can be deterrents to better health and make you question your commitment.

The top three myths are easily debunked because they don’t take the reality of naturally gluten-free foods that everyone already eats and enjoys into consideration. With so many people already eating gluten-free and experiencing thriving health, don’t let a few misconceptions stand in your way. Read More »

Step by Step Guide: Beginning the Gluten-Free Lifestyle

FOR THE NEWLY-DIAGNOSED CELIAC AND DH’er STEP-BY-STEP:  BEGINNING THE GLUTEN-FREE LIFESTYLE©

by Janet Y. Rinehart, Houston,  and Lynn Rainwater, San Antonio

BEGIN

A definite diagnosis of Celiac Disease (screening blood tests plus endoscopic biopsies) and/or Dermatitis Herpetiformis (skin biopsy) means a lifetime commitment to a gluten-free diet.

  • Take full advantage of your local chapter membership.  Our group leaders and contacts have experience with the gluten-free diet.  We can help you acclimate to the changes in your lifestyle. We welcome your questions.
  • Join national celiac support groups, for example: Read More »

Do Gluten Free People Eat Mostly Unprocessed or Processed Foods?

processed-vs-whole-nutrition-380x252Media “health experts” consistently stress the dangers of following a gluten-free diet if you are not medically diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. They ominously describe the “high sugar content” and “lack of vitamin and mineral fortification” of many gluten-free foods.

Besides ignoring the millions and millions of people in SouthEast Asia who live their entire lives gluten-free because wheat, barley, rye or oats are not part of their traditional diet, the reporters ignore unprocessed staples of the gluten-free diet: meats, dairy, vegetables, fruits, nuts, non-gluten grains like rice, beans, eggs and seafood. Unprocessed. You know, those foods that do not have to be fortified with synthetic supplements because they NATURALLY contain vitamins and minerals.

Without fail, the foods the medical contributors describe are processed  gluten-free foods.

Why??

Well, the ABC producer who once interviewed me admitted she had tried every diet to lose weight and knew absolutely nothing about nutrition. She mentioned the sweet potato diet worked best for her…although her skin turned orange.

Sigh. From my experience, here is how news reporting seems to work in TV news land.

Producers, under huge pressure to find something sensational every day, do the interviews and write the stories. They are not necessarily experts in the subject matter. The producer who interviewed me was off to cover a new type of car squeegee after my interview.

Medical contributors, grave looking urologists (urinary tract expert), dapper cardiologists (heart expert) or pretty nurses, then read the stories off a teleprompter, provide a few comments and frown or nod wisely at the appropriate times.

So why do they portray the gluten-free diet as if it contained virtually only processed foods?

Maybe the producers do not have time to research the truth. Maybe they focus on the sensational parts of stories instead of covering topics objectively. Maybe they think the entire United States population gorges itself on Hamburger Helper, Mac and Cheese, Oreos and Big Macs and therefore all the people who are gluten-free must slurp down their gluten-free substitutes.

Do they? Do gluten-free people only eat processed gluten-free foods?

My foods are almost all unprocessed. I buy the ingredients and I process them myself. I want to know what I eat and frankly the food I make tastes GOOD.

But that is just me. What do other people eat?

Unfortunately, I meet non-gluten-free people who think only foods that have a “gluten-free” label on the box are gluten-free. Misinformed by the media, they have no idea what gluten-free means. Their eyes widen when I tell them I eat steak, potatoes, apples, eggs, PF Changs Lettuce Wraps, Bonefish Lily’s Chicken, brownies, margaritas and a whole lot of other foods they recognize.

I wanted to find out what Gluten Free Works visitors eat so I asked our Facebook friends whether they eat unprocessed or processed foods.

Their answers did not surprise me, but will probably shock the news producers and their frowning, nodding medical experts who are supposed to be covering the gluten-free diet.

Read More »

Fatigue: The Gluten-Adrenal Connection

glutenadrenalfatigueDo you feel tired all the time? Maybe tired isn’t even strong enough of a word to describe the extreme fatigue you feel all day, every day. The problem seems to be pretty common place for those who eat a gluten-free diet.

Or maybe you have trouble falling asleep at night and wake up completely drained as if you were running a marathon in your sleep. Sure, you could chalk it up to a busy, stress-filled life, but the answer is more complex and hits closer to home that you even realize.

Allow me share with you a personal story… Read More »

How I Broke Up with Gluten: The 5 Stages of Grief

how to give up gluten

The longest relationship I have ever ended is the one I had with gluten. After 19 years of a wheat-filled, breadstick-loving life, I was beginning a new chapter. I was going to be challenged by the changes I was about to make, but I knew they would only make me a better person when it was all said and done. But, before you reach the I’m better off without them part of a break up, you have to go through A LOT of crappy emotions, otherwise known as the 5 Stages of Grief: Read More »

Deal Alert! Gluten Free Medifast Meals: Free Shipping and Discounts for July

Free shipping and save up to $66 on Medifast’s gluten-free diet meal packages through July 31st.

Gluten-Free 4-Week Package

Gluten-Free 4-Week Package

Medifast has developed two gluten-free packages for people on the gluten-free diet who want to lose weight quickly and safely. The gluten-free packages come in a 4 week package and a 2 week package.

Discount codes are good until July 31st, 2013.

Get Free Shipping with any purchase of $150 or more. Click here and use coupon code: SHIPJUL13

Save $66 with a purchase of $250 or more. Click here and use coupon code: JUL31K

What is Medifast? From Medifast’s website… Read More »