Tag Archives: Beginning gluten free diet

According to a Wall Street Journal article, The Gluten-Free Craze: Is It Healthy? (6/23/2014) — over 29% of people surveyed said they are cutting back gluten consumption or avoiding it completely.

Whether a gluten-free diet is a “craze” or fad for those not diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten-sensitivity is debatable. Important questions for anyone eating a restrictive diet — for whatever reason, should be, “am I eating a balanced diet? Am I eating optimal amounts of protein, healthy fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals for my individual needs?” Read More »

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 »

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 »

Thank YOU, Kendall!

HUGE shout out to Kendall and the PUR Team for sending us samples of their new PUR Mints: Tangerine Tango, Spearmint, Polar Mint, Peppermint and the one I am currently enjoying – Mojito Lime Mint. The mints are gluten-free, aspartame-free and yummylicious! (They are also vegan, nut & soy free, diabetic friendly and non-gmo!)

PUR really promotes the fact that they do not use aspartame to sweeten their products. That’s a good thing. Aspartame is made from genetically modified e-coli, their feces in fact, and I was told it was produced in the same facility as Agent Orange. YUCK! Aspartame gives me migraines, so I stopped eating it even before I found out it was made from bacteria dung.

Instead, PUR uses xylitol, which is pretty smart considering xylitol creates a cooling effect in your mouth. I really like how the packets reseal, so you can save some for later…unless you eat them like candy like I do.  (Mmm. I just crunched into a Peppermint.)

Thanks again, Kendall. The mints are fantastic. I’ll definitely be making PUR my go to mints.

Oh, and Kendall was nice enough to send us a $10 Coupon for our Gluten Free Works Members to use on PUR’s website. Considering they have products for $4.99, you’re looking at FREE STUFF! Woohoo!!! Just enter the coupon code in the image below.  Read More »

Going gluten-free is a battle. A battle of the many emotions involved with learning an entire new way of eating. The battlefield is similar to the one that Rick, Carl, Maggie, Daryl and the others face on every episode of The Walking Dead. How do the two journeys relate? Well, let me explain…

1. What the ______?

When Rick woke up in the hospital he had no idea what was going on. Where was his family? Were they infected with this new ‘disease’? What just happened to life as he knew it? These feelings are similar to the ones someone experiences when diagnosed with Celiac Disease or Gluten Intolerance. They are confused about their new condition. How did this happen to them?

2. Stay Away!!

On The Walking Dead, the group did not know exactly what the zombies were or how they got that way, but Read More »

When I became a gluten-sensitive newbie a year ago, I couldn’t figure out what I’d eat on a day-by-day basis.

This hadn’t been a problem when I became lactose-intolerant because so many alternatives to cow’s milk products were in the grocery stores. Nor had it been a diet problem because my program (Weight Watchers) was not restrictive in choice, just in portion size.

But gluten-sensitivity (and also a problem with oats, alas) threw me into a complete tizzy. So many of my favorite foods were out the window. What was I going to eat at breakfast? For lunch? What about when I just wanted to grab a snack? Read More »