St. Patrick's Day the Gluten Free Way

Picked up O'Reilly's Corned Beef at Shop Rite and very happy to see those magic words, "Gluten Free," on the label. Ten years ago those words were rarely seen, especially on seasonal food. I almost danced in the meat aisle.

Up early this morning, that slab of deliciousness is now submerged in the crock pot. The potatoes and cabbage will go in as soon as I get home from work. Dinner should be ready at seven. All that's missing is the green, gluten free, beer.

Every St. Patrick's day I used to worry about the safety of the meal. The magic words rarely appeared on the good stuff. If I wanted to find them, I'd have to go to the health food store. Now, bigger companies are stepping up and realizing the importance of labeling things gluten free ...

Bahahahaha! Just kidding. They do it because they see a market. More and more Celiacs are being diagnosed. That 1 in 100 number is growing and I'm sure this old estimate will soon be updated. Add in the dieters. Those who are going gluten free because they think it will help them lose weight (Ha!) or who are just hoping to calm the chaos in their gut.

I only hope this isn't a flash in the pan and that labeling gluten will become the norm and not a passing fad. When I see the magic words, "Gluten Free," on a label I go to the company's website and thank them. A short note to let them know how that thoughtful gesture impacted my day and my life. Did they do it for marketing? Who cares! They made my life easier and probably healthier.

Happy St. Paddy's Day! May the Corned Beef be gluten free and the meal make you smile. Just make sure the green beer is gluten free, too!

God Bless Ireland

Possible Causes of IBS that Doctors Ignore

Way before I ever heard the word "Celiac" I was diagnosed with IBS or Irritable Bowel Disease. I thought that was the most ridicules thing I'd ever heard. I said to my doctor, "I know its irritated, now tell me why? Irritation is a symptom, not a disease." The doctor shrugged. I should have changed doctors then, but being raised a good Irish Catholic, I was taught to respect people in authority and doctors fell into that category. Or at least, they used to. Now I know different. I've heard, in med school, Doctors spend very little time studying Celiac Disease and I'm betting even less time on other causes of IBS.

Since then I've changed doctors and discovered a few things that can cause this most embarrassing and uncomfortable condition. We already know that Celiac Disease's main symptom, along with migraines, joint pain, and skin problems is constipation or diarrhea (aka IBS), but I always felt there was something else.

B-12
This little vitamin is a water soluble vitamin that rules the nervous symptom. One of its main symptoms is IBS. It also has a wide range of other symptoms. A B-12 deficiency is also known as Pernicious Anemia. B-12 is found in meat and other animal products. Vegans are often deficient in this vitamin, but if you're missing the intrinsic factor you won't absorb it no matter how you eat. I had my B-12 levels checked after watching a show called Medical Mysteries and they were bottomed out. I now go for B-12 shots every two weeks. I was a meat eater but for some reason my body was not absorbing the B-12. Since getting the shots I've been so much better! I get my levels checked on a regular basis and it took a while to figure out what dosage/time span was best for me, but it was worth it. For more information on Pernicious Anemia and B-12 deficiency go here; PAS Pernicious Anemia Society

Food Allergies or Sensitivities
I often wondered where this idea came from. I was always of the mind set that man was meant to eat the bounty from the earth. It was the natural way. However, when we really think about it, we have to admit few of us eat food in it's most natural state. Most days everyone eats a processed or prepackaged food. Even bread is processed and packaged. When was the last time you made bread from scratch? And if you did, was the flour used bleached and processed? When you read an ingredient label, can you identify each ingredient as a natural food?
Then we have to look at GMO's. Are we eating good food or something made in a lab? Do we know what process it went through to become food? What was added? Subtracted? Can we really trust it to give our body what it needs and can our body naturally process this chemical experiment? Or would the body reject it in the form of IBS?
Does it surprise anyone that since the evolution of GMO food in the 70's, the rise in food allergies, IBS, and Fibromyalgia  has tripled. Gee, I think I see a pattern here. More GMO, more gasto/nervous symptom problems. Wait! Do I need to get a rocket scientist for this issue?
There are allergies or sensitivities to real/natural/non-GMO food. You can get allergy tests and do an elimination diet to figure this out. It's a slow process but would be worth it if you got answers.

Food Dyes
Are made from coal tar. Yum! That same black gunk that is used to pave our streets. Who was the brainiac that thought we should eat this crap?
Red dye has been linked to hyperactivity in children. Red dye is in everything. Read labels and if it has a food dye in it, toss it back on the shelf.
In Europe most food dyes are outlawed. However, the USA is owned by the almighty $$$ and years behind in food safety.

Artificial Sweeteners
All artificial sweeteners are linked to incontinence in women. Anyone notice the surge in Depends commercials with the increased use of Splenda, Sweet n Low, and Equal? These things irritate the bladder (and who knows what else?) and should never be put into the body. Check it out here. Also on the subject of Artificial Sweeteners look here. Just google Incontinence women and artificial sweeteners, scary.

The only other thing I think people need to do is not give up. If your doctor can't give you answers, go to a different doctor. I changed doctors 3 times until I found one who would listen to me and not blow off my symptoms to generic diseases.

Never, never, never give up. The truth is out there. . .

Snacks for Celiacs

There are many options for Celiac snacks, but most newly diagnosed people don't see them. I'm not talking about the gluten free versions of cakes, cookies and other goodies.

Think healthy!

Yogurt
Veggies; carrots, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, olives
Nuts
Cereal
Humus and GF crackers
Popcorn
Energy bars (Think Thin, lara bars, some Balance bars)
Fruit; apples, bananas, grapes, berries

My favorite snacks? Yogurt with a banana cut up and mixed in. GF pretzels with humus dip, and apples with peanut butter.

Think outside the box. Make a snack of a couple of rolled pieces of gluten free cold cuts and some carrot sticks dipped in salsa or humus. Tortilla chips, a sprinkle of shredded cheese and salsa (nuke 1 min). Left over veggies from last night's dinner? Sprinkle on a little salad dressing and enjoy. Grill a portabella mushroom - Yum!

Think of what comes from nature, not man. I have a saying; If man made it, don't eat it.
I call this the God diet. Only eat things that God put on the earth. No, that wasn't Twinkies.

Get creative, have fun and explore new foods. Never had a mango? That's your next snack! Don't know how to roll a summer roll? Google it! New tastes are waiting for you to wet your pallet.
Go get 'em!

Apologies...

I don't post here as much as I should. Good intentions often go out the window as life comes in.
I recently came back from Florida. Food issues always drive me a bit batty when I travel. I fear food. I don't want to eat out for eight days and nights due to cross contamination issues. How do I know what goes on in that kitchen behind the swinging door? I've worked as a waitress and seen what's back there. Dinner hour in a restaurant kitchen is like a hurricane blowing over a tiny island of chaos. Food moves through at the speed of light. Order up, cook, slap it on the plate and move it out. Mistakes are easy to make.
I got sick the third day of my trip and felt like crap for three days. Blah.
Which put me off food for the rest of the trip. I ate very little, saving my appetite for home when I could eat without risk. (Can we ever really eat without risk?)
Florida was nice. Hot, humid and relaxing but its good to be home.

Everybody's Nuts AND Gluten Free (Almost)

Thank you for contacting Everybody’s Nuts concerning pistachios processed and packaged by Paramount Farms. With the exception of the European Roast Flavor, all the other flavors are gluten free as the European Roast does contain some barley in the malt vinegar. I hope the information I provided you with was useful.
Regards,
Paramount Farms
13646 Highway 33
Lost Hills, CA 93249
kgettenpowell@paramountfarms.com

Gluten free pit falls

When I first went gluten free I had been sick for a long time. Every piece of food I put in my mouth made me sick. Teetering on the brink of insanity, wondering how much longer I could stand never feeling good. Doctors didn't seem to help. They had no answers. I was getting desperate.
Finally, I would drive home from work each night and talk to God. I said I needed answers, that I didn't care what was bothering me, but I had to know. I prayed for answers.
So, after another show down with my doctor (You know the kind where you insist there's something wrong and the doctor offers you Valium-or whatever the latest anti anxiety drug is-and you tell the doc its not nerves, there's really something wrong...etc) Okay, then I kinda yelled at him because I really felt he wasn't listening. When I said that even bread made me sick he stopped and said that magic word; Celiac.
Two weeks later I'm mastering the diet and feeling better. (Not great, but definitely better.) And then I discovered ...FOOD!
Something I haven't really enjoyed in years. And I found out a most dangerous thing; Breyer's Ice Cream. (Check the label but most flavors are GF.) And those Whole Foods GF cookies. The more I explored the gluten free land the more I found I could eat safely. However, safe did not always equal healthy. Lots of the GF foods were high in sugar and fat and calories.
Through out the whole time I was sick I still had a problem with weight. I often wondered how I could be so sick all the time and still not lose weight. My new doc had a theory on this one; Starvation mode. Since food made me sick, Whenever my tummy was upset (like any day that ended with a Y)I would go all day without eating and basically starve myself until I was safely home. So, the human body, wondrous creation that it is, held onto the calories because it thinks it's starving.
Hmmm, could be possible? I've read that bodybuilders eat six or eight times a day to maintain their energy. Could this be a key? And if so, how long does it take the body's metabolic clock to recalibrate into a fat burning machine?
Are you a Celiac who needs to shed a few pounds? Tell me your weightloss secrets!

Blogging to Stamp out Hunger

Celiac's know how hard it is to manage a diet. Whether you've been Celiac for a month or a year there is always a time when you hit a bit of a brick wall and the realities of this lifestyle slam into you full force. Imagine having no food on your table, no money and kids to feed. And what if that kid is Celiac.

Not a lot of options.

The food banks are reaching new lows, shelves are depleted and there are lots of hungry families out there.

December 15th Bloggers are uniting to get the word out about our Food Banks. Spread the word and ignite the fire and lets bring out food banks up to an acceptable level.

Check out Bruce.

Start a food drive.

Drop off some non-perishable food.

Spread the word!