1)  Celiac Disease Foundation- www.celiac.org

This is a great starting point to your research.

2) American Celiac Disease Alliance- www.americanceliac.org/celiac-disease/

Again, great resource for basic questions.

3) Celiac Disease Awereness Campaign (Dept of Health and Human Services)- digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/celiac/index.aspx

This site is a thorough and basic introduction to Celiac disease.

4) The University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center- www.celiacdisease.net

Dr. Stephen Guandalini is the head of this nonprofit.   Dr. Guandalini is a pediatric gastroenterologist from Naples, Italy.  In Italy, Celiac Disease is widely known about, with testing for all children before starting school and work days off for illness and/or shopping related to being Celiac.   When Dr. Guandalini arrived in the US in the early 90′s, he was shocked at the few numbers of diagnosed cases of CD.    The University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center works to educate and raise awareness for CD.   Fabulous site when learning about CD.

5) The University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research- www.celiaccenter.org

Again, good source for info.  Look into the FAQ’s tab.  Also contains some videos and info regarding kids and CD.

6) The Gluten Files-www.theglutenfile.com

This is a large collection of recent articles and studies done by scientists and MDs.   This site contains the very important general info about CD and more challenging pathophysiology,  medical terminology and scientific studies.

The quality and quality of the sites listed above can supply the general knowledge that is needed when first diagnosed with CD or other gluten issues.  With knowledge one can feel confident about making and maintaining lifestyle changes such as eating gluten free.

What are your valuable resources?

Health be with you.

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 slightly beaten egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking soda

2 Tbs gluten free all purpose baking flour

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix ingredients together and roll into 1 in balls and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for about 8 minutes.  Makes about 24 cookies.   I like to add walnuts and dairy free chocolate chips and then baked about 14 minutes.   I would recommend to keep these cookies in the freezer and eat immediately after taking out.   They can be alittle dry and gritty if left out.

Remember to look up all the ingredients to ensure they are GF.  Even the vanilla.   Gluten products are commonly used in it’s  production.

Enjoy!!

Delicious popcorn

Popcorn on the stove top!

3 Tbs. grapeseed oil or other high heat oil

¾ c. popcorn kernels

On the stovetop, using a WHIRLEY POP, heat oil and popcorn on medium heat.  Takes less than 5 minutes to finish.   When you can count to 3 without hearing a kernel pop it is time to remove from heat. Of the cooked popcorn, set aside eight cups and continue with the following.

8 c. of popped popcorn

¾ tbs. nutritional yeast

¼ tsp. toasted sesame oil

Salt to taste

Place popcorn in plastic bag when slightly cooled, sprinkle on nutritional yeast and salt and shake bag well. Once the the salt and yeast are well integrated, pour in the sesame oil and shake again.

Fresh, light and savory popcorn in about as much time as the microwave version.   Full of fiber and grapeseed oil is loaded with Vitamin E, which is wonderful for healthy skin and nails.   Lacking all the saturated fats and chemicals of its counterpart.

Do take care in your choice of nutritional yeast.   It is generally not considered safe if out of the bulk bin at the co-op because of cross contamination possibility.   You may need to special order.   It is worth it, however.   Nutritional yeast, with it’s chedder cheese flavor, is high in protein, B vitamins and contains essential amino acids.   It all adds up to a great snack.

Hummus with roasted vegetables

Homemade quick and easy hummus:

2 16 oz. canned garbanzo beans

½ cup olive oil

3 cloves garlic

2 tsp. tahini

juice of 1 ½ lemons

1 ½ tsp. cumin

1 tsp. salt or to taste

Combine beans, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, cumin and salt in food processor.  Start blending and at the same time slowly pour in olive oil.   Blend until smooth or to preferred consistency.   If still a little thick at the end, it is ok to continue to blend and add a small amount of water.

In regard to canned or dried beans, the current consensus is that canned beans are safer than dried because of the potential of cross contamination of bulk foods.  Research the specific brand of the beans you choose in order to ensure they are gluten free.   Eden brand organic garbanzo beans are advertised as GF on the company’s web site.   Olive oil and tahini are generally GF, but it is advised that you still read ingredient lists and check on company websites to be sure.    Also check the status of your cumin.   Spices do contain gluten.  Be especially wary of  the generic term “spices” or a “spice bend” on the ingredient lists.

Hummus is high in protein, fiber and heart healthy monounsaturated fats.   It fills you up and keeps blood sugar level stable.   It pairs perfectly with your favorite gluten-free corn chips or veggies for a quick snack or is a great addition to sauteed veggie sandwiches or on top of eggs for a hearty breakfast.   Anyway it is served, it is nutritious and delicious.   Enjoy!

1)  ALWAYS READ INGREDIENT LISTS, avoiding all wheat, barley, oats (unless certified gluten free), kamut, spelt, triticale and rye.  I will be expanding this list soon, but we will start here.

Remember just because an ingredient list looks safe does not mean that it is.  If the product does not state somewhere on the packaging that it is gluten free do not trust it.  Many manufactures do have this info on their website, sometimes under the FAQs tab.  It can take some persistence in navigation to find this info, but it is a must to be confident that the food you are eating is gluten free.   Some co-ops will tag products with “GF” beside the price.   Ask an employee if you have any questions about that.  If the label states “wheat free”, this does not mean that it is gluten free.   Again research is needed to verify the status of EVERY food or product that goes in or near your mouth.

2)  Look at the small print below the nutritional label.

This is where the manufacturer may state something like, “Processed in a facility with wheat, soy, nuts…” or some variation on that theme.   Manufacturers and groceries do advertise products as GF even when they are processed in the same building and possibly on the same equipment as gluten-containing products.   These foods cannot be certified GF because of potential for cross-contamination.   I, therefore, do not consider them to be safe and do not buy.

3)  Never leave home without a snack, especially if you get hypoglycemic like myself.

It is truly frightening to be out and about and feel the pangs of a hunger attack when living gluten free.  Gas stations can not be trusted as a source of GF foods (PERIOD), restaurants need to be researched and called in advance and few grocery stores can be relied on.   Always be prepared to take care of your own hunger.   This just takes a little forethought.   Before you leave the house, think about how long you plan on being out and plan accordingly.   You will not be sorry and will save a lot of money by not having to purchase expensive gluten free products on a whim.

I have been gluten and dairy free since November 2009.  After over 3 years of debilitating muscle weakness and fatigue, I was finally diagnosed with gluten intolerance and several food allergies.   For that time period, the muscle weakness was constant and so severe that I had difficulty standing at a fax machine.  Thankfully, I had a desk job or I would have been on disability.  The symptoms worsened with my pregnancy, which made a terrifying situation worse.  We, meaning me, my husband, doctors and mother waded through the possibilities.   MS was at the top of the list and, with a family history, it was a real possibility.

During the pregnancy, the muscle weakness and fatigue were worse.   I also had occasional episodes of racing heart rate, extremely elevated blood pressure, nausea, sweaty palms and an increase in the muscle weakness after pushing myself physically. This would happen after physical exertion that would seem light to a healthy person, like climbing one flight of stairs.   I was sent to the doctor and left in a wheelchair because I was too weak to walk to my car.   Those episodes occurred a handful of times, always with the same outcome, home to rest for the next couple of days.  One morning, this cascade of symptoms occurred while sitting at my desk.   My only effort was to raise my arm to get a binder from a self.  Being in my mid to late 20s at the time and having been very active before made my situation psychologically very challenging.  There were moments when I would wonder if I would have the strength to hold my baby after her birth.

My symptoms changed a lot over the years and were progressively getting worse.  I went to this specialist and that, all saying in essence, “We don’t know.   Maybe see this specialist…” and out the door with me.   All my testing was normal. No MS.  That was good.   But why can’t I walk more than 20 minutes a day with out hanging on my husband?  Why terrible acne….heart palpitations and blood in my stool?  Episodes of head-to-toe muscle twitching that lasted up to an hour in length?   Finally, a neurologist slapped me with a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and recommended an old Parkinson’s drug to help with the weakness.   I don’t take medications and this one made me especially worried with side effects like permanent changes to the brain, permanent decrease in sexual inhibitions, becoming hypersexual, seizures, depression and on and on.  I did not take it.  I did find an M.D. who specializes in CFS, fibromyalgia and Lyme disease.   This specialist also practiced natural medicine.   After $3000 of  bizarre and obscure testing, according to western medicine’s standards,  and I finally had some answers.

Life has changed alot since then.  My diet is completely gluten free.  Mostly dairy free as well, but there a few times when I will lick my daughter’s ice cream or have a bite with butter in it.  Food and cooking are now a major focus of daily life.   I am able to run a couple of miles several times a week and keep up with my perfectly healthy, almost 4-year-old daughter.  I no longer have that constant nag of gravity pulling me down.  Life is easier and simpler.   I am content.

My goals with this blog are to reach newly diagnosed individuals or those who would like to try a gluten free diet and assist with the transition.  It is an extremely challenging time, but well worth the effort.  HEALTH IS POSSIBLE AGAIN.

This is a warning: this is not fast food.   A diet rich in a variety of fresh produce, nutrient packed grains (gluten free of course), dried legumes and beans takes time and care.  A “30 minute meal” is a rare thing in our house.   That being said, the rewards are bountiful.  Cooking time is also quality time with my husband and daughter.   Ruby Mae gets so excited about “doing the garlic.” What we mean by this is to put it in the press and watch the transformation.   She loves watching the veggies in the Cuisinart go round and round.   But best of all is being the “quality taste tester”.   It’s a great time for me to learn new things in the kitchen and maybe have some wine and converse with my husband.   The grand finale is sitting at the dining room table together with fabulously tasting, nourishing food that leaves me feeling completely satisfied.   My body is happy.   This all takes time and I believe it is time well spent.

For my next entry, I will share a couple of our staple gluten and dairy free snacks.  Snacks can be the most difficult foods to substitute because most of us are looking for the convenience of grabbing something in a hunger pinch.  However, you will find packaged/processed gluten free products are terrible in flavor, void of any nutritious qualities and EXTREMELY expensive.  The snacks I will include are quick, easy to prepare, inexpensive, delicious and healthy.  What more could you ask for?  Enjoy!