Category Archives: Wellness

Gluten free meals, fast

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I’m convinced that if my life were in TV it would be a timed cooking show. You know… here’s eight random ingredients, two hungry kids and thirty minutes until bedtime… now go!

That’s why it’s always a good idea for me to have gluten free corn dogs, chicken nuggets and frozen burgers on hand.

I’d love to say that I could think of something palatable to make out of avocado, apples, frozen hamburger meat, eggs and almond milk. Chances are pretty good, even if I were to whip it up, I would receive a big, fat “eww gross” from my mini audience.

I’ve vowed to try and take some of my kids favorite restaurant meals and replicate them in house. This will save time, money and the entertainment factor of our traveling road show, at bedtime.

Considering my narrow window for meal consumption, the prep time needs to be virtually non-existent. That’s why most of my meals can be completed in thirty minutes.

A couple of things I avoid when cooking are large prep times and mixing blends of flours. No thank you. I will be utilizing mixes whenever possible.

Check out some of my easy recipes for families on the go!

A hint… my favorite appliance is the
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The cost of the “SALE”

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Last week my son asked me why everyone knows about it, if it’s a secret. Of course, we were sitting in the car, parked in front of the mall, reading the window signs indicating the final days of a semi-annual sale on underwear.

His follow up question, once we went inside, was “why are there so many butts hanging out.” Yes, he was referring to the mannequin  displays… this time. 

I absolutely love the perspective this kid brings to my life. He often makes me stop and ask myself questions about things that I pass as normal. I have never thought odd, the name of the store or how the products were displayed. Until now.

So, what is healthy about underwear shopping with a seven year old boy, you ask. Not a thing… other than my perspective. Up to that point I hadn’t really thought about looking at my shopping experience differently. 

I had popped in just for the sale. I don’t normally go there unless I’m intending to redeem a free underwear coupon and on this day, I was fresh out. 

I loaded up my arms with items that sort of fit my needs, in colors I wouldn’t normally buy and took them home without trying them on. 

As a marketer I understand the sale tactic and yet, it wasn’t until I got home that I realized I fell victim to it. Big time. 

To recover, I took it all back. I bought 5 pairs of my favorite underwear, in styles I liked and one bra in my favorite fit and a color, for everyday wear. Then I got a refund of nearly $60. 

Lesson? Yes, you save money if you just buy what you like, even if it costs more ($50 bra vs sale $19.99 bra) and there is a cost to hitting up a sale… no butts about it. 

Gluten free travel – GO!

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Most celiac’s have anxiety when traveling. The thought of having to find a place to eat that is safe, is overwhelming. In fact, it often distracts from the joy that the adventure can bring. 

I have tried to take on a completely different perspective when traveling. In fact, one of the most exciting parts of traveling to new places is discovering what types of gluten-free food they have it in those areas. 

Granted, I tend to take back-up supplies with me such as think thin peanut butter bars, beef jerky and packets of gluten free instant oatmeal, as well as a few other nonperishables, but in most cases I don’t need them.

With the exception of Mexico, and other countries without clean water sources, I can always rely on fresh fruits and vegetables to supplement my diet as well.

However, I have found there to be a plethora of options in most cities that are exciting, enjoyable and safe to consume.

My favorite places to travel to have been:

Seattle, WA

Columbus, OH

Chicago, IL

San Juan, Puerto Rico

London, England

Keep an open mind, download the “find me gluten free” app, do a bit of online research before you go and pack a few resources just in case. But don’t be afraid to travel, instead be excited to find the next big thing in gluten free! 

Coffee: Gluten Free or Not?

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As a purveyor of the gluten free diet, I like to read up on research, ideas and points of view on what others view as gluten free, naturally gluten free and totally unsafe territory.

It’s often difficult to determine, at first glance, if a food is truly gluten safe. In fact, some people choose to view all things as unsafe, until proven otherwise. I get it. Once you have been poisoned, you tend not to take these things for granted.

Recently, I was reading some posts about the controversy of coffee. Hot or cold, pour over or cold brew, the writers perspective was that most coffee was not gluten free. This got me to wondering… is it?

I sat down for a quick cuppa and chat with Tony and Debbie Zancanaro, Owners of The Well Coffeehouse in Fishers, IN and asked them some questions about the nature of coffee and what would make it gluten free… or not.

As physicians, they were both familiar with celiac disease and the application of a gluten free diet. They even explained how they make available gluten free pastries in their coffeehouse, outsourced by a baker who exclusively makes gluten free treats and delivers them in plastic containers, only housing gluten free goods.

They shared that their beans come from a single source, grown at high altitude (where growing cross-contamination is not an issue) on a bush, are harvested from the pit of the cherry (which would be protected by it’s outer shell). Then the pits are laid out and dried, stored in plastic bins (that only house these beans) and shipped in bags. Their beans do not have anything sprinkled on them either.

Like anything, all coffee beans are not created equal. I’m going to continue searching and will be posting more as I discover processes, sourcing, roasting and flavor norms. Keep an eye out for more info and in the mean time, feel free to stop in at The Well Coffeehouse for a gluten free cup of coffee and scone!

Pickled Cucumbers

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A part of my childhood memories stem from freshly grown vegetables, picked from my Papa’s garden and made into delicacies with ease.

One of my favorite snacks, even as an adult, are cucumbers. This recipe combines history, nostalgia and good taste for a fresh healthy snack.

4-6 cucumbers sliced

3 cups water

1 cup Apple cider vinegar

1T sugar (optional)

Marinate overnight and strain as you dish.

Kale chips

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Kale is one of the more polarizing things in life. Like cold weather, lipstick and exercise, you either love it or hate it.

Being in the healthier phase of my life, sans kool aid and little Debbie cakes, I have turned to all things green. Matcha, green juice, celery, zucchini, avocados and kale seem to be among the foods that I actually prefer to munch on.

I haven’t found a prepackaged kale chip that suits me. They seem to be coated or soggy. In search of something enjoyable, I started experimenting.

The recipe below can vary based upon what you sprinkle on top but I found to be enjoyable.

2 bunches fresh organic kale, washed, destemmed and torn into bite size pieces.

Dry with a paper towel

Place kale on top of wax paper (or parchment) coated with spray oil, then spray kale, with preferred oil. I like avocado or coconut spray. 

Sprinkle seasoning of choice on top. My favorites are either Wild Tree rancher steak rub, garlic blend or onion blend. 

Sprinkle what makes you enjoy it most. Dry seasonings work best so the cook time remains consistent.

Bake at 350 for ten minutes. The kale will shrink and harden but not burn. You can cool on the cookie sheet when done. 

Best when consumed immediately. Otherwise, poke a whole in a ziplock so it can breath. If housed in a sealed storage bag it starts to lose crispness. 

Kale on.

Supplements for Celiacs.

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I’m not a doctor, nutritionist or pharmacist. I’m a recovering celiac sharing my experiences and the benefits I’ve had from supplements.

Vitamin deficiency is common in Celiacs. After having damaged villi, the body often has difficulty absorbing nutrients from food. As a result, supplements have become part of my daily routine.

Usually, people who don’t get enough sunshine, lack vitamin D and tend to experience lower immune responses. For those of us with Celiac, unless I have tons of raw milk and fish each day, it’s easier to use a supplement (especially in the winter).

Vitamin B12 helps with attitude, irritability and energy. Anyone with celiac could attest to the sleepy stupor that sets with the slightest intake of gluten… and nothing makes you more irritable than watching others eat your favorite foods in front of you. (ok, maybe a B vitamin can’t cure that one).

Vitamin C helps the body heal faster, and with Celiac, we can use all the help we can get!

I tend to find most of my vitamins at the local apothecary. However, I had the opportunity to try EZ Melts and out of curiosity I wanted to test (and taste). I have been pleasantly surprised at the ingredients (attested to by a family member that is in the medical field), the taste (fresh and natural flavors) and how quickly they dissolve.

I have read that most vitamins take so long to break down that they pass through your system completely undissolved! That’s a lot of money to spend for no efficacy. EZ melts can be put on the tongue or under the tongue and within a few seconds they are completely dissolved. They are completely gluten free. Spoiler alert… many vitamins have a coating on the outside that contains gluten! Talk about a hidden way to consume it without even knowing.

They are also GMO and sugar free. Last, but not least, they offer a discount to give them a try. Just go to EZmelts.net and enter EZ20 as a promo code, for your first order (ahem, no matter what size).

 

ez coupon

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Too much, too many.

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Like most of us, chances are you could clean out a few closets, drawers and cupboards and purge. The items collected are unique to each person and some are especially troublesome, creating excess at exponential rates. These are a few of my personal overstuffed drawers:

  1. Socks
    Six months of the year I don’t even wear them, yet my drawer is so full of socks that I can barely get it open.
  2. Cookbooks
    I don’t have a ton of time to cook, I like to eat out and due to cooking for food allergies, I make the same thing fairly consistently. However, I have a couple hundred cookbooks, including ones that aren’t allergy friendly.
  3. Scarves
    This started when I was pregnant with my kids. I couldn’t get any satisfaction from my fashion and my size kept changing so I would buy scarves to accessorize. Now I have far too many to possibly wear.
  4. Kitchen Gadgets
    Reference cookbooks above. Cool stuff in the kitchen inspires me, just not enough to cook.  Maybe I’ll just keep my magic pot, magic bullet and mix n chop… since that is all I use anyway.
  5. Cans, Bottles, Tubes
    Anything that can be considered a toiletry item can easily find it’s way to my home. For some reason there are so many bottles of things that I can’t find what i need, when I need it, which results in… you guessed it, more.

    It’s time to purge! Healthy habits, healthy home. What do you need to get rid of?

Matcha purists, gather round.

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About two years ago I tried my first matcha. Followed by a latte. Followed by a smoothie. Followed by a frozen version. I’ve always loved the taste of green tea but matcha was an experience that wowed.

Then I found these. Matcha Now is the easiest way I have ever found to get my daily matcha without the fuss, impurities or calories. If you are a purist, you will want to try MATCHA NOW… now!

Top reasons why?

  1. No muss, no fuss. No shakers, strainers, crap to clean, excess matcha in the mix or waste on the counter. Just twist the cap and shake it. Done.
  2. It’s the real deal. Ingredients: Water and organic ceremonial grade matcha.
  3. It’s made by Buddha Teas. Great reputation, great products.

I’m going to have to put in a word with some of my local markets to start carrying these. As usual, with a new product, they are just getting into the hands of distributors. Check out their instagram page @matcha.now or their website matchanow.com for updates on where to find them near you.

They come 100% pure (just the way I like it) or Lightly sweet (with a hint of stevia). Right now they are available via Amazon Prime for $39.99 for 12 (with free one-day ship for members). Which, if you are used to getting your matcha at the local coffee place, that’s a really competitive price, especially for ceremonial grade (not to mention organic) matcha.

Oooh. Ice, fresh, anytime, anywhere. Matcha. Check it out!

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The sound of nails on a blackboard

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I’m angry to the point of tears.

Some people may not consider finger nails, hair and skin to be health and wellness related. I do.

Something I do for myself is maintenance manicures. I like no chip polish to get a little bit more life out of them.

My experience today made me realize I may as well have taken my polish off with a belt sander at home.

As a busy, mom I try to use vendors that are close to the activities my kids are involved in. As a result, i’ve been getting my nails done at a salon next to the taekwondo studio. Never again. 

All nail salons are not created equal. I’m disappointed beyond words that anyone would care so little about the quality of their work. I might as well have thrown that $20 out the window. 

Now to work on the weeks of healing for my paper thin nails and start over again. Fortunately, it wasn’t my hair or internal organs. 

End result, it’s worth the drive for quality.