Orthorexia and Udi's crust at Pizza Hut.

For those that have to eat gluten-free, today has been an interesting day. Social media is all about calling out those with celiac or gluten-intolerance by saying they have what the director of Celiac Disease  Center at Columbia University - orthorexia.  Which basically is saying if you take your treatment of celiac too serious, then you have a physiological disorder.  Which we all know is, well, a really DUMB thing for someone with a medical degree and the director of a celiac center to say.  So,  just to show why this "orthorexia" may be occurring, I thought it would be good to share some other news I came across in the social media world today.  Pizza Hut will be offering Udi's gluten-free crust.  At first, I got a little excited, then.....the fine print - While Pizza Hut® is proud to offer pizzas with gluten-free ingredients, Pizza Hut kitchens are not gluten-free environments. Due to the handcrafted nature of our menu items, variations in vendor-supplied ingredients, and the use of shared cooking and preparation areas, we cannot assure you that our restaurant environment or any menu item will be completely free of gluten. 

I'm still trying to wrap my brain around who thought this was a good idea? Honestly. I can drive to the nearest Walmart, Kroger, or health food store and buy an Udi's pizza without the possible contamination.  But according to the social media buzz from today, by choosing to NOT purchase the pizza from Pizza Hut, I have orthorexia.  Like having celiac disease isn't enough. 

I know eating gluten-free is so much easier today then it was 10 years ago, but this is just a slap upside the head to those that have to eat this way to survive.  Once again, it makes me wish I owned a punching bag with a big picture of gluten on it! 

I hope you had a good gluten-free day, even after all the negativeness thrown at you.  Remember, education doesn't always make someone smarter.  In fact, sometimes it means they have completely lost touch of common sense.  

Caroline

Here's the article about the eating disorder: http://www.emaxhealth.com/12410/orthorexia-linked-gluten-free-diet-and-celiac-disease

And here's the Pizza Hut one: https://order.pizzahut.com/glutenfree

I'm 

Nogii Nogii Nogii!!

Hi everyone!! Ok, if you haven't heard of Nogii yet, it's time for you to meet!  We have been purchasing these yummy protein treats/bars since they first came on the "gluten-free" scene.  Thanks to the one and only Elisabeth Hasselback, the gluten-free protein bar product choices have greatly improved!  You can read about her products and her story here:  http://shop.nogii.com/about-nogii/

On a more personal note, these bars have been David's (the 16 yr. old Celiac) favorites as long as they've been available.  Whenever I can purchase them, I do.  But they can be a bit pricey.  So, when I noticed the 50% sale, I jumped right on! That's basically buy one, get one free!! And let's just say that makes me very, very happy! And David has loved it! One reason is the bites, which are the one's on sale, are small enough that he can just grab a couple and stick in his backpack for either before or after football practice.  And because the bite has 7 grams of protein, I'm even happier! But don't just take my word for it, check out the website and see for yourself!

Unfortunately, these products are NOT dairy, soy or nut free.  So if you cannot have those, you should stay away from this product.

As always, thanks for stopping by and I do hope you're have a GREAT gluten-free day!

Caroline

This is what being proactive means!

Being diagnosed with Celiac or any other gluten related disease, is not easy.  Finding the ability to be proactive can be a real challenge.  However, a 14 year old young man has found a way to not show his disease that he will not back down! This amazing young man has raised $3,000 for the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness.  Check the story out to see what Jack Simpson did to help raise money for the disease he lives with: http://www.celiaccentral.org/celiac-disease-in-the-news/jacks-beans-generates-three-thousand-dollars-national-foundation-celiac-awareness-15576/


As always, feel free to leave a comment or a question! And have a great gluten-free day!

Caroline

Easiest meal of the day - BREAKFAST!

Hello everyone! I don't know about you, but generally my brain is fully functioning until I've had my coffee.  In fact, I often wonder how I functioned during my pre-coffee days before noon!  Maybe that's why the whole idea of a quick and healthy breakfast seems difficult some days.  Especially those super busy, oops I forgot to eat breakfast days.  Because I'm someone that often takes a challenge head-on, I decided to do this with the breakfast problem.

We all know the easy go-to quick breakfasts such as cereal, pastries, fruit and other grab as you're walking out the door kind of foods; but what if you actually had another option ready? Here's what I've started doing.  I pre-make about 15 Ziploc bags of either gluten-free oats, quinoa flakes, or brown rice cereal flakes.  About 1/4-1/3 cup each.  (I know it doesn't sound like a lot but they expand once you've cooked them.)  To this mixture, I add 1-2 TBSP of dairy free chocolate chips (preferably Enjoy Life) and 1 tsp of vanilla.  From here, the sky's the limit! You can add 1 TBSP of brown sugar or even dried fruit.  Because I'm a Reese's nut (no pun intended), I like to add 1 TBSP of the dehydrated peanut butter called PB.  Add any kind of mixture you'd like! This way, in your morning craziness, all you have to do is dump it in a bowl or even a coffee cup (if you must use it for this), add enough water to cover it, microwave it for 45 seconds, take it out, stir and then you may want to microwave it again for another 30 seconds.  That's what I do with mine.  Then I add a splash of almond milk and boom! Breakfast! And it's healthy!!

This is not only a healthy choice than most cereals, it's cheaper, too!

As always, thank you so much for stopping by and have a GREAT GLUTEN-FREE DAY!

Caroline

We live in a society where we can get a pill to fix just about anything.  I'm not saying this is a bad thing, I'm just saying that's the world we live in.  Sometimes, the side effects can be worse than the actual medical condition we are fighting.  

I remember when David was first diagnosed with Celiac.  I remember when the doctor stated the only treatment was to go on a gluten-free diet.  Completely gluten-free.  I remember him saying there is no pill for this.  I knew this would be a challenge when David hit his teen years, and I have been right about this.  He has had moments where he has eaten gluten.  And, thankfully, he's not had physical, typical side effects like he did when he was younger.  No vomiting or diarrhea.  Now, he becomes physically exhausted.  

The recent visit to the Celiac specialist at UVA, Dr. Borowitz, determined David had a large number of gluten in his blood.  For a Celiac, this is a bad thing.  Dr. Borowitz explained to David that because he has chosen to eat gluten, his intestines are inflamed, causing him to be fatigued.  We are talking about asleep by 6pm and up at 7am the next day kind of tired.  

While I would love to give David a pill so he can eat whatever he'd like, I know the reality of this disease.  Which is why I'm posting the information today about a pill that the University of Chicago Celiac Research Center has concluded about a pill to help the digestion of gluten for those with Celiac. Feel free to add your thoughts, comments, and questions about the article.  http://sciencelife.uchospitals.edu/2014/04/01/can-glutenase-pills-help-people-with-celiac-digest-gluten/

As always, thank you for stopping by today! 

Caroline

Dr. Oz, please stop it.

Hello all! I follow Gluten Dude on Facebook and he's pretty good for information about gluten-free living.  He's down right honest about life and what it's like to live with Celiac.  Which is why I'm posting his blog in my blog today.  Attached is the link to his blog with a video of Dr. Oz talking about gluten-free being a scam.  I watched the video and based on the comment Dr. Oz made, he believes people just choose to be gluten-free.  He, the doctor that he is, never even mentions that people could have an actual medical condition that requires they be on a gluten-free diet.  Makes me wonder if the wheat industry is one of his sponsors for his show to be honest with you.  Watch the video and read what Gluten Dude has to say and decide for yourself.  http://glutendude.com/celebrities/dr-oz-calls-gluten-free-a-scam/

Hope you're having a great gluten-free day! And remember, there's LOTS of us out here that know more than some doctors! (It is called "practicing medicine" after all!)

Caroline

Does eating healthy really cost more?

Hi everyone! If you've followed me for a little while, you know I'm a plant-based eater.  Meaning, no dairy or animal protein of any kind.  Not even eggs.  While I know being gluten-free can already be overwhelming, especially to those newly diagnosed, I just wanted to say that there are a ton of plant-based options!! And, the good news is, it doesn't cost as much as you might think to eat healthy.  So today, I want to share an article I found from one of my favorite websites.  http://engine2diet.com/the-daily-beet/plant-strong-at-walmart/

If you have a few minutes to check it out, please do.  I like educate myself and then make my own decision, which I hope you do as well.

As always, have a great gluten-free day and thanks for stopping by!

Caroline