Life with Gluten Sensitivity

I admit it....I indulged.

Family brought over some Popeyes Fried chicken.

Oh the beauty of the perfectly fried battered chicken....hot and crispy golden yum.

Little did I know I would regret my indulgence for the next 3 days.

This is normal for my life as someone who is sensitive to gluten.

Sometimes I seem to be able to handle small amounts of gluten and sometimes it´s like my body almost shuts down completely in an extreme reaction to whatever gluten I may have consumed.

Getting out of the funk that my body goes into...... takes some patience and tried and true methods that I know work well for me.

So, you may be asking...what helped you Carla in recovering from binging on gluten?

Well, let me spell out what worked for me.

• First of all, I stopped shaming myself for eating the gluten that hit me so hard.
• Secondly, I was patient with the process of gradually restoring my body AFTER the indulgence.
• Thirdly, I drank TONS of water...probably at least 1.5 liters of purified water per day at room temperature.
• Fourthly, I put up with the belly ache that was almost non stop for 3 days.
• I went back to consuming the Webber branded probiotics that have proven to work well for me, by taking extra doses to get the inner biome back to functioning...... Remembering that 

probiotics take time to work. They are not a quick fix. 

Accepted the intestinal discomfort and irritable bowels for 3 days, which included belching and bloating. Yikes!

Continued with my regular vitamin intake of Vit C and Vit D and small bits of raw garlic once every one or two days.

Soothed my own abdominal muscles by squeezing them and testing their sensitivity to touch.

Drinking strong hot coffee every morning....one large mugful per morning.

Stayed calm and stayed hydrated, and limited sports activities while my body worked itself out.

Slept more....naps and at nighttime.

Ate some good healthy protein rich foods including fish and gluten free chicken and veggies.

Finally some relief on the 4th day. Thanks God.

Bowel started working more normally and I felt like I could walk more uprightly without thinking constantly about my gut.

So, for the record I am not a celiac, but am definitely sensitive to gluten. 

Sometimes it seems that I can handle consuming small amounts of gluten and other times, my body can not handle it at all.

It is a constant challenge, not knowing how my body will react to such a common ingredient.

I have discovered that taking probiotic supplements is very helpful as well as probiotic foods such as Activia yoghurt.

What is your story regarding gluten? Are you sensitive to gluten? Gluten Intolerant? Or full on allergic to gluten? Do Tell...Looking forward to your comments.

Peace,

Carla

DISCLAIMER: This blog post is not intended as medical advice. This blog post is intended as entertainment only. Please obtain medical advice from your licensed medical provider.

The blog author and publisher is not liable for any ideas discussed in this blog post or any other blog post on this blog.

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Best Gluten Free Margarine

Always on the hunt, my friends for more gluten free foods that are affordable and tasty.
So today's winner for gluten free margarine is.....drum rolll.......

Mirage Margarine by Golden Gate. The local bakery where I buy it charges less than $3 per tub, so that's even better!

Here's their company website for photos and recipes.

Mirage

Give it a try...it's creamy and easy to use on gluten free toast and crackers and performs well for cooking/stir frying too.
Let me know if you like it too.

By the way, if you really don't like the thought of buying margarine that has a long-ish list of ingredients than consider the simple answer.....go back to butter...it's always gluten free ")


Peace,
Carla

Buy my new book Life in the Gluten Free Zone on Amazon today!
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Disclaimer: This blog post is intended for conversational purposes only. The blog's author and publisher does not accept any liability for any of the ideas discussed in this post or any other post on this blog. Always obtain medical advice from a licensed medical practitioner.

One of the Worst MISTAKES the GLUTEN FREE Movement is Making

I'm so happy to see, yet again, that BIGGER and BIGGER corporations are jumping onto the Gluten free Bandwagon and serving consumers like myself who are trying their best to live a Gluten FREE lifestyle.


Some Mainstream big name brand name cereals like Chex are 100% gluten free.
(be sure to read the labels to confirm) Kudos! AND the Big BONUS is that they
NOT CHARGING EXTRA for the fact that they are making their products certified GLUTEN FREE.

But what disturbs me as a person, as a consumer and as a mother.....is this.
SOME companies are trying to flood the gluten free  market place with
  VERY HIGH PRICED GOURMET gluten free items.

Eh.....err...that kinda just ticks me off! In my mind, if someone is going to "go gluten free", then they are going to have to adopt a lifestyle where  ALL their food items are certified gluten free.
 They DON'T want to just adopt ONE expensive gluten free DISH per month. 

News flash!....

WE, the GLUTEN FREE NATION, eat THREE meals a day....plus snacks. 

Therefore, we need the marketplace to provide products for ALL OUR GLUTEN FREE MEALS and SNACK TIMES.

Therefore, i believe that the "gluten free high end high priced gourmet product" promoters
are taking the wrong tack on this movement!

As a gluten intolerant person, finding gluten free stuff to eat all day and every day is a CONSTANT struggle.
Therefore, when I bump into beautiful gluten free foods that are priced out of the stratosphere, I think
"Sigh....they just don't get it."  

NOBODY wants to pay GOURMET prices for the regular foods they eat every day!

We want to pay as close as possible the SAME prices that regular foods cost,
 but in a "gluten free certified" kinda way.

Do you hear me? Do you feel my pain?

Thank you :) Point made.

Carla

Buy my new book Life in the Gluten Free Zone on Amazon today!

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Disclaimer: This blog post is intended for conversational purposes only. The blog's author and publisher does not accept any liability for any of the ideas discussed in this post or any other post on this blog. Always obtain medical advice from a licensed medical practitioner.

Why You Should Try Gluten Free...Even if You Aren't a Celiac

Ok, folks....I  just wanna write today to those of you who aren't necessarily diagnosed with any kind of gluten intolerance or celiac disease.

Why? Because it is being discovered more and more, that eating gluten free foods can help ANYONE's digestive system take a much needed rest from the standard "gluten packed" diet.

What folks need to realize is that the molecule called "gluten" is a VERY VERY hard
nut to crack when we ingest it as food. Digesting GLUTEN is very hard work even for the healthiest digestive system. Even the healthiest human being can be negatively affected by eating too much gluten.

Anything with WHEAT in it contains gluten. Gluten is hard to digest! It requires a lot of energy and effort on the part of our stomach, intestines, and colon just to process it.
Therefore even if you are perfectly healthy, you may just want to give your body an occasional
break from eating any source of gluten for a full  "day" or  "week" or a whole "month".
Remember that gluten can stay in your system for many days, so if you are going to give your body a break from gluten, you want to try to stick to a gluten free diet for a good chunk of time. Give your body a chance to cleanse itself of all the gluten it is holding onto, and see if you begin noticing any improvements.
You may, as gluten leaves your body, begin noticing a thinner waist line, a clearer complexion,
 and a more stable mood.

You never know....you  might feel completely revitalized and regain energy simply by removing
gluten from your regular diet.

It is a personal choice what we put in our mouths. Far be it from me, to tell anyone what to do... But I want to encourage you to experiment and see how eating differently may improve your life.We don't HAVE to eat anything we don't want to....and thus we can observe and sense the changes that our diets have upon our own sense of wellness, energy level and moods.

Be blessed and well,

Carla

DISCLAIMER: This blog post is not intended as medical advice. This blog post is intended for conversational purposes only. The author and publisher of this blog do not take any liability for any ideas discussed in this blog post or any other blog post on this blog.
Medical advice should always be obtained from a licensed medical practitioner.






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Living Gluten Free in Canada

Just wanted to chat today about what it's like to try to live gluten free in Canada. I'd appreciate it if you add your feedback. It is a national discussion....one whose parameters are expanding across many nation's lines and into mainstream culinary logistics.

All the best chefs are now very much aware that if they prepare some of their specialty dishes, that their guests may very well insist upon being served a gluten free rendition of their specialty. For all those in the culinary arts, it will pay off to be prepared in advance to serve your gluten-avoiding customers. Some customers will fall into the "gluten intolerant" category, which for me, means that consuming foods or beverages that contain gluten can cause digestive pain and discomfort but is not life threatening. But then there are the official "Celiacs" for whom the issue is a lot more crucial and can be life threatening.

If you are forming a restaurant of any kind or even a coffee shop, it will be in your best interests to have something completely sealed off and separate from your regular gluten containing menu items. Speaking from experience, I would rather eat something gluten free that has been commercially sealed in plastic and
is guaranteed to be gluten free, than something that folks "hope" is gluten free.

So what is it like to chase down a gluten free lifestyle in your home country? do you find it difficult....or inconvenient or embarrassing or too expensive?
I have found it to be all those things and more. But it is something that I have to deal with, and has become a part of my daily routine.

I do with that more fast food outlets had more gluten free menu items, as I am often on the go and don't want to have to sift through hundreds of choices before finally finding something that is gluten free. In Canada, Tim Hortons sells a great bowl of chili, that is gluten free. But sadly, Tim Hortons has discontinued selling the coconut macaroons that were their "claim to fame" in the gluten free world. Alas, not everyone likes coconut I presume.

I'm still waiting for KFC to produce a gluten free fried chicken option. Do you think my wish will come true?
Do tell!

Talk to you soon.
Carla

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Disclaimer: This blog post is intended for conversational purposes only. The blog's author and publisher does not accept any liability for any of the ideas discussed in this post or any other post on this blog. Always obtain medical advice from a licensed medical practitioner.

The Gluten Free Minefield

Ok, so you are a human being that has decided to attempt to live a "gluten free" lifestyle.
Here's the basics of what you may need to know:

Gluten free foods don't taste the same as your usual foods that contained gluten. Foods made without gluten often contain rice/corn/arrowroot flour, tapioca starch, potato flour etc.

Many food that you perhaps wouldn't suspect of containing gluten may contain LOADS of it....such as soups, gravies, and chocolate bars.

Expect to pay much more to buy a gluten free product...., even more than double what you would normally spend. Note, that the Canadian government has some kind of tax incentive for people who can medically prove that they are "celiac" . Therefore, if you are interested in that kind of tax incentive, you should save your store receipts for anything you buy that is gluten free. Contact your tax professional or the Canada Revenue Agency for details.

I have noticed that some canadian grocery chains are finally noticing the market for gluten free items and have developed their own store brands of gluten free grocery products. Two stores that seem to be doing a pretty good job of it are  Zehrs and Food Basics. Food Basics even has a whole section devoted entirely to their new gluten free product line.

Lots of gluten free items are made with rice......rice breads, rice crackers, and yes, even rice pizza dough. Note, though, that foods made with rice won't make you feel as full as your old glutenish products did.....but at least you won't activate an unwanted response.

People who can't eat gluten respond to any ingestion of gluten in a HUGE variety of ways. Some people are very extremely reactive to gluten and can become seriously ill from ingesting even the smallest amount of gluten. Other folks who consider themselves "gluten intolerant" can handle tiny amounts of gluten, but may have reactions to gluten that are more inconvenient and not life-altering.
These reactions may include bloating, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, moodiness and
emotional upsets. The gluten may affect their levels of energy and their ability to fight off common colds and flu viruses. They may feel uncertain about traveling because they may not be convinced that they will be able to find gluten free food in their destination of choice.

So what to do? Do your best, my friends, and listen to your doctors. If you aren't having any success with your current "modus operandi", then, go and get a second opinion from another doctor.
You don't have to suffer unnecessarily. Strive to create a lifestyle that you can handle, that is productive and functional. If you are having trouble coping with it, seek some help.

If you are finding the lifestyle very difficult to handle, there are supports around in some communities for gluten free living. There are ooodles of websites to browse . If you are unable to figure out what to do, maybe your local librarian can help you find the support you need.
My point is, that the gluten free lifestyle can be a formidable endeavor, and if you are serious about sticking to it, you may need to get some outside support.
i want to encourage you not to give up, but to figure out ways to make it work for you.
Peace,
Carla

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Burger King Canada- Gluten Free

Hello Friends,

So I did a bit of research again and found the link to the ingredient listing for the Burger King restaurants in Canada posted as of today March 20 2013.
Find the information for yourself here at this link :

http://www.burgerking.ca/cms/en/ca/cms_out/digital_assets/files/pages/MenuNutritionInformation_December2012.pdf

Or you can surf their website at burgerking.ca

Note that right at the end of the long PDF file there is a list of the shortforms or abbreviations representing the different allergens that are present in each menu item. Note also their disclaimers and warnings. Seeking out gluten free foods is a bit of a science and research project, and each individual needs to seek out proper medical advice to figure out what is a healthy and practical approach. God bless y'all and enjoy this day that the Lord has made.
Peace.





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Gluten Free Five Dollar Chili

This is my great big "Throw in the crock Pot O Chili".

The bonus is that I estimate it's cost to be only 5 dollars or less and its GLUTEN FREE!
It serves at least 6 people.

• 2 large cans of diced tomatoes
• 2 large cloves of fresh garlic peeled and diced
• 1 small can of black beans
• 1 small can of red Kidney beans
• 3 tablespoons of chili powder ( if you like it spicy!)
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• one half teaspoon up to 1 teaspoon of sea salt
• one small onion peeled and diced.
• Water -- add 2 cups up to 5 cups according to your desired chili thickness and if you have unexpected company :)

Rinse and drain the cans of beans and add to crock pot. Set the crock pot onto high for up to 3 hours.
Keep adding in all the other ingredients in no special order. The negotiable amounts are the water and the salt and the quantity of chili powder that your palate can handle") You'll know the chili is done when the onions lose their crispness and start looking more translucent. Keep stirring it every 15 minutes.

EXTRAS: if you want to add some extras such as ground beef, just make sure you brown the ground beef thoroughly first and drain off the fat, before you add it to the crock pot. You can also serve it with one dollop of sour cream or plain greek yoghurt....one dollop per bowl of chili, plopped right on top of the hot chili. Serve with toasted gluten free bread or gluten free crusty rolls.

LOWER COST-- if you want to further reduce the cost of this chili, you can avoid buying canned beans by using dried* beans and soaking them overnight in your refrigerator.* dried black beans and dried kidney beans you can buy in prepacked bags at most grocery stores, or in bulk at your fave bulk food store/dept.  You can also use fresh diced tomatoes, garlic and onions if they are cheaper in season in your region or from local farmers. ( right now where I live in Canada we have zero local produce available other than eggs")

Bon Appetit mes amis! Please share this with your budget conscious friends or with those struggling to find gluten free food options.
Peace.


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Gluten and Lactose Free Foods

One of our family members is sensitive to gluten and lactose. So it has become a bit of a hobby to find foods that are gluten and lactose free that taste great too. Well, I've found two lately.
One is called "Larabar" -- the cashew one. It's wrapped like a small canday bar and is a good energy boost. I bought it at Zehrs on sale for $1.99. The  taste is great . perfect for a snack on the go.

The other find was a cheese substitute made from soy called " Earth Island-- Vegan Gourment-- Soya Mozzarella Flavour. I am told it also melts well. So far so good, taste is pretty good considering it is a soy product and has that moist "tofu-ish" feel to it. The saleslady in the store said that it freezes ok too.
It's a little pricey , but I bought it for 5.99 for 284 grams at Zehrs in the health food section.

Anyone have any gluten free or lactose free recommendations ?
PS.Jan 24, 2011. a new gluten free favourite is polenta. It sold ( one kg package ) on sale at Food Basics for 2 dollars and change. It's made by Aurora and is ready to serve/fry. It's very versatile. Technically it is not a certified gluten free food, but since it only has the following 5 ingredients, it's cool in my book: water, corn meal, salt, tartaric acid, sorbic acid. Bon Appetit!