Hello all!!!
So I am officially a full time masters student now and have very little time for this blog, which is rather unfortunate!! anywho, I have decided to go soy free, dairy free and gluten free, as all my other diets seemed more like fads! The raw diet was awesome in the summer or as a cleanse, and I would suggest anyone to try it out, or just incorporate more fruits and veggies in your diet! I can guarantee that you will see a difference!!
Here is a link that was sent to me about gluten free diets! Enjoy: http://www.oprah.com/article/health/nutrition/20090922-orig-daphne-oz-gluten-free
Have a wonderful GF day!! Check out this awesome GF wrap with peanut sauce. So easy and soooo good!!
Supplies:
- carrots
- sprouts
-cucumbers
-peppers
-tofu (optional)
-basil
-crushed nuts
- rice wraps... these look like big pizza crusts but are made of rice and found in your Asian grocery stores or section (they are also super cheap)
- you can also add some thai hot peppers for a little kick
Sauce:
-peanut butter
-soy sauce
- honey
- rice wine vinegar
Ok, so this is what you do:
Boil water, put it in shallow dish and submerge one rice sheet for 30 seconds (be careful because the water is hot and as soon as the rice hits the water it will sort of "melt"). Remove and put on cutting board, add small slices of all your veggies, basil and nuts, roll up (roll sides, then roll).
For the sauce: mix ingredient together to taste.... usually a tablespoon of peanut butter and a teaspoon of everything else!
Enjoy!! :)
These also keep well in the fridge and travel well for a snack at work!!
Take care!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
My new favourite restaurant: East is East
Good morning!
I met up with some family last night for a great dinner at an Indian restaurant called East is East. I am usually pretty weary of Indian food due to the naan bread that is used with almost every dish but this place was just fantastic. The food is prepared using natural ingredients and taste so yummy and wholesome. The best part is when you order the eastern platter, you get to pick two dishes, dahl, salad and rice and it is all refillable (the plates are bottomless!!!).
This cute little restaurant on Main and 28th, had authentic seating and music the whole time we were there, and I couldn't get over how great the waitresses were about gluten free!!! I would highly recommend anyone to this restaurant, vegetarians, and people with dairy allergies will feel right at home with the multitude of choices on their menu. They also have a location on Broadway near MacDonald!!!
So as I sit here typing this information, I feel as though I should leave you all with a simple Indian recipe to try at home, but seeing how my skills at Indian food are not very great i will simply suggest a great tasting dahl that you can get a any grocery store ( for those of you in Fredericton, I know that Aura food carries this line of products. Its the Happy Planet soups, here is the link: http://www.happyplanet.com/
Have a great day! And keep your questions coming as I would love to create a sort of relationship where I can answer all your GF questions!!
Cheers,
Ally:)
I met up with some family last night for a great dinner at an Indian restaurant called East is East. I am usually pretty weary of Indian food due to the naan bread that is used with almost every dish but this place was just fantastic. The food is prepared using natural ingredients and taste so yummy and wholesome. The best part is when you order the eastern platter, you get to pick two dishes, dahl, salad and rice and it is all refillable (the plates are bottomless!!!).
This cute little restaurant on Main and 28th, had authentic seating and music the whole time we were there, and I couldn't get over how great the waitresses were about gluten free!!! I would highly recommend anyone to this restaurant, vegetarians, and people with dairy allergies will feel right at home with the multitude of choices on their menu. They also have a location on Broadway near MacDonald!!!
So as I sit here typing this information, I feel as though I should leave you all with a simple Indian recipe to try at home, but seeing how my skills at Indian food are not very great i will simply suggest a great tasting dahl that you can get a any grocery store ( for those of you in Fredericton, I know that Aura food carries this line of products. Its the Happy Planet soups, here is the link: http://www.happyplanet.com/
Have a great day! And keep your questions coming as I would love to create a sort of relationship where I can answer all your GF questions!!
Cheers,
Ally:)
Thursday, August 20, 2009
My lessons from Raw food!
Hello!
So I decided to stop eating a full raw diet and instead look into the benefits of a well balanced diet. I still do not include dairy, meats or eggs, but sometimes eat fish and chicken ( although that is only in extreme cases). I still eat loads of fruits and veggies, and see the benefits of raw food, but also believe that our bodies need a bit of cooked food as well. We nee some good complex carbohydrates, such as yummy brown rice and potatoes.
The trick is: eat when your hungry.... there is not real way to eat other than when you legitimately feel full and allow your stomach time to digest. Us Celiacs have a hard time digesting to begin with, and it helps to do a cleans from time to time to aid in this digestion process. I would suggest a cleans with a fruit and veggie base!!
As life on the west coast gets busier, I will do my best to keep this update, and feel free to offer feedback!
Have a happy GF day!
Recipe of the day:
Roasted Veggies
- yams
- potatoes
- zucchini
- carrots
- beets
- and any other root vegetables such as turnip, parsnip, eggplant, etc.
Chop all veggies into chunks and place on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil ( or sesame oil for a different taste). Sprinkle with chopped garlic and salt and pepper. You can also add some cayenne pepper to make them spicy!!
Roast for 35-40 minutes and check them half way to mix them around the pan to make sure all veggies get cooked evenly! Enjoy as a salad or side dish! Yum:)
Cheers!
Ally
So I decided to stop eating a full raw diet and instead look into the benefits of a well balanced diet. I still do not include dairy, meats or eggs, but sometimes eat fish and chicken ( although that is only in extreme cases). I still eat loads of fruits and veggies, and see the benefits of raw food, but also believe that our bodies need a bit of cooked food as well. We nee some good complex carbohydrates, such as yummy brown rice and potatoes.
The trick is: eat when your hungry.... there is not real way to eat other than when you legitimately feel full and allow your stomach time to digest. Us Celiacs have a hard time digesting to begin with, and it helps to do a cleans from time to time to aid in this digestion process. I would suggest a cleans with a fruit and veggie base!!
As life on the west coast gets busier, I will do my best to keep this update, and feel free to offer feedback!
Have a happy GF day!
Recipe of the day:
Roasted Veggies
- yams
- potatoes
- zucchini
- carrots
- beets
- and any other root vegetables such as turnip, parsnip, eggplant, etc.
Chop all veggies into chunks and place on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil ( or sesame oil for a different taste). Sprinkle with chopped garlic and salt and pepper. You can also add some cayenne pepper to make them spicy!!
Roast for 35-40 minutes and check them half way to mix them around the pan to make sure all veggies get cooked evenly! Enjoy as a salad or side dish! Yum:)
Cheers!
Ally
Monday, August 10, 2009
Cooked food = Pain!
Good afternoon!
As I write this little blog it is pouring rain here in Vancouver and I want nothing more than to eat some warm soup.... but I now know that this would be too much! Here is why:
This past weekend I went to Salt Spring Island (which every Celiac should go because of the baker at the Saturday morning market.... AMAZING gluten free food!). That being said, I ate some bread and some meat.... boy was that a bad idea. I think it was probably the meat that did me in, but my stomach was definitely not ready for the pain, bloating, and overall discomfort. My body was used to easy to digest fruits and veggies, with some raw crackers from time to time maybe, this was way too much and I have not felt that bad in a while. It was mainly due to my stomach feeling stuffed.... like I had a small child (in the form of starchy carbs and meat) in my stomach.
Needless to say I am very happy to be back on my simple fruits this morning! Berries, banana and salad with some humus on the side!! I will keep you all updated as things move along this week! and I will also post a great recipe later this week.... lets just say it involves the most filling of raw veggie wraps!
As I was doiny some research I stumbled accross a website which listed numourous health benefits to a raw food diet, here area few:
Increased energy
Improved skin appearance
Better digestion
Weight loss
Reduced risk of heart disease
Most people with Celiac have a tough time with digestion, duw in part because of years of stressing our intestines and also because of lack of fiber. For everywhere that you have gone undiagnosed or ate gluten, your body began to form scar tissue. Now this is not common in everyone who has Celiac, but I for one know that my body is still healing from years of scar tissue build-up. Sometimes when I eat too much food, or a certain kind of food I can feel my stomach pulling or tugging and it is very painful. My doctors have basically told me that it is scar tissue build up from being sick for so many years.
That being said, a raw food diet can greatly increase your flow of food (if you know what I mean). Because you are not only eating clean, easily digestible food, but you are also eating fiber packed food!! Which is great for people with Celiac who seldom meet their daily 30g requirement!
So go ahead try to incorporate more fruits and vegetables in your diet instead of that extra potato or chocolate dessert. See how it makes you feel!!
Food for thought: Next time your walking through the woods and think wow this is nice... stop, take a deep breath and smell the clean air! This will not only calm you down, but will also clean out stale air and make you feel better! :)
Cheers,
Ally
As I write this little blog it is pouring rain here in Vancouver and I want nothing more than to eat some warm soup.... but I now know that this would be too much! Here is why:
This past weekend I went to Salt Spring Island (which every Celiac should go because of the baker at the Saturday morning market.... AMAZING gluten free food!). That being said, I ate some bread and some meat.... boy was that a bad idea. I think it was probably the meat that did me in, but my stomach was definitely not ready for the pain, bloating, and overall discomfort. My body was used to easy to digest fruits and veggies, with some raw crackers from time to time maybe, this was way too much and I have not felt that bad in a while. It was mainly due to my stomach feeling stuffed.... like I had a small child (in the form of starchy carbs and meat) in my stomach.
Needless to say I am very happy to be back on my simple fruits this morning! Berries, banana and salad with some humus on the side!! I will keep you all updated as things move along this week! and I will also post a great recipe later this week.... lets just say it involves the most filling of raw veggie wraps!
As I was doiny some research I stumbled accross a website which listed numourous health benefits to a raw food diet, here area few:
Increased energy
Improved skin appearance
Better digestion
Weight loss
Reduced risk of heart disease
Most people with Celiac have a tough time with digestion, duw in part because of years of stressing our intestines and also because of lack of fiber. For everywhere that you have gone undiagnosed or ate gluten, your body began to form scar tissue. Now this is not common in everyone who has Celiac, but I for one know that my body is still healing from years of scar tissue build-up. Sometimes when I eat too much food, or a certain kind of food I can feel my stomach pulling or tugging and it is very painful. My doctors have basically told me that it is scar tissue build up from being sick for so many years.
That being said, a raw food diet can greatly increase your flow of food (if you know what I mean). Because you are not only eating clean, easily digestible food, but you are also eating fiber packed food!! Which is great for people with Celiac who seldom meet their daily 30g requirement!
So go ahead try to incorporate more fruits and vegetables in your diet instead of that extra potato or chocolate dessert. See how it makes you feel!!
Food for thought: Next time your walking through the woods and think wow this is nice... stop, take a deep breath and smell the clean air! This will not only calm you down, but will also clean out stale air and make you feel better! :)
Cheers,
Ally
Thursday, August 6, 2009
almost a week and still going strong
Hello!
So its almost been a full week and I am loving the raw food diet. Although I have not gone 100% raw yet, I am very close and have basically been vegan all week, with some minor slips. I also noticed that when I ate cooked food I felt really weird, either too full or just sick. I have attached a link for you, if you want to read more about the raw food diet. It can seem really complicated but a great way to transition is finding a great smoothie recipe to start and just eat lots of fruits and vegetables. I recommend more fruit because its higher calories and density, you will feel full and energized due to the natural sugars found in fruit!
link: http://www.living-foods.com/index.shtml
I am off to Salt Spring Island this weekend and apparently my friend found a GF bakery so I will report back on how amazing my weekend went! It is nice to see that there are many more options for people who want vegan, vegetarian, GF, lactose free, etc. options.
That being said, here are a few observations that I've made on my raw food adventure. Not only has travelling become a lot less stressful, I have also begun to really enjoy everything I eat, raw food tastes so much better and I really feel like I'm fueling my body instead of satisfying a craving to eat just about anything. I also don't crave things like chips and chocolate anymore, and when I do a smoothie with almond milk, cocoa and a banana do the trick!
Stay tuned for more recipes and more ranting about this really great diet. And in about 5 months, this blog is going to switch over into a "my adventures in Costa Rica blog". That's right everyone, I am taking this GF thing overseas... well not really over seas but cross borders!
Take care and enjoy being GF cause we are special! :)
food for thought: check out a book called Skinny Bitch. I'm not telling you all to get skinny and become vegan, but its worth a critical read just to see a different point of you!
Cheers,
Ally
So its almost been a full week and I am loving the raw food diet. Although I have not gone 100% raw yet, I am very close and have basically been vegan all week, with some minor slips. I also noticed that when I ate cooked food I felt really weird, either too full or just sick. I have attached a link for you, if you want to read more about the raw food diet. It can seem really complicated but a great way to transition is finding a great smoothie recipe to start and just eat lots of fruits and vegetables. I recommend more fruit because its higher calories and density, you will feel full and energized due to the natural sugars found in fruit!
link: http://www.living-foods.com/index.shtml
I am off to Salt Spring Island this weekend and apparently my friend found a GF bakery so I will report back on how amazing my weekend went! It is nice to see that there are many more options for people who want vegan, vegetarian, GF, lactose free, etc. options.
That being said, here are a few observations that I've made on my raw food adventure. Not only has travelling become a lot less stressful, I have also begun to really enjoy everything I eat, raw food tastes so much better and I really feel like I'm fueling my body instead of satisfying a craving to eat just about anything. I also don't crave things like chips and chocolate anymore, and when I do a smoothie with almond milk, cocoa and a banana do the trick!
Stay tuned for more recipes and more ranting about this really great diet. And in about 5 months, this blog is going to switch over into a "my adventures in Costa Rica blog". That's right everyone, I am taking this GF thing overseas... well not really over seas but cross borders!
Take care and enjoy being GF cause we are special! :)
food for thought: check out a book called Skinny Bitch. I'm not telling you all to get skinny and become vegan, but its worth a critical read just to see a different point of you!
Cheers,
Ally
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Yummy fruits a fun little trip and lots of raw food
Good afternoon!
So I went up to Whistler this past weekend for an unexpected little trip and usually these trips leave me feeling famished because I don't prepare for not being able to find gluten free places. What was amazing about this weekend: I didn't have to look for GF places because I was basically eating fruit!! So good:)
So Friday I had a few potato chips in the evening but all in all my day went like this:
breakfast: peanut butter and banana (this is now my staple food!)
snack: blueberries, blackberries and raspberries
lunch: salad with a veggie burger(now this is not raw, but i had one left in my fridge that had to be eaten)
snack: cucumber, peppers and broccoli
snack: raspberry freezer pop thing made with fruits
dinner: potato chips, 1 plum and carrots
Saturday went a little something like this:
breakfast: staple as usual
snack: banana and cherries
lunch; salad with tuna (seared tuna is also not raw, but remember... slow transition)
snack: cherries
dinner: i cooked a GF crust with salsa and cheese.... this was my biggest mistake all day. I figured I was hungry and needed to use the rest of the cheese in my fridge, but man did this ever make my stomach feel weird afterwards I just drank lots of water and felt so sleepy so I went to bed really early.
Anyway enough about my food, i am of to a great start today, and just ate at a raw food restaurant! Thai wraps were amazing, the place is called : Gorilla Food!!!! check it out if you are ever in Vancouver.
I hope all if you will at least try one day on a raw food diet so that you can see the small difference this diet can make! Off to make some cleansing juice and do some school work. Please keep posting your comments, they are always appreciated!
Food for thought: Next time you think your hungry, wait a few minutes and ask yourself if you are truly famished or if its just your brain looking for something stimulating. This has been my toughest challenge yet!
Lots of love and luck with your GF diets!
Ally:)
So I went up to Whistler this past weekend for an unexpected little trip and usually these trips leave me feeling famished because I don't prepare for not being able to find gluten free places. What was amazing about this weekend: I didn't have to look for GF places because I was basically eating fruit!! So good:)
So Friday I had a few potato chips in the evening but all in all my day went like this:
breakfast: peanut butter and banana (this is now my staple food!)
snack: blueberries, blackberries and raspberries
lunch: salad with a veggie burger(now this is not raw, but i had one left in my fridge that had to be eaten)
snack: cucumber, peppers and broccoli
snack: raspberry freezer pop thing made with fruits
dinner: potato chips, 1 plum and carrots
Saturday went a little something like this:
breakfast: staple as usual
snack: banana and cherries
lunch; salad with tuna (seared tuna is also not raw, but remember... slow transition)
snack: cherries
dinner: i cooked a GF crust with salsa and cheese.... this was my biggest mistake all day. I figured I was hungry and needed to use the rest of the cheese in my fridge, but man did this ever make my stomach feel weird afterwards I just drank lots of water and felt so sleepy so I went to bed really early.
Anyway enough about my food, i am of to a great start today, and just ate at a raw food restaurant! Thai wraps were amazing, the place is called : Gorilla Food!!!! check it out if you are ever in Vancouver.
I hope all if you will at least try one day on a raw food diet so that you can see the small difference this diet can make! Off to make some cleansing juice and do some school work. Please keep posting your comments, they are always appreciated!
Food for thought: Next time you think your hungry, wait a few minutes and ask yourself if you are truly famished or if its just your brain looking for something stimulating. This has been my toughest challenge yet!
Lots of love and luck with your GF diets!
Ally:)
Friday, July 31, 2009
wow emotions...
So I don't post in 2 months and now you get two posts in 1 day! Just a forewarning for anyone trying this diet: you will, within 3 days or so realize how much we associate our emotions with food. When we're happy we celebrate with food, sad we console ourselves with ice cream, bored? we usually find an excuse to snack on something or even lacking excitement, we begin to crazy comforting or tasty foods. I cannot get over how up and down I have been feeling today... although it is kind of cool to notice that I have been eating food, and I'm not hungry but feel as though I should eat. This is a very interesting experiment so far, not only physically but emotionally as well.
I will keep posting and let you know how this shift in mindset works over the weekend.
Cheers!
Ally
I will keep posting and let you know how this shift in mindset works over the weekend.
Cheers!
Ally
Day 2 - crazy day of heat, driving and stress but good food!
Good morning!
I am sitting here at work drinking my coffee (first one in a week and a half) due to waking up at 5am for the last two days. My friend had foot surgery and I am the caretaker for the moment.
Any who, on to exciting pressing matters, my day 2 on a raw-ish diet. I am finding the transition to be fairly easy at the moment, but plan for a few bumps in the road as time goes on. Yesterday my diet consisted of:
breakfast: 1/4 banana and cup of blueberries and some chai tea (so yummy)
snack: 1 apple and 1 plum
lunch: pumpkin seeds, small piece of salmon and 1/4 cup of rice ( they were bbqing at work and I though protein would be a good add-in considering my day)
snack: 1/4 cantaloupe and a mix of fresh raspberries, blueberries and blackberries with 1/4 banana
dinner: mixed greens, 1 tomato and 1/2 avocado
snack: 1 potato with Dijon mustard (this was because I started feeling a little hungry at night and figured I needed a bit more starchy food before bed
Any who, I have been eating fairly well and do plan to cut out for starches after a while, but going cold turkey would be too much of a shock to my system.
I am feeling very good and have surprisingly been full of energy for the past 2 days, we will have to wait and see what the weekend brings. I do however enjoy the new found appreciation I have for food. I have always loved to eat, and eat very healthy but now I am really starting to enjoy eating less food but enjoying every little bit. I still haven't found a perfect balance yet, but this raw food thing seems to be a pretty nice fit with my life.
Wow I am ranting today, but I guess that's what waking up at 5am does to you. On that note, I will leave you all with this recipe that I have yet to try, but was given to me by a very special person. Enjoy!
Oh and stay tuned for my meal ideas and creations coming... some will include nori wraps, and lettuce wraps as well as mango and avocado guacamole. Raw food is sooooo good! Try it:)
Chocolate Mousse:
Ingredients:
2 Avocados
Maple Syrup
Cocoa Powder, you could also use carob or some other chocolate alternative
For each avocado add 1/3 cup of maple syrup and 1/3 cup of cocoa powder…mash up the avocado and mix it all together - refrigerate and you have a delicious mousse!!!
Give me your feedback, I'm always listening and would love to start a discussion regarding Celiac disease of raw food!
Until next time, keep enjoying all the wonderful seasonal fruits and vegetables that Canada has to offer.
Food for thought: try and eat all local produce this week and see how it makes you feel. If you want to take it one step further, also eat local grains if possible and local meat from a butcher. It seems hard at first but keeping things within your local area helps the economy and you.... who really wants to eat meat shipped in a plan from a different country, or part of the country....
Cheers,
Allyson :)
I am sitting here at work drinking my coffee (first one in a week and a half) due to waking up at 5am for the last two days. My friend had foot surgery and I am the caretaker for the moment.
Any who, on to exciting pressing matters, my day 2 on a raw-ish diet. I am finding the transition to be fairly easy at the moment, but plan for a few bumps in the road as time goes on. Yesterday my diet consisted of:
breakfast: 1/4 banana and cup of blueberries and some chai tea (so yummy)
snack: 1 apple and 1 plum
lunch: pumpkin seeds, small piece of salmon and 1/4 cup of rice ( they were bbqing at work and I though protein would be a good add-in considering my day)
snack: 1/4 cantaloupe and a mix of fresh raspberries, blueberries and blackberries with 1/4 banana
dinner: mixed greens, 1 tomato and 1/2 avocado
snack: 1 potato with Dijon mustard (this was because I started feeling a little hungry at night and figured I needed a bit more starchy food before bed
Any who, I have been eating fairly well and do plan to cut out for starches after a while, but going cold turkey would be too much of a shock to my system.
I am feeling very good and have surprisingly been full of energy for the past 2 days, we will have to wait and see what the weekend brings. I do however enjoy the new found appreciation I have for food. I have always loved to eat, and eat very healthy but now I am really starting to enjoy eating less food but enjoying every little bit. I still haven't found a perfect balance yet, but this raw food thing seems to be a pretty nice fit with my life.
Wow I am ranting today, but I guess that's what waking up at 5am does to you. On that note, I will leave you all with this recipe that I have yet to try, but was given to me by a very special person. Enjoy!
Oh and stay tuned for my meal ideas and creations coming... some will include nori wraps, and lettuce wraps as well as mango and avocado guacamole. Raw food is sooooo good! Try it:)
Chocolate Mousse:
Ingredients:
2 Avocados
Maple Syrup
Cocoa Powder, you could also use carob or some other chocolate alternative
For each avocado add 1/3 cup of maple syrup and 1/3 cup of cocoa powder…mash up the avocado and mix it all together - refrigerate and you have a delicious mousse!!!
Give me your feedback, I'm always listening and would love to start a discussion regarding Celiac disease of raw food!
Until next time, keep enjoying all the wonderful seasonal fruits and vegetables that Canada has to offer.
Food for thought: try and eat all local produce this week and see how it makes you feel. If you want to take it one step further, also eat local grains if possible and local meat from a butcher. It seems hard at first but keeping things within your local area helps the economy and you.... who really wants to eat meat shipped in a plan from a different country, or part of the country....
Cheers,
Allyson :)
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Day 1 - amazingly full but a little headache
Good morning Celiacs!
Well yesterday was my first day on a semi Raw food diet. I am trying to transition and therefore still ate potatoes and whole grain pasta. Here is what my diet consisted of:
Breakfast: 1 banana with spoonful peanut butter
snack: 1 plum, handful of cherries
lunch: potato salad with peppers and Dijon mustard
snack: apple and raw vegan cookie
dinner: lentil soup and pasta salad
snack: raw smoothie and blueberries
All in all I was amazed at how full I felt all day. Not only did the banana in the morning fill me, but I also felt "skinny" all day. When I say skinny, what I mean is the normal feeling of being bloated or just eating too much wasn't there. I also enjoyed not drinking coffee and just having some chai roobois tea!
I'm not sure if it was the diet or my fan, but last night was also the first night I had a good sleep all week (it has been quite hot here in Vancouver!)
All that being said, I did feel a headache coming on later in the afternoon, but when I got home had some water and a raw smoothie and was good to go!
All in all this is looking to be a good diet.
Today I started my day with a half of banana and lots of blueberries. Keep checking in to see how this diet goes for day 2!
Have a good one!
Ally :)
Well yesterday was my first day on a semi Raw food diet. I am trying to transition and therefore still ate potatoes and whole grain pasta. Here is what my diet consisted of:
Breakfast: 1 banana with spoonful peanut butter
snack: 1 plum, handful of cherries
lunch: potato salad with peppers and Dijon mustard
snack: apple and raw vegan cookie
dinner: lentil soup and pasta salad
snack: raw smoothie and blueberries
All in all I was amazed at how full I felt all day. Not only did the banana in the morning fill me, but I also felt "skinny" all day. When I say skinny, what I mean is the normal feeling of being bloated or just eating too much wasn't there. I also enjoyed not drinking coffee and just having some chai roobois tea!
I'm not sure if it was the diet or my fan, but last night was also the first night I had a good sleep all week (it has been quite hot here in Vancouver!)
All that being said, I did feel a headache coming on later in the afternoon, but when I got home had some water and a raw smoothie and was good to go!
All in all this is looking to be a good diet.
Today I started my day with a half of banana and lots of blueberries. Keep checking in to see how this diet goes for day 2!
Have a good one!
Ally :)
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
My test at a Raw Food diet
Hello fellow Celiacs,
Well I hope you are still checking this from time to time and I do apologize for not being on here more often.... moving to a new city really does take an awful lot of time away from your daily tasks. SO far Vancouver has been amazing!!!! and I suggest you all come out to visit me someday.
That being said, I have been feeling a little ill lately and will be attempting a RAW food diet. I not only want to see if this diet will make me feel better, less stressed etc. but I also want to educate you all on my experience and what I think this RAW diet has to offer people who already have a very sensitive stomach. So hopefully you will all find this adventure exciting, stay tuned for RAW recipes, advices and my rants on how this diet makes me feel!!
I will leave you with a little energy bar that I tried last winter, it was great!
1. handful of dates mixed with water on a boiler... basically you want to "melt" them a little to make a paste (kind of like date squares)
2. add a cup of GF oats, some crushed nuts (almonds work very well), hemp seeds, coconut and flax seeds
3. I also like to add quinoa flakes, because it adds more fiber and protein.
4. Mix well and let cool a little.... then form into balls and refrigerate.
Because this was my own creation I tend to change it every time so feel free to mix and match what you like because cooking is all about fun in the end! Try adding cinnamon, or raisins... anything that strikes you as yummy and nutritious!!
Looking forward to hearing your comments. And I am going to try and figure out how to make this blog a news feed so any comments or help would be great!
Take care:)
Ally
Well I hope you are still checking this from time to time and I do apologize for not being on here more often.... moving to a new city really does take an awful lot of time away from your daily tasks. SO far Vancouver has been amazing!!!! and I suggest you all come out to visit me someday.
That being said, I have been feeling a little ill lately and will be attempting a RAW food diet. I not only want to see if this diet will make me feel better, less stressed etc. but I also want to educate you all on my experience and what I think this RAW diet has to offer people who already have a very sensitive stomach. So hopefully you will all find this adventure exciting, stay tuned for RAW recipes, advices and my rants on how this diet makes me feel!!
I will leave you with a little energy bar that I tried last winter, it was great!
1. handful of dates mixed with water on a boiler... basically you want to "melt" them a little to make a paste (kind of like date squares)
2. add a cup of GF oats, some crushed nuts (almonds work very well), hemp seeds, coconut and flax seeds
3. I also like to add quinoa flakes, because it adds more fiber and protein.
4. Mix well and let cool a little.... then form into balls and refrigerate.
Because this was my own creation I tend to change it every time so feel free to mix and match what you like because cooking is all about fun in the end! Try adding cinnamon, or raisins... anything that strikes you as yummy and nutritious!!
Looking forward to hearing your comments. And I am going to try and figure out how to make this blog a news feed so any comments or help would be great!
Take care:)
Ally
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Coke, Caramel Colour and Sangria (yum!)
So after much debate with my fellow celiac friends I decided to find out whether or not Coke did in fact contain gluten. I have good news for all of you addicted to this caffeinated drink... it is in fact gluten free! Here is what the company lists as their gluten free products:
We are able to confirm that, in the U.S. and Canada, the following products are gluten free:
Coca-Cola classiccaffeine free
Coca-Cola classic
Coca-Cola Black Cherry Vanilla
Coca-Cola C2Coca-Cola with Lime
Coca-Cola Zero
Barq's root beercaffeine free
Barq's root beerdiet Barq's root beerdiet
Barq's Red Creme Soda
Diet Coke Black Cherry
VanillaDiet CokeDiet
Coke with Limecaffeine free
Diet CokeDiet Coke Sweetened with Splenda
SpriteDiet
Sprite Zero
Cherry CokeDiet
Cherry Coke
Fresca
DASANI Lemon
Minute Maid Light Lemonade
Simply LemonadeSimply Limeade
POWERade Mountain Blastand 100% of juice products (without added ingredients) are gluten free.
Additionally, we can tell you that all of our other products meet Codex's definition of gluten-free, which is currently less than 200 ppm (parts per million) (0.02%) gluten. Codex is in the process of reviewing this standard and we are monitoring the progress closely. At this time the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not have a regulatory definition of gluten-free.U.S. product nutrition information can be found by clicking here.Should you require information on another product, please send us your question in an email.For additional assistance, you may also contact our Consumer Affairs office by calling (800) 438-2653.
I hope this helps you all! Now the reason that there is debate around cola and soft drinks is the caramel colour. For the most part, caramel colour does contain gluten and can make you sick, so before you go and pick up your favourite drink or candy, make sure that the caramel colour used is derived from corn, thus making it gluten free!!
Now I have been lagging on the recipe front, as my new found GF restaurants in Vancouver have been taking up a lot of my time! I will make sure to post a delicious recipe soon enough. For now, here is a recipe for a protein packed, low carb, yummy salad for those warm days when eating food seems to be the last thing on your mind.
Oh and I will add a great recipe for Sangria! yum!:)
Salad
Base:
-Bunch of Spinach or mixed greens (Chlorophyll found in green leafy vegetables are so good for you and have been proven to reduce bad breath, so eat up!)
-1 cup chopped tomatoes, or cherry tomatoes
-1/2 english cucumber slices
-1/2 cup broccoli florets
-1/2 red pepper
-1/4 black pitted olives
Add ins:
- 1/4 cup of artichoke hearts (artichokes are really good to calm your stomach, help with a hangover and are also really yummy!)
-1/8 cup of sunflower seeds
-1/2 can of tuna or 1/2 chicken breast diced
1/4 cup grated low fat cheese of your choice (usually I like to use goat cheese or feta)
Dressing:
-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
-1tbsp olive oil or sesame oil (nuttier flavour)
-1 tbsp maple syrup
-1 tsp grainy Dijon mustard
Mix the dressing in a bowl. Toss greens together mix in dressing, add the "add ins" and Enjoy!!!
Sangria (it is summer after all and a pitcher of this good stuff can just about make any day perfect!)
- 1 bottle of cheaper red wine (no need to but expensive wine as you are mixing it with other juices)
- 3 cans of organic tangerine spritzer (you can find this in any organic section at the grocery market)
-1/2 container of 100% mixed tropical fruit juice (I like to use a mix of mango and papaya)
- ice cubes
-frozen fruit chunks such a peaches, mangoes and strawberries
In a large pitcher, fill 1/4 with ice, add 1/4 cup of each frozen, peaches strawberries and mangoes. Add 1/2 bottle of wine, add 2 cans of spritzer and 1/2 container of juice (adjust to suit your own taste).
** Now I am warning you ahead of time...this stuff goes down fast because it taste so good!**
Have a fabulous day!
Cheers,
Allyson
We are able to confirm that, in the U.S. and Canada, the following products are gluten free:
Coca-Cola classiccaffeine free
Coca-Cola classic
Coca-Cola Black Cherry Vanilla
Coca-Cola C2Coca-Cola with Lime
Coca-Cola Zero
Barq's root beercaffeine free
Barq's root beerdiet Barq's root beerdiet
Barq's Red Creme Soda
Diet Coke Black Cherry
VanillaDiet CokeDiet
Coke with Limecaffeine free
Diet CokeDiet Coke Sweetened with Splenda
SpriteDiet
Sprite Zero
Cherry CokeDiet
Cherry Coke
Fresca
DASANI Lemon
Minute Maid Light Lemonade
Simply LemonadeSimply Limeade
POWERade Mountain Blastand 100% of juice products (without added ingredients) are gluten free.
Additionally, we can tell you that all of our other products meet Codex's definition of gluten-free, which is currently less than 200 ppm (parts per million) (0.02%) gluten. Codex is in the process of reviewing this standard and we are monitoring the progress closely. At this time the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not have a regulatory definition of gluten-free.U.S. product nutrition information can be found by clicking here.Should you require information on another product, please send us your question in an email.For additional assistance, you may also contact our Consumer Affairs office by calling (800) 438-2653.
I hope this helps you all! Now the reason that there is debate around cola and soft drinks is the caramel colour. For the most part, caramel colour does contain gluten and can make you sick, so before you go and pick up your favourite drink or candy, make sure that the caramel colour used is derived from corn, thus making it gluten free!!
Now I have been lagging on the recipe front, as my new found GF restaurants in Vancouver have been taking up a lot of my time! I will make sure to post a delicious recipe soon enough. For now, here is a recipe for a protein packed, low carb, yummy salad for those warm days when eating food seems to be the last thing on your mind.
Oh and I will add a great recipe for Sangria! yum!:)
Salad
Base:
-Bunch of Spinach or mixed greens (Chlorophyll found in green leafy vegetables are so good for you and have been proven to reduce bad breath, so eat up!)
-1 cup chopped tomatoes, or cherry tomatoes
-1/2 english cucumber slices
-1/2 cup broccoli florets
-1/2 red pepper
-1/4 black pitted olives
Add ins:
- 1/4 cup of artichoke hearts (artichokes are really good to calm your stomach, help with a hangover and are also really yummy!)
-1/8 cup of sunflower seeds
-1/2 can of tuna or 1/2 chicken breast diced
1/4 cup grated low fat cheese of your choice (usually I like to use goat cheese or feta)
Dressing:
-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
-1tbsp olive oil or sesame oil (nuttier flavour)
-1 tbsp maple syrup
-1 tsp grainy Dijon mustard
Mix the dressing in a bowl. Toss greens together mix in dressing, add the "add ins" and Enjoy!!!
Sangria (it is summer after all and a pitcher of this good stuff can just about make any day perfect!)
- 1 bottle of cheaper red wine (no need to but expensive wine as you are mixing it with other juices)
- 3 cans of organic tangerine spritzer (you can find this in any organic section at the grocery market)
-1/2 container of 100% mixed tropical fruit juice (I like to use a mix of mango and papaya)
- ice cubes
-frozen fruit chunks such a peaches, mangoes and strawberries
In a large pitcher, fill 1/4 with ice, add 1/4 cup of each frozen, peaches strawberries and mangoes. Add 1/2 bottle of wine, add 2 cans of spritzer and 1/2 container of juice (adjust to suit your own taste).
** Now I am warning you ahead of time...this stuff goes down fast because it taste so good!**
Have a fabulous day!
Cheers,
Allyson
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Thai noodle recipe!
Good morning fellow celiacs! Wow have I ever been lagging in the blogging department. What with moving, starting my research and a full-time job, it seems that blogging has been put on the back burner. But fear not, I am still thinking of all of you and promise to try and post somewhat regularly, even if that means monthly.
In this issue, I will discuss what contains gluten. I found this really helpful table for you to reference when you are unsure about the foods that you are eating.
| Allowed Foods | ||
|---|---|---|
| amaranth arrowroot buckwheat cassava corn flax Indian rice grass Job’s tears | legumes millet nuts potatoes quinoa rice sago | seeds sorghum soy tapioca teff wild rice yucca |
| Foods To Avoid | ||
wheat
| barley rye triticale (a cross between wheat and rye) | |
| Other Wheat Products | ||
| bromated flour durum flour enriched flour farina | graham flour phosphated flour plain flour | self-rising flour semolina white flour |
| Processed Foods that May Contain Wheat, Barley, or Rye* | ||
| bouillon cubes brown rice syrup candy chips/potato chips cold cuts, hot dogs, salami, sausage communion wafers | French fries gravy imitation fish matzo rice mixes sauces | seasoned tortilla chips self-basting turkey soups soy sauce vegetables in sauce |
Celiac disease is a constant battle of label reading and asking questions. Reason being: most products contain some sort of filler, which is usually gluten filled. Take Cheez Whiz for example.... it is jam packed with gluten, or Kraft peanut butter. Things that we would never think should have to contain gluten. I hope you all find this list very helpful! I know when I was first diagnosed, this was the most annoying part to my disease. I had to start reading every label and soon came to change my entire diet because I became aware of what I was putting in my mouth. It is very disturbing/enlightening to begin to understand how food affects our bodies. So happy discovering and feel free to post comments and questions regarding this difficult topic! (I feel like questions may get me to come back and post more often!).
Until next time... eat safe and enjoy you GF diet! Here is a recipe for one of my favourite thai dishes!
1 package rice noodles (thin white ones from an Asian grocer)
1 thai lime, or any lime will do
1 green pepper
1 bunch of kale (or any other leafy green vegetable)
3 baby bok choy
1 bunch of cilantro, to taste
3 cloves of garlic
1-2 tsp of fresh ginger, chopped
** you can add any other vegetables at this point**
sauce:
a few spoon fulls of "a taste of thai", sweet chili sauce (available in the asian food section of most grocery stores, this line of sauces is great and most are GF)
3-4 tsp of Braggs soy sauce (this stuff is awesome, and a must in any GF fridge!)
Directions:
Its pretty simple, soak noodles as per instructions on package, set aside. Cut all veggies, stir fry with garlic and ginger in sesame seed oil (if you only have canola or olive, that will do as well, the sesame seed oil just adds great flavour). Veggies will get a little glossy, this is when you add the sauce and stir-fry for another few minutes or until your veggies are cooked as you like them.(i like mine crunchy so I don't cook them too much longer). Add the noodles, toss and Enjoy!!
** you can add chicken, prawns, beef or tofu to this dish, just make sure to cook it up first, then follow the above steps and add the meat at the end so it soaks up the sauce!**
Cheers,
Ally:)
Friday, April 24, 2009
www.theceliacscene.com
Hello all!
I received a comment on my blog the other day from a lady who made a wonderful website. From what I can gather it will list and show all the GF restaurants in one area!!! Here is the link:www.theceliacscene.com
I apologize for not updating this more regularly, but its because I have been very busy getting everything settled for my new apartment!
That being said, here is an interesting topic, Starbucks coffee! So I know that we all love to treat ourselves once in a while to a good cup of joe/latte/hot chocolate, but what I've noticed recently is that some places hide gluten in their syrups and drink mixes. I use starbucks as an example, but its important to always ask the server/barista if you could see the list of ingredients for their drink mix. I have noticed that many places have gluten in their hot chocolate mix.... so make sure to ask! Another helpful thing to do is check out their website. Starbucks, for example, has a contact number that you can call and find out about their products. Here is what is written on their website:
Where can I find allergen information?
For specific questions related to allergens please contact a customer care representative at 1-800-23LATTE. Due to potential cross contamination during distribution and sale, we cannot guarantee that allergens are not included in a product, even if they are not listed in the ingredient statement.
For specific questions related to allergens please contact a customer care representative at 1-800-23LATTE. Due to potential cross contamination during distribution and sale, we cannot guarantee that allergens are not included in a product, even if they are not listed in the ingredient statement.
Hope this helps!
Ally :)
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Post dedicated to Victoria Gluten Free Pizza - The Joint
Hello east coasters!!
Well, I am fairly settled out here in Vancouver, and have had no problem finding my fair share of great GF food!! I could go on forever about Panne Rizo, but I want to tell you about this great place in Victoria.
I was visiting a friend for Easter in Victoria. While I was shopping one day I stumbled upon this pizza shop called: The Joint. It is located downtown close to the touristy area/good shopping on Johnson street. Here is a link to their site: http://www.eatatthejoint.com/html/. I was not only able to call and order this pizza for delivery. I was also able to add vegan cheese and fake veggie meat to my pizza!!! Talk about choices:)
I also should mention that the Noodle Box has become one of my favourite take out places as well. It is all freshly maid Asian cuisine.... best part is that it comes in the little box like the movies (you know, the little white box!). Here is their site:http://www.thenoodlebox.net/. Just make sure to ask your server about their GF options!
Now I know this is a short post, and I have to admit I have been neglecting to update the site, but that is also because I am apartment hunting, furniture shopping, work finding and all together a bit busy. But I promise to be back soon with some great recipes and new advices/news from the GF world. To make up for not being around recently, here is a great recipe for a quick and easy crock pot dish:
1 can black beans
1 can chickpeas
1 can crushed tomatoes
bunch of carrots, diced
5 potatoes, diced
1 onion, chopped
** add any other root vegetables depending on your tastes**
1 box of vegetable soup broth, GF (this can be found at the Superstore, simply check the ingredients)
simply add all ingredients and let it cook up all day. I hear its still a little chilly out east and therefore this dish will be perfect to warm you from the inside out. I usually add a little pepper flakes and salt+pepper, to taste.
I also wanted to add a link to Amy's Organic food, because she makes some quick-cook soups that are certified GF:http://www.amys.com/products/category_view.php?prod_category=14
Looking forward to posting a new blog soon... most likely from one of the many Internet cafes here in Vancouver.
Have a fabulous Gluten Free Day!
Cheers,
Ally
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
My last days on the east coast...
Hello!
So I am moving to Vancouver this Friday and let me tell you how excited I am to eat a snack and sandwich and a treat at Panne Rizo!! I am also extremely nervous to make the big move from my little town of Fredericton to the big city, but I'm going to pursue my master's at UBC so I figure it will all be worth it! Oh and did I mention the sushi :)
That being said, I will now be posting more "west" related stories and information, but fear not, I will try my best to maintain up to date with the current happenings on the east coast!
This post is going to be dedicated to the great places and people in my hometown as well as a little story on how to help your friends and family deal with celiac disease. Because lets be honest, celiac disease does not only affect you but everyone that surrounds you as well. Your spouse or partner will have to alter their lifestyle, your kids will have to be more careful and you will become a little walking spokesperson for celiac disease ( trust me, I have my speech nailed down when people say" wow, that sucks, how do you live/eat?)
Ok, so lets first start with a big thank you to Bob and Mary's gluten free baking at the Fredericton Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings! I'm not sure what I would do without their yummy muffins and my coffee on Saturdays! I will miss this little ritual to start my weekends. I am also very thankful to the farmers who sell great meats and sausages that are gluten free!! Yay for no MSG, preservatives and "filler" added to local, yummy food!
I am also going to thank the Blue Door because they have gone out of their way to label their menu with GF items! I also need to give Betty Lee a huge shout out because she is amazing!!!! Her Chinese food is not only gluten free, but I remember the first time I ate it, and was sure that it was full of gluten because it tasted so good! Betty Lee knows how to make great GF Chinese food!!! Finally, I thank all of the helpful servers who are so ready and willing to help me find a meal on their sometimes gluten filled menus! Who would have thought that a salad at the Snooty Fox would be good?!?!!
Ok now for the tips and tricks to help your loved ones deal with everything that comes with Celiac! Mood swings, constant discomfort and pain, the feeling that your life will never be the same again.... these are some heavy issues that you and your family will have to tackle. Now I could probably use a few postings on how to deal with these issues, but I will do my best to sum it all up. PATIENCE!! Honestly, trying to be patient is the key to making your disease tolerable in the first stages of recover (when your body is making the transition from eating gluten, to healing itself without gluten in your system). I was the worst at this stage because I would still wake up sick everyday and felt like I couldn't eat anything, not even my stale GF toast that I hated.... well, this went away after I received some naturopathic treatments and began to feel better.
The best thing to do when diagnosed with celiac disease is to sit down with your family, and read about the disease together. Simplify it a little for your children of course, but it is very important that kids understand how severe this disease really is. The main areas of concern are: when I'm not feeling well, its best to leave me alone! and food cross-contamination. The first issue, can be treated with rest and peppermint tea. I promise you that peppermint tea will be a soothing friend when your stomach feels like its the size of a balloon!
Secondly, the issue of cross-contamination will have its own blog time very soon, but simply put, it is VERY important that friends and family understand the problem with crumbs, flour and other gluten filled substances that can get into things such as jam,peanut butter, butter, spreads, etc. We, as celiacs, cannot eat even the smallest trace of gluten without making ourselves sick and therefore must make it clear to the people around us how careful we must be!
It is sometimes difficult to keep your head up when this disease seems to be making you misreable, but I promise that this blog will prove to you that living a gluten free life is easy, tolerable and even fun at times!!!! We definitely get a lot more satisfaction out of finding a GF chocolate brownie than our counterparts who can eat gluten!
Lastly, it might be fun to get the whole family in on making gluten free treats or snacks! I will leave you with a quick, easy and healthy "fish and chips" recipe:
you will need:
* Mesa sunrise flakes (cereal found at most grocery stores)
*Mixed spices of your choice, I usually use GF spice mix or just salt and pepper and chili flakes
*3-4 eggs or just egg whites, beaten
* dash of milk
*White fish, such as haddock
1. put cereal and spices in a bag and beat with a rolling pin to create crumbs.... this is great on a stressful day!
2. Rinse fish under water, dip in egg mixture and then in crumb mixture. I find it easiest to put the crumbs in a plate and roll the fish.
3. Bake in the oven at 350 for approx. 10-12 minutes or until fish flakes. Enjoy with oven roasted potatoes (cute potatoes, drizzle with oil, chopped garlic and herbs, bake for 45 minutes)
Hope you enjoy!!! Keep checking in for my first post from the west coast!
Ally :)
So I am moving to Vancouver this Friday and let me tell you how excited I am to eat a snack and sandwich and a treat at Panne Rizo!! I am also extremely nervous to make the big move from my little town of Fredericton to the big city, but I'm going to pursue my master's at UBC so I figure it will all be worth it! Oh and did I mention the sushi :)
That being said, I will now be posting more "west" related stories and information, but fear not, I will try my best to maintain up to date with the current happenings on the east coast!
This post is going to be dedicated to the great places and people in my hometown as well as a little story on how to help your friends and family deal with celiac disease. Because lets be honest, celiac disease does not only affect you but everyone that surrounds you as well. Your spouse or partner will have to alter their lifestyle, your kids will have to be more careful and you will become a little walking spokesperson for celiac disease ( trust me, I have my speech nailed down when people say" wow, that sucks, how do you live/eat?)
Ok, so lets first start with a big thank you to Bob and Mary's gluten free baking at the Fredericton Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings! I'm not sure what I would do without their yummy muffins and my coffee on Saturdays! I will miss this little ritual to start my weekends. I am also very thankful to the farmers who sell great meats and sausages that are gluten free!! Yay for no MSG, preservatives and "filler" added to local, yummy food!
I am also going to thank the Blue Door because they have gone out of their way to label their menu with GF items! I also need to give Betty Lee a huge shout out because she is amazing!!!! Her Chinese food is not only gluten free, but I remember the first time I ate it, and was sure that it was full of gluten because it tasted so good! Betty Lee knows how to make great GF Chinese food!!! Finally, I thank all of the helpful servers who are so ready and willing to help me find a meal on their sometimes gluten filled menus! Who would have thought that a salad at the Snooty Fox would be good?!?!!
Ok now for the tips and tricks to help your loved ones deal with everything that comes with Celiac! Mood swings, constant discomfort and pain, the feeling that your life will never be the same again.... these are some heavy issues that you and your family will have to tackle. Now I could probably use a few postings on how to deal with these issues, but I will do my best to sum it all up. PATIENCE!! Honestly, trying to be patient is the key to making your disease tolerable in the first stages of recover (when your body is making the transition from eating gluten, to healing itself without gluten in your system). I was the worst at this stage because I would still wake up sick everyday and felt like I couldn't eat anything, not even my stale GF toast that I hated.... well, this went away after I received some naturopathic treatments and began to feel better.
The best thing to do when diagnosed with celiac disease is to sit down with your family, and read about the disease together. Simplify it a little for your children of course, but it is very important that kids understand how severe this disease really is. The main areas of concern are: when I'm not feeling well, its best to leave me alone! and food cross-contamination. The first issue, can be treated with rest and peppermint tea. I promise you that peppermint tea will be a soothing friend when your stomach feels like its the size of a balloon!
Secondly, the issue of cross-contamination will have its own blog time very soon, but simply put, it is VERY important that friends and family understand the problem with crumbs, flour and other gluten filled substances that can get into things such as jam,peanut butter, butter, spreads, etc. We, as celiacs, cannot eat even the smallest trace of gluten without making ourselves sick and therefore must make it clear to the people around us how careful we must be!
It is sometimes difficult to keep your head up when this disease seems to be making you misreable, but I promise that this blog will prove to you that living a gluten free life is easy, tolerable and even fun at times!!!! We definitely get a lot more satisfaction out of finding a GF chocolate brownie than our counterparts who can eat gluten!
Lastly, it might be fun to get the whole family in on making gluten free treats or snacks! I will leave you with a quick, easy and healthy "fish and chips" recipe:
you will need:
* Mesa sunrise flakes (cereal found at most grocery stores)
*Mixed spices of your choice, I usually use GF spice mix or just salt and pepper and chili flakes
*3-4 eggs or just egg whites, beaten
* dash of milk
*White fish, such as haddock
1. put cereal and spices in a bag and beat with a rolling pin to create crumbs.... this is great on a stressful day!
2. Rinse fish under water, dip in egg mixture and then in crumb mixture. I find it easiest to put the crumbs in a plate and roll the fish.
3. Bake in the oven at 350 for approx. 10-12 minutes or until fish flakes. Enjoy with oven roasted potatoes (cute potatoes, drizzle with oil, chopped garlic and herbs, bake for 45 minutes)
Hope you enjoy!!! Keep checking in for my first post from the west coast!
Ally :)
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Quinoa, my new best friend!
Hello!
So these posts are going to turn into a weekly thing until I decide that maybe I need to be posting more frequent information. Today I want to talk about quinoa and, a little off topic, exercise.
As someone who is very active and healthyI found it hard to transition to my GF diet. I kept wondering how processed white flour could really be that much better for me. In fact, I gained a bunch of weight after going on a GF diet because my body was starting to absorb food now, and I was eating soooo many refined carbs (in short, those are the bad ones). White rice flour has no/very little fiber, and really doesn't do much good to our bodies, in fact it is the equivalent to eating white bread, in a certain sense!
This problem began by my obsession with finding foods that were gluten free and good for me ex: full of fiber and rich nutrients! QUINOA!!!! Now there are many grains out there now that are gluten free and good for the body, but I find quinoa to be the most versatile. I can eat it for breakfast, and in a salad for lunch and as a replacement for rice at dinner (usually don't do this cause that would be way too much quinoa in one day!)
Quinoa is an ancient grain from South America, it is full of protein and fiber (for about 1/4 of a cup 4g of fiber and 6g of protein). It has a nutty flavour and can be bought as a grain, flakes or puffed (cereal). The grain is the most versatile but the flakes are great to add to baking or make a quick breakfast (just add hot water, mix and go!).
Here is a quick and easy salad recipe, which happens to also be vegan/vegetarian! I am not adding any real measurements because it is very free flowing and I suggest you experiment with how you like the taste!
Yummy quinoa salad
2 cups Quinoa
1 mango, chopped
1 cup, chopped asparagus
1 red and yellow pepper, chopped
dressing:
flax or hemp oil
apple cider vinegar
cinnamon
red pepper flakes (optional to add some spice)
Mix and enjoy! This is great added to some grilled tofu or meat of your choice. Its also very helpful to taste the dressing as you go to make sure you like how it tastes and then tweak it to your liking!
I also like to eat quinoa by cooking up a batch, adding some soy milk or almond milk, with a few chopped nuts and brown sugar (or maple syrup). YUM!!!!
As always, I would love your feedback so send it my way!
Have a great day experimenting with quinoa, it too may become your new BFF!
Ally :)
So these posts are going to turn into a weekly thing until I decide that maybe I need to be posting more frequent information. Today I want to talk about quinoa and, a little off topic, exercise.
As someone who is very active and healthyI found it hard to transition to my GF diet. I kept wondering how processed white flour could really be that much better for me. In fact, I gained a bunch of weight after going on a GF diet because my body was starting to absorb food now, and I was eating soooo many refined carbs (in short, those are the bad ones). White rice flour has no/very little fiber, and really doesn't do much good to our bodies, in fact it is the equivalent to eating white bread, in a certain sense!
This problem began by my obsession with finding foods that were gluten free and good for me ex: full of fiber and rich nutrients! QUINOA!!!! Now there are many grains out there now that are gluten free and good for the body, but I find quinoa to be the most versatile. I can eat it for breakfast, and in a salad for lunch and as a replacement for rice at dinner (usually don't do this cause that would be way too much quinoa in one day!)
Quinoa is an ancient grain from South America, it is full of protein and fiber (for about 1/4 of a cup 4g of fiber and 6g of protein). It has a nutty flavour and can be bought as a grain, flakes or puffed (cereal). The grain is the most versatile but the flakes are great to add to baking or make a quick breakfast (just add hot water, mix and go!).
Here is a quick and easy salad recipe, which happens to also be vegan/vegetarian! I am not adding any real measurements because it is very free flowing and I suggest you experiment with how you like the taste!
Yummy quinoa salad
2 cups Quinoa
1 mango, chopped
1 cup, chopped asparagus
1 red and yellow pepper, chopped
dressing:
flax or hemp oil
apple cider vinegar
cinnamon
red pepper flakes (optional to add some spice)
Mix and enjoy! This is great added to some grilled tofu or meat of your choice. Its also very helpful to taste the dressing as you go to make sure you like how it tastes and then tweak it to your liking!
I also like to eat quinoa by cooking up a batch, adding some soy milk or almond milk, with a few chopped nuts and brown sugar (or maple syrup). YUM!!!!
As always, I would love your feedback so send it my way!
Have a great day experimenting with quinoa, it too may become your new BFF!
Ally :)
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
More Hidden Gluten and Fun facts about tax
Hello fellow gluten free friends!
I want to make a quick note today on hidden gluten.... yes, gluten can hide in anything from shampoo to miracle whip.
I will make this short and sweet and put the offer/challenge out to others who find hidden gluten in their products to list it here as a comment.
A few things that are important to look for are hair products, make-up and toothpaste, because all of these go directly on your skin and close to your mouth. It is also very very very (can't stress this enough), important for people who have a skin reaction to gluten : dermatitis herpetiformis. This skin disease can feel itchy, look red and look,feel, seem like an allergic reaction.
I recently noticed that some products from Aveda have wheat protein listed on their ingredients, as well as the Aveeno products, which, almost all, contain a small amount of oats (most likely not the organic GF ones). It would be easy for you if I listed all the names of products that contain gluten, but that list my friends, would be much too long for one wall post. I suggest instead, that you make sure to read all labels before buying your new shampoo or gel, etc.
The reason that hair, body, and face products can cause harm is because of accidental indigestion. In reality, a product containing gluten has had no evidence of making a Celiac person sick, but I can tell you from experience that, that is not always the case.
I used some curl cream the other day with wheat protein, and sure enough I felt a little under the weather for the next few hours. Now usually my reactions happen between 1-3 hours after contamination and I get sick to the point of passing out/having to take gravol to stop from throwing up (I know I'm not painting you a pretty picture right now). Followed by my being sick for a day or two afterwards..... This did not happen when I used the hair product, I simply felt a little ill and had to lie down. Needless to say, if you can, stay away from products containing gluten.
A big fear with face or lip products, is that the gluten will get into your mouth, get absorbed and then make you sick...... now ask yourself, where those pretty pink lips really worth the hours of pain? I think not!
Now I'm sure this all seems a little much, which is why I have provided you with a link to a website that sells GF products, yay!! Not only are Green Beaver products earth friendly, but they are also made in Canada: http://www.greenbeaver.com/
There are many other companies out there, but I have found Green Beaver to be everything I need!
Secondly, hidden glutens in medication! This one can be tricky because not all medications will indicate what allergens are contained in their products. An easy way to bypass this problem is to talk to your local pharmacist. They usually have a book or some resource to find out the answer for you. This is very important, because some brands can coat their medicine with gluten containing ingredients... I have no idea what they would think this was a good idea!!!
Lastly, as promised above, I had to let you all know that you can claim celiac disease/buying gluten free items on your taxes. So make sure to check that out!! If your going to spend up to 5x more money than your neighbour on food, you might as well get something back for it right!!!
Hope that helps. Happy Gluten Free shopping.
Cheers,
Ally :)
"Our greatest fear is not in our lack of experience or knowledge, but in our hidden potential"
I want to make a quick note today on hidden gluten.... yes, gluten can hide in anything from shampoo to miracle whip.
I will make this short and sweet and put the offer/challenge out to others who find hidden gluten in their products to list it here as a comment.
A few things that are important to look for are hair products, make-up and toothpaste, because all of these go directly on your skin and close to your mouth. It is also very very very (can't stress this enough), important for people who have a skin reaction to gluten : dermatitis herpetiformis. This skin disease can feel itchy, look red and look,feel, seem like an allergic reaction.
I recently noticed that some products from Aveda have wheat protein listed on their ingredients, as well as the Aveeno products, which, almost all, contain a small amount of oats (most likely not the organic GF ones). It would be easy for you if I listed all the names of products that contain gluten, but that list my friends, would be much too long for one wall post. I suggest instead, that you make sure to read all labels before buying your new shampoo or gel, etc.
The reason that hair, body, and face products can cause harm is because of accidental indigestion. In reality, a product containing gluten has had no evidence of making a Celiac person sick, but I can tell you from experience that, that is not always the case.
I used some curl cream the other day with wheat protein, and sure enough I felt a little under the weather for the next few hours. Now usually my reactions happen between 1-3 hours after contamination and I get sick to the point of passing out/having to take gravol to stop from throwing up (I know I'm not painting you a pretty picture right now). Followed by my being sick for a day or two afterwards..... This did not happen when I used the hair product, I simply felt a little ill and had to lie down. Needless to say, if you can, stay away from products containing gluten.
A big fear with face or lip products, is that the gluten will get into your mouth, get absorbed and then make you sick...... now ask yourself, where those pretty pink lips really worth the hours of pain? I think not!
Now I'm sure this all seems a little much, which is why I have provided you with a link to a website that sells GF products, yay!! Not only are Green Beaver products earth friendly, but they are also made in Canada: http://www.greenbeaver.com/
There are many other companies out there, but I have found Green Beaver to be everything I need!
Secondly, hidden glutens in medication! This one can be tricky because not all medications will indicate what allergens are contained in their products. An easy way to bypass this problem is to talk to your local pharmacist. They usually have a book or some resource to find out the answer for you. This is very important, because some brands can coat their medicine with gluten containing ingredients... I have no idea what they would think this was a good idea!!!
Lastly, as promised above, I had to let you all know that you can claim celiac disease/buying gluten free items on your taxes. So make sure to check that out!! If your going to spend up to 5x more money than your neighbour on food, you might as well get something back for it right!!!
Hope that helps. Happy Gluten Free shopping.
Cheers,
Ally :)
"Our greatest fear is not in our lack of experience or knowledge, but in our hidden potential"
Friday, March 13, 2009
Hidden Gluten - Flavoured Tea and drinks
Good morning!
I was drinking tea at work the other day, and my co-worker asked me to try this new white tea from Lipton (i think). I thought, why not.... sounds interesting! Now usually I am pretty good at reading labels, but this time I only thought to look at the ingredients after pouring my cup, but before taking a sip. Turns out the artificial flavour in my tea contained wheat. Let this be a lesson to all of you who love tea, or anything with artificial flavour. Always, always , always read the labels.
Secondly, citric acid made in other countries other than the US and Canada, can also contain gluten so make sure to read the labels. And if you are planning a trip down south, be careful with the drinks that you choose to have at the open bar, they could contain citric acid.
Usually sour tasting drinks will have citric acid, as it tends to make a drink taste sour without it being too overpowering. I always opt for some spirit such as vodka with lime and perrier, or water!
I also want to point out that not all alcohol is gluten free. This was another one of the" find out the hard way" experiences. Generally vodka, gin and rum are gluten free, so long as they are not disitilled with grains. The more expensive vodka's are distilled with wheat...... so be very careful! I always opt for Sky Vodka, or any other cheaper kind. Its best to check with your liquor store.
You should also watch out for drinks at bars, but luckily most use fairly cheap alcohol when they are making your $10 drinks.
I'm sure that this is going to sound crazy too some of you.... we already need to look at every single food label, why do we also have to look at drinks. How can gluten, a substance that helps make things stick, be in our drinks?? Well, truth is, gluten is found in so many common foods because it is a great "filler" and lets be honest, none of us want to be eating filler anyway. We want to enjoy eating food that makes us feel great!!! So start reading every label before you buy or consume a product! It is much better to be safe than sorry.
Ok, now to end this week on a positive note! Flourless GF peanut butter cookies. The recipe below makes the BEST cookies ever!!!! I have made them for my family, friends and even some boys, who loved them! Enjoy :)
Peanut Butter Cookies
1 cup super chunky peanut butter (I use the organic kind from the Superstore, no additives, just roasted peanuts!!)
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup miniature dark chocolate chips (optional)
Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients until well blended, spoon onto cookie sheet in small round balls. Use a fork, dip in hot water and flatten cookie tops. (The hot water helps the dough not stick on the fork). Bake for 10 minutes, depending on your oven. Cookies should look a little puffed and edges turning brown. Let cool for 5 mins.... toughest part because you really want to eat them, I know!!!! Indulge with a big glass of soy milk, or skim milk if you are able to tolerate lactose!
I hope this recipe starts your weekend off on the right foot! It always helps me:)
Have a great weekend and keep your feedback coming! Look out for my where to eat guide for Montreal and Toronto coming soon.
Happy eating!
Ally
I was drinking tea at work the other day, and my co-worker asked me to try this new white tea from Lipton (i think). I thought, why not.... sounds interesting! Now usually I am pretty good at reading labels, but this time I only thought to look at the ingredients after pouring my cup, but before taking a sip. Turns out the artificial flavour in my tea contained wheat. Let this be a lesson to all of you who love tea, or anything with artificial flavour. Always, always , always read the labels.
Secondly, citric acid made in other countries other than the US and Canada, can also contain gluten so make sure to read the labels. And if you are planning a trip down south, be careful with the drinks that you choose to have at the open bar, they could contain citric acid.
Usually sour tasting drinks will have citric acid, as it tends to make a drink taste sour without it being too overpowering. I always opt for some spirit such as vodka with lime and perrier, or water!
I also want to point out that not all alcohol is gluten free. This was another one of the" find out the hard way" experiences. Generally vodka, gin and rum are gluten free, so long as they are not disitilled with grains. The more expensive vodka's are distilled with wheat...... so be very careful! I always opt for Sky Vodka, or any other cheaper kind. Its best to check with your liquor store.
You should also watch out for drinks at bars, but luckily most use fairly cheap alcohol when they are making your $10 drinks.
I'm sure that this is going to sound crazy too some of you.... we already need to look at every single food label, why do we also have to look at drinks. How can gluten, a substance that helps make things stick, be in our drinks?? Well, truth is, gluten is found in so many common foods because it is a great "filler" and lets be honest, none of us want to be eating filler anyway. We want to enjoy eating food that makes us feel great!!! So start reading every label before you buy or consume a product! It is much better to be safe than sorry.
Ok, now to end this week on a positive note! Flourless GF peanut butter cookies. The recipe below makes the BEST cookies ever!!!! I have made them for my family, friends and even some boys, who loved them! Enjoy :)
Peanut Butter Cookies
1 cup super chunky peanut butter (I use the organic kind from the Superstore, no additives, just roasted peanuts!!)
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup miniature dark chocolate chips (optional)
Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients until well blended, spoon onto cookie sheet in small round balls. Use a fork, dip in hot water and flatten cookie tops. (The hot water helps the dough not stick on the fork). Bake for 10 minutes, depending on your oven. Cookies should look a little puffed and edges turning brown. Let cool for 5 mins.... toughest part because you really want to eat them, I know!!!! Indulge with a big glass of soy milk, or skim milk if you are able to tolerate lactose!
I hope this recipe starts your weekend off on the right foot! It always helps me:)
Have a great weekend and keep your feedback coming! Look out for my where to eat guide for Montreal and Toronto coming soon.
Happy eating!
Ally
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Gluten Free in Atlantic Canada
So you've decided to venture out and travel around our beautiful east coast!! Fear not my gluten free friends, for I have found some wonderful stops for you along the way!
I'm from Fredericton, and always found it so difficult to eat out at restaurants, until I moved to Halifax and realized that there is a world of GF food out there! I have since been down to New Orleans, New York, Boston, California, Oregon among many other cities. I will try and be as helpful as possible to all of you, but also welcome comments on great places that I may not have come across yet.
Ok so here we go, a list of restaurants and travel tricks that make GF travelling a breeze!
1) always bring along energy bars, GF pasta and some dried fruits and nuts. You can always fall back on these staples when there really is no where to stop other than the Irving stock piled with unhealthy chips and pop.
2) Most fast restaurants nowadays have a list of GF items on their corporate site. McDonald's, Wendy's and Tim Horton's have been surprisingly good at posting the nutritional information in their products. I know that some people have had success with ordering a burger without the bun, and bringing their own, so satisfy the need for food! I usually just opt for the salad when I'm in a desperate situation *** but be careful with the dressing***
3) When all else fails, a good smoothie with added protein powder works well too!! I was once travelling for two days on a bus and had very little food, so I survived by buying smoothies or energy drinks (no red bull but stuff like the Aquafina plus) and adding a protein powder to it: this way you get protein and nutrients, without completely starving yourself. However, I would not recommend this for a long period of time, because you do get hungry!
Enough about tricks on how to just deal with travelling, below is a list of great restaurants, that I whole heatedly think anyone with Celiac's should try! I've only listed the restaurants that are fully gluten free. As stated above, if you want to go to a chain restaurant, such as Boston Pizza, it is usually fine to check out their website beforehand or ask the server for their allergy book as soon as you sit down. Generally they will send out a manager to speak with you.
Moncton:
1. Calactus restaurant
125 Church Street, (506) 388-4833
*** this is an AMAZING vegetarian, gluten free restaurant!!!**
2. Rosie's Gluten Free Gourmet/Chesnut Bistro
620 Coverdale Road, Riverview NB
http://www.rosiesglutenfree.com/
506-855-5988
** you can also buy Rosie's stuff at most supermarket's now! I love her pizza and lasagna, and cookies.... I could go on!!**
Fredericton
1. The Blue Door
100 Regent Street, (506) 455-2583
** this is a pricier restaurant, but with a GF beside all items on the menu that are gluten free**
2. Brewbaker's Restaurant
http://www.brewbakers.ca/
546 King Street, (506) 459-0067
**another pricier restaurant, but very yummy! You can even have GF dessert**
3. The Delta Hotel
** now this is more of a side note, but I was there on conference a few weeks ago, and received a fully GF breakfast, snack, lunch and dinner which included GF bread, pasta, cinnamon roll and cookies. They really went out of their way to make my day as normal as possible**
Saint John
1. Swiss Chalet
86 Consumers Dr ,(506) 657-9477
**I have not been in a while, but when I was there past, they brought me out a separate GF menu. It was great! **
- if anyone from Saint John is on this site, please post a comment on where to eat in your town. I have not been to any place other than Swiss Chalet, and would love your input on local fare. Thanks!-
Halifax (by far my favourite GF city other than Toronto or Vancouver)
1. Wooden Monkey
1685 Argyle Street, (902)444.3844
http://www.thewoodenmonkey.ca/
**Amazing, local, and fresh! This restaurant has it all, including lots of options for GF, including pizza. A little pricier than some, but worth every cent**
2. Morris East
5212 Morris St, 902.444.7663
http://www.morriseast.com/
**GF Pizza, wood fired..... yum!!!! need I say more?**
3. Talay Thai
1261 Barrington St.
http://talaythaihalifax.com/
** If you like thai food, please go hear and eat amazing thai food, that is GF and at a great price**
4. Bann Thai
1569 Dresden Row
http://www.baanthai.ca/
**This is a new thai restaurant, but also one of my favourite places to go in Halifax**
5. The Cellar
5677 Brenton Place
(902) 492-4412
** GF dessert, and Pasta!!! Go here for a great pasta dish, some good wine and mouth watering dessert**
6. Local Joe's Coffee Shop
2959 oxford street, (902) 455-6225
** GF cookies and treats to eat while you sip on your fair trade coffee or latte**
7. Pete's Frootique
http://www.petesfrootique.com/
** another great place to get a quick salad or smoothie and go**
8. Hamachi House
5190 Morris Street
*GF sushi and gf soy sauce and miso soup. This place is amazing. Best sushi in Halifax**
http://www.hamachirestaurants.com/morris_street/index.html
9. Check out the Saturday morning market for locale treats that are gluten free. Big Life makes GF turnovers and pizza, which are so awesome!
PEI
I've just been searching online and found a forum that may be helpful for people travelling to PEI: http://www.celiac.com/gluten-free/lofiversion/index.php/t5864.html.
Safe travels and enjoy gluten free food all along your road through Atlantic Canada. If anyone has comments or knows of other places in Nova Scotia or Newfoundland, please post a comment.Thanks!
Enjoy your day:)
Ally
I'm from Fredericton, and always found it so difficult to eat out at restaurants, until I moved to Halifax and realized that there is a world of GF food out there! I have since been down to New Orleans, New York, Boston, California, Oregon among many other cities. I will try and be as helpful as possible to all of you, but also welcome comments on great places that I may not have come across yet.
Ok so here we go, a list of restaurants and travel tricks that make GF travelling a breeze!
1) always bring along energy bars, GF pasta and some dried fruits and nuts. You can always fall back on these staples when there really is no where to stop other than the Irving stock piled with unhealthy chips and pop.
2) Most fast restaurants nowadays have a list of GF items on their corporate site. McDonald's, Wendy's and Tim Horton's have been surprisingly good at posting the nutritional information in their products. I know that some people have had success with ordering a burger without the bun, and bringing their own, so satisfy the need for food! I usually just opt for the salad when I'm in a desperate situation *** but be careful with the dressing***
3) When all else fails, a good smoothie with added protein powder works well too!! I was once travelling for two days on a bus and had very little food, so I survived by buying smoothies or energy drinks (no red bull but stuff like the Aquafina plus) and adding a protein powder to it: this way you get protein and nutrients, without completely starving yourself. However, I would not recommend this for a long period of time, because you do get hungry!
Enough about tricks on how to just deal with travelling, below is a list of great restaurants, that I whole heatedly think anyone with Celiac's should try! I've only listed the restaurants that are fully gluten free. As stated above, if you want to go to a chain restaurant, such as Boston Pizza, it is usually fine to check out their website beforehand or ask the server for their allergy book as soon as you sit down. Generally they will send out a manager to speak with you.
Moncton:
1. Calactus restaurant
125 Church Street, (506) 388-4833
*** this is an AMAZING vegetarian, gluten free restaurant!!!**
2. Rosie's Gluten Free Gourmet/Chesnut Bistro
620 Coverdale Road, Riverview NB
http://www.rosiesglutenfree.com/
506-855-5988
** you can also buy Rosie's stuff at most supermarket's now! I love her pizza and lasagna, and cookies.... I could go on!!**
Fredericton
1. The Blue Door
100 Regent Street, (506) 455-2583
** this is a pricier restaurant, but with a GF beside all items on the menu that are gluten free**
2. Brewbaker's Restaurant
http://www.brewbakers.ca/
546 King Street, (506) 459-0067
**another pricier restaurant, but very yummy! You can even have GF dessert**
3. The Delta Hotel
** now this is more of a side note, but I was there on conference a few weeks ago, and received a fully GF breakfast, snack, lunch and dinner which included GF bread, pasta, cinnamon roll and cookies. They really went out of their way to make my day as normal as possible**
Saint John
1. Swiss Chalet
86 Consumers Dr ,(506) 657-9477
**I have not been in a while, but when I was there past, they brought me out a separate GF menu. It was great! **
- if anyone from Saint John is on this site, please post a comment on where to eat in your town. I have not been to any place other than Swiss Chalet, and would love your input on local fare. Thanks!-
Halifax (by far my favourite GF city other than Toronto or Vancouver)
1. Wooden Monkey
1685 Argyle Street, (902)444.3844
http://www.thewoodenmonkey.ca/
**Amazing, local, and fresh! This restaurant has it all, including lots of options for GF, including pizza. A little pricier than some, but worth every cent**
2. Morris East
5212 Morris St, 902.444.7663
http://www.morriseast.com/
**GF Pizza, wood fired..... yum!!!! need I say more?**
3. Talay Thai
1261 Barrington St.
http://talaythaihalifax.com/
** If you like thai food, please go hear and eat amazing thai food, that is GF and at a great price**
4. Bann Thai
1569 Dresden Row
http://www.baanthai.ca/
**This is a new thai restaurant, but also one of my favourite places to go in Halifax**
5. The Cellar
5677 Brenton Place
(902) 492-4412
** GF dessert, and Pasta!!! Go here for a great pasta dish, some good wine and mouth watering dessert**
6. Local Joe's Coffee Shop
2959 oxford street, (902) 455-6225
** GF cookies and treats to eat while you sip on your fair trade coffee or latte**
7. Pete's Frootique
http://www.petesfrootique.com/
** another great place to get a quick salad or smoothie and go**
8. Hamachi House
5190 Morris Street
*GF sushi and gf soy sauce and miso soup. This place is amazing. Best sushi in Halifax**
http://www.hamachirestaurants.com/morris_street/index.html
9. Check out the Saturday morning market for locale treats that are gluten free. Big Life makes GF turnovers and pizza, which are so awesome!
PEI
I've just been searching online and found a forum that may be helpful for people travelling to PEI: http://www.celiac.com/gluten-free/lofiversion/index.php/t5864.html.
Safe travels and enjoy gluten free food all along your road through Atlantic Canada. If anyone has comments or knows of other places in Nova Scotia or Newfoundland, please post a comment.Thanks!
Enjoy your day:)
Ally
Monday, March 9, 2009
The basics
Good morning fellow celiacs!
I thought that a post on what, where, when and how would be important, before I dive into other recipes and alternative medicines. This post is going to be my simple version of celiac.... the one that your doctor decided not to give you!
The way I always explain this disease is by showing people my little fingers (picture me wiggling little fingers at people). These "fingers" are called villi, and can be found in our intestine. When people with celiac eat gluten, we kill the villi... it's as though our fingers get cut off.
-I'm going to back track for a moment to explain that villi are what absorbs all of our nutrients and minerals. This is also a reason why people who have celiac, but aren't diagnosed yet, and still eat gluten, tend to not gain weight and seem almost fragile. This is also why a GF diet is so important to fighting off other diseases that can erupt from malnutrition. When our system stops absorbing nutrients we become prone to other diseases: stomach cancer, osteoporosis, etc. Here is a link to information on celiac disease: http://www.celiac.com/
Ok, so our little fingers are cut off, what do we do now? Well, the benefits of a GF diet are not only going to start making you feel better, but will also allow your villi to grow back and begin absorbing the oh so important vitamins and minerals.
Some key pointers to think about when you are trying to rebuild your system after being diagnosed are:
1- buy a very good multi-vitamin, you may also want to try to buy an older adults vitamin, because the doses tend to be higher. I also want to point out that not all vitamins are equal. Most, in fact, are not easy to digest and therefore get lost on your system, and not absorbed. A really great brand, that is also cost effective is : Quest http://www.questvitamins.com/. or you can try a chewable multi-vitamin.
I still use a multi-vitamin and probably always will. I also started my system off with an iron supplement, a vit-D supplement and a few others depending on what my blood tests showed. It is very important for you to go see a nutritionist and get the proper blood work done, in order to assess how messed up your system is due to eating gluten.
2- probiotics are a great way to help your stomach heal! It does not taste good (kind of sour yogurt). But if you mix your probiotic yogurt (bio-k is a good brand) with flavoured yogurt or fruit, it tastes much better. You can also choose to buy it in pill form, for easier consumption.
I know that it,s tough to deal with all the pain and discomfort of being diagnosed, changing your whole diet, and still not seeing a difference. But it takes time!!!!! It took me about two years to get fully healed, and its still a work in progress everyday, as I try new foods. For a while, I was also lactose intolerant and kept thinking, why me??
Here are a few tricks in case you find yourself in a similar situation:
1- lactaid pills are you friend! lactase, the enzyme that breaks down the lactose is found in this magical little pills that allow you to eat ice cream and cheese. You can buy lactaid pills at any drugstore.
2- once your body has been on a GF diet for a while, it will begin to accept milk.... once again it just takes time!!
3- as mentioned above, consulting a dietitian to help you make a good eating plan, is crucial to proper health and a good recovery.
Lucky for us, gluten free or carb free diets are becoming popular, and its must easier to find alternatives with no bread and gluten when you browse through the grocery store. Its also so much easier to find lactose free items in your milk section.
I should also mention that your local celiac chapter can be a great source of support when you are first diagnosed. check out this site to find your local chapter: http://www.celiac.ca/EnglishCCA/echptr.html
Now if any of you are from around New Brunswick, and if you are lucky enough to live near the moncton area, go buy some Rosie's GF pizza and treat yourself to the best gluten free dinner! Here is her website: http://www.rosiesglutenfree.com/
Check out tomorrow's post when I start listing all of my favourite restaurants around North America, starting with Atlantic Canada!
Have a great day!
Cheers,
Ally
" Try something new everyday, you may surprise yourself!"
I thought that a post on what, where, when and how would be important, before I dive into other recipes and alternative medicines. This post is going to be my simple version of celiac.... the one that your doctor decided not to give you!
The way I always explain this disease is by showing people my little fingers (picture me wiggling little fingers at people). These "fingers" are called villi, and can be found in our intestine. When people with celiac eat gluten, we kill the villi... it's as though our fingers get cut off.
-I'm going to back track for a moment to explain that villi are what absorbs all of our nutrients and minerals. This is also a reason why people who have celiac, but aren't diagnosed yet, and still eat gluten, tend to not gain weight and seem almost fragile. This is also why a GF diet is so important to fighting off other diseases that can erupt from malnutrition. When our system stops absorbing nutrients we become prone to other diseases: stomach cancer, osteoporosis, etc. Here is a link to information on celiac disease: http://www.celiac.com/
Ok, so our little fingers are cut off, what do we do now? Well, the benefits of a GF diet are not only going to start making you feel better, but will also allow your villi to grow back and begin absorbing the oh so important vitamins and minerals.
Some key pointers to think about when you are trying to rebuild your system after being diagnosed are:
1- buy a very good multi-vitamin, you may also want to try to buy an older adults vitamin, because the doses tend to be higher. I also want to point out that not all vitamins are equal. Most, in fact, are not easy to digest and therefore get lost on your system, and not absorbed. A really great brand, that is also cost effective is : Quest http://www.questvitamins.com/. or you can try a chewable multi-vitamin.
I still use a multi-vitamin and probably always will. I also started my system off with an iron supplement, a vit-D supplement and a few others depending on what my blood tests showed. It is very important for you to go see a nutritionist and get the proper blood work done, in order to assess how messed up your system is due to eating gluten.
2- probiotics are a great way to help your stomach heal! It does not taste good (kind of sour yogurt). But if you mix your probiotic yogurt (bio-k is a good brand) with flavoured yogurt or fruit, it tastes much better. You can also choose to buy it in pill form, for easier consumption.
I know that it,s tough to deal with all the pain and discomfort of being diagnosed, changing your whole diet, and still not seeing a difference. But it takes time!!!!! It took me about two years to get fully healed, and its still a work in progress everyday, as I try new foods. For a while, I was also lactose intolerant and kept thinking, why me??
Here are a few tricks in case you find yourself in a similar situation:
1- lactaid pills are you friend! lactase, the enzyme that breaks down the lactose is found in this magical little pills that allow you to eat ice cream and cheese. You can buy lactaid pills at any drugstore.
2- once your body has been on a GF diet for a while, it will begin to accept milk.... once again it just takes time!!
3- as mentioned above, consulting a dietitian to help you make a good eating plan, is crucial to proper health and a good recovery.
Lucky for us, gluten free or carb free diets are becoming popular, and its must easier to find alternatives with no bread and gluten when you browse through the grocery store. Its also so much easier to find lactose free items in your milk section.
I should also mention that your local celiac chapter can be a great source of support when you are first diagnosed. check out this site to find your local chapter: http://www.celiac.ca/EnglishCCA/echptr.html
Now if any of you are from around New Brunswick, and if you are lucky enough to live near the moncton area, go buy some Rosie's GF pizza and treat yourself to the best gluten free dinner! Here is her website: http://www.rosiesglutenfree.com/
Check out tomorrow's post when I start listing all of my favourite restaurants around North America, starting with Atlantic Canada!
Have a great day!
Cheers,
Ally
" Try something new everyday, you may surprise yourself!"
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Fiber filled breakfast items!
As promised, I woke up this morning eager to talk about fiber.... the most challenging part to a gluten free diet. When I was first diagnosed, I racked my brain trying to figure out how I was going to eat bread that didn't taste like cardboard. The first loaf I bought was from Sobey's and it crumbled in my hand before I could even taste it. This was the first breaking point, and also the time when I realized there had to be a better way to eat. Lucky for me, it was also at this time that companies started making decent frozen breads.
Frozen breads are a great, quick way to make sandwiches and toast, but if you're looking for a fiber filled, great tasting bread I recommend buying a bread maker. Not only can you tweak the recipes to your liking, but you also get to smell fresh baked bread every week! You should always cook your bread on the quick setting, for light crust; the reason being that GF flours have different properties than normal flour. Its also nice that companies have started making their machines with a GF options, which allows the bread to cook up very nicely. Here is a links to GF bread makers:
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00820639000P
This link is to the sears website, and the Cuisinart brand of bread maker. This one is particularly good, with a great price tag. $150 is generally the average price for a good bread maker!
** have patience when attempting to first make bread, you may encounter some problems such as flat bread, overcooking or under cooking, these problems can all be fixed by changing the amount of yeast, water and cooking time, most cook books will help you figure out what your problem may be: I recommend Betty Hagman's Gluten Free Gourmet series**
Moving on to cereal! Most GF cereals have very little fiber, due to the fact that they are made primarily from rice or corn. This means that they are also highly ranked on our glycemic index(GI) chart ( this means that corn and rice have a tendency to elevate our blood sugar levels). I won't go into detail now, but in general, we want to be eating foods with a low or moderate GI.
That being said, great alternatives are: oats, quinoa and buckwheat. Most grocery stores and specialty food stores have cereals made with these grains.
Quinoa is a nutty grain, packed full of protein and fiber. It is also very versatile and can be used as a replacement for rice or potatoes. Quinoa may look weird to cook at first, but the general rule is 1 cup quinoa, 2 cups water and 15 mins of boiling/simmering time. You can also find quinoa flakes which require very little prep time: simply add hot water, mix and eat!
Oats must be from a wheat free producer, and some celiacs still have problems digesting oats, and therefore I would recommend to limit your intake. A great company is Speerville Oats (http://www.speervilleflourmill.ca/product_list.htm) and Creamhill Estates (http://www.creamhillestates.com/en_order.php). I always add nuts and seeds to my oatmeal to make it that much better! try adding a little chopped apple or banana for a change.
Buckwheat flour is great to use in pancake mix and baking, but be careful because pre-made mixes containing buckwheat, tend to also have wheat flour. It is always wise to look for that GF symbol or writing. Buckwheat can also be bought in its unprocessed form and cooked up to make cereal.
I have also found satisfaction in drinking smoothies for breakfast, because they are jam packed with protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Its a great way to start your day! I simply add some frozen fruit, Vega smoothie powder (or your choice of protein supplement), soy milk and blend! I like the Vega supplement because it is plant based and mixes really well with fruits ( check out my links to learn more about the Vega products).
Well that's a lot of information in one post, so I'm going to end it with a yummy recipe from the book Thrive (http://www.amazon.com/reader/0738212547/180-7062401-5090211?%5Fencoding=UTF8&ref%5F=sib%5Fdp%5Fpt#reader)
Toasted Apple Almond Cereal
Toasted Almond Cereal:
1 apple, chopped
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup GF oats or quinoa (cooked)
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup Vega Smoothie Supplement
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
mix 1/2 cup flax oil with 1/2 molasses and add to dry mix.pour out onto baking sheet, and cook at 250 for 1 hour, let cook, break apart and store in fridge.
This cereal is so great in the morning!
And for those of you with kids, look for cereals and waffles from Nature's Path: http://www.naturespath.com/. These can usually be found at the Superstore and other chain grocery stores. I turn to them for convenience and a little treat (I love the Peanut Butter Panda Puffs).
Have a great Gluten-Free day!
Cheers,
Ally
Frozen breads are a great, quick way to make sandwiches and toast, but if you're looking for a fiber filled, great tasting bread I recommend buying a bread maker. Not only can you tweak the recipes to your liking, but you also get to smell fresh baked bread every week! You should always cook your bread on the quick setting, for light crust; the reason being that GF flours have different properties than normal flour. Its also nice that companies have started making their machines with a GF options, which allows the bread to cook up very nicely. Here is a links to GF bread makers:
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00820639000P
This link is to the sears website, and the Cuisinart brand of bread maker. This one is particularly good, with a great price tag. $150 is generally the average price for a good bread maker!
** have patience when attempting to first make bread, you may encounter some problems such as flat bread, overcooking or under cooking, these problems can all be fixed by changing the amount of yeast, water and cooking time, most cook books will help you figure out what your problem may be: I recommend Betty Hagman's Gluten Free Gourmet series**
Moving on to cereal! Most GF cereals have very little fiber, due to the fact that they are made primarily from rice or corn. This means that they are also highly ranked on our glycemic index(GI) chart ( this means that corn and rice have a tendency to elevate our blood sugar levels). I won't go into detail now, but in general, we want to be eating foods with a low or moderate GI.
That being said, great alternatives are: oats, quinoa and buckwheat. Most grocery stores and specialty food stores have cereals made with these grains.
Quinoa is a nutty grain, packed full of protein and fiber. It is also very versatile and can be used as a replacement for rice or potatoes. Quinoa may look weird to cook at first, but the general rule is 1 cup quinoa, 2 cups water and 15 mins of boiling/simmering time. You can also find quinoa flakes which require very little prep time: simply add hot water, mix and eat!
Oats must be from a wheat free producer, and some celiacs still have problems digesting oats, and therefore I would recommend to limit your intake. A great company is Speerville Oats (http://www.speervilleflourmill.ca/product_list.htm) and Creamhill Estates (http://www.creamhillestates.com/en_order.php). I always add nuts and seeds to my oatmeal to make it that much better! try adding a little chopped apple or banana for a change.
Buckwheat flour is great to use in pancake mix and baking, but be careful because pre-made mixes containing buckwheat, tend to also have wheat flour. It is always wise to look for that GF symbol or writing. Buckwheat can also be bought in its unprocessed form and cooked up to make cereal.
I have also found satisfaction in drinking smoothies for breakfast, because they are jam packed with protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Its a great way to start your day! I simply add some frozen fruit, Vega smoothie powder (or your choice of protein supplement), soy milk and blend! I like the Vega supplement because it is plant based and mixes really well with fruits ( check out my links to learn more about the Vega products).
Well that's a lot of information in one post, so I'm going to end it with a yummy recipe from the book Thrive (http://www.amazon.com/reader/0738212547/180-7062401-5090211?%5Fencoding=UTF8&ref%5F=sib%5Fdp%5Fpt#reader)
Toasted Apple Almond Cereal
Toasted Almond Cereal:
1 apple, chopped
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup GF oats or quinoa (cooked)
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup Vega Smoothie Supplement
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
mix 1/2 cup flax oil with 1/2 molasses and add to dry mix.pour out onto baking sheet, and cook at 250 for 1 hour, let cook, break apart and store in fridge.
This cereal is so great in the morning!
And for those of you with kids, look for cereals and waffles from Nature's Path: http://www.naturespath.com/. These can usually be found at the Superstore and other chain grocery stores. I turn to them for convenience and a little treat (I love the Peanut Butter Panda Puffs).
Have a great Gluten-Free day!
Cheers,
Ally
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
First Post - General GF Info and a Microwaveable Chocolate Cake
Good morning!
Six years of Celiac disease and countless trips around North America has brought me to create a blog dedicated to helping others with celiac disease (and other allergies) find restaurants, information and support in one place. I have done research on Vegan diets, Alkaline Diets, Sugar free diets.... you name, I've tried it, along with being Celiac. I figured I needed a place to let others know what has worked for me and what hasn't so here it is! I will continue to update this site, and hope you will add your comments to help get this information out there.
So you've been told you have Celiac... sucks doesn't it! Lucky for you I've already gone through the withdrawals, cravings and horrible feeling of being the odd girl with weird food. Keep on reading to find out what little tricks helped me in the beginning.
Tips and Tricks:
1) Go buy a bread maker!! GF bread tastes really bad if bought from the store, but there are frozen breads that are good. El Peto, and O-Dough's are great here in Canada. Otherwise, I always made my own bread, and then you can tweak it to add fiber, and fruit, etc. to make it healthier.
2) Cooking with bean flours, and buckwheat and quinoa will add a lot of fiber and protein. It saves you from having to eat processed white rice flour and corn starch, which are in most pre-made gluten free mixes.
3) Overall, the diet can be hard to get used to, but taking the time to make good snacks, will make is so much easier to transition. Owning a great cook book, and going to Bulk Barn and Scoop and Save to stock up on GF flours and mixes is really the key! I say this, because the pre-made GF breads are not good, and will make you think that Celiac's is the end of the world (I know it happened to me, and it wasn't funny trying to deal with the way my body reacted to eating gluten, after being GF for 3 months).
4) Cheating: As I mentioned above, cheating is not a great idea, even if you only get slightly ill when you eat gluten. Its a lifelong disease, and the secondary effects, such as stomach cancer, osteoporosis, etc. are very real. It also takes a while for your body to heal, it took me two years, and therefore patience is also key to not going insane!
5) Supplements! Buying a good multi-vitamin and using protein powder are two staples to my diet. I love the stuff from : http://sequelnaturals.com/vega. (I will post a fibre filled granola recupe tomorrow)
6) finally, here is a website that lists what companies have GF options:http://www.celiac.com. You can browse this website for information!
7) oh and I forgot to mention that there is GF beer, called "La Mesagere" and you can get it at the liquor store downtown, or order it!
As promised in my title, here is the recipe for an awesome mid day treat to share with co-workers who think that your disease is just plain weird....
________________________________________________________________________
Microwaveable Chocolate Cake:
3 tbsp GF cake mix, I really like the El Peto products
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 egg
3 tbsp milk ( i use almond milk to make it lactose free)
3 tbsp oil
mix in a mug, microwave on high for 3 minutes. Surprise, you have a spongy GF chocolate cake
Enjoy!
Watch out for tomorrow's recipe and blog about fiber and celiac disease
Cheers:)
Ally
Six years of Celiac disease and countless trips around North America has brought me to create a blog dedicated to helping others with celiac disease (and other allergies) find restaurants, information and support in one place. I have done research on Vegan diets, Alkaline Diets, Sugar free diets.... you name, I've tried it, along with being Celiac. I figured I needed a place to let others know what has worked for me and what hasn't so here it is! I will continue to update this site, and hope you will add your comments to help get this information out there.
So you've been told you have Celiac... sucks doesn't it! Lucky for you I've already gone through the withdrawals, cravings and horrible feeling of being the odd girl with weird food. Keep on reading to find out what little tricks helped me in the beginning.
Tips and Tricks:
1) Go buy a bread maker!! GF bread tastes really bad if bought from the store, but there are frozen breads that are good. El Peto, and O-Dough's are great here in Canada. Otherwise, I always made my own bread, and then you can tweak it to add fiber, and fruit, etc. to make it healthier.
2) Cooking with bean flours, and buckwheat and quinoa will add a lot of fiber and protein. It saves you from having to eat processed white rice flour and corn starch, which are in most pre-made gluten free mixes.
3) Overall, the diet can be hard to get used to, but taking the time to make good snacks, will make is so much easier to transition. Owning a great cook book, and going to Bulk Barn and Scoop and Save to stock up on GF flours and mixes is really the key! I say this, because the pre-made GF breads are not good, and will make you think that Celiac's is the end of the world (I know it happened to me, and it wasn't funny trying to deal with the way my body reacted to eating gluten, after being GF for 3 months).
4) Cheating: As I mentioned above, cheating is not a great idea, even if you only get slightly ill when you eat gluten. Its a lifelong disease, and the secondary effects, such as stomach cancer, osteoporosis, etc. are very real. It also takes a while for your body to heal, it took me two years, and therefore patience is also key to not going insane!
5) Supplements! Buying a good multi-vitamin and using protein powder are two staples to my diet. I love the stuff from : http://sequelnaturals.com/vega. (I will post a fibre filled granola recupe tomorrow)
6) finally, here is a website that lists what companies have GF options:http://www.celiac.com. You can browse this website for information!
7) oh and I forgot to mention that there is GF beer, called "La Mesagere" and you can get it at the liquor store downtown, or order it!
As promised in my title, here is the recipe for an awesome mid day treat to share with co-workers who think that your disease is just plain weird....
________________________________________________________________________
Microwaveable Chocolate Cake:
3 tbsp GF cake mix, I really like the El Peto products
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 egg
3 tbsp milk ( i use almond milk to make it lactose free)
3 tbsp oil
mix in a mug, microwave on high for 3 minutes. Surprise, you have a spongy GF chocolate cake
Enjoy!
Watch out for tomorrow's recipe and blog about fiber and celiac disease
Cheers:)
Ally
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