Surviving In A Gluten Filled World: magazine

Gluten Free Lemon Cake

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Gluten Free Labeling-How to Sift Through the Mess

Tuesday, February 07, 2012

Here's another great, informative article from Better Nutrition's magazine. The more I read the magazine, the better I am loving it. It's full of useful information that can help you lead your life towards, you guessed it, better nutrition!

This article deals with guidelines on gluten free labeling and how to sift through the insanity that is food product labels! I promise, this article will help you and it does get better (just like anything, going gluten free is a learning process, but your health is SO worth it!).

Also, there's an added bonus of a recipe at the end of this article! Banana walnut pancakes! I haven't tried them, but ohh they sound yummy!!

Label Lore

By Melissa Diane Smith

Sure, the package says gluten free, but what does that really mean?

Today, more foods than ever are being labeled “gluten-free.” But did you know that there’s no official definition of “gluten-free” approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)? At least not yet.

The FDA is expected to issue final guidelines on gluten-free labeling later this year. That’s a welcome development, but it’s not the end. You might think that it will make it easier for us to pick foods that are completely devoid of gluten. Unfortunately, it's a little more complicated than that. For the sake of your health, it’s important to understand the issues behind the label.

Setting the Bar

In January 2007, the FDA proposed a rule for gluten-free labeling—foods can be marketed as gluten-free if they contain less than 20 parts per million (ppm) gluten. After four years of inactivity, the FDA reopened a 60-day comment period in autumn 2011 to get feedback on the guidelines.

Hundreds of people wrote in. Some urged the FDA to revise the 20 ppm standard to as low as 5 ppm. Even one of the FDA’s own reports noted that some people with celiac disease can have adverse effects from ingesting much lower amounts than 20 ppm.

Unfortunately, there is limited research and much uncer

tainty about the threshold of gluten toxicity. And the FDA’s final labeling decision isn’t going to change that, no matter what standard the agency chooses.

On the Lookout

So if you think that you’re especially sensitive to gluten, what should you do? Here are some guidelines:

Look for products certified by celiac organizations. The Celiac Sprue Association, the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness/Quality Assurance International, and the Gluten Intolerance Group certify foods that test below 5 or 10 ppm—much stricter standards than the FDA's. For details, see www.csaceliacs.info; www.qai-inc.com; www.gfco.org; and www.celiaccentral.org.
Understand that “gluten-free” doesn’t mean eat with abandon. Though most manufacturers are adhering to the FDA’s proposed guidelines, that still means that foods labeled “gluten-free” could contain up to 20 ppm gluten. If sensitive people eat several such foods throughout the day, the cumulative effect could be too much for them and make them sick.
To err on the side of caution, limit gluten-free packaged foods, and pick and choose the ones you buy carefully.
Watch out for gluten-free grains, seeds, and flours. A study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that nine out of 22 inherently gluten-free products, such as corn and millet, contained mean levels of gluten from 8.5—2,925 ppm. And 32 percent of naturally gluten-free grains and flours contained gluten in amounts greater than 20 ppm. Given these findings, the article concluded that “gluten contamination of inherently gluten-free grains, seeds, and flours is a legitimate concern.” To protect yourself, look for products that are processed in dedicated gluten-free facilities and batch tested for gluten.
Focus your diet on fresh fruits and vegetables and unprocessed meat and fish. These naturally gluten-free foods are the best ways to completely avoid unwanted gluten.Melissa Diane Smith, a nutritionist who specializes in personalizing the gluten-free diet, offers long-distance telephone counseling and coaching services to clients internationally. She is the author of Going Against the Grain and Gluten Free Throughout the Year: A Two-Year, Month-to-Month Guide for Healthy Eating. To learn about her online Going Against the Grain Group or her free newsletter, visit againstthegrainnutrition.com. For info about her books and her long-distance consultations and nutrition coaching programs, visit melissadianesmith.com.

Banana Walnut PancakesMakes 10 Pancakes
On a cold weekend morning, warm yourself up with these hearty, grain-free, sugar-free pancakes. Serve plain; with extra walnuts and mashed bananas; or with organic butter, a dab of pure maple syrup, and cinnamon. Add gluten-free pork or turkey sausage to the meal to make a brunch.

Ingredients

2 large organic eggs

½ organic banana

½ cup unsweetened almond milk or unsweetened coconut milk

1½ tsp. gluten-free vanilla extract or vanilla flavor

1½ cups blanched almond flour

1½ tsp. arrowroot powder

½ tsp. unrefined sea salt

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ cup chopped walnuts

Organic extra virgin coconut oil

Mix eggs, banana, almond milk, and vanilla together in medium bowl. In separate bowl, mix almond flour, arrowroot, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Combine dry ingredients with wet. Finely mince walnuts, and mix them into batter.
Heat coconut oil in large skillet over medium-low heat. Drop slightly less than ¼ cup batter into pan, and spread batter slightly for each pancake. Flip pancakes when bottoms have browned, about 3—4 minutes, and cook 1—2 minutes more, until desired doneness. Add more oil to pan, and repeat with remaining batter.

PER SERVING: 172 cal; 6g pro; 15g total fat (3g sat fat); 7g carb; 37mg chol; 169mg sod; 2g fiber; 2g sugars

* Recipe reprinted from the Going Against the Grain Group, 2011.

Health

Going Gluten Free-The Facts

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

I remember when I first began to wonder if I was allergic to gluten. I had been so sick for quite a few months (possibly unknowingly sick for years) and I just couldn't put my finger on what was wrong with me. After attributing my ailments to many different possibilities (but to no avail) I came across Celiac Disease. Let me rephrase that, my wonderful mother came across Celiac Disease, so I started trying the gluten free diet.

I need to stop for a moment and encourage (kinda more demand here!) that you get the proper testing before attempting a gluten free diet. I've said before that my doctor at the time I self-diagnosed (I later got the biopsy for confirmation) was without much knowledge regarding a gluten allergy. Had I known then what I know now I would have asked for the proper testing. So please, make your first step and ASK to get the blood test and biopsy before attempting to go gluten free.

Now back to the beginning of my gluten free journey. I was at SUCH a loss as far as knowledge and understanding of this new diet (as many of you are) and it just seemed so unbelievably overwhelming that I didn't know where to begin.

If this sounds like any of you, keep reading!

I found a wonderful article from Better Nutrition magazine that covers some pressing questions about going gluten free, what it is, and what to expect.

The article was written by Melissa Diane Smith, a nutritionist and author who specializes in personalizing the gluten-free diet! Love it...hopefully I can meet her one day and pick her brain! (Don't worry, if this happens I'll report back what I learned to all of you!).

So here's the Q & A she provided. Info taken from Better Nutrition's website.

Just The Facts

Melissa Diane Smith

Answers to your most pressing questions about gluten

We're a few years into the “gluten-free” revolution in this country, yet many people still don't understand the basics about celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, and the ins and outs of going gluten free.

To give us the answers, we posed commonly asked gluten-related questions to columnist Melissa Diane Smith—a leading nutritionist and author of Going Against the Grain and Gluten Free Throughout the Year—who has been counseling people on the gluten-free diet for more than 10 years.

Q. What’s the best way to know if someone should eat gluten free?

A. The first step is to get a blood test that measures levels of antibodies associated with celiac disease. If that test comes out positive, you have your answer, and you should schedule follow-up tests to learn more about your condition.

Far too often, however, the blood test comes out negative, and doctors mistakenly tell people that they can keep eating gluten. But recent research clearly shows that people can be sensitive to gluten without having full-blown celiac disease. This sensitivity causes uncomfortable symptoms and affects six or seven times the number of people who have celiac disease—and likely more than that. The best test that we currently have for gluten sensitivity is a simple gluten elimination diet. If your symptoms improve after two or three months of not eating gluten, it's best to continue on a more permanent gluten-free diet.

Q. What is the difference between celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity?

A. Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks both gluten and the small intestine, causing internal damage. Non-celiac gluten sensitivity can cause similar symptoms, but it's not an autoimmune issue, so it doesn't lead to the gut damage that characterizes celiac disease. Symptoms can run the gamut from expected gastrointestinal issues to problems such as anemia, bone disease, depression, fatigue, migraines, and so on.

In either condition, the immune system, our defense against “invaders,” reacts to gluten. With celiac disease, the adaptive immune system also reacts, setting off the autoimmune process.

Q. What are the biggest mistakes people make eating gluten and not realizing it?

A. The biggest mistakes are based on misconceptions—for example, thinking spelt, kamut, or regular commercial oats are free of gluten. They aren't. Spelt and kamut are close wheat relatives that both contain gluten, and most oats in this country contain gluten due to cross-contamination from being stored, shipped, or processed in places where wheat is also present.

To completely avoid gluten, seek out certified gluten-free oats. Be aware, though, that while some people with celiac disease don't have any problems with gluten-free oats, others experience more frequent diarrhea or severe constipation.

Q. Are there any health problems that people run into by going gluten free?

A. Yes. The biggest problem by far is gaining unwanted, unhealthy weight. The unhealthy weight in turn leads to other health problems.

There’s a perception that gluten-free always equals healthy. It doesn’t, especially if you eat processed gluten-free foods loaded with refined sweeteners, flours, and oils—low-nutrient, high-calorie ingredients—or genetically modified foods such as non-organic corn or soy.

In my latest book Gluten Free Throughout the Year, I explain that for all the good a gluten-free diet can do, it can do just as much harm if you go about it the wrong way, which many people do without realizing it. You can easily correct the problemby emphasizing fresh vegetables and fruits in your diet and being more selective about the packaged gluten-free foods that you buy.

easy eats

Easy Eats Magazine-3rd Issue Out Today

Thursday, January 05, 2012

Delight magazine

Link between Migraines and Celiac Disease

Thursday, December 15, 2011

easy eats

Easy Eats-A Place in My Heart

Wednesday, November 09, 2011

dinner

Tasty & Easy Gluten Free Chicken Tenders

Monday, October 24, 2011

Ready for a quick and delicious dinner? You've come to the right place!
I came across this recipe in the September issue of Easy Eats online magazine. You've heard us rave about this magazine a few times now and we just can't say enough. It's great! There is so much valuable information and the recipes are just delicious! I'm a recipe tester for them, so I've got a new recipe that I'll post after their next issue comes out. But for now, let me tell you about these tasty chicken tenders. They are good, and fairly quick to make.

We made the whole meal relatively quick by adding a few ready to bake/microwave items. First, we had some scalloped potatoes from Costco that come ready to bake. Oh man, we eyed these the other day (thank you Costco samples!) and HAD to buy them. We were beyond elated to find already made scalloped potatoes that were gluten free. While we do enjoy cooking, some things would just take too long for a weeknight meal. Let me add, these potatoes were delicious! SO tasty! I then picked up an assortment of veggies (ready to steam in the microwave) from Fresh and Easy. I say just "I" here rather than "we" seeing as I was the only one who ate these! :) Granted, they had a buttery sauce on them and for some reason when those mixed with the veggies in the microwave they made our WHOLE house stink for like two days! Gross! But, they did taste pretty good.

That was the extent of my "cooking." The rest was done by wonderful husband. He followed this recipe (again, from Easy Eats) with no alterations. However, just to note, he did use organic chicken tenders from Trader Joes.

Oven-Roasted Chicken Tenders

Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Gluten-free nonstick cooking spay
2½ cups gluten-free Corn Chex cereal
1 teaspoon dried basil
salt and pepper
1 large egg or equivalent egg replacement
¼ cup milk or nondairy milk
1 pound chicken tenders (or skinless, boneless breasts cut into thin strips)

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease a large baking sheet with cooking spray. In a food processor, pulse the cereal and dried basil, salt into coarse crumbs. Season with salt and pepper and transfer crumb mixture to a shallow dish or pie plate. In another shallow dish, whisk together the egg and milk.
Dip each chicken strip into the egg mixture to coat thoroughly, then roll in the cereal crumbs. Place on the prepared baking pan. Repeat with all the chicken pieces. Spray lightly with cooking spray and bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Serve and enjoy! If you make this recipe, please let us know. We'd love your feedback! Also, let us know what you chose to pair it with. Happy cooking.