Yolove Gluten Free

Category: Understanding Gluten Free

  • Inflammation….the biggest issue is something that you can’t even see or feel.

    Inflammation….the biggest issue is something that you can’t even see or feel.

    I have attached a recent finding/study regarding how INFLAMMATION causes long-term/permanent damage to the immune system of those with Celiac. No doubt! At least one never crossed my mind. Inflammation is bad bad bad! And Inflammation is caused by abuse to our bodies in many ways but for a Celiac, by ingesting Gluten. This and much more is why I am vigilant with my Anna. Inflammation can, over time, lead to THIS, other auto-immune diseases, overall unwell-ness, joint pain, head-aches, skin issues…and the list goes on and on.

    This is why I can not stress enough to those with Celiac-YOU CAN NOT CHEAT. Even if you don’t “feel” anything or you “feel” fine after that contaminated french fry or one small piece of bread…..or even a bit of soy sauce with your Sushi, Celiac is a Disease and Gluten in the enemy. Every little bit that goes into a Celiac’s body is hurting the body. That simple. Just because it is food and a “little bit” at that, doesn’t mean it does less damage and is calling a truce for the moment while your taste buds are in heaven. Gluten in any form is poison to a Celiac. It couldn’t be easier to in this day to live with this disease.

    https://celiac.org/about-the-foundation/featured-news/2019/02/chronic-inflammation-permanently-alters-immune-cells-in-celiac-patients

  • Autoimmune Disorders and Gluten

    Autoimmune Disorders and Gluten

    Every weekend, I am truly floored by the number of amazing and wonderful people that I meet who are on a GF diet as well as additionally sometimes Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Refined Sugar-Free, Vegan, etc. etc. because they “feel better” for it and MANY have been “cured” because of it. When I say cured, I am talking about the woman who has had something like Rheumatoid Arthritis and was on meds and feeling awful for years but then decided to take Gluten out of her diet and eat cleaner and more whole, hence, symptoms and meds-GONE! Or the young man with MS and two small children who feared that the meds he’d be taking forever would surely affect his liver and health over time decides with some simple research to take Gluten, Sugar, and alcohol from his diet, and just like that with some dedication and time, off the meds and feeling wonderful. I have a million stories from these brave people and I love hearing every one as well as sharing my own family’s. Most of all, with what I do, I love helping them enjoy life with good food and a very sympathetic ear and helpful words (I hope.) But I can not help but stir every day wondering how and why so many have become intolerant of so many foods. I worry for the future of humans. I wonder if somehow we are being genetically modified through insecticides and hormones. I am sad that so many people are ill from FOOD. I hate that so many people do not know the harm that preservatives, dyes, and so much packaged and processed food cause. I long for the days, a time I really didn’t fully live through, where there were three meals a day prepared and served at home and that’s what children grew up on. I love that fast food restaurants used to be a “treat” or a venue for a birthday party instead of people’s meals several or more times per week. I am just rambling and I can go on and on and on (as many of you know who faithfully visit me on Saturday and Sunday’s.)

    But I guess what I am saying is, simply, we need to get back to healthy eating. We need to find a way to grow fruits and veggies without harmful pesticides and we need to treat animals better and live with smaller portions of meat to avoid pumping up the population with growth hormones. We need to “get back to” so much. There needs to be a balance is what I am saying. See, I’m rambling. New subject Amanda…..stay with the picture. Although it all goes hand and hand. PLEASE read this article below. If you are reading it, you probably already know it. But maybe not. It’s fascinating. And very true.

    Love to all and YOLO!

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/how-an-anti-inflammatory-diet-can-help-tame-an-autoimmune-condition/2019/02/14/21a52e24-2fcc-11e9-8ad3-9a5b113ecd3c_story.html

  • Happy New Year…

    Happy New Year…

    I love new beginnings. Especially the New Year!!! The perfect time to start what you’ve been putting off, to change the things you’ve been wanting to change, and to just start fresh. I love to reorganize and straighten up, throw things away, and add new and exciting dishes/recipes to my family’s life. I looove trying new menus but I also love making the old better and healthier and just freshening things up. I become obsessed with making the “bad” healthier while still being delicious. And I love creating new goodies and meals just like an artist would take a blank canvas and paint whatever he feels/strikes him that day.

    I was just looking through a magazine while getting my hair done (Cooking Light) and came upon a recipe for “Tuna Casserole”-our FAVORITE casserole. I’ve done the same boring recipe for years, and have thankfully been blessed with GF canned Cream of Mushroom to make it easy, as Tuna Casserole should be. But I’ve always wanted to make my own sauce/soup and change things up a bit but my creativity would not allow me to get there. Until today. This recipe looks delicious and comforting and REALLY homemade. I am going to try it. Of course, I will tweak to make it Gluten-Free….as I always promise everyone, ANYTHING CAN BE MADE GLUTEN-FREE. Don’t feel like a Gluten-Free magazine is the only way to get recipes. You can change anything to be GF with a little passion. 😌

    I’m attching the picture if you’d also like to give it a shot. I can’t imagine we will be disappointed.

    Happy New Year. Make it a year of good food. Food is after all Life. ❤️🥂

    Yolo

  • Celiac Undiagnosed too often…

    Celiac Undiagnosed too often…

    I was taking Chloe to the vet yesterday and while I was waiting, the sweet girl at the front desk asked me if I was the “Gluten-Free baking lady.” Excitedly, I was like “yes, that’s me…how did you know….? Oh, Dr. Farrell.” My vet, Dr. Farrell, whom I adore, visits me occasionally at the Farmers Market and LOVES my banana bread! He is NOT GF-he just loves my banana bread. And my lemon loaf. Anyway, Dr. Farrell was telling this sweet lady about me because her son was recently diagnosed with Celiac. Fantastic! To me, it’s the happiest diagnosis when there are so many worse than that out there. Maybe I’m a bit numb to new Celiac’s reaction to the fact that they can not enjoy “bread” and Cheez-its anymore or that they might feel “left out” at parties and such (which I GET and I sympathize) but I know that it could be worse and in the end, it’s food. It will all be okay and with someone like me in business and so many other companies around that provide deliciousness with a passion. Doughy and starchy food is extremely enjoyable for the Gluten-Free-ers! It’s definitely not the end of the world. Back to the lady with the son who was diagnosed. Her son, who is 9, had been ill his entire life. Failure to thrive, skin issues, not gaining weight, prescribed special formula as a baby that he continued until 4 years of age. NOT once in all those years, this starving, weak, sick little boy was tested for Celiac. Not once was it even mentioned by any doctor or nurse that this kid might have Celiac. My heart was BREAKING. I could not begin to imagine what this loving Momma had dealt with in her heart for all those years. She told me that she was so thankful that he was FINALLY diagnosed and that in the past three months, he has gained so much weight and is doing phenomenally! I was so happy but sad it took so long.

    What is my point? Education! How? Not sure. Just by spreading awareness one by one? Requesting Doctors go above and beyond? Celiac is undiagnosed too often. Gluten intolerances are undiagnosed as well. Food is medicine. When people are not well, we need to/they need to/the world needs to look at what people are putting into their bodies and understand that maybe it is what they are eating that is causing their ailments/sickness.

    I am so thankful for this boy’s diagnosis.