Faces of Celiac Disease

Another Gluten Free Blogger - Heidi of Adventures of A Gluten Free Mom posted this on Facebook yesterday...when you have a chance please check out this video and her blog!



I was diagnosed almost two years ago now with Celiac Disease. "Celiac disease is a digestive condition triggered by consumption of the protein gluten, which is found in bread, pasta, cookies, pizza crust and many other foods containing wheat, barley or rye. If you have celiac disease and eat foods containing gluten, an immune reaction occurs in your small intestine, causing damage to the surface of your small intestine and an inability to absorb certain nutrients."  "The exact cause of celiac disease is unknown, but it's often inherited. If someone in your immediate family has it, chances are 5 to 15 percent that you may as well."

Since I was about ten years old (if not younger) I always had problems with being sick especially after eating.  Around that time I was diagnosed with being lactose intolerant.  For many years I went dairy free but still was getting sick...ALL THE TIME.  Little did I or my doctors realize that it wasn't the dairy making me sick, it was everything I would eat with it.   At fifteen years old I was diagnosed with both IBS and Fibromyalgia.  The Fibromyalgia was very uncommon for someone my age at the time and still is.  The IBS was no surprise because many of my family member either have that or  Crohn's Disease.

After twenty six years of eating pretty much anything I wanted: Pasta, Breads, Pizza, Chinese Food, Soy Sauce etc it was a hard change for me to switch my lifestyle to be completely gluten free.  I'm not going to lie its a challenge, but honestly having a good attitude about it, a great support system of friends (none of which are gluten free but made every effort to cook/bake gluten free so I can enjoy it also) and being forced to be creative with my cooking (hence my blog name) it hasn't been that bad.  There are a few days where I miss the texture of real Italian/French bread but besides that, the joy and feeling of not being sick all the time is truly amazing.  I can enjoy almost all the food I truly love with out fear of getting sick.  I cook at home most of the time and have learned to recreate my favorite gluten filled meals to be gluten free with all the taste that one could hope for.  These past two years have been a journey for sure and I'm sure all the years to come will be even better.  I have an amazing boyfriend who is willing to eat gluten free meals (he can go out and get real food, but at home it will be all gluten free).  He is extremely well at looking out for me and reading labels on products.   I'm very thankful for him.

May is Celiac Awareness Month and I would strongly encourage you to get tested if you have symptoms of Celiac Disease (especially if someone in your family has Celiac!-hint hint to my family members)

Thanks Heidi for posting this.

Raise Awareness

I have plenty of T-Shirts and many of which raise some type of awareness.  From Invisible Children to TWLOHA, it stops and makes people think and ask questions.   Those are two great organizations and if you have a second I highly recommend talking a look at their sites and seeing what they are all about.

So, if we wear shirts for organizations, why not wear one for Celiac Awareness?  Check out these links from Cafe Press for your Celiac, Gluten Free, Wheat Free etc t-shirts, bumper stickers, aprons, bags/totes etc!!  Spread the word this month!

Cafe Press : Celiac

Cafe Press: Gluten Free Stuff

Cafe Press : Celiac Chicks

Cafe Press: Gluten Free

May is Celiac Awareness Month!!

Gluten Free

May is Celiac Awareness Month!!  Want to help spread awareness?  Please read the an excerpt from the Triumph Dining Blog

"Celiac Awareness Month (May) is quickly approaching, and we're looking to get the word out in a big way! Each year, it seems we get closer to the tipping point, with more restaurants offering gluten free menus and more groceries labeled as gluten free. But, there's more we can do in our quest to truly make Celiac Disease and the gluten free diet mainstream.

That's why we've teamed up with the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) to run a website badge campaign to generate awareness. Placing a badge (like the one above) on your website is a great way to get a dialogue started and to let the world know that you support Celiac Disease Awareness.

And, until the end of May, when you add the badge to your website we're going to give $5 (up to a total of $5,000) to the NFCA, to help them raise even more awareness of Celiac Disease. Participating in this event and using the badge is 100% free for you. We'll make the $5 donation on your behalf. So, what are you waiting for? The only thing standing between the NFCA and up to $5,000 is a 30 second copy and paste job.

Thank you for participating in these efforts and helping to raise awareness of Celiac Disease. The more we do to the get the word out, the better all our lives become. Together, we can make a difference!

Sincerely,
Ross Cohen
President, Triumph Dining

How to Participate

1. Copy the code for any of the badges below and then paste it on your home page.


2. E-mail us at awareness@triumphdining.com with a link to where you placed the badge on your site.


3. You'll automatically be entered into a drawing for one of several Triumph Dining Gluten Free Survival Kits (a $50 value!).


4. Help us spread the word to raise even more money for the NFCA with the sharing tools (e-mail, twitter, and facebook) below.


5. Celebrate your good deed for the day.

At the end of May, we'll present a check for up to $5,000 ($5 per person who pastes a badge on their site) to the NFCA."

Get your Celiac Awareness badges HERE

Gluten Free

For more information about Celiac Disease please visit:

The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness

Celiac Disease Check List

A new take on chicken tenders and fries

A few weeks ago I filled out a form on Tropical Traditions website to be considered to review their coconut oil.  Not thinking that me and my little blog would get picked but I did! Yesterday I received my Coconut Oil in the mail and instantly began to think "what should I make first?", "should I use one of their recipes or try and create my own?", "what does it smell like?", "will it have a strong coconut flavor?".  Needless to say my brain was on 20 question mode, but I had a photo assignment last night and couldn't experiment right away, so I did it tonight.  I was nervous and excited to experiment and swore that if my first try came out bad I wouldn't blog about it.  Thankfully it came out pretty tasty!

I've read so many great things about coconut oil, both for cooking/baking but also the health benefits of it.  Below are a few interesting facts that I have found in my research:

• Coconut oil is very heat stable so it makes an excellent cooking and frying oil. It has a smoke point of about 360°F (180°C)

• The oil is also used to give movie theater popcorn in the United States its distinctive flavor


• Made from fresh coconuts, not dried copra


• Has a fresh coconut fragrance


• Apart from coconut oil, the only other source of lauric acid found in such high concentrations is in mother's milk
  

I had been curious about coconut oil for a while now and been wanting to try it out for myself so I am very thankful to Tropical Traditions for sending me this amazing sample to experiment with and write about.

So back to my 20 questions:

"what should I make first?" - I decided to try and make a play on chicken nuggets and fries.  Instead I made coconut flour dusted chicken tenders and sweet potato fries.  They were fried in a little bit of coconut oil (recipe below).  It was very very tasty.  The chicken came out fantastic!!  So juicy and tender with a hint of coconut flavor (just a hint).  The fries came out great too, however I think I prefer my fries baked instead of fried.

"should I use one of their recipes or try and create my own?" - I went with making my own recipe this time, but Tropical Traditions has tons of great looking recipes that I look forward to trying!

"what does it smell like?"- It definitely smells like coconut but in a good way (not like suntan lotion).

"will it have a strong coconut flavor?" - A slight coconut flavor is there but its not over powering or anything like that.  I rather enjoyed it.

Chicken Tenders and Fries

1/4 cup of coconut flour

1/4 cup tapioca flour

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

1 medium to large sweet potato - cut into "fries"

2 boneless/skinless chicken breast - cut into 1/2 inch strips

coconut oil - enough to lightly fry the fries and chicken - about 1/4 -1/2 cup

In a medium bowl mix the coconut flour, tapioca flour, salt and pepper until combined.  Dredge the sweet potato fries in the flour and shake of any excess flour before adding to the oil.  One the fries are finished cooking cool them on a wire rack.  Lightly sprinkle with salt (if you desire).  Next, add the chicken to the same flour mixture, coat lightly and shake of any excess flour before adding to the oil.  Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until fully cooked. I dipped my chicken in a little bit of honey....oooh so good!!



Seeing as I was given this very generous sample to try I have decided that for the next month before packing everything up to ship across the country I will make one coconut oil recipe a week, so please stay tuned for more recipes and reviews. Now...what to make next, hmmmmm  Maybe I'll try baking something next.

Please check out this video from Tropical Traditions about their Coconut Oil:

Trader Joe's Vegetable Panang Curry - Gluten Free!

When I first was diagnosed with Celiac I was told that Whole Foods and Trader Joe's were the best places to shop for Gluten Free items, and I don't think I will ever forget the first shopping trip I did - it almost ended in tears!  No lie, I about cried in the middle of whole foods.  I was beyond overwhelmed with this new lifestyle.  Which is kind of funny seeing as in my opinion Whole Foods is by far the best place to shop for Gluten Free items because everything is labeled, not just on the package but on the shelves they have these little tags that say what is Gluten Free.   I just wasn't used to this kind of shopping.  I wasn't used to having to read everything on the label and learning what many of these ingredients that you need to carry a dictionary around with you to figure out if they contain Gluten Free or not.  If you have Celiac or shop for someone who does, I'm sure you can relate to my experience.  Over the past two years I've gotten better with reading the labels and figuring out where gluten "hides" on the ingredients list.

Trader Joe's on the other hand doesn't come right out and label everything.  Well they have gotten better over the last two years, but when I first started shopping for Gluten Free items it was so frustrating.  Their Gluten Free list isn't store specific like Whole Foods is, they don't put any markings on the shelves and for the most part you had to read every ingredient on the box, do some research online etc to figure out what was Gluten Free and what wasn't.  Now thankfully they are starting to label many of their products as Gluten Free!  (Thank you Trader Joe's!).  Their selection is still a bit limited compared to Whole Foods and they aren't labeling everything but they are getting better.



For the most part I try to buy fresh ingredients, including herbs, meats, veggies etc. and try to avoid many of the processed/packaged foods, but lets be honest, sometimes its just hard to do.  Some days I just want to grab something quick and not have to prepare a whole meal just for myself.  I've tried a few of the frozen meals from Whole Foods and Trader Joe's...they are okay for a quick meal, but I try not to eat them too much.  About a month ago I tried this frozen meal from Trader Joe's and it was very very tasty, however I went to get another one to blog about and they were gone.  Today on my lunch break I tried to restaurants in town and both were extremely rude and unhelpful with my gluten free diet so I decided to run over to Trader Joe's and see if by some chance they had any in the freezer section and they did!  So I grabbed one to bring home for dinner and decided to blog about it.



(You can find this in the frozen section at Trader Joe's (items vary by location))

Vegetable Panang Curry with Jasmine Rice

Ingredients: Thai Jasmine Rice, Brown Jasmine Rice, Panang Sauce (coconut milk, Thai Chili, Shallots, Garlic, Basil, Galangal [Thai Ginger], Kaffir Lime Leaf, Palm Sugar  Lemongrass, Coriander, Soy Oil, Sea Salt), Vegetable Blend (Zucchini, Onion, Asparagus, Kale, Green Beans, Snow Peas, Baby Corn and Spinach).

Granted this isn't the healthiest of meals but its tasty and good for a quick meal as long as you don't eat it too often!!  So if you are looking for something tasty, quick (takes all of five minutes in the microwave), filling and GLUTEN FREE check this out!  You really can't go wrong for only $2.49!!





Now if Trader Joe's could stock my local stores with some Gluten Free baked goods I would be all set!!

A few of my favorite blogs

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I love finding new recipes, trying them out and altering them (if not gluten free).  I own too many cooking magazines and cookbooks (to some peoples standards, but not mine).  I read cookbooks like some people read novels.  I love them.  Now, with technology I find myself reading tons and tons of blogs.  Getting new ideas, new recipes to try and of course continually learning more and more about this gluten free world.

Here are a few of my favorite blogs (you can also find these and a few more on the blog roll tab)

101 Cookbooks

Heidi has some amazing recipes on here, and plenty of gluten free options! Here is a little blurb from her site:

Hi there, my name is Heidi Swanson. 101 Cookbooks is my recipe journal. It's where I write about the recipes that intersect my life, travels, and everyday interests. Often the recipes are from my cookbook collection, sometimes not - they might come from a friend, or I might write about a recipe I created myself.

I focus primarily on natural, whole foods and ingredients - vegetarian recipes that are good for you and for the planet. Welcome!

Elana's Pantry

After finding out I had celiac disease this is the first blog/site that I came across and it is by far one of my favorite ones.  I am continually going here for idea, trying her recipes and sharing it with others.  I find Elana's knowledge and creativity amazing.  (I still need to buy her cookbook!!) Here is a little blurb from her site:

In my 20’s I studied ayurvedic cooking. When my son and I were diagnosed with celiac disease, this three-year study came in handy. Celiac disease is an inherited autoimmune disorder triggered by eating gluten. Out of necessity my cooking took on an entirely new dimension as we both went on a gluten-free diet.

Unwilling to cook two separate meals each night for my family, I needed to make gluten-free food that tasted like regular food. Would I be able to do this well enough to convince my husband to come home for dinner?

I threw myself into this culinary challenge and my husband, a tough critic, held nothing back. With much trial and many errors, I developed a gluten-free repertoire that tastes delicious. Friends and family now ask for my recipes, even those who are not on restricted diets!

While my cooking might not be complex, I appreciate that my food brings people together –those who eat regular food and those who can’t –to break bread in the warmth of my kitchen. I love to make food that is not only good for you, but actually tastes good. This has become a passion for me.

If you are interested in buying her cookbook you can get it on AMAZON

Four Chickens

I absolutely love this blog.  Jeanne has some tasty tasty recipes.  I've made her doughnuts and her scones...both are wicked good!  I'm very excited to try her new puff pastry recipe hopefully in the near future.  You should defiantly check out her blog and recipes.  Here is a little blurb from her site:

I have 1 daughter, 1 husband, 5 chickens, 1 organic garden in a constant state of disrepair, 100 million books, 10 million skeins of yarn, 5 million cookbooks, 2 million projects in progress rolling around the house, and 1 PhD in theatre history/theory.

I am gluten-intolerant. I also have a life-threatening allergy to wheat. My daughter has a life-threatening peanut allergy. This combo platter keeps life interesting, to say the least.

I make fabulous gluten-free baked goods and it's my goal to help others do the same.

Adventures Of A Gluten Free Mom

This is my latest obsession.  I was drooling looking at all of her recipes tonight.  I came across Heidi's blog the other day because she had posted a link on my Creative Cooking GF Facebook page.  I can't seem to get enough of her site right now. Sadly I don't have a little blurb from her page about her.

I hope you take some time and check these out and the others listed on the blog roll tab.

A Very Merry Christmas

This year I saved up my vacation time the best I could so I could spend almost three weeks with my boyfriend and our families back east.  We don't get to see each other very often and its really hard.   We get to see each other every few months, its really taught us not to take each other for granted. We met over five years ago now but we've learned a lot about each other over the past ten months.  For example I learned that he is lactose intolerant and allergic to onions, raw apples and a few other things.  So, not only will our house be Gluten Free, it will be Onion Free and mostly Dairy Free.

I got my first experience cooking both GF and DF while he was here for Thanksgiving.  I made a complete dinner for us.  GF stuffing, a turkey, gravy, mashed sweet potatoes and to top it all off a GF Apple Pie!  He and I both loved it.  And have to admit looking forward to doing it all over again next year.

This year we sent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with my family back in Mass.  Christmas Eve is spent with my mom's side of the family each year.  Lots of food and plenty of family to share the holiday with.  Its never a dull moment, trust me!  Christmas day is spent with my dad and step mom.  I had filled my parents in on Bryan's allergies and my step mom made one amazing meal.  Completely GF, DF and OF!  Prime Rib with DF scalloped potatoes, green beans with pancetta.  The only part that wasn't 100% GF, DF was the cheese cake.  My step mom makes the best cheese cakes, I swear!!  She even made me own special one with no crust.  Oh man I can still taste it.

They also wanted to take us out to dinner one night at the 111 Chophouse in Worcester.  I've been there once or twice before, but this was before finding out about having Celiac.  I made sure to bring my little Triumph Dining card with me, however I didn't need them.  The Chophouse has a gluten free menu.  Not just a few things either, it was a very complete menu.  It had apps, salads, main dishes, and deserts.  I was highly impressed with their selection for GF guests.  I ended up going with the Wagyu Flat Iron Steak. (Thanks again Dad and Sue for another amazing meal!)

After about a week in Mass we headed back down to New Jersey to spend some more time with Bryan's family and our friends.  We went to The City a few times, ate at Risotteria twice.  Shared the goodness of that place with our friends and Bryan's Dad. (I have to say they were good sports to go to a GF place just for me! - Thanks guys).  On our first trip to the City we also went to MoMA to see the Tim Burton Exhibit, which is AMAZING.  I highly recommend going if you are there.  He is an extremely talented man, that is for sure.  Next stop was the Empire State Building!!  My dream finally came true.  (I know a self proclaimed dork, but I've always wanted to go since seeing An Affair To Remember).  Not only was it almost empty - no lines believe it or not, but we got to go to both the 86th floor and the 102 floor!  Both of which are amazingly beautiful.  It was night time and the city looked like it had a million Christmas lights all lit up.

Our next trip was with Bryan's Dad to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Annex, NYC (which sadly closed on 1/3/10). They had some amazing things on display.  When you first got in they show you a "movie" of different artists who have been inducted.  It made me sad that I've missed some pretty amazing artists growing up.  Don't get me wrong, I grew up listening to great music, but sadly didn't get to see any of these artists.  I realized that we have lost amazing talent over the years and most musicians now a days just don't measure up.

On our  way home we stopped at BabyCakes!! Its a small little place, but the cupcakes are unbelievable.  I walked out of there with six cupcakes and two brownie cupcakes.  Don't worry I didn't eat them all myself, I shared ;-)  I even love whats printed on the back of the box "Saving your behind one cupcake at a time".  My friend Adina gave me their cookbook for my birthday, and now I can't wait to try some of their recipes.

For photos from my trip back home visit my Flickr page!

Gluten Free Eating in Monterey, CA

Its been a little over a year since I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease and I'm continually learning new things. I'm always on the hunt for new recipes, ideas, and places to eat. Eating out is by far the hardest part of being Gluten Free. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to cook. I love to experiment and try new things but there are those days where I would much rather just grab something quick to eat.

When I was first diagnosed I did a bunch of research online and found these amazing little cards called Triumph Dining Cards. These are amazing! They come in 10 languages and I always keep the "American Cuisine" in my wallet. I figured these not only would be good with eating out but also for future travel.

I've used these cards quite a bit. I used it last weekend when eating at a Thai restaurant in San Francisco (Khan Toke Thai House). Not only does it help you with picking foods but it also helps the wait staff and chef understand what you can and more importantly can't eat.

Over the past year I have found a few places that are not specifically Gluten Free, however they are very accommodating. I thought I would take a few minutes to share these places with you.

Chinese:

P.F. Changs - Del Monte Center, Monterey, CA

They have a specific Gluten Free menu, its small but has a good selection. Their Chang's Spicy Chicken is by far my favorite!

Full Moon - Alvarado Street, Monterey, CA

A small family run restaurant in down town Monterey. They are very accommodating for me. I have brought them large bottles of gluten free soy sauce and they cook all of my food with it. All of their food is cooked to order (except maybe the spareribs which are pre-marinaded). I eat there often (to the point they know me by name and my "usual" orders) so when I first found out they had another customer with Celiac Disease and offered to cook my food with their soy sauce, so I have in turn offered that they can use my soy sauce for any one else with Celiac.

If you have any questions they are very friendly and honest people. I've never had to worry about any cross contamination there either.

Sushi:

Ocean Sushi - Monterey and Pacific Grove, CA

Who doesn't love sushi?! (ok a lot of people, I know) Again, nothing is specifically Gluten Free, however sushi has some great options ... AvoEbi Roll (shrimp, avocado), Philadelphia Roll (salmon, cream cheese and JPN cucumber) and Edamame are great choices. There is not extra sauces or tempura to worry about. They don't provide gluten free soy sauce but I've been known to bring my own and they are fine with that. I've talked with a few of the staff about Celiac and they are very accommodating to Gluten Free eaters.

Mexican:

Chipotle Mexican Grill - Del Monte Center, Monterey, CA

Here you have to be a little more careful of cross contamination, but I've eaten there plenty with out getting sick. On their website you can read all of the ingredients in their marinades, sauces, salsas etc.

As I try more places I'll update on here, but these are some of my favorites...next up Siamese Bay

From the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness May 2009 Newsletter



Chex Will Debut 5 More Gluten-Free Cereals This Summer This summer, Chex will offer five more gluten-free cereals! Gluten-free Rice Chex became available in 2008, but now gluten-free Corn Chex, Honey Nut Chex, Chocolate Chex, Cinnamon Chex and Strawberry Chex are beginning to appear on grocery store shelves. By early summer they will be widely available across the country, offering the same great taste as before! As this integration slowly occurs, it is very important for consumers to find “Gluten-Free” on the Chex cereal package. Gluten-Free boxes may be mixed in with older, gluten-containing boxes until they are fully replaced. The label “Gluten-Free” will appear near the ingredient declaration on package side panels and may also appear on the front panel, so be sure to find it before you purchase. Also, be sure to remember that Wheat Chex and Multi-Bran Chex have not been made gluten-free. Consumer insight and requests provoked the reformulation of Rice Chex back in 2008. The response was so incredibly positive that the company was excited to get to work on bringing even more gluten-free varieties to store shelves. Along with removing the gluten from their products, the company is also very aware of the dangers of cross contamination and takes steps to prevent it. Each gluten-free formula they create is tested against the FDA’s proposed regulations. Chex Marketing Manager, Adrienne Daniels, said “For the first time, people looking for a tasty, gluten-free cereal can shop the main cereal aisle at their market without paying a premium. Now, Chex brings even more gluten-free varieties to the breakfast table. And, to round out the offering, we’re introducing a wide range of gluten-free recipes at www.Chex.com/glutenfree.” Be sure to check it out! Can’t wait till the summer so I can stock my cabinets with boxes of delicious, affordable gluten-free cereal. Thanks, Chex! For more information, visit: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Say-Good-Morning-to-Five-More-bw-15104116.html?.v=1

Bagels

For my birthday my sister Sara got my a subscription to Living Without (a gluten free magazine), which is awesome. Lots of cool tips, recipes and resources. One thing I found was Mariposa Baking Company . This place is awesome...they make bagels, brownies, bread, pizza crusts and biscotti! You can even order gluten free gift baskets from them. I ordered plain and sesame seed bagels on Saturday and got them in the mail today...so of course I had one for dinner tonight. They are pretty darn tasty I must say!

Glass

My shelves were getting a bit messy with all of the new flours and other baking items I've had to buy. Storing them in zip-lock bags wasn't working out too well so I broke down and ordered some glass jars to store everything it. I looked around a bit and ended up getting these from The Container Store.

GF Facial Care (Arbonne International)

Gluten isn't just found in food, it's found in a bunch of things like make up, skin care, lotions etc. In the last few months I've been learning a lot about gluten, what it is, where it is and what to look for. I've pretty much got the food aspect covered however I completely forgot about skin care. I found that Arbonne International sells Gluten Free products. Here is a list of their products that are gluten free and for more information on how to purchase them please visit my friend, Trish Spencer's website.

About Face Blusher
About Face Brow Wax
About Face Cream Concealer
About Face Eye Pencil
About Face Eye Shadow
About Face Line Defiance Liquid Foundation SPF 15
About Face Lip Pencil
About Face Mineral Foundation SPF 15
About Face Sheer Shine
About Face Translucent Pressed Powder
About Face Wipe Out
Arbonne Baby Care Body Oil
Arbonne Baby Care Herbal Diaper Rash Cream
Arbonne Clear Advantage Acne Lotion
Arbonne Clear Advantage Acne Wash
Arbonne Clear Advantage Refining Toner
Arbonne Intelligence Body Lotion
Arbonne Intelligence Cleansing Gel
Arbonne Intelligence Daily Balancer
Arbonne Intelligence Daily Eye Cream
Arbonne Intelligence Daily Moisturizing Cream, Day & Night
Arbonne Intelligence Hand Cream
Arbonne Intelligence Skin Conditioning Oil
ASN HYBRIDS - Daily Nutritional Chews for Teens
ASN HYBRIDS - Daily Powder Punch for Kids
Awaken Sea Salt Scrub 16 oz.
Bio-Nutria® Herbal Colon Cleanse
Bio-Nutria® Herbal Muscle Massage Gel
Bio-Nutria® Joint Formula
BodyBetter™ Body Cream
EyeQ™ Cream Eye Shadow
f.y.i. Arbonne™ Secret Crush Color Palette
Figure 8 Vanish™ Pre-Shower Cellulite Scrub
Figure 8 Vanish™ Water Relief Treatment Serum
Figure 8® Daily Detox Tea
Get Well Soon Dietary Supplement
GetEven™ Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15
Go Easy! Protein Shake with INNER G-PLEX - Chocolate
Go Easy! Protein Shake with INNER G-PLEX - Vanilla
Go Easy! Protein Shake with INNER G-PLEX® — Chai Latte
Going, Going, Gone! Dietary Supplement
Heart Formula
Herbal Lip Ointment
Herbal Vapor Rub
Herbal Vapor Soak
ItShines™ Lip Gloss
Leg Vein Formula
Lip Saver, SPF 30
Lip Service Dietary Supplement
No Sun Intended, Bronzing Powder
NRGGO3 Fizzing Beverage Tablet
NutriMenC™ RE9 REsurface Shave Gel
NutriMinC® RE9® REgain Illuminating Enzyme Peel
NutriMinC® RE9® REtaliate Wrinkle Filler
On the Go Weight Loss Chews, Peanut Butter
On the Go! Weight Loss Chews - Berry Burst
On The Go! Weight Loss Chews - Chocolate
On The Go! Weight Loss Chews, Creamy Caramel
PersonalSpace™ Spray Fragrance
SeaSource Detox Spa™ 5-in-1 Essential Massage Oil
SeaSource Detox Spa™ 7-Day Body Cleanse
SeaSource Detox Spa™ Detoxifying Rescue Wash
SeaSource Detox Spa™ Foaming Sea Salt Scrub
SeaSource Detox Spa™ Fortifying Hair Mask
SeaSource Detox Spa™ Purifying Sea Soak
SeaSource Detox Spa™ Re-Mineralizing Body Lotion 24H
SeaSource Detox Spa™ Renewing Body Gelée
SeaSource Detox Spa™ Sea Mud Face & Body Mask
SugarSlush Body Scrub
Translucent Loose Powder
Unwind Bath Salts
Unwind Massage Oil
Virtual Illusion™ Dual Volume Mascara
Virtual Illusion™ Eye Definer
Virtual Illusion™ Lash Enhancer
Virtual Illusion™ Lip Definer
Virtual Illusion™ Makeup Primer

To Eat or Not to Eat

I found this posted on the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness website and found this very useful and informative. I'm not going to post the whole thing but feel free to check it out at the link above.

The only treatment for celiac disease is a gluten-free diet for life. It has been shown that as little as 1/8th teaspoon of flour will cause changes in the intestinal mucosa (Semrad 2004). Maintaining a gluten-free diet means constant vigilance.

Follow the golden rule: When in doubt, leave it out!

Safe Starches:
• Corn,
• Rice,
• Potato and tubers,
• Buckwheat,
• Amaranth,
• Quinoa,
• Tapioca,
• Teff,
• Oats*, Oats are considered safe but they are often time processed in a facility where there is the possibility of cross contamination.
• Arrowroot,
• Sourghum,
• Montina,
• Millet

In addition to the standard grains, bean flours offer gluten-free and nutritious alternatives to wheat flour.
• Chickpea
• Lentil
• Soy

Un-Safe Starches:
• Wheat: including Kamut, spelt, semolina, triticale,
• Rye
• Barley (including malt)

Beyond the foods that we eat, we need to be aware that gluten is contained in many other products. Wheat is commonly used as a thickener, a stabilizer and a texture enhancer, It is also added to many non-food products. Products may contain gluten as a filler, binder or texture enhancer and therefore they need to be eliminated from your gluten-free lifestyle.

Gluten Sources That You Might Not Think ABout:
• Chapstick, Lipstick
• Dairy Substitutes
• Licorice
• Malt or malt flavoring
• Modified food starch
• Playdough
• Brewers Yeast
• Prepared cake frosting
• Soy Sauce
• Medications (esp. in tablet form: Over the counter, prescription, and herbal supplements)
• Toothpaste
• Salad Dressing, Soups, Gravy (Malt Vinegar /wheat)
• Seasonings
• Malted Beverages
• Communion Wafers
• Vitamins

If the ingredient list does not contain gluten, it does not mean the product is gluten-free. Cross-contamination may occur in the processing of food, for example, dusting a conveyor belt with flour. Ask the manufacturer about the product’s process and contamination possibilities. Many boxes are labeled with information about the production process, for example, that the factory also mills wheat products. You will need to make a decision about whether to risk eating the product.

Safe Additives and Ingredients:
• Artificial color and flavor
• Baking powder
• Baking Soda
• Carmel color
• Citric Acid
• Maltodextrin
• Mono and diglycerides
• Monosodium glutamate
• Natural color and flavor (Most are fine)
• Soy
• Vanilla
• Vinegar (except malt)


What to look for on labels:
• Always read ingredient labels
• For example, a number of Tea’s may contain barley
• If the food contains any of the ingredients on the hidden sources list, then you need to contact the manufacturer and ask them if the product is 100% gluten free:
o Modified Food Starch (In North America, most are GF)
o Natural Flavors (Most are Gluten Free)
o Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HPV)
o Hydrolyzed Plant Protein (HPP)
o Dextrin
o Seasonings