Lots of gluten free products!
100% gluten free store
Yesterday I took a day trip to Sacramento with my friend. We had a really fun day and lots of tasty gluten free goodies were discovered. This was my first visit to Sacramento and I enjoyed wandering down the many tree lined streets which were especially pretty due to all the fallen leaves and autumn colours.
At the arctic circle
In Boston
Most of my posts are aimed at helping those of us who are on a strict gluten free diet. When you are diagnosed with celiac disease simple things such as grocery shopping and eating out become a lot more challenging, especially at first and we need all the help we can get. Living in a supportive environment with people who understand what we are going through can definitely help a celiac to heal more quickly and effectively. For this reason I decided to write a post aimed at the close family and friends of someone who has been diagnosed with celiac disease. The following question is one you may be asking yourself.
Being silly in Vegas
Are you a lone celiac in a family of gluten lovers? Are you the only one in your group of friends who has a restrictive diet? Despite the research which tells us that our close relatives have a one in ten chance of developing the disease, many of the celiacs I’ve spoken with are the only (diagnosed) celiac in their family. Living with celiac disease can be difficult in a household where everyone else is eating gluten but it is even more challenging if our nearest and dearest do not take our disease seriously.
Think Thin Bars
I received a box of Think Thin bars last week. All of their bars are gluten free and contain varying amounts of protein. Personally I enjoyed their crunch bars the most but their whole selection is pretty yummy, especially if you’re looking for a good tasting bar which also has lots of protein. Their protein bars come in at around 230-240 calories per bar and the crunch at around 190 calories.
Are some of these symptoms familiar?
Recently I was speaking to a friend who suffers from bad anemia and bloating after eating. She has had this for a while and doctors haven’t been able to pinpoint the reason. A huge siren went off inside my head when I heard this. This sounded just like me three years ago before I was diagnosed. My friend said she would never have considered that anemia and bloating could be related but I can and you probably can too. Celiac disease and gluten free living are on my mind A LOT and so I like to think I’m pretty good at picking up on symptoms which could very well be the result of celiac disease. I asked her a few more questions to find out whether she had any other symptoms commonly associated with untreated celiac disease. She has many. I encouraged her to speak to her doctor about getting tested. I hope she will.
My tasty lunch at Erik's
Yesterday I went on a mini road trip with a friend which took us to Los Gatos and Morgan Hill, an hour or so south of San Francisco. She had a couple of short meetings in each town so I used this as an opportunity to discover what these small towns have to offer in terms of celiac friendly options for gluten free locals or travellers to the area.
As usual I did some online research into the towns we would be visiting to get leads on celiac friendly eateries. The plan was to find somewhere safe and delicious to eat lunch and as it turned out I found six different possibilities! I was very impressed.
Chocolate granola...yum!
Recently I received a bag of double chocolate crunch granola and a big bag of semi-sweet chocolate mega chunks from Enjoy Life.
Pretty Minneapolis
Big thanks go out to my good friend and fellow gluten free traveller, Meagan Manning, for writing this post. For anyone contemplating a gluten free trip to the Twin Cities, do not fear. Meagan has provided us with lots of useful tips on where to find safe and delicious gluten free delights! I can’t wait to return to one of my favourite cities in the mid-west to try some of these celiac friendly locations…
Minneapolis may be best known for its cold winters and domed sports arena, but the immense plethora of tasty, locally owned restaurant offerings are not to be ignored. When I discovered my gluten intolerance just over a year ago, I was convinced many of my favorite spots would be off limits—after having worked in the restaurant industry for six years, I am acutely aware of cross-contamination dangers present in industrial kitchens and the potential distractedness of a busy server. Luckily, I was sorely mistaken. A large percentage of the places in my neighborhood already catered to those of us who cannot consume even the smallest amount of gluten. I am continually impressed at the number of restaurants in the Twin Cities with gluten free menus and staff members familiar with the severity of a reaction to gluten. I’ve come up with a list of a few of my favorite places and some tips for those passing through the Twin Cities. While the best months to visit are definitely during summer and early fall, Minneapolis is a great place to be gluten free any time of the year!
Delicious Pure Bars
I recently received some samples of Pure Bars. They have two types of bars, Pure Organic and Pure Natural. I was very impressed by the whole selection. It’s rare when I can say that I enjoyed eating all of the flavours. They are unique and seriously delicious. The Cranberry Orange and Wild Blueberry Pure Organic Bars are two of my favourites. They are a sweet, tasty blend of fruit and nuts. These are some of the best gluten free bars I’ve tasted, full of fruity and nutty flavours and certified gluten free too! My husband was also a big fan.
Gluten Free Not Sugar Free
Gluten Free Not Calorie Free
Dear random people who are considering going gluten free in order to lose weight,
A gluten free diet is not a fad diet, or at least it shouldn’t be. Those of us who are celiac, gluten intolerant or required to remove gluten from our diets for other serious reasons do so because we have to. As a celiac, if I eat gluten I am going to become very sick pretty quickly. I’ll have terrible stomach pains, I’ll feel bloated, I”ll have lots of gas, I’ll probably get a headache, all of my energy will be gone, I’ll have diarrhea. My head will get foggy. I’ll feel like crap and this could last for a few days. I’ll also be putting myself at risk from osteoporosis and various cancers. That’s why I don’t eat gluten. Why don’t you?
