Back for the Holidays...and possibly longer.

The holidays seem to be an endless line of gluten filled treats. I know there plenty of other options out there, but it still doesn't take away the part of me that wants to dig into the baked goods my aunt just sent to our house. I know, as well meaning as she is, I don't dare eat them, because they are probably not gluten-free.

My daughter and I watched the movie "Julie & Julia" last night and it in inspired me to blog once again. I have something to say and I need to stay on myself with the healthy eating/lifestyle.

This blog will hold me accountable. This blog will hold me accountable.

So, I'm back, and I hope to stay motivated enough to keep it that way.

Germany & Poland in September!

The land of lots and lots of bread, or so I am told. I'm going to get a feel for what it is like to travel GF overseas. I will have plenty of snacks in my tote to cover me just in case. Here are some of my favorites to take on trips:

WildBar

Goji Berries

& Apples

Indigo Rabbit

Indigo Rabbit sent me several boxes of cookies to taste and possibly start carrying at the store. The company is very food allergy friendly with a cookies to meet just about every individual need. Each box is clearly labeled with allergies in mind. I tried the Perfectly Peanut Butter and the Seriously Cinnamon Almond and was quite impressed.

The peanut butter were moist, and both flavors tasted straight from mom's kitchen. The cinnamon almond would taste great dipped in a warm cup of coffee. A couple of co workers tried the Chocolate Pillows and raved about them. Overall, a great experience.

The packaging is adorable and the cookies come packed in twos-perfect for lunches!

http://www.indigorabbit.com/

Balance and Finding the time

My life is very full at the moment. A lot on my plate. Since I quickly typed last post my oldest daughter turned 14, my 2 year old spoke her first long sentence, my baby smiled more than 20 adults all together, I drove, what feels like, two hundred miles in one city in one day, I dropped off and picked up, ran around the grocery store times 4, helped people with several ailments, sold vitamins, watched my husband come and go before I could even blink my eyes, searched airfares to Poland, had the 14 year old ask me hourly questions about an upcoming trip, etc... Yet I still kept my food consumption in balance. This is a true art I have perfected (I use that word very lightly, as I am not perfect) over the years.

A Great Deal on Amazon.com!

I just purchased six boxes (1 case) of Enviokidz berry bars from Amazon. com for $4.99 plus $.99 shipping. They are gluten-free and my whole family likes them. What an amazing deal!

I was going to post the link here, however it looks like they are no longer available at that price.

Simple is easier. The past couple of days, as well as several days last week, I have enjoyed a simple Mexican style wrap.

Sprouted corn tortilla
Rice
Black Beans
Cilantro
365 Roasted chipotle salsa (my new favorite!)
Greens
Tomato
Onion

Last week, my neighbor gave me several banana peppers from her garden and I threw them into the mix. I missed them today.

The ingredients are very basic and the fillings last for a handful of meals.

Simple is Easier

The past few days have been very full with little time to concentrate on writing. Thursday evening I went to a lecture given by Henci Goer the author of "The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth." While I think my days of giving birth are over, the state of birth today is still a topic I feel passionately about and I wanted to support a good friend of mine. Later that evening , my friend and I were in my kitchen preparing a late dinner,and she remarked that she was so sorry that I had to deal my 'gluten thing'. I told her it was no big deal because it's not-anymore. I love my lifestyle because the meals and snacks I eat make me feel good, the way food should.

Lately, my diet has been as simple as it gets. I am taking care of my 2 youngest girls, 2 dogs, and cat alone. There is not the time to spend preparing full meals. Salad, apples and almond butter, and late night Pamela's chocolate chip cookies and almond milk sums it all up. As I glance at the other gluten-free blogs on my list, I would be lying if I didn't say I was a bit jealous of the amount of time and food preparation skills the authors have. I would love a homemade pizza or chocolate coconut pie right now. Maybe one day I'll have the time and energy, but for now I would just like to request a personal chef. I remember when it was so difficult to remain gluten-free during busy/stressful times. How silly that was because eating it would only add fuel to the fire. I feel fortunate to have that control now.

Revelations and A-Ha moments

I stayed up late last night and researched gluten-free on the Internet. I thought I was hip to what was going on, up on the latest, all that. I was wrong. After realizing how important gluten-free is in my skin care as well as my food, I went through my bathroom closet with a magnifying glass. Here I was, at midnight, reading label after label. The line of skin care I use is gluten-free, at least the products I use personally from them are, but my hair color has WHEAT AND OATS! How could I have missed that all this time ? Me, the girl so picky about everything I put on my skin ? Wake up call.

A huge light went off over my head. I sometimes felt tired after I colored my hair and often times got a small cold sore. It is so embarrassing to admit this. For the sake of vanity, I compromised my health. Upon more research, I found that the hair color, Ecocolors, I used two months ago is gluten-free. I'm switching forever.

It all comes back to a very basic quote which I heard several years ago, "Keep doing what you have always done and you will keep getting what you've always got." Be the change.

American Gra-Frutti

While doing a quick run through of Whole Foods Monday evening, I stopped in the refrigerated area and devoured a delicious sample of a roasted carob coconut berry drop made by American Gra-Frutti . Yum! Normally, I am not a big fan of carob, however these trufflesque drops were really incredible and changed my mind forever. I bought a container of 6, ate one in the car on the way home, and have thoroughly enjoyed them the past few days.

I was even happier to turn the package over and find out that they are made locally in Marietta, GA!

I will most definitely purchase them again.

Accepting Reality and Enjoying It!

I know when I eat gluten I get sick- both emotionally and physically. It comes in the form of a cold sore outbreak, a sinus infection that just won't go away, body aches, anxiety, fatigue or depression out of no where. It was such a relief to find out what I was eating was the cause of these ailments!

Eating gluten-free is so much easier for me today than it was at my beginning stage of figuring all this diet/lifestyle out. At first, I felt deprived and angry that I couldn't eat the foods that everyone around me else didn't seem to have a problem with. Then, once I got over the "Woe as me" stage, everything around me starting opening up! The longer I stuck with the gluten-free program the more delicious foods I found to eat AND people with the same issues started to appear everywhere in my life.

Gluten-Free is Growing

My husband, who I consider an expert in the grocery business, recently told me that gluten-free is the fastest growing grocery category in the United States. Wow. I knew it was evolving, however I would have never guessed so rapidly. I often feel like I'm enclosed in my own gluten-free bubble and no one is in there with me. Obviously, I am needing to get over that nonsense immediately!

I travel quite a bit, whether it be to fencing tournaments with my daughter or out of town visiting family, it is nice to know I won't always have to carry my 'tote of snacks' hoping I won't starve because of the lack of food choices.

Nightly Temptations

Last night, after my daughter and I finished off a mediocre pint of Strawberry Rice Dream Organic, which happened to be on sale at Whole Foods, my sweet tooth was not at all satisfied. I knew there was another 'off limit' dessert in my freezer, however I tried to keep my mind on other things.

It is a huge challenge when my husband comes home with two pints of buy one get one free Ben and Jerry's. The carton of Cream Brulee called my name and I dove in like the dessert I had eaten moments ago never existed. I let my sugar cravings override the fact that I would pay for this indulgence in less than 24 hours. After 3 rather large spoonfuls, I stopped knowing I would feel it in the morning.

As I write this, my head is stuffy, my insides are off, and a new zit has formed on my cheek, and once again I have a reminder of why I choose to eat the way I do. Food is supposed to make me feel good. Next time, I promised myself to give in and buy the full priced Purely Decadent Mocha Almond Fudge coconut milk ice cream that I love so much and feel content.