Juicing, mmmm mmmm Good

Here is a link to the blog where I received the list. http://projectgadabout.squarespace.com/projectgadabout/2012/1/11/pressed-pretty.html

More Great Gluten Free Recipes

More Great Gluten Free Recipes.

Love when this happens

I received a phone call from a customer who recently purchased a new product we are offering called GoPicnic. They are like a lunchable for adults and kids that are gluten-free. You can read about them in my product reviews. So this women bought the Sunbutter + Crackers one for her son to take on a field trip. He has several allergies and health issues so he has to be careful what he eats.

As his class sat to eat their lunch many pulled out lunchables, when he took out his all the kids at the table asked him what it was. He told them “You know I cant eat certain things but my mom found these and now I have my own lunchable like you”. The kids were very interested in it and he said it was really cool.

Ok, so how cool is that? I’m thinking pretty darn cool. All kids want is to feel part of a group and when you have issues whether it is food allergies or learning issues, what ever, kids just want to be kids.

This made my day along with the mom and her son. Love when this happens.

You can find these and other great products @http://www.noglutennaturalgirlproducts.com/gopicnic

Gluten in makeup affects those with Celiac Disease (New Study)

A new study by George Washington University researchers showed not only that gluten is an ingredient in many cosmetics and topical lotions (although they are rarely labeled as containing gluten – a problem), but that using these products may actually exacerbate celiac disease.

Here is my issue with this and it’s just me venting again.  All the time I was telling people that makeup did affect me and they said  I was wrong, here ya go now there is a study that proves it. I lost my eyelashes for years, now that I just use gluten free natural mascara my eyelashes grew back, no more breakouts on my face. No more issues but the wrinkles I am trying to get rid of.

When we started our makeup line we were told by major magazines (that deal with Celiac Disease) and others that we shouldn’t be pushing gluten free makeup on people, that Celiac is an intestinal disease and only lip stick should be gluten free. Well we never did push it on people  but offered it as a choice for those of us that felt it was causing issues (and there were a lot of us out there). We couldn’t even get a write-up because people didn’t want to have us scare those with Celiac to think they needed to buy gluten free makeup. I would get in so many debates about this it just drove me insane.

It isn’t just cosmetics, in my opinion it is everything. Everything  I put in and on my body. I used to have the worst skin rashes and itchy, it drove me yes insane. I used so many lotions and nothing ever worked. After finding out I had Celiac I started thinking about the things I put on my body. Everything I use now is gluten free and guess what , no more rashes, no more itchy skin unless a mosquito got me. No more of anything.

Here are some places to read about the study

http://news.yahoo.com/gluten-cosmetics-threaten-those-celiac-disease-183015235.html

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_118201.html

Today is Celiac Awareness Day

Here are some stats courtesy of University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center Fact Sheets.

Celiac is most common genetic autoimmune disease in the world? Really and the fact that it took me getting so sick that I was finally diagnosed is sad according to the stats.  Celiac compared to some other diseases: at least 3 million have celiac, 3M have Type 1 diabetes, 2.7M have epilepsy, 2.1M have rheumatoid arthritis, 1.5M have lupus, .5M have Crohn’s, 1M have Parkinson’s, 400K have MS. Those with celiac would fill up 4,400 Boeing 747s or 936 cruise ships. Celiac is very common, but not commonly diagnosed. Don’t you think this is sad because I certainly think it is.

Just in case you don’t know. The disease affects the digestive process of the small intestine and is triggered by the consumption of gluten–a protein found in wheat, barley and rye.  Celiac Disease causes an abnormal response to gluten ingestion: the immune system attacks the small intestine, inhibiting the absorption of important nutrients, destroying the intestinal villi and wreaking havoc on the bodies systems.

I have heard from many people who have been told by their insurance that they will not cover them now that they were diagnosed and I also have heard from people that they have been told “No” on  life insurance because of being diagnosed. Now I have never had an issue with insurance or life insurance so I feel very lucky. Then I started thinking  isn’t that what you pay all your premiums for? Anyway that is a whole other subject that I wont get into now.

The University of Chicago has wonderful information on their website. And here is a link to the e-book they offer.

http://www.celiacdisease.net/assets/documents/Jump_Start_Your_Gluten-Free_Diet__5_20_2011.pdf

My friend said “Oh gluten free is so popular now” Really, she is lucky I love her.

Complaints of Celiac Disease are on the rise in the United States.  A friend of mine said to me it must be getting popular to go gluten-free, she saw a show where Hollywood A lister’s were saying how going gluten-free helped them shed pounds. Are you kidding me!!!. Let me just say that I didn’t choose to go gluten-free and yes if you eliminate pastas and bread from a normal diet and eat more fruits and veggies you will lose weight. Lord, what is wrong with people.  For those of us who have Celiac Disease (me)  it hurts, it makes us sick and to be frank “It sucks”.

Celiac disease is an inherited (Yes, mother it is) autoimmune disorder that causes the body’s immune system to attack the small intestine, it interferes with proper digestion and absorption of nutrients. So I am reading these articles and it says that because so many people have it now researchers are trying to figure out why. ??????  Then as I read on they called it a trend. There is another theory that involves improvements in sanitation and hygiene and it said that industrialized countries are more at risk for celiac disease because their bodies have not had to fight off as many diseases. My head hurts now and I am not reading any more of these articles or I may hurt someone.

This is why I think it is on the rise (ready) now I am 50 so back in the day we ate different. My gamma made food from scratch, we ate veggies we grew in our back yard and McDonald’s was only if you were lucky or it was your birthday. We eat in my opinion too much processed foods which contains gluten in it,  HELLO !!!!.  Another reason why more and more people are being diagnosed is because doctors are more aware of the disease and look at symptoms differently than years ago. Oh and there is the little thing about the gene they found that I mentioned early.

So this is what Dr Murray who works at the Mayo Clinic stated in an article (yes I read 1 more) about Celiac Disease and it isn’t far off  of what I just stated. He states “Another potential culprit is the 21st century diet”. Although overall wheat consumption hasn’t increased, the ways wheat is processed and eaten have changed dramatically. “Many of the processed foods we eat were not in existence 50 years ago,” Dr. Murray says. Modern wheat also differs from older strains because of hybridization.

So if you ask anyone that has Celiac Disease if  they think this trend will go away or if you ask  if you eat gluten-free to lose weight watch out because you might just get slapped upside your head. Really people, Celiac Disease is not a trend and it is not a choice, trust me I wouldn’t have picked this at all, I’m just saying.

By George I Think They Got It :)

This holiday weekend our house was the house. we had guests everyday. Saturday we had my husbands manager and his family over. We have had them over before and they are great people to hang out with, this time they insisted in bringing the main course. They were so concerned about what they were making because they know I have Celiac Disease. They didn’t even season any of the items until they got to my home to make sure the ingredients were ok for me. Now this guy make the best Ceaser Salad ever and he made sure that the dressing was ok and that croutons were not added and put on the side. It was wonderful, one day down and nothing but fun and swimming in the sun. No stomach ache, nothing YEAH.

Day two Sunday, my turn to cook, two of our children came home, the one that didn’t was here the night before . So burgers and hotdogs, chips and dips your basic things. YEAH another day and nothing but fun and swimming in the sun. Could I do it for a third day ? Yes I can.  Monday came and my in-laws and friends and number 2 son (who spent the night) and his girlfriend and her cute little girl came by. My father in law brought the food (Filets his favorite), my friends called a head of time and asked what they could bring that I could eat. It was another day of fun and swimming in the sun.

So finally after a year and a half most of my friends and family have figured out what I can eat and can’t eat, but alas my dear husband sat after everyone was gone Monday and as he is eating a doughnut he turned to me and said “Want a bi…. shit, I’m sorry baby. Yikes, really, you have got to be kidding me. LOL

Craving old favorite foods :(

I don’t know what triggered this but I woke up this morning craving several foods I have had to stop eating since February of 2010 because of being diagnosed with Celiac Disease. I would kill for a great piece of bread, Italian Bread to be exact. I also have a taste for a juicy burger on a pretzel bun. God I also want a decent bowl of pasta.  Bread and pasta for some reason are the two things I would love to be able to eat one more time. Having Celiac Disease isn’t fun and maybe being on this diet only for a year and a half has something to do with it or maybe it’s because I saw a Bertolli commercial about pasta and that’s what triggered this. Who knows why ? Many have tried to figure me out. LOL

I do know that this will pass (Please Lord let this pass) I know I CANNOT eat these foods again, the pain from accidentally  ingesting gluten ( a local pizza place offers gluten-free pizza.)  and the memory of the pain I was in for two days helps me tell myself “NO”!!!. A friend of mine who is wise and my bestest friend in the whole world reminded me that all my life these were my comfort foods and maybe recent issues in my life (stress) has triggered the urge for these foods. Makes sense right? I will keep telling myself this today, hoping it will help the cravings  pass.

Websites that can be helpful when newly diagnosed with Celiac Disease

You will find that I am a research junky, I have tons of information saved. I thought theses sites were helpful when I was first diagnosed.

University of Chicago, Celiac Center.

http://www.celiacdisease.net/

Celiac Disease

http://www.celiaccentral.org/Celiac-Disease/21/

What is Gluten?
http://www.quickcare.org/misc/what-is-gluten.html

Hidden Sources Of Gluten

You will find gluten in items you wouldn’t think of

http://www.celiacsolution.com/hidden-gluten.html

Gluten Free Diet:  Author:  Frank W. Jackson, M.D.

List foods that are safe and those that are questionable

http://gicare.com/Diets/Gluten-Free.aspx

Confirmed Gluten-Free Drugs and Medications

http://gfmedications.com/

Gluten Free Registry. Type in city and state and it will give you safe gluten-free restaurants

http://www.glutenfreeregistry.com/

 

A list of gluten free prescription medications

http://celiac-disease.com/medications/#c

 

My favorite social networks

These are the best networks I feel if you want information, ask questions and find people who can give support.

Don’t Eat That: This social site is run by a great lady named  Jayne Aston, she runs several blogs with great information. There are a number of groups you can join based on your needs. Articles and videos are also on site and you can design your page yourself.

http://donteatthat.ning.com/

The Celiac Diva: This is another site run by another great lady who has a Facebook page where you can get tons of help and or she has an internet show which is very informative and she blogs

https://www.facebook.com/TheCeliacDiva

http://theceliacdiva.com/

Gluten Free Networks: Here is another site where you can join all kinds of groups and meet new people with similar needs. This site is run by a gentleman named John Libonati. Lots of great articles and information

http://network.glutenfreeworks.com/

Simply…. Gluten Free:  This site is great, the beautiful lady that runs this site is a television chef, freelance writer and cookbook author, so not only do you get great recipes you also get a lot of information. She also has giveaways which is really nice.

http://simplygluten-free.com/

Gluten Free Gigi: This site is run by yet another great girl, tons of product information, great recipes and she is also a food writer and a contributor for Health Central, an online support and wellness community providing trusted information for a variety of conditions.

http://www.glutenfreegigi.com/about-gigi.html

 

Not everything gluten free is 100% gluten free

To be labeled a certified product is to contain less than 20 ppm of gluten. Companies follow protocols, such as testing the raw ingredients and the finished product to make sure it falls below 20ppm. Some large companies that produce both gluten-free products and gluten-containing products use the term “no gluten ingredients” for products whose ingredients don’t include gluten, but which may be at risk for cross contamination or aren’t tested for gluten.

Now some people who have Celiac Disease can eat food products made on shared lines with gluten-containing products and not have any issues and then there are people like me who have to  avoid products made in the same facility because yes I am that sensitive.

So I have to do more than just read a label, I have to find out if they are a gluten-free facility. So I do my homework before I buy a gluten-free product, I call or email and ask questions. So far so good.

Here are some gluten-free food products that are made in gluten-free facilities and the list is longer but these are my personal favorites. This list doesn’t include gluten-free products such as shampoo, lotions, makeup etc. That list will come later.

Pamela’s: Gluten-free cookies and mixes are produced on 100% dedicated gluten-free machinery.

Glutino: A  pioneer in the gluten-free industry, Glutino is committed to creating the best tasting gluten-free products.

Bob’s Red Mill:   Bob’s Red Mill has a gluten-free symbol on all our certified gluten-free products. This symbol informs those following a gluten-free diet that products are produced in a dedicated facility free from wheat and other gluten-containing grains or derivatives.

Kinnikinnick Foods: Both of their operating plants are dedicated gluten-free facilities as they have been from the start.

Schar: The Schar production facility is dedicated gluten-free.

Lundberg Family Farms:  All of their facilities are Gluten free and they use dedicated equipment.

Sunstart:  Have a  fully dedicated allergen/wheat free facility

Non Food Items

First let me start out by saying that there is a large population of people in the Celiac world that feel there is no need to use gluten-free products on your body because Celiac Disease is an intestinal disease and you don’t absorb gluten through your skin like you would through your intestines. I will argue this forever because I know for a fact that when I use products that have gluten in them I feel different, if I use a shampoo that has gluten my head itches, same with soaps and lotions they make my body itch like crazy. I feel that it is my discussion to use gluten-free products and if it’s not yours than that’s Ok by me, I certainly don’t want people to think they have to us gluten-free products but if they choose to then here are some of my favorite ones. And yes you can find them at No Gluten Natural Girl Products.

Monave: Stands for “Modern”, “Natural”, and “Versatile”. Our private makeup line No Gluten Natural Girl is a clean, healthy line of mineral makeup that doesn’t have the ingredients that makes skin break out. 95% of our makeup is actually Vegan.

Gluten-Free Savonnerie:   Savonnerie products are produced in a gluten-free facility and have been carefully tested to ensure that they are gluten-free. I love their Shampoo and Conditioner and their Premier Bar Soap

Dakota Free Products:    Manufactured by In the Potter’s Hand Inc., a family owned, farm-based business. It is the mission of “In the Potter’s Hand Inc.” to provide high quality, natural and fragrance-free products. Produced in a Dedicated Gluten-Free Facility & Laboratory Tested. My favorite is their Wild Rose Moisturizer and their Triple Duty Mint Deodorant. Oh and I love their Bath Crystals.

Desert Essence:  Desert Essence is proud to offer natural, gluten-free formulas suitable for all customers. My favorite is their Grapefruit Hand Wash and their Coconut Hand and Body Lotion.

Loving Naturals: Loving Naturals is a natural products company created out of the desire to provide safe and natural products. Natural & Gluten Free Organic Ingredients.I love their sunscreen, bug spray and we love the Hand Sanitizer

Tom’s of Maine:  They believe in products that are safe, effective, and made of natural ingredients. Simple and understandable ingredients, free of animal ingredients. Environmentally friendly products and packaging. I use the Whole Care Toothpaste, the Wicked Fresh Mouthwash

Natural Choices:  Natural Choices is a part of Pacific Sands, Inc.  It is an environmental products company that develops, manufactures and sells a wide variety of eco-friendly products.  I LOVE the Oxy-Boost, The Dishwasher Powder, their Stain Free Pre-treatment and their Prue Green 24 Household Cleaner.

Honeybee Gardens: Their concept is “Create pure, all-natural bath and body care products made from only the finest organic ingredients. I love their Nail Polish and Mascara.

 

Many of these companies have more products than I have listed, I can’t say enough about these companies. This is the reason we work with these companies, there are no if’s and or but’s, you know you are getting quality made products by people who care about how their products are made and the consumers that use them.