Thanks for Giving

Thanksgiving is coming up and for those of you who are gluten-free this could be a nightmare. I mean who can resist the taste of creamy gravy that is meant to cover the moist turkey in which we honor on this glorious holiday. Or, the stuffing inside the bird....that is supposed to be the best part. Although,my favorite has always been the dessert.The vast variety of pies that makes every person regret looking at the scale the next morning. So what are we going to do in order to still have a delicious meal but not break our diets and regret it in the morning?

I have been searching the web a lot for I was asked to come up with a dish or something that I would like to eat at Thanksgiving. To my surprise there are numerous gluten-free recipes out there just for Thanksgiving. The key is to know what you like an play around with the ingredients. I personally love pie so I tried to look for some that are gluten-free friendly. I found one that was crust-less and it didn't look too bad. :) I also found a stuffing that consists of acorn squash, apples, cranberries and gluten-free bread crumbs. I don't know about you but anything that has acorn squash I am in. I tried making acorn squash for the first time this year and I instantly fell in love.

The point is there are millions of recipes just waiting to be tested and we should all be thankful that we are able to access them at any moment of our choosing.Who knew that the simplest request is the thing we should be most thankful for.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!! MAY YOU STOMACH BE HAPPY!

Questions

So, I have just started my sophomore year of college and have begun my journey into the world of science. I have been getting involved with our health club, and doing some volunteering with the homeless and what I am discovering, I find shocking. One main feature that my school likes to advertise, is our eco-friendly and health conscious campus. But recently, I have been wondering,how healthy is our campus? Do students really understand what it means to have a healthy diet? Is a diet always a good thing?

Our society has put a vast amount of pressure on the youth to stay skinny and to work out, which although has good intentions, also has the potential to do serious damage. In my opinion, the schools need to provide assistance to those who are just starting out on their own and teach them how to stay healthy. Nutrition is an important factor to learn so if students are always eating pizza, doughnuts and coffee, how well is their learning capacity? My goal for this year is to try and influence students to be conscious of their diets. Luckily, there are numerous farmers markets around me and although I know it can be more expensive, at least it is healthy.

I know time is always an issue for anyone but I am finding that you can make a stir-fry out of anything and still get all your daily nutrients. Let's spread the word and bring better health to our youth!

A New Chapter

Welcome Back to School! These words use to send a chill up my spine for the thought of summer being over was unbearable. Now, I have learned to embrace school to my advantage. Last year, as some of you might know was extremely tough for me due to my recent discovery of food allergies. Well, this year I am more prepared and ready to try new things. All summer I spent most of my free time learning how to cook in preperation of the new year. So far, I have made rice pasta with sun dried tomatoes and asparagus which is one of my favorite dishes and strir fry with rice. Cooking is not that difficult for it is only a matter of knowing what works well together. I like the trial and error method although I am most willing to try anything. For those of you guys who are a little unsure, look up a recipie online or talk to friends and see what they use. You will be shocked at how easy it can be. Trust me if my guy friends from college can cook something anyone can!

For those of you who find yourself short on time and need something on the go I have found a perfect healthy option. I got these brown rice bowls that you simply place in the microwave for 1 min. and 30 sec. It is hot, delicious and nutrritious! You could also put veggies in it. You can find these delicious bowls at Costco in a pack of 6. These have definatly saved my life as I find myself rushing to class.

Its a new year and time to get cooking. Hope all of you have as much success as I am! Let me know how it is going. Kepp you updated....

Answers

On Friday, July 9, 2010 answers were finally uncovered as to why my stomach is always in turmoil. I went to the doctors to get the results from my latest test,the type of which I don't recommend doing unless recommended by your doctor! Let's just say it isn't fun to do for either you or those with whom have to live with. Anyways, my results came back with some shocking news, yet it brought relief to me and my family.

Apparently, I have some type of foreign bacteria growing in my small intestine called
Klebsiella pneumoniae. Klebsiella is considered a "potential pathogen" and can be hazardous to the body. This bacteria, although rare, can be picked up by touching a door handle or eating potentially infected food. Don't worry, there is a one in a million chance that you might get infected with this bacteria. I just happen to be the unlucky one in a million. Along with this bacteria the doctors found something called, trophozoites. A trophozoite is a type of parasite but is considered harmless. However, since my gut is already inf lammed and infected by the bacteria, it has the potential to grow and become harmful. So, I am now on some strict medication to cure the bacteria and eradicate the parasite. In two weeks time I should be feeling a lot better!

As for the Celiac, I am doing much better. I gained three pounds and am finding new ways to make fun and interesting foods. There should be no reason as to why people with Celiac can't eat the same delicious foods as everyone else. I am still experimenting with a few things but I guess trial and error is the best way to find delicious food. I am going to start posting some of the recipes that I have found delicious and easy to make. So feel free to take a look and try them out for yourself.

Until then........

talk with friends

This summer I am working at a children's theatre camp and we just finished our first week of camp. If any of you guys are musical theatre fans the show we are putting on is Into the Woods Jr. Anyways, while I was getting to know the children and the staff that I will be working with for the next five weeks I found interesting results. The staff that I am currently working with I have been fortunate to know most of my life, for we all started as campers back in the day. Well, one day i was talking to one of my staff members and I discovered that she has Celiac Disease as well as me, including being allergic to soy! Who would have thought that after all these years of knowing someone, something as life changing as Celiac wouldn't have come up before?

So, we got to talking about it and she has obviously known a little longer than me and has been a great mentor as to what to eat when it comes to going out. Although, the one thing that really got my attention was I noticed that some of my campers had Celiac as well. One camper as young as nine years old and has known for for a year already!!! I thought I had it bad.

I can't even imagine being diagnosed at such an early age. Anyways the whole point of this story was by simply talking to people you will soon discover that you are not alone in the world and there are many others who are going through the same thing. I encourage everyone to go out and try communicate with others and make new friends! We need to form a community and support each other when times get rough. :)

Keep you updated.........

Tip for any college student

I have just completed my freshman year at Sonoma State University and have learned a lot when it comes to staying healthy and eating right. At first it was a difficult life style to get use to, especially since I had no kitchen. However, once I got over my fear of not being able to eat food, the answer was simple. One tip that I suggest is, go to a grocery store and find basic foods that will last on a shelf or in a fridge. For me I found comfort in rice, almond butter sandwiches and string cheese. It is easy to fall into traps that might seem healthy at first but in a vast amount can actually be harmful. Moderation is the key to sticking with this diet and living a healthy life. Looking back the diet became so much easier with a little research, and determination.

Now that I am on summer break and have a little more time on my hands, I am going to dedicate my summer on experimenting on new ways to make delicious foods. I will try and keep you posted and put up pictures at to what I am making, so you can try at your home as well. Hopefully by the end of summer you will find a few new recipes that you and your family might enjoy.

Update

I hope you all took the past week to do a little of your own research on Celiac and have broadened your horizions. One of the reasons why I started this blog, was to spread information and second was to create a place where we can share recipies and certain places to eat out. Some tips that I have found helpful when traveling anywhere is to: one, eat beforehand so you are full before you arrive at any event. This works well when going out to dinners for you won't be as tempted to snack on things because you will be already full and can enjoy the company. Second, bring snack and eat it when no one is looking. I always carry either lara bars, fruit leather, apple, or some sort of nuts. Things that if I were to get hungry I can reach in my bag and snack without being rude. Don't let your restrictions on eating hold you back on hanging with your friends!

Don't forget to stand your ground and not give into the temptations for you will regret it later!!!

Some helpful grocery stores are:
Whole Foods *
Raley's
Sprouts
Mothers

Make sure you read all ingredients for labels can LIE!!! READ EVERYTHING! It is better to be safe than sorry.

If anyone has anything other suggestions, please share!

Welcome

Hello my name is Megan and I am eighteen years old and a freshman in college. Half way through my freshman year I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease along with numerous other food sensitivities. My first response was, "Celiac" what? Celiac Disease, means your body attacks itself when “gluten” has been ingested. Gluten, can often be found in breads, pastas, cakes, soy sauce and some seasonings. For a college kid who soley lived on peanut butter sandwiches, this is definately a huge challenge. The hardest part of my “special diet” as I like to refer to it, is not only do I have to be on the look out for gluten, but I also have to monitor all of my other food sensitivities. Some food sensitivities that I have include; corn, soy, dairy, turkey, beef,pinto and kidney beans ….the list goes on. Basically, it would be easier to tell you what I can have on a daily basis. Some might think that I am being dramatic but unfortunately I am not. I can rotate most things however, meaning I can have spinach or chicken once every four days but its just not the same. At the moment my diet consists of rice, almond butter, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, rice pasta and few veggies. It has definately been tricky especially trying to make food without a kitchen. Living in a dorm has been the hardest portion of this whole lifestyle but it has made me think outside the box and create things that are delicious yet safe.

I challenge those who read this, to go to the grocery store and read the labels that are found on a product, and see how often you see it say: Contains soy, Contains Corn, Contains traces of wheat.

Remember that corn syrup is the same as corn!!!
And if it says "Wheat-free" that doesn't mean that it is "Gluten-free."