Goin' Gluten-free

There are no health benefits with avoiding gluten in your diet, unless you suffer from gastrointestinal intolerances from gluten or Celiac's disease.

Celiac's Disease:

Autoimmune disease (when the body attacks itself) where you become intolerant of gluten proteins found in wheat, barley, and rye.
Symptoms of the disease:
Weight loss, diarrhea, tiredness, gas, vitamin & mineral deficiencies, malnutrition. Damage to the small intestine can occur if you ingest gluten.
It is imperative to check with your doctor if you think you might have this. I do NOT advise to go on a gluten-free diet until you've seen a doctor and tested for Celiac's (if you avoid gluten for awhile before you get the test, the test could result in a false negative).



How to live with Celiac's:

1. One thing you must become consistent with is reading food labels: Under the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004, if a food or an ingredient contains wheat or protein from wheat, the word “wheat” must be clearly stated on the food label either in the ingredient list or in a separate “Contains” statement.

2.Avoid cross-contamination
Cook seperately and use seperate utensils if someone is eating gluten-free. Simply taking the gluten food off the gluten-free food doesnt really work (ex: taking a crouton off a salad) because there could be traces of gluten left behind and ingested. Same goes with your toaster-use seperate for regular bread and GF bread.

3. Focus on what you CAN have. The good news is you can still eat healthy. I included some alcohol choices as well (go easy!).

What you can have:
Anything labeled 'gluten-free'
Baked Lays potato chips
Beans
Boar's Head cheeses/meat/condiments
Brandy
Buckwheat
Champagne: Korel & Moet & Chandon.. NYE anyone?

Corn - includes some corn tortillas,

Flax

Fruit!! Go fresh

Gluten-free beers: Anheuser-busch Redbridge, Bard's Tale Beer Lakefront brewery: new grist                                                     
Gluten-free Oats (Bob's red mill)
Hummus
Jose Cuervo & Suaza Tequila...Ole!
Legumes
Meat/poultry/fish: without any bread toppings or fried
Milk, low-fat/fat-free yogurt
Nuts!!
Ouzo
Popcorn
Potatoes - keep portion in check-no more than the size of a computer mouse
Quinoa- a healthy whole grain

Rice- brown & wild are best
Rum
Soy
Sunflower seeds
Tapioca
Veggies, veggies, veggies!! Oh good. As long as they aren't slobbered with any gravies or bread crumbs
Vermouth
Vodka (from potato)
Wine (check with manufacturer..some may add it)

4. Shop Right. GF foods are becoming more widely available & most supermarkets carry a ton of GF products. Great markets are Whole Foods and my all time fave, TRADER JOE's: locations.
   
What to avoid:
Anything made w/flour(self-rising,white,durum),rye,malt,or barely
Beer
Bran
Breads/pasta/bagels
Cakes, cookies, crackers
Couscous
Dextrin: found in some medications/supplements
Graham crackers
Modified food starch
Some flavored potato chips
Soy sauce
Whole wheat anything- including einkorn, emmer, spelt, and kamut
Wine Coolers


Here's a menu from the ADA that doesn't  require the use of any specially made gluten-free foods:

Breakfast:
Egg omelet made with low-fat natural cheese, such as cheddar or monterey Jack, and fresh vegetables
Rice cake (check the ingredient list to make sure it is gluten free) topped with jam, jelly, or preserves
Orange juice

Lunch:
Black bean tacos made with corn tortillas, black beans, fresh vegetables, low-fat natural cheese, and topped with fruit salsa (diced tropical fruit, lime juice, cilantro)
Seltzer water with lime

Evening meal:
Chicken and fresh vegetables stir-fried in olive oil and spices
Plain brown rice or plain enriched white rice
Sorbet topped with fresh fruit
Cranberry juice mixed with seltzer water

Snack: All-natural yogurt mixed with blueberries or another fruit

Approximate Nutrition Analysis:

Calories: 1,615; Protein: 67g (17% of calories); Carbohydrate: 272g (68% of calories); Fat: 26g
(15% of calories); Cholesterol: 273mg; Sodium: 2,890mg; Fiber: 21g

5. Prepare ahead before you eat out:
Some restaurants that have Gluten-free options/menus:
(tip: check menu online first to see if they have options you LIKE..some are under "allergy" )
99 restaurants
Boston Market
British Beer Company (framingham, Falmouth, MA)- has GF pizza
Bugaboo Creek

Capitol Grille (Boston, Burlington, MA)
Chili's
Fireflies

Fresh City

Glutenus Minimus (Arlington, MA)

ick-ass cupcakes (Somerville, MA)

Legal Sea Foods

Longhorn Steakhouse

Not your average joe's

Olive Garden- has GF pasta

Outback Steakhouse

PF Changs

Stone Hearth Pizza- GF pizza  
Uno Chicago Grille
Wagamama

*** Always ask the waiter/waitress if they have a gluten-free menu/options and be careful or gravies/sauces. If you need your waiter to ask the chef, no biggie! Just tell them you have an allergy and they usually take it seriously (its not really an allergy though but this works!)

National Support Groups

Celiac Disease Foundation
Phone: (818) 990-2354
http://www.celiac.org/

Celiac Sprue Association
Phone: (877) CSA-4-CSA (272-4272) Toll Free
http://www.csaceliacs.org/

The Gluten Intolerance Group of North America
Phone: (206) 246-6652
http://www.gluten.net/


I'd be more than happy to include more GF recipes, topics, etc!! Keep in touch!

Happy Nat'l Popcorn Day!!

Well, day after. Yesterday, Jan.19th, was National Popcorn Day!!

and I don't know anyone who can resist the crunchy, corny snack.

I SURE CAN'T!!

Minus the movie-theater-extra-butter meltdown, plain ol' popcorn sure is good for us..wanna know why!!??

• Its low-calorie: Simply 1 serving or 3 cups = ~100 calories 
• It's a whole-grain: 3 cups = 1 serving of whole grains!
• Fiber-rich!
• Crunchy texture, perfect for snacking
• Gluten-free for those with gluten intolerances/celiac's disease 

   

We all know the extra buttered popcorn isn't good for us. It's loaded with an astronomical amount of salt, saturated fat, and not to mention calories.  

At the movie's the portion sizes are just.plain.ridiculous.

From webmd: " Regal's medium and large popcorns packed the biggest punch, with each containing 20 cups of popcorn, 1,200 calories, and 60 grams of saturated, artery-clogging fat. That's the equivalent of two Pizza Hut Personal Pan Pepperoni Pizzas, plus an extra two days' worth of saturated fat" yuck.

I'd stick to making your own. Fun ways to spice up your popcorn:

- add a lil' parmesean cheese

- add dried fruit to popcorn mix: Craisins are the best
- Use Olivio butter spray to get the butter flavor minus the saturated fat :)

I personally like the Mini-bags!!

Otherwise, Im tempted to eat the whole darn bag

(which I've definitely done before).

Orville, you stud you.

Lazy spaghetti/meatballs

This is cheating to Italians. I don't mean to offend anyone.


There's nothing like dad or grandma's pasta dish with a cooking-for-hours&hours-made-from-scratch spaghetti sauce & meatballs, but there's no way I'm making that after a work day.

One a regular wed. night I came home from work & had limited motivation to make dinner but was a starvin' marvin. I was able to whip together a comforting (& healthy) meal!!

I scrounged around my freezer and pulled out some frozen bagged spinach (I seem to always have on hand for omelettes, scrambled eggs, pasta dishes, salads, sandwiches, and side dishes) and frozen turkey meatballs from Trader Joe's (TJ's). These are lower in saturated fat than regular meatballs and their sodium content isn't too bad either at 400 mg per 2 meatballs. BTW..2 meatballs=1 serving=100 calories! They're a good size too.

I grabbed some cubbard ingredients: S&S Nature's Promise Whole Wheat Rigatoni and Trader Joe's jarred roasted garlic sauce (not pictured).

I also purchased pre-peeled garlic cloves at TJ's that were super cheap and I didn't have to deal with the peeling of the cloves and that lovely garlic smell that sticks to your fingertips for days.

I first threw the turk meatballs in the oven at 325 degrees and let be for ~ 20 minutes.

I then boiled & cooked the Rigatoni (~1/2 the box) to 'al dente'. As the pasta was draining in the sink, I sauteed in the same pan 2 diced garlic cloves in a bit of olive oil (~ 3/4 tablespoon). Added about 3 cups frozen spinach right to the pan with the oil/garlic & cooked until soft. I added 1 jar of the TJ's sauce and a few sprinkles of oregano and simmered. Added the toasted meaballs and Rigatoni, and let all the flavors meld together on low heat for about 10 minutes.....

I used a measuring cup to dish out 1 cup of pasta/sauce & 2 turkey meatballs. Sprinkled some parmesean cheese on top too.

The Verdict: surprisingly DELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLICIOUS for a quick meal. It would have been good to pair this with a small salad, which I didn't have on hand :( I felt good about my nutrient dense meal though:

The whole wheat pasta lends a good dose of fiber, whole grains & vitamins, the sauce packs an antioxidant punch (lycooopennne!) for not a lot of calories, and of course the protein from the meatballs provides satiety(12 grams per 2!). Don't forget the veggie serving from the spinach (loaded with vitamin K-needed for blood clotting). You're also getting some heart healthy fats from the olive oil used to saute the garlic/spinach :)



This made a lot (probably 6 servings)...I'll get a couple more meals outta this :) Yuummmmayyyy!!!!!

Pop Quiz! Calories Answer

If you guessed A, well- you were wrong.        

sorry.

The answer is D:

it takes consuming 3,500 additional calories to gain a pound, and inversely- you have to cut out or burn 3,500 calories to lose a pound.

Sound like a lot?


To lose a pound a week you need a 500 calorie deficit all 7 days:

Cut out 250 calories from food every day

Burn off 250 calories/day from exercise
(can double up calorie burn so you don't necessarily need to work out every day)

  

In order to GAIN a pound a week: just slap on an extra 500 calories a day and don't exercise.

Wanna know some easy ways to gain a pound a week (not recommended!) ?

Drink 3.5 sodas a day

OR drink a 30 pack of Bud light by yourself....hangover much?

OR a 24 pack of Bud heavy (budweiser).. i know some dudes who have no problem throwing back 12 beers a night in a weekend.

OR get a fast food egg/cheese/sausage sandwich every morning during the work week (5 days)

YUMMMMAYYYYY

Cha Cha Cha CHIA!

Just when you thought you heard it all....The word on the street is that Chia seeds are good for us. (famously known to grow in your awesome Chia pet model-click here for a lil flash from the past)    They claim to have heart health benefits such as lowering cholesterol & weight loss.                                                                

The nutritional value of the guys:

1 ounce = 137 calories, 4.4 grams protein, 8.6 grams fat, and 10.6 grams fiber

They apparently have little flavor, but can be added to cereals, salads, yogurt, etc.

From a nutritional standpoint, it appears to be rich in appetite-satisfying nutrients (protein, fat) and fiber, which can aid in weight loss when consumed with a healthy diet & exercise. However, there has not been extensive research on the chia seeds health effects with human consumption, and I wouldn't grant it to be a MIRACLE weight loss answer.

What will they come up with next..