Food Blogger to Launch Gluten-Free Diet Magazine This Fall

This summer, I had the opportunity to visit a few different magazine shops. In spite of the huge variety available, I noticed that there was nothing specific to gluten-free living. I saw a hole in the marketplace. I was surprised with all the food trends and media coverage that there was not a gluten-free diet magazine on any of the racks. There are hundreds if not thousands of absolutely beautiful blogs with delicious looking gluten-free recipes. Every second day, there is a news article either in print, TV or radio on something or somebody gluten-free. The obvious oversight was not to be missed or at least in my eyes it was not. I was a little shocked not to find anything.

Low and behold, when I was scouring the web this morning, I came across an article on the Simply Gluten-Free blogger, Carol Kicinski announcing that she was ready to launch the first issue of her new magazine for Nov-Dec. It will cover all the different food allergies that bloggers are talking about today. Real online communities have developed since Carol first started blogging. The writers for this new venture will be some of the top bloggers and various medical professionals that are actively advocating healthy eating for the various communities.

gluten-free foods list

First Gluten-Free Diet Magazine by Gluten-Free Bloggers

The gluten-free blogger, TV chef, cookbook writer, professional recipe developer, food photographer and general force behind the Simply Gluten Free franchise will begin publishing a magazine written by best voices in the allergen-free blog and medical community.

“It’s a magazine for people with food sensitivities, by people with food sensitivities.” (full article here )

I love watching people grow into their voices. This is great news for the alternative diet community to have a gluten-free diet magazine launch in the next couple of months. How cool is that for her to find her writers among her community of supporters. I wonder if this is also a first. I can’t wait to see what they come up with. What about you…will you be picking up a copy? You can actually get on the subscribers list now http://simplyglutenfreemag.com/

Please share the news if you think this has any interest at all for your friends following a gluten-free diet or an allergen free diet of sorts.

When first starting out on the gluten-free diet especially for health reasons like Celiac Disease or gluten intolerance people often approach it with trepidation and fear when it comes to going to the grocery store. There is no real big need to worry like that if you follow a few basic guidelines like the ones we wrote about here >> Gluten-free grocery shopping. Today was I was going over the net to find great gluten-free information for you, I came across an article on allergy Free and sugar Free Snacks that stood out for a couple of points she mentioned that I forgot to tell you about.

Prior to actually going out shopping just to ensure top safety the writer tells you to completely empty all your cupboards of any processed or manufactured foods unless you completely read the labels. The difficulty here is more emotional than anything else and of course, like all new life changes that is often easier said than done. Now when you go out shopping focus on the fresh foods like, meats, poultry, fish, vegetables, fruit and dairy. When you have that down, you are ready to start buying items from the mass manufacturing aisles but remember you now need to be a gluten detective and read all labels all the time. You can watch this slide show on gluten-free diet foods to avoid to get a better idea.

Gluten-Free Grocery Shopping

Gluten-Free Grocery Shopping can be easy if you remember to focus on fresh foods and to read labels always.

In summary of the article this is what it says:

• Clean Out Cupboards

The most traumatic event of your life is probably coming up next. This is where you must go through your cabinets, the refrigerator and drawers and pull out and get rid of everything which contains gluten. I promise you, it will be almost everything.

Your doctor’s office will give you a generalized list for the gluten-free diet but the easiest way to know, if it is packaged, processed or prepared anywhere in a factory, throw it out. It contains gluten. After your cleaning session, now it’s time to go shopping.

• Shop Fresh Foods

  • Stop in the produce department and pick up any kind of fresh produce In the meats and seafood department, again pick out any fresh selections. This includes roasts, chops, chickens (as long as they did not inject with fillers, ask if you’re not sure), fresh seafood etc.. For now, avoid all ground meats, sausages, deli meats, hot dogs etc..
  •  In the dairy section, dairy products are naturally gluten-free but many recently diagnosed patients do find if they eliminate dairy from their diet initially they have an easier chance of recovery. This is because of the poor condition of your digestive system. The human body has a difficult time as it is digesting pasteurized/homogenized milk products. Eliminating this also speeds healing.
  •  Seasonings which are safe can be used for your flavorings. Olive oil, coconut oil and avocado oil, fresh spices (from the produce dept.), salt and pepper plus fresh lemon and limes are all perfect accompaniments to your new gluten-free diet.
  •  Fresh corn, rice, potatoes, dried beans and eggs are all 100% gluten-free

Be a Label Detective

During this time of enjoying your new fresh foods diet, hopefully you have also been studying the material you were given at the doctor’s office. Utilizing your new knowledge, the first trip back to the store, grab a notebook and concentrate on one kind of food for today.

Say you want pasta. Start reading the labels. Mark down any words you don’t recognize. These you must take home and investigate. Mark down any brand names you think “might be safe”. You aren’t buying yet. You are eliminating the bad and keeping the maybes. Once you are at home again you can verify your notes and determine whether you were correct.

Continue this pattern every time you go to the store, each time pick one more group of foods and investigate your choices. Soon you will have an entire notebook full of safe selections for your new gluten-free diet. full article here

In the end, gluten-free grocery shopping is similar to many of the other shopping that people addressing their health via diet are doing. Aside from the gluten which is nefast for those with Celiac Disease and gluten intolerance, most foods can be ingested. The biggest concern will always be those foods that are manufactured and mass produced. If you were to pare all the info down to 3 steps, how would you do it?

Gluten-Free Diet Foods Options at The Olympic Village

As we get ramped up for this years summer Olympics in London, stories abound on what athletes are doing to give them the edge. For some, it seems it may just be the gluten-free diet. Around the globe the gluten-free diet trend is rising and we can see in the increase in gluten-free diet foods available in the marketplace. So too, it will be at this year’s Olympics. The Olympic village will have a lot more gluten-free diet food options available for the athletes because more are following this diet.

Some of the top tennis athletes;  Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, and Sabine Lisicki ,have been in the news about adopting a gluten-free diet due to gluten-related health disorders and how they noticed an improvement in their play. Some athletes looking for any inkling of an edge are following suit even if they do not have a health reason to do so.

This echos the behaviour of fans of big celebrities like Miley Cyrus, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Chelsea Clinton. Fans wanting to be like the celebrities also copy what they do. It is partially the celebrity endorsement that has increased awareness and interest in eating gluten-free diet foods of late. For some celebrities they say it makes them thin and for athletic celebrities it improves their prowess at their sport so of course people want the same benefits.

This year the Olympic Village has adapted. Some of the athletes to note are : Amy Yoder Begley , Andrew Steele, Nathan Brannen, Dana Vollmer, Jenn Suhr to name a few.

The scientific community is not in agreement with the anecdotal stories people report but if people feel better can improve their performance then I say, all  the better to them.

No Evidence Gluten-Free Diet Foods Improve Performance

That said, according to a number of reports by medical experts, including the Australian Sports Commission, there is no evidence that healthy athletes following a gluten-free diet will see any performance benefits over an athlete who follows a balanced diet containing gluten. “If you do not have an intolerance, then there is no reason to eliminate a food from your diet,” stresses Amanda Carlson-Phillips, MS, RD, CSSD and VP of Nutrition and Research for Athletes’ Performance and Core Performance in Arizona. But like any healthy eating plan, there are benefits to going gluten-free. “It encourages label reading and more awareness, leading to a healthier diet filled with less processed foods and the introduction of higher quality grains like quinoa.” Which isn’t to say a change in lifestyle is a guarantee of good health. “A poorly planned switch can backfire, leading to an inadequate intake of complex carbs, vitamins and minerals. A runner who isn’t careful could end up eating a lot of refined carbs and added fats, leading to weight gain,” warns Carlson-Phillips. ~source

Whether the athletes are following a gluten-free diet for health issues or not, it is nice to see there will be gluten-free diet foods options this summer for those Olympians that want them.

What is your favorite event in the summer Olympics?

Reading Labels For Gluten-Free Caffeine-Free and Alcohol-Free Products

I came across an article today that talked about reading labels for gluten-free products but touched on the entire labeling process and what it can mean. With more and more gluten-free diet products coming to the marketplace as more and more people are looking and buying them, proper labeling would be a  great help. Politics seems to be the main focus however and ways to misinform the consumer rather than help them make informed decisions.

Should this beer be labeled gluten-free?

The specific article I was reading was inspired from the discussion that ensued from the new Widmer Bros., Gluten-Free Lager called Omission. It is the first “gluten-free beer” that tastes like beer to hit the marketplace and that is because it is made from the same ingredients regular beer is brewed from. Therein lies the problem.

Even though it contains less gluten than many so-called “gluten-free” diet products as per FDA and WHO guidelines the fact that the base ingredients are obviously grains containing gluten the American Treasure Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Trade Bureau say that they can not label the beer as being gluten-free. Since it is this trade bureau that controls this type of product, they win.

Reading Labels For Gluten-Free Products is Confused

Widmer Bros. brewing, is among a handful of breweries in the Portland area that are crafting gluten-free beers. Now, Widmer is in a little bit of hot water with the  Treasury Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (“TTB”).  The issue is over the ingredients in Widmer’s gluten-free brew. Here’s an excerpt from the Willamette Week about the issue:

According to the TTB, wine, beer or distilled spirits “made from ingredients that contain gluten (cannot) be labeled as ‘gluten-free.’” This could spell trouble for Widmer, which has invested significant time and money in a new gluten-free beer.~source

The people brewing this gluten-free beer created it initially for their own personal reasons being they are directly impacted by Celiac Disease either themselves or their family members. They are not jumping the gluten-free diet bandwagon. It was self-serving first to appease their own taste buds and then for the larger gluten-free marketplace. Where there is a will there is a way and it seems they have succeeded in taste and in solution. Now we just have to wait to see what the TTB decided.

What do you think? How would you make reading labels for gluten-free products any easier? Is it in the wording or in the regulations? In this case, the beer seems to have gone beyond agreed upon regulations and concretely seems to have the desired outcome with no undesirable effect on the person suffering from Celiac or gluten intolerance. What do you have to say?

Please share this freely with your Celiac beer loving friends to get their take on this.

Following a gluten-free diet is pretty easy once you know what to look for and what to avoid. Here is an Allowed Gluten-Free Diet Foods List (slideshow) to give you a good overview for when you head out to shop. It is essential for those with Celiac Sprue disease or gluten intolerance to only eat  gluten-free diet foods. This type of diet is the only known treatment for the disease.

Allowed Gluten-Free Diet Foods List (slideshow)

Celiac Disease, Gluten Intolerance, and Gluten Allergy often get mixed up and thrown altogether. Though any person who has either needs to follow a gluten-free diet their reasons for doing so would be different. With all the news and noise about the gluten-free diet it can get confusing for those trying to understand it.

At the american Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, we came across the most short and sweet to the point differentiation of the three we wanted to share it with you today. In summary, gluten intolerance affects the way people digest foods containing gluten, gluten allergy is an allergic reaction to these foods that can be a serious as a peanut allergy and Celiac Disease is a genetic autoimmune disorder that means the person cannot digest gluten at all and when exposed to it, it damages the intestine.

Celiac Disease, Gluten Intolerance, and Gluten Allergy Defined

Food intolerances such as gluten involve the digestive system. With a food allergy, the immune system overreacts to a particular food causing symptoms that are potentially serious or even live threatening. Celiac disease is an inherited autoimmune disorder that can damage the small intestine. Source

From this you can understand fully why cross contamination would be an issue. Multimillion dollar food companies (like Domino’s Pizza )with huge budgets need to be on top of this as much as the small family run business if they are going to call anything they do gluten-free. There will certainly be customers living with Celiac Disease, Gluten Intolerance, and Gluten Allergy who would be eating those foods said to be gluten-free.

Please share this to help build the awareness for those you love who may be impacted by improper labelling of gluten-free.

Following a gluten-free diet is the only way to treat Celiac Disease and gluten intolerance. Many people are also using this diet for other health reasons as they see a difference in well being when removing gluten from their diet. In the case of Celiac Disease and gluten intolerance the proteins found in gluten; gliadin and glutenin are not digestible and can cause a variety of different physical conditions.

In order to follow a gluten-free diet you have to ensure that you avoid all foods containing wheat, barley, rye and triticale. Become an educated label reader and seek out information online and in books as to foods that may contain hidden sources of gluten. Many foods contain fillers and binders that are made with some form of the above noted grains. Food labeling laws do not impose regulations to have these noted.

Remember that the essentials to healthy eating are permitted on a gluten-free diet so there is no need to panic about what you will be missing out on. With the rise in the gluten-free diet foods marketplace, more and more products are being found on grocery shop shelves.

Gluten-Free Diet Foods To Avoid List – (slide show)

We are really interested in hearing what your favorite gluten-free diet foods to avoid list is!

Your abandoned high gluten pleasure is maybe not mentioned in this short slide show.

Please write a comment below, and we will add it to this slide show … and if you mention it AND a special way of preparing maybe, you will see your gluten-free diet foods to avoid and picture right in this slide show.

We will update the slide show regularly … so write your food below, and maybe even send us a picture or post one on our Facebook page so we can use it here.

Being a Celiac, one needs to follow a strict gluten-free diet to heal and keep the Celiac symptoms away. Most people have diets that are built around staple grains such as wheat, rye and barley. Finding alternative gluten-free diet foodsthat replicate these grains are a big task for many people as the segue into the alternative lifestyle that is gluten-free. I am sure that is why so many people focus on baking when they first begin on the diet.

brown rice is a great gluten-free diet foods alternative to wheat

Grains bring a lot of trace nutrients and fiber to our diets but as with the case of most mass produced foods a lot of them get destroyed in the manufacturing process and have to be added in after the fact. Often when people start to become aware of food and the various nutrients they each contain and how they affect the body they start thinking differently about what they ingest and start making healthier choices. Studies show that eating foods that are as true to their harvest form as possible have the best nutrient and digestive benefits over highly processed foods. That being said, there are some fine grains and seeds that are great gluten-free alternatives to the ones laden with gluten.

Great Gluten-Free Diet Foods Alternatives to Wheat, Rye and Barley

• Quinoa
• Millet
• White Rice
• Brown Rice
• Wild Rice
• Buckwheat
• Oats
• Cornmeal

quinoa is very versatile gluten-free diet food

There all sorts of great recipes using these gluten-free diet foods that are both savory and/or sweet, hot and/or cold. Each of these alternatives have different health benefits and tastes. Some are great sources of fiber or protein. They are all very much worth exploring.

If you have any delicious recipes using any of these ingredients, we would love it if you shared them.

Please feel free to pass this along to anyone you know who may benefit or even just give it a Facebook like for us.

Mickey Mouse is going on a diet. He and all the characters and people of Disney will be making healthier choices as they watch their intake of sugar, salt and fat but will they be looking at gluten-free diet foods too? Is this a marketing ploy or are they really doing this In solidarity with kids and families? Maybe it is a little bit of both but it is certainly about time.

Mickey Mouse going on a diet with healthier choices like more fresh veggies

Mickey Mouse Going on a Diet

Gregory Warner: The Walt Disney Company made two big announcements this morning. It’s banning junk food ads on cartoons and other kid shows. That starts in 2015. And in just a few months, it will launch the Mickey Check.

Yeah, that Mickey. The mouse symbol will be slapped on foods in the grocery aisle that Disney approves as nutritious: Only so much sugar and salt and fat.

Disney will no longer be endorsing junky foods on any of its programming. They will also be promoting a new label that indicates their approval or not to assist families when shopping for groceries. With all the confusion in labelling that comes along with each new food discovery and the marketing spin that goes with it, many families have a hard time discerning what is good and what is not.

Grocery store shelves are packed with products telling you how healthy they are. Candy bars are gluten-free. Sugary drinks are 10 percent real fruit juice. Potato chips are all natural. Source

We know that junk food is junk food no matter how you spin it and now Mickey Mouse is taking a stand. It may not be where it should be, but as will all lifestyle changes, it is one step at a time. Education takes a long time even for big corporations. By law the objective of publicly traded companies is to make money for its shareholders. We are still waiting for the day, when objectives can be multifaceted and include social and ethical responsibility. We may know intellectually that a healthy community is one of the pillars to a thriving wealthy country but we have a long way to go before it becomes a common practice to be intentional when we come to making corporate decisions.

What do you think? Is the Mickey Mouse is going on a diet move just a marketing ploy or are they trying to do the right thing? We would love to know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Have a healthy day.

As the demand for gluten-free foods grow in grocery stores as well as in the food service industry, food companies are looking for ways to respond. The natural foods company, Smart Balance that already was strong in the spreads and then added Glutino to its holdings has recently acquired Udi’s Healthy Foods to set itself up as one of the leaders in the gluten-free food products niche. They now have a large selection of gluten-free breads, snacks and spreads.

the demand for gluten-free foods is growing daily

Watching the story of the world of gluten-free diet foods unfold is exciting. Not only do we get to see how people’s awareness and health issues are addressed and transformed we get to see how industry works in response. It is often hard to see the motivation but we can see how consumers have better choice and access making life a little easier.

Smart Balance is Leader in Gluten-Free Foods Sector

The newly acquired Udi’s Healthy Foods complements Smart Balance’s Glutino brand. Glutino, which was acquired in 2011, heads Smart balance’s gluten free product offerings.

Udi’s has a lock on the gluten free bread and baked goods market. Glutino, when acquired by Smart Balance, was a market leader in the snacks and grocery segment of gluten free products. The combination of both individual companies makes Smart Balance a leader across many gluten free offerings. Source

No need to go gluten-free? If you are not Celiac, you may not need the gluten-free foods to eat but you may want to consider investing. Since Smart Balance announced its acquisition of Udi’s Healthy Foods shares have risen. Let’s hope they keep the end users in mind as they growth their wealth.

If you know anyone looking for gluten-free foods, please consider sharing this news to help them out.