First Restaurant Experience!

Well it was bound to happen.  For a girl who used to love going out to eat; not being able to eat Gluten and going out to eat do not mix!  At home I can cook my meals with the knowledge of every ingredient that goes into them.  Still who doesn't love going out to eat once in awhile?!  My husband and I got together with good friends of ours and decided we would all go out to eat.  My first task was to research.  I got online and looked at a bunch of restaurants in the town we were going to meet.  I stumbled upon one restaurant that looked pretty decent and had something for everyone.  

When we got to the restaurant I opened up the menu and immediately found what I was going to eat.  Pan seared Atlantic sea scallops over maple spaghetti squash and an arugula salad!  It was amazing! and thankfully I could eat it and not feel threatened by what I could be digesting because there were no hidden ingredients, even the salad had only balsamic vinegar on it!  YUM! Now unfortunately everybody else thought there meals were just OK and were drooling slightly over my delicious gluten free friendly meal.  

I think my favorite part of this dinner though, was how I felt after.  Which was amazing! I usually never leave a restaurant feeling that great.  I was usually bloated so bad that I wouldn't want to go anywhere but home afterward.  Also I usually never finished a meal because I would be hurting halfway through, not to mention the portions YIKES! This time around I practically ate the plate! Granted proportionally it was perfect but also it didn't hurt to eat it! I left the restaurant feeling light as air and as good as I did going in. 

It is my suggestion that if you want a good restaurant experience and you are going or are gluten free then do your research ahead of time. A lot of restaurants even have gluten free menus if you ask, for instance Olive Garden has one if you ask your waiter for it.  Also talk to your waiter, they are usually more than willing to find out for you if there might be hidden gluten in your food.  Calling ahead to find out about gluten free options is always an option too.

Even though I had a great restaurant experience, I still advocate to just eat at home.  Its cheaper and you know what is going in your body, without any hidden surprises. But for those special times that you meet with friends, family or have a hot date ;-) then it is possible to eat and enjoy, without eating and regretting.

P.S. I feel the need to tell you that I am writing this blog while indulging in a Liz Lovely gluten free oatmeal raisin cookie! SOO GOOD! Plus they were half off at the Portsmouth Health Food Store so that makes them taste a little bit sweeter!

me want cookie!

Peace, Love, and Eat Well,
                                     Ashley

Millet with Veggies and Black Beans!

So here is what was on tonights menu...I am sorry for the lack of a clever name but really I just lack wit sometimes.  But the recipe will taste the same and that's all that matters :-) Hope you like it, we sure did!

1 cup millet
3 cups water

1/2 head of cauliflower (spears)                                                                    

2 large carrots or 3 small(chopped                                          
1 med. onion, chopped
3 large handfuls of fresh spinach
1/2 can black beans
1 tbsp. earth balance butter
2 tbsp. roasted garlic mustard (stonewall kitchen)
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot put in millet, water, cauliflower spears and carrots. Bring to a boil.  Once boiling cover pot and simmer for 25 minutes.  Meanwhile, saute onions in oil of choice on med. to low heat and let them get nice and translucent (can also caramelize if you wish) then add spinach.  Once onions and spinach are done turn off heat.  Your millet mix should be done by this time. Using a potato masher, mash together millet,cauliflower, and carrots. Once well combined and mixed, add your onion and spinach mixture.  Next, add black beans, earth balance and roasted garlic mustard and mix with a big spoon.  Then to finish it off add salt and pepper to taste. I also like to add a little bit of parsley (because I love parsley!)  Your millet should be almost creamy looking! and I think delicious tasting!

The finished product!

 If you you find yourself asking, What the heck is Millet? check this out! what you need to know about Millet!

 

Have you ever had millet?

Peace, Love, and Eat Well,

                                   Ashley

A productive weekend!

Well I haven't posted in a couple days and my posts will be spaced a bit now due to graduate school starting back up this week.  However, I needed to share some very exciting things that happened in my kitchen this weekend, including the wonderful surprise snow day I had that resulted in a kitchen experiment!  Firstly my snow day was full of research and baking! I found this wonderful muffin recipe that has; peanut butter, eggs, baking soda, vanilla, water and agave or honey, with some chocolate chips sprinkled on top. THAT'S IT!  I was skeptical at first; but sure enough they are delicious!  Just the smell of peanut butter makes you salivate before you even taste your first bite.  SO GOOD! I still can't believe that there is no flour!  I also made some coconut cream dough-nots.  I made these to try and replicate the delectable Lara Bar's coconut cream bar. I will post the recipe and pictures soon because, OMG these are mouth watering! If I don't say so myself haha. Not quite the same as Lara Bar's but hey I came pretty close and of course made mine into dough-nots :-)  I did some more research and after looking up some recipes, I was a cooking diva! Making my husband and I wonderful gluten free recipes that included, sauted Tempeh, roasted vegetables(fresh from the farmers market), and cruelty free egg frittata with fresh vegetables.  

Now that I have mentioned the farmers market I need to also talk about that! If you are from the southern Maine area, there is on in Portland, Maine every weekend and one in New Hampshire that travels between Exeter High School and Wentworth Greenhouses in Rollinsford every other weekend.  This is an amazing way to get fresh vegetables and local goods throughout the winter. I highly recommend it.  It really is the best part of my weekend. I love seeing all the people out and enjoying the local products and everyone with their environmental friendly bags, those things make me happy, I guess I am easy to please!  Anyway you should definitely check it out if you already haven't.  I even was able to get gluten free french bread! You can check it out at www.BuzzsBakery.co.cc they have a lot of gluten free products.  Their site isn't quite up and running just yet but it is something to keep your eye one.  The bread was amazing! Oh and did I mention it was vegan too! Crazy good!  Anyway I cannot say enough about farmers markets, nothing tastes better then fresh vegetables right from the source.  I prefer to grow my own but when its winter this is the next best thing!

Well I must bid you adieu now, I have to relax before life starts in full force again tomorrow, between work and school and my gluten/hormone research! PHEW I am a busy gal! I was wondering though; how you all are doing with your gluten free adventures? I have gotten a few private emails but lets hear it! Let this be a place of support, you are not in it alone :-)  I soon will have the recipe for you for the coconut cream dough-nots and update you on my research.  

P.S. I am feeling MARVELOUS! Still no bloat! In fact my stomach bothered me a tiny bit this morning from who know what and I didn't bloat up! That is mind blowing for me!

Peace, Love and Eat Well,

                                    Ashley

What's for Dinner?

Veggie Lovin' is what's for dinner! 

1 tbsp. virgin coconut oil

1 onion, diced

2 stalks of broccoli cut into spears,( cut off stalks and save for juicing if you want!)  

1/2 cup vegetable broth

1 red bell pepper

1 zucchini

2 celery stalks

5 baby portabella mushrooms

couple handfuls fresh spinach

handful of raw walnuts, chopped

handful of green olives( I like using the Lindsey Naturals)

handful of Kalamata olives

drizzle of Bragg's liquid amino's

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp. cheddar cheese or vegan cheese per bowl (optional)

First heat pan with coconut oil, then toss in diced onion.  Once onion is in for a few minutes add broccoli spears. Then add about 1/2 cup vegetable broth with red bell pepper, zucchini, and celery.  Stir and cover pan for approx. 10 min.  Once veggies are soft add mushrooms, spinach, walnuts, and olives. Stir then add the Bragg's. salt and pepper to taste.  Stir again and once veggies are to you liking, spoon out veggie mix into a bowl and top with your cheese of choice.

After suffering from stomach pain yesterday and feeling under the weather, this was the perfect meal.  This is one of my favorite dinners! What is your favorite dinner?

Peace, Love, and Eat Well,
                                    Ashley

First Road Bump...

Well friends I hit my first road bump! So last night I thought, snowy weather, cuddling with my puppy, hot chocolate would be perfect right now!  I boiled some almond milk and stirred in some  hot chocolate mix that my brother gave me for Christmas.  It was perfect! Really hit the spot! Unfortunately half way through drinking it, it began to hit another spot....uh ohhhhhhhhhhhh!  I got up in search for the ingredients but the ingredients were not on the bottle!  I later found out it was thrown away.  Although I didn't need ingredients to tell me that gluten was the culprit. (probably a barely malt)  I started getting awful stomach pains, went to the bathroom a few times to many and spent the rest of the night on the couch in pain! No energy at all and I couldn't even bring myself to blog about it last night!  I woke up this morning feeling awful and had to visit all to familiar bathroom once again.  I started getting nauseous and feeling like I was going to collapse!  Needless to say, not a fun morning!  The rest of the day I was exhausted and felt like I was hit by a truck! :-(

This is such a bummer! I knew it would happen sooner or later.  Gluten can be hard to avoid, especially when sneaking into my hot chocolate! But like I said, it was bound to happen.  It just makes me realize how great it feels to feel great!  All day I just wanted to have that feeling again, instead of the ...I just want to sleep, feeling. I will be going to bed early and hopefully will wake up feeling wonderful again with all that energy back!

The hot chocolate I will be making from now on is;

1-2 teaspoons raw cacao powder
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1-2 drops of stevia

mmm, healthy, def. gluten free and delicious! 

I just love hot chocolate in the winter, especially when it's snowing outside.  Reminds me of when my brother, sister and I would play out in the snow all rosy cheeked and have hot chocolate waiting for us when we came in!  Next time I will reminisce without the agonizing pain afterward!

My little cuddle buddy!

Peace, Love and Eat Well,
                                 Ashley

Do you suffer from a hormone imbalance?

As you all know I suffer from a hormonal imbalance.  I have been searching the internet endlessly lately to get information on this issue.  I found this article very informative.  Hope you find it helpful as well!

 http://www.womentowomen.com/adrenalfatigue/adrenalglandnutrition.aspx

Along with the gluten effecting my adrenal glands, I believe my issue to be a lack of progesterone.   Progesterone is a female hormone that is produced by the ovaries when they release a mature egg from an ovary ovulation.  Progesterone prepares the uterine lining so that it can receive the egg when it becomes fertilized by sperm.  When an egg is not fertilized, progesterone levels drop and that is when menstruation starts.  I am taking some herbal supplements as advised by an herbalist from a local health food store, such as Ashwagandha, chaste-tree berry, and evening primrose oil.  These are not something I take all the time, but something I have been experimenting with to see if it helps in my hormone troubles.  The chaste tree I feel has helped me the most thus far.  I am also going to have my hormone levels checked.  I want to do a test now and maybe one 6 mo. from now to see if there are any differences with the change in  my diet.

Having hormone troubles is not an easy battle but again I believe with a proper diet that this battle will be won.  How has your hormone battles effected your life?

Peace, Love and Eat Well,
                                  Ashley

A little research with a little snack!

I sparked an interest in food when my family went vegan for a while when I was about 10 years old.  It was the first time I actually started thinking about food.  My diet has gone through many changes over the years, not always for the better.  Most of these changes have to do with adding “this” or taking away “that.”  I am constantly trying to evolve my diet into what best fits my beliefs and what my body will allow me to easily digest.  To me if you take care of yourself by what you put in your mouth, your body will take care of you back; by having fewer medical bills and prescriptions for disorders such as IBS.  I know of a lot of people who have “cured” many of their ailments through a change in their diets.  Of course there are things that cannot be cured by food, for instance I have difficult knees.  My patella doesn’t track right and my outer quadriceps leg muscles build much faster than my inner quadriceps, which result in dislocations of my patella.  Not fun! I have had many knee surgeries to try and correct this problem but really the only thing I can do is work out my inner quadriceps to keep them strong.  I wish I could solve this issue with food as well but unfortunately this is something that has been an issue for most of my life and one that I have grown to deal with.  Keeping my weight low and being active helps my knees stay on the right track.

  

I am talking about this because I feel that so many issues we face can be helped by just being aware of what we are eating.  A lot of the packaged foods today are made so that you will want more, and more and MORE!  With one bite you are hooked and after eating said food, you are left feeling hungry still.  I cannot believe the changes I have gone through in just a little over a week of being gluten free.  Firstly food cravings are gone! I cannot believe that in just a week I haven’t craved a thing! (This does not happen to everyone)  I also feel satisfied a lot sooner and find myself saying “I’m all done.”  This is not normal for me.  I have always craved food and when I would feed my cravings I felt like I couldn’t get enough.  I believe this was due to the fact that my body was trying to tell me something.  Probably, HELP!  It was in need of feeling satisfied.  Like I have said in previous posts I have a long way to go but I am hopeful about my future relationship with food.  I encourage you all to look at what ails you and do your own research to see if food can help make some of your issues dissipate. Here are some articles that I have been looking at;

http://www.irritable-bowel-syndrome.ws/gluten-free-diet.htm

http://www.suite101.com/content/a-gluten-free-diet-a106058

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

http://naturalbias.com/is-your-gluten-free-diet-still-harming-your-health/#comment-17968

And now I will send you off into the worldwide web with a little snack;

Chocolate Popcorn!

*1 serving of popcorn is about 3 cups popped popcorn. However my popcorn has some chocolate on it so it depends how much you want to make. My recipe is just a cup.

½ tbsp organic popcorn kernels (can find in bulk at some grocery stores.)

Lightly cover bottom of pot with oil.

¼ cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips (dairy free and gluten free, just lovely chocolate!)

Put covered pot on High Heat, once kernels pop, shake pan and take off heat once popping sound slows.  Put aside.  Place chocolate chips in a small saucepan and turn put on med. Heat.  Stir continuously, until all melted.  Place popcorn on lined cookie sheet and spread out.  Drizzle chocolate over top with a spoon.  You can either leave it with the drizzle or mix to further cover popcorn.  Leave until chocolate is no longer melty.  Than devour!

If you want to make this ahead of time and save for later you can put popcorn on cookie sheet and put in oven on 250 for an hour, stirring every 15min.  This will dry your popcorn out so that when you indulge later it won’t be chewy.

 I <3 popcorn and I <3 chocolate and the two make a lovely couple!

Peace, Love and Eat Well,

                                    Ashley

Let's talk about bloat, baby, lets talk about you and me!

Today I want to talk about bloat!  Bloat has plagued my life for so long!  The day that empire waist shirts became popular was one of the happiest days of my life.  Now most people would look at me and say, “You look fine, you don’t look bloated at all.” Then behold I would lift my shirt to show my FOOD BABY! Now I am a small person so it is shocking to see what looks like a belly that is 5 months pregnant.  As I said thank goodness for empire waist shirts!  

Bloating can be caused by many factors.  My bloating was caused by gluten consumption.  No matter what I seemed to eat I bloated up like a balloon.  Obviously it did matter what I was eating because even the smallest bit of gluten was creating this unwanted food baby.

The reason why I am talking about bloat is because this morning I woke up and felt lighter.  I weighed myself and no change there.  Then I thought COULD IT BE?  I lifted my shirt and behold a non food baby belly!  Granted I still have some bloat but going from 5 mo. To 2 mo. is a wonderful feeling!  Just the fact that I wore jeans in my house all day is huge!  For one, I hate jeans! And for two I hate jeans in the house.  Only stretch waist pants for this girl.  Not anymore! Today jeans feel good on my waist because my bloat isn’t trying to fight against them.  It is a good feeling!

I also want to address those of you that feel like a food baby has been plaguing your life as well.  I have heard some concern from people about what they can eat if they go gluten free.  Here is a list of things of common gluten containing items;

• Binders
• Blue cheese
• Bread
• Breading
• Some chicken Broths
• Brown rice syrup ( Lundberg brand brown rice syrup is gluten free)
• Candy (hard candies, licorice, jelly beans, some chocolates, others)
• Caramel coloring (made from barley malt enzymes)
• Cereals
• Coatings and coating mixes
• Cold cuts
• Colorings
• Communion wafers
• Condiments
• Crackers
• Croutons
• Dextrins
• Dispersing agents
• Emulsifiers
• Excipients (added to prescription medications)
• Extenders
• Extracts
• Fillers
• Flavorings
• Flours made with above grains or derivatives
• Grain alcohol (ale, beer, bourbon, gin, grain vodka, lager, rice beers (use malt), rye, scotch, whiskey)
• Gravies
• Herbal supplements
• Homeopathic remedies
• Hydrolyzed protein
• Hydrolyzed plant protein (HPP)
• Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP)
• Imitation bacon
• Imitation seafood
• Lipsticks
• Low or non-fat products
• Marinades
• Modified starch, modified food starch (when derived from wheat)
• Mono- and di-glycerides (made using a wheat starch carrier)
• Nutritional supplements
• Oils (wheat germ oil & any oil with gluten additives)
• Packaged foods
• Panko
• Pastas
• Pharmaceutical Drugs & Over-the-Counter Medications (Request clarification from food and drug manufacturers when necessary.)
• Playdough
• Preservatives
• Processed luncheon meats
• Sauces
• Self-basting poultry
• Soups and soup bases
• Soy sauce or soy sauce solids (when fermented using wheat)
• Spices (if containing anti-caking agents)
• Starch (made from grains listed above, unidentified starch, modified food starch)
• Stuffing, Dressing
• Texturized vegetable protein (TVP)
• Thickeners (Roux)
• Toothpaste
• Vegetable gum (when made from oats)
• Vegetable protein
• Vinegars (distilled clear and white or with a mash starter)
• Vitamin E oil
• Vitamins & Mineral Supplements

Now this list doesn’t mean that I cannot find these items without gluten.  For instance I have vitamins that are gluten free.  Soy sauce is also an example of something that you can find gluten free.  Tamari is soy sauce like and comes gluten free, you can find that in the health food isle at the grocery store. Again there are many options available, the above list is just items that have said to have gluten in them.  Not all products are created equally. Reading labels is your best bet.  Here is a list of things that are safe non gluten containing items;

All fresh fruits and vegetables; nuts and seeds; meats, poultry & seafood, dairy, and the following grains & starches are allowed:

• Amaranth
• Arrowroot
• Beans
• Buckwheat
• Corn
• Garfava
• Millet
• Nut Flours
• Soy
• Potato
• Quinoa
• Rice
• Sorghum
• Tapioca

Research suggests that oats in moderation are safe for most with gluten issues, but many oat products are contaminated with gluten during processing.  Bob’s Red Mill states that their oats are certified gluten free.
Alcohol that is safe: wine, rum, tequila and sake.

I am also getting a lot of “you poor thing.” I don’t thing I have anything to complain about! I cannot have a muffin from the grocery store, but so what?  I have found what makes me feel good and that to me is more important than being upset that I can no longer eat a breadstick.  I am excited to find new recipes and continue to feel the changes of a healthier me! Stay tuned for my favorite gluten free products blog!

Peace, Love and Eat Well,

                                    Ashley

An update on my Journey

Hello,

I am ending my first week of being completely gluten free and let me tell you, I COULDN'T FEEL BETTER! I have so much energy! In fact I shoveled my entire driveway twice by myself, then made a nice big dinner for me and my husband!  I still have a lot of healing that needs to happen in my gut, after-all I am repairing my life's worth of eating gluten.  The true test will be my first healthy BM.  Yes you read that right BM as in Bowel Movement.  Before you go closing out my blog in disgust, remember we all poop. It is just a fact of life :-)  Did you know that your BM's are suppose to float? (Just an Update for those who have read this post,  I have now changed my opinion on the floating poo, I was finding so many conflicting articles but I have finally found out what the deal with it is, If you poop floats then you are eating a lot of fat.  It is not necessarily a bad thing but if it happens more than once or twice a week then you might want to lower your fat intake.  Since I have never had one I suppose I do not eat that much fat.  Which I have been trying to eat more of lately.  fats such as coconut oils, avocado and nuts. )yeah well I didn't either and mine never has.  NEVER.  This is of great concern to me.  So the day I have a healthy one, I will be having a PARTY that I am finally healed.  A poop party if you will. ( I suppose I can have my poop party now, because apparently I do not need to be as worried as I was before, phew! But still it does tell you a lot about how your body is responding to what you are feeding it.)

Alright I will stop with the poop talk but really in all seriousness take a look at yours, it will tell you a lot about how you are digesting what you are eating.  In fact I always thought I ate so healthy, so it was a shock to me to find out how unhealthy I really was due to my digestive issues.

My hormone issue will also take time to heal and the test will be getting a normal predictable cycle, fewer breakouts, and less tiredness.  As far as the tiredness I started my cycle 2 days after being gluten free (coincidence? I think not) and have had more energy than any other cycle I have had! Usually I crave chocolate and salty snacks and am out for the count.  But I have had no cravings and have had plenty of energy! So this is very exciting.

My next step is just finding balance in what I am eating.  I found that this week I was taking in way to much fiber, which was hard on my stomach at times.  I really want to get back to my vegan diet, but for right now I have to stick with the Pescatarian diet of eating fish, farm fresh eggs, local dairy products, some organic soy, organic vegetables and fruits, nuts and gluten free grains.  Right now this balance seems to work and every time I mess with it my body feels it.  I still eat mostly vegan but incorporate dairy and wild fish here and there.  Hopefully I will find the balance soon, it will take time to find my way with it all.

I have heard a lot of people tell me on my Facebook page about thinking they have similar issues, have you tried going gluten free yet? Let me know if I can help get you started on your journey.  It is a big one to take, considering we Americans ingest gluten in so many of the different products we eat.  It is worth trying though. I fully believe you are what you eat! Take care of your body and your body will take care of you back.

Peace, Love and Eat Well,
                                        Ashley

Quinoa, guacamole , and refried beans...OH MY!

Last nights dinner was a hit!  I thought I would share it with all of you!


1 cup Quinoa (gluten free and a wonderful food packed with protein!)
1 1/2 tbps. unrefined coconut oil (or oil of choice)
1 med. Onion
1 med. red bell pepper
2 stalks of celery
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can Amy's Refried beans
1 Avocado
half of lemon, squeezed
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp onion powder



* Cook Quinoa (I used my rice cooker 1 cup Quinoa with 2 cups H2O). While Quinoa is cooking, heat the coconut oil in pan on medium heat.  Slice onions and put in pan when pan is hot.  While occasionally stirring onions dice red bell pepper and celery.  Once onions are see through add the bell pepper and celery to pan and mix.  Continue to cook.  Prepare your guacamole, cut avocado in half and scoop out inside into a bowl.  Squish avocado with fork until there are no chunks.  Add the lemon, garlic salt, and onion powder and set aside.  Once the Quinoa is done scoop in desired amount in a bowl and add some refried beans (again as much as you feel), mix together.  Add a scoop full of diced tomatoes and then add your vegetable mix on top.  Scoop some guacamole on top and grab a spoon!

Serves about 4 and takes about 20-30 minutes!
This dish is of course gluten free and vegan!

                               The finished product! I added some fresh parsley for appearance ;-)

Video on Gluten! and the Gluten free Challenge!

I found this video by Dr. Mark Hyman. It is very informative and if you think you or someone you know may suffer from a gluten intolerance then you should watch this.  He lays out nicely the problems gluten can cause and the issues it can bring along with it.

If after watching the video you are really feeling like you have an issue with gluten, I challenge you to go without gluten for 2 to 4 weeks.  I had done this when I first started suspecting I had an issue.  Over this past Christmas I went back to gluten and the effects were disastrous, proving that I in fact had an issue.  YOU are worth this experiment!  I use to think I ate so healthy and yet I was killing my digestive system everyday by just eating a slice of whole wheat bread!  If  you go a month without and then eat gluten and feel fine then you are probably suffering from something else, but if you have the opposite happen then you know what you have to do.  Going without gluten might seem daunting but I would rather be without gluten and healthy than have a bagel and suffer.  Plus their are so many wonderful products out now! Just browse you supermarket and you will see how much wonderful gluten free products they have now! Even cake mix! So don't worry it is not the end of the world....you owe it to yourself to at least try it, right? I think you do :-)

I would love to hear if you think you have an issue and are up to my challenge! Please post any results you find or challenges you face.  I would love to help.  I am just starting my new journey of being without gluten so I am here for support.

Peace, Love and Eat Well,
                                    Ashley

Dough-Nots!

I am ready to start my recipe section up!  When pondering over what recipe I wanted to share with all of you, my favorite recipe popped to mind....Raw Doughnut holes!  But let this be the first time I call these something else because going around and offering family and friends raw balls or raw doughnuts just makes people give me the eyebrow; you know when one eyebrow is up and one is down. I call it the what the f#@% face.  Of course with one bite, they have been loved by all!  Anyway I have decided to call them, Dough-Nots!

I am sadly not the first person to want to replicate the wonderful LaraBars.  If you have never had a LaraBar they are amazing Raw bars (you can find them in the isle with energy bars).  Being able to understand everything in the ingredient list is extremely important to me and even more so now! Doesn't get more clearer than these ingredients; Dates, Walnuts, Almonds, Raisins, Cashews and cinnamon! Which happens to be my favorite LaraBar, Cinnamon Roll....yum!  After eating these I knew I had to find a way to make them because even though they are delicious the cost can add up at over $1.00 a bar.  I went searching the web in hopes I would find some recipes that people may have tried. I was not alone, a lot of people are recreating these scrumptious bars!  I found one recipe where they made it into raw doughnut holes and I adapted mine from that.

Ok I know you have been waiting and I have been rambling on so here it is!

Dough-Nots!

1 cup of Almonds (raw Organic almonds soaked overnight, drained and dried)
1 cup of Dates (I use Organic Medjool Dates, they sell them in bulk at Hannaford)
3/4 cup of Dried apricot ( your choice here can use any dried fruit, I love using dried apricots! No sugar or    sulfur added though!)
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 tsp. Cinnimon
1/4 cup of shredded coconut if desired


Step 1: Put almonds in food processor and pulse till almonds are about pebble size or slightly smaller.

Step 2: Add dates, (you may have to take pits out first if you did not get pitted dates), Add the 3/4 cup of other dried fruit ( you can mix fruit as well, apricot and pineapple or raisins and apricot, etc), salt, vanilla, and cinnamon and pulse till combined. It will get very chunky you may need to stop the processor to scoop sides and pulse again.  Just pulse enough to mix together and break up the dried fruit.

Step 3: Put mixture into a bowl and squish together with hands(it will be sticky). Then form into balls.  Now this is my favorite part.  If you wish you can roll in shredded coconut.  To me this makes them look gourmet! and I love the taste of coconut.

Voila! Eat and Savor!

There are a lot of different ways you can make these, for instance rolling them in cocoa powder or make them more desert like with adding chocolate chips! At Christmas time I made ginger Dough-Nots with dried pineapple and it was amazing...so play around, they are so YUMMY you wont regret going Dough-less :-)

Peace, Love and Eat Well,
                                   Ashley

If you have Hormone troubles, check this out!

Hello Readers!

I am super motivated this morning and excited about my new journey.  The first thing I did this morning was separate some condiments from my husbands, yes it is a must!  Apparently if he has toast and leaves some on our earth balance well it could spike some unpleasantness for me! And I am not messing around with this anymore!! No way!  The next thing I did was rid my pantry of all gluten cooking products.  Since I do most of the cooking in our house I do not see the need in making separate meals for my husband and I; thankfully he is OK with that as well.  So good bye whole wheat this and wheat bran that, anybody need any whole wheat flour?  Chap stick checking was my next mission and  those are safe to put on, phew!  As of right now I seem to be clear of gluten, my husband and I have picked sides of the toaster to use and I think I am ready to go!

In doing some research this morning I stumbled upon this very informative article about gluten and then effects on hormones!

Click here  

I was blown away by this article. If I had any doubt before about my issues with gluten and hormones well this just proved to me that this is my issue.
Common Symptoms of Adrenal Exhaustion
Caused by Gluten Sensitivity
Interruptions in sleep
Difficulty waking in morning
Fatigue
Joint and muscle aches
Weight gain resistant to diet or exercise
Frequent infections
Lightheadedness/fainting
Depression/mood swings
Low blood sugar
Poor concentration/memory
PMS/ menstrual abnormalities
Allergies (environmental)
Asthma

Um yea guess who has those all and experienced all in full last week except for the asthma, yeah that would be ME! crazy!  BTW I have apologized to my husband for the mood swings :-)

Alright well I am off to the kitchen to make some yummy gluten free snacks for the week for me and my very understanding husband Paul :-)  Raw doughnut holes and Carmel/chocolate popcorn! I saw the popcorn recipe while enjoying some grapefruit this morning in my VegNews magazine. So here is to celebrating gluten free with some completely indulgent deserts ;-) Oh and I will post the recipes at a later date, I am hoping to start a recipe section to my blog soon..... more exciting things to come!

Thanks for reading!
Peace, Love, and Eat Well,
Ashley

FYI : wheat allergy information from WebMd

Living With a Wheat Allergy

Foods made with wheat are staples of the American diet. However, many people are allergic to proteins found in wheat, including gluten. If you are allergic to any wheat protein strictly avoiding wheat and wheat products is the only way to prevent a reaction, which can include stomach upset, eczema, allergic rhinitis, asthma and even anaphylaxis. But, it is not always easy to avoid these foods since many unsuspecting products contain wheat.
Always check the label ingredients before you use a product. Many processed foods, including ice cream and catsup, may contain wheat flour. In addition, check the label each time you use the product. Manufacturers occasionally change recipes, and a trigger food may be added to the new recipe.
Examples of wheat products and foods that may contain wheat include:

Wheat Products	Wheat-Containing Ingredients	Wheat-Containing Food
Whole wheat or enriched flour High gluten flour High protein flour Bran Farina Graham flour Bulgur Durum Semolina Wheat malt Wheat starch Modified starch Starch	Gluten Gelatinized starch Hydrolyzed vegetable protein Vital gluten Wheat bran Wheat germ Wheat gluten Vegetable gum Vegetable starch	Many breads, cookies, cakes, and other baked goods Bread crumbs Crackers Many cereals Acker meal Couscous Cracker meal Pasta Spelt

Substitutes for wheat include corn, potato, barley, oat, soy, and rice flours and arrowroot starch.

Celiac Disease overview from WebMD

Celiac Disease - Topic Overview

What is celiac disease?

Celiac disease is a problem some people have with foods that contain gluten. Gluten is a kind of protein found in foods like bread, crackers, and pasta. With celiac disease, your immune system attacks the gluten and harms your small intestine when you eat these kinds of foods. This makes it hard for your body to absorb nutrients that keep you healthy.
Gluten comes from grains like wheat, barley, and rye. It’s important to get treatment, because celiac disease can lead to iron deficiency anemia and osteoporosis. It can also raise your risk of lymphoma.
Celiac disease can slow growth and weaken bones in children. If it is not treated, your child can get very sick. Call a doctor if your child is losing a lot of weight, has diarrhea, or feels weak and tired for many days for no reason.

What causes celiac disease?

Doctors don't really know what causes the disease. Having certain genes can increase your chance of getting it. You are more likely to have these genes and get celiac disease if a close family member has it. In some people, viruses or infections can also trigger changes in your immune system that can lead to celiac disease.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of celiac disease include:

• Gas and bloating.
• Changes in bowel movements.
• Weight loss.
• Feeling very tired.
• Weakness.

These symptoms can be very mild.
Some people vomit after they eat gluten. This is more likely to happen in children than in adults.

The Journey Begins!

Well this is a new concept for me but I have always wanted to be a writer so I guess why not write about my struggles right? Well my struggles as you can probably tell from my title have to do with gluten. Now this is something I suspected for some time but until recently didn't put all the pieces together.

Just this past week I started feeling awful, I mean not being able to lift my head awful! I had to stay out of work for two days due to unpleasantness in the bathroom, constant nausea, and headaches. I thought, well I have the stomach flu. But with some reflection I realized I didn't have stomach flu symptoms. I started to really think about my diet and how I had been eating lately, and what do you know the holidays were not to far in the past and guess who dappled in some gluten eating. ME! I knew I had a problem but thought it was just an intolerance. I think it may be more. Why you ask?

Well I have never had normal hormones, didn't get my first period until I was sixteen. And now people I am about to get really raw with you.....My husband and I have been trying to get pregnant now for over 3 years! and guess what the doctors can find nothing wrong with me, and yet I have never gotten normal periods unless I was on the pill.

It got so bad at one point that I didn't get my period for 7 months! I now am about 3 months on one month off. Now if you are trying to get pregnant this is extremely frustrating! because every three months you think you are preggers! But nope just one pink line shows up still. I cannot even tell you how many tests I have taken over these past 3 years. But lets get back on track....

I started really thinking about my stomach issues which I have had sense birth being diagnosed with lactose intolerance at 6 and Irritable Bowel syndrome at 20. Turns out when thinking about when I have recently missed my periods where months where gluten had been more prevalent in my diet...coincidence? I am thinking not.

Another thing you should know about me is that I have been a vegetarian/vegan off and on ever sense I was 10 years old. During college I decided to commit myself to a vegetarian diet fully again and that is when I was diagnosed with IBS which guess what kind of foods I was eating as a busy college student, boca burgers (which contain gluten) and whole wheat pasta. Well no wonder I spent most of my night life stuck in the bathroom, but honestly I just thought I couldn't eat! And after having a tube shoved up my behind I really didn't care to go for more testing IBS was good enough for me. But now in trying to get pregnant my problem I believe is more severe than I had thought, celiac disease leads to infertility and hormonal problems, ding ding ding! Oh and I fit all the other symptoms as well.

I am currently no longer vegetarian or vegan (for some of my friends I know this is shocking) but trying to figure out what I can and cannot eat has been something else let me tell you! My husband and I are eating a mostly vegetarian diet with some wild caught salmon and other wild fish. We feel right now this is the best thing for us and even though I want to be vegan my body is telling me this is right for me at the moment. I just have to stop eating the gluten!

So here's the deal this blog is set up by myself to display my triumphs and struggles with entering a gluten free life and hopefully on my path towards regular hormones. It is my hope to give information to those who have fertility troubles to think about their diets before taking any fertility medication because the answer may be what you are digesting, at least that is what I am thinking to be the case for me. I would also love any information any of you have to guide me on my path to a gluten free and hormonally balanced life. Lets see where this road takes us and hope that my intestines can finally take a break from working so hard to digest that which it cannot handle.

So here I am opening myself up to anyone willing to listen, today starts my journey with hopefully a new found love for my stomach and a new found love for shirts that don't have to hide my bloat ;-)

Peace, Love, and eat well,
Ashley