What is your favorite recipe??

Would you like your favorite recipe to be converted and added to my book?  I would LOVE your feedback...email me at StopTheGlutenNotTheTaste@gmail.com

What is Celiac Disease?

The Mayo Clinic said it best....  

Celiac disease is an immune reaction to eating gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye.

If you have celiac disease, eating gluten triggers an immune response in your small intestine. Over time, this reaction produces inflammation that damages the small intestine's lining and prevents absorption of some nutrients (malabsorption).

The intestinal damage can cause weight loss, bloating and sometimes diarrhea. Eventually, your brain, nervous system, bones, liver and other organs can be deprived of vital nourishment.

In children, malabsorption can affect growth and development. The intestinal irritation can cause stomach pain, especially after eating.

There's no cure for celiac disease — but following a strict gluten-free diet can help manage symptoms and promote intestinal healing.

The signs and symptoms of celiac disease can vary greatly.

Although the classic signs are diarrhea and weight loss, most people with celiac disease experience few or no digestive signs or symptoms. Only about one-third of people diagnosed with celiac disease experience diarrhea, and about half have weight loss.

Twenty percent of people with celiac disease have constipation, and 10 percent are obese.

In addition to digestive problems, other signs and symptoms of celiac disease include:

• Anemia, usually resulting from iron deficiency
• Loss of bone density (osteoporosis) or softening of bone (osteomalacia)
• Itchy, blistery skin rash (dermatitis herpetiformis)
• Damage to dental enamel
• Headaches and fatigue
• Nervous system injury, including numbness and tingling in the feet and hands, and possible problems with balance
• Joint pain
• Reduced functioning of the spleen (hyposplenism)
• Acid reflux and heartburn

Children

As many as 75 percent of children with celiac disease are overweight or obese. Digestive signs and symptoms are experienced by 20 to 30 percent of children with the condition although the precise signs and symptoms differ by age.

In infants, typical signs and symptoms of celiac disease include:

• Chronic diarrhea
• Swollen belly
• Pain
• Failure to thrive or weight loss

Older children may experience:

• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Short stature
• Delayed puberty
• Neurologic symptoms, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disability, headaches and lack of muscle coordination

These symptoms get mis-diagnosed frequently so if you are having symptoms ask your doctor to do a diagnostic test.  Hope this is helpful!

Sneaky Ingredients that you might not know contain gluten...

This week I thought I would share a list of less obvious food ingredients that most people do not realize contain gluten!  For those who have celiac disease you know that even the trace amount of gluten can have major physical side effects.  I highlighted a few of the more common ones.  Here is a list of culprits to be cautious of:

Abyssinian Hard	Gum Base
Barley Hordeum Vulgare	Hard Triticum Durum
Blue Cheese (made with bread)	Hydrolyzed Plant Protein (HPP)
Bran	Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HPV)
Bread Flour	Kamut
Brown Flour	Malt (any)
Bulgar	Matzo Semolina
Calcium Caseinate	Miso
Caramel Color	Modified Food Starch
Cereal Binding	Mono and Diglycerides
Chilton	MSG
Citric Acid	Mustard Powder
Couscous	Semolina
Dextrin	Shoyu
Edible Starch	Small Spelt
Farina Graham	Soba Noodles
Filler	Sodium Caseinate
Fu	Soy Sauce
Germ	Spelt Triticum Spelta
Glutamate	Stock Cubes
Graham Flour	Suet Packets
Granary Flour	Tabbouleh
Gravy Cubes	Teriyaki
Groats	Triticale X triticosecale
Ground Spices	Udon
	Vegetable Starch

Weekly Post.....Easy Recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars...let me know what you think :)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

½ cup Butter (completely melted)

½ cup Brown Sugar (packed)

2 ½ cups Powdered Sugar

2 cups Peanut Butter (creamy or crunchy)

1 tsp Vanilla

2 cups Chocolate Chips, Semi-sweet

1. In a mixing bowl, mix all ingredients well.
2. Press into a 9x13 inch pan
3. Melt chocolate chips in the microwave or use a double broiler and spread over the top.
4. Cool and serve

*Make sure you check the labels for your individual ingredients*

Recipe Share for Banana Bread

This banana bread recipe is my favorite, it was passed down to me from my mom and to her from my grandma.  I personally think the gluten-free version of this tastes even better than the original, which is delicious!  When my bananas get too ripe to eat I freeze them until I'm ready to make banana bread then pull them out to thaw an hour before.  This recipe will be featured in my cook book.  You have to try it!  It's amazing and so moist!

Banana Bread

1 3/4 cup gluten-free flour

4 tsp xanthan or guar gum

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Stir these items together

2 large eggs

3 over ripe bananas (mashed)

1/2 cup oil

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 tsp buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Mix well. Bake at 325 for 1hour.

(spray and flour pan) 

Looking for an easy place to shop gluten-free in Utah???

Look no more.....this place was such a life-saver for me it made grocery shopping SO much easier!  It's one store that I can buy anything there and EVERYTHING is gluten-free!  You don't have to check labels, or worry at all!  I trust them and send my friends and patients there all the time.  Don't get me wrong, you can find gluten-free items in many stores now, which is nice, but this one is a one-stop-shop!  Check it out and let me know your thoughts....

It is called Against the Grain and it is located in Taylorsville, Utah at 2292 West 5400 South!  Here is also a link to their website as well...

http://www.againstthegrainslc.com/

Weekly Tip....Gluten-Free Dining Out

Being allergic to gluten does not mean you can never eat out again, it just takes a little more work!  People are becoming more aware of this so there are more options.  You might be surprised how many restaurants and fast food places offer a gluten-free menu!  You can even print the menu before you go and take it with or ask when you get there.  Here are some helpful links.

http://www.chick-fil-a.com/Food/Allergen-Gluten-Diabetic

http://www.wendys.com/redesign/wendys/pdf/en_US_gluten_free_list.pdf

https://www.dairyqueen.com/PageFiles/5144/Gluten_Sensitive_Guide%202.pdf

https://www.peiwei.com/Market/downloads/PWAM_Nutritional_Allergy_Menu_Guide.pdf

http://www.chilis.com/EN/LocationSpecificPDF/MenuPDF/001.005.0000/Chilis%20Allergen%20Generic.pdf?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

This is just to name a few!  Hope this helps!

Coming soon.....weekly tips for gluten-free living

Starting this week I will be posting a weekly helpful tip for living gluten free and useful resources.  If you have particular things you need to know let me know.  I will make a new post every Friday with something new...

BOOK RELEASE DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED.....

Why I Decided to Write This Book...

When my son was ten he was diagnosed with celiac disease aka allergy to gluten.  Food allergies were a new thing to me and I was completely lost as to what to feed him.  He lived on scrambled eggs for weeks.  I was forced to do some research on gluten and what he could and could not eat.  Overwhelming as it was, I learned that there were lots of options for him, it would just take a little more work.  One by one I started converting our favorite recipes to a gluten-free version so he did not feel like he was missing out on the foods he loved!  After all my struggles I decided that I may not be alone and that there might be others out there going through the same thing.  I hope my book helps you in your journey to a gluten-free life!