Oatmeal - What to put on it . . .

I used to loathe oatmeal. The texture, the flavor, the blandness of it all. I could eat Cream of Wheat until I was stuffed silly though.

Being gluten free means, of course, that I cannot have Cream of Wheat but, I can have oatmeal since it is technically gluten free. The thing is, though, oatmeal is usually processed on machinery that is shared with wheat based cereals. Even if the equipment is not shared, if glutenous dust is in the air, it will settle all over everything in the vicinity. The cheaper the oatmeal brand, the higher the parts per million of gluten will be in the oatmeal.

Of course, gluten free oatmeal brands have popped up over the last several years. You see, it took decades for them to figure out that oatmeal is gluten free because no one was using dedicated equipment just for oatmeal so people were having reactions to it.

Enough on the information about oatmeal, now that we can eat it, I do and now that I have fallen in love with the stuff, I have come up with my own creative toppings. Here is my favorite bowl of oatmeal with a decadent twist . . .

Dr. Meg's Decadent Oatmeal Recipe

1/2 Cup gluten free oatmeal

1 pinch cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp cinnamon

stevia to taste (I use powdered)

3 tablespoons walnuts

1 handful of black berries and strawberries

4 chocolate covered power berries (or dark chocolate chip or pieces)

A little almond milk (unsweetened)

I prepare the oatmeal according to directions, mix in cinnamon, cayenne and stevia, add chocolate, fruit and walnuts then top with almond milk. The trick is to use only a little chocolate to give it a nice flavor and not overdo the sugar content.

Since I used stevia, it is sweetened without all those empty calories. Cayenne pepper gives it a nice little spice and helps with blood circulation. Cinnamon helps regulate blood sugars and berries are low carbohydrate and low sugar fruits. Chocolate covered power berries are high in antioxidents but they do contain sugar. This isn't an every day thing. Just a couple times this week. I eat eggs and vegetables on the other days.

Dang, I love breakfast!

For more information on living a Delicious and Healthy life, see www.DeliciousAndHealthy.com

The One Thing About Gluten Free Eating that I've Been Afraid to Say

It's all over the internet. Everywhere you look where there's any mention of gluten free products or cookbooks or anything gluten free, it's always the same thing. It has been bugging me for a long while and now I am just going to say it.

Why does everything that's gluten free have to be a baked goods like breads, cookies, pizza doughs, cakes and all those sugar laden "treats" that if we eat them every day, we will continue to have intestinal problems and quite possibly diabetes and/or cancer over the long haul? What about breakfast lunch and dinner? What are we supposed to eat then?

I speak for the hundreds of choices of fruits, vegetables and meats of the world with all the delicious savory spices to prepare them with that add flavor. We can combine the multitude of ingredients in thousands of ways to make tasty, delicious and healthy foods.

More and more information is coming out about sugar and nutritionally depleted gluten free flour mixes and their links to cancer and diabetes. I don't suggest we take our fun foods away but let us make them a background choice rather than the main one.

Eighteen years ago when I went gluten free to save my health, there weren't that many choices available. What was around did not taste that great. I lost 25 pounds and made a miraculous recovery. Today, I hear people in my audiences say they gained weight on ther gluten free diets trying to replace their excessive bread, cake and cookie habits with gluten free options.

Eat veggies! Eat fruits! Eat responsibly farmed meats and seafood! Get healthy and be Delicious! Then, once in a while, eat a cookie or two - maybe a piece of cake. Let your body heal by giving it the best you can.

For more information on living a Delicious and Healthy life, sign up for my newsletter at http://www.deliciousandhealthy.com/

Crazy Good Gluten Free Sunset Treat

A yoga class just let out a few doors down from Babycakes NYC in Larchmont Village, LA. I sit watching a firey sunset as I chomp on a vegan, gluten free cookie sandwich. I get a twinge of guilt as I spy the parade of yogis clutching their mats, all refreshed after an hour of downward facing dog and sun salutations.

I take another bite. The guilt lifts as I accept my cookie consuming fate and decide beyond all doubt that this is for a good cause.

The chocolate chip cookie sandwich reminds me of a junkie treat I used to love as a child - Little Debbie oatmeal cookie sandwiches. Ultimately, I know it's like comparing a 57 Bordeaux to Two Buck Chuck but it's only a reminder.

So really, this cookie sandwich was crazy delicious! With a combination of garbanzo, fava bean, sorghum, tapioca starch, agave, coconut oil and chocolate, this rich, delicious cookie miracle hit the spot. Now it did cost $5.00 BUT, it is all organic and Babycakes has a tiny markup (unlike unhealthy bakeries with 100% markup) AND, it's as healthy as you can get while still being a dessert.

Thanks Erin McKenna, owner of Babycakes NYC for working so hard to perfect this gluten, egg, dairy, and soy free treat. It's your great gift to the world and my sunset treat.

http://www.babycakesnyc.com/

Babycakes NYC Comes to Larchmont Village, LA

The popular hangout for food allergy sufferers that began in New York City has spread from its second location in downtown Los Angeles to the sweet little street of Larchmont Boulevard. Situated among privately owned boutiques and restaurants and near Paramount and Raleigh studios, Babycakes could not have come to a better neighborhood.

The cupcakes and most treats are gluten, dairy, casein, soy, egg and refined sugar free. A popular spot for celebrities, Babycakes is frequented by many who just want a healthy, sweet treat option to all the processed, sugary, chemical filled fluff out there.

Do they taste good? Come on out and try for yourself. Come to 236 Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90004 and enjoy a treat and a charming street to spend a few hours exploring. Come on Sunday between 10:00 am and 2:00pm and you can also visit the Larchmont Farmer's Market.

A New Soup Recipe - I Could Not Stop Eating It!!!

About a month ago, I made up this soup and invited my friend, Claire to come eat it with me. She loved it (as did I). She told me to write it down while it was fresh in my mind but I kept forgetting to and, like all memories, it faded away.

Tonight, I decided to revive it and it was SO much better than the original that I simply could not stop eating it. Luckily it was nutricious so I did not feel super guilty about it. I was truly thrilled with it. Here is what I did.

Curried Yam with Chicken Soup

1 Rotisserie Chicken (from the market or home made)

1 box chicken broth (or juices from home made chicken plus water to top off)

3 cloves garlic chopped

1/2 yellow onion

1 1/2 cups minced carrots

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter or non-hydrogenated substitute

1/2 teaspoon mustard seed

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)

3 large chopped yams

Chop up yams, onions, garlic, mince carrots in a food processor if you have one otherwise, chop them. Heat soup pot on medium high until hot. Add olive oil and butter. Add garlic and sautee. Add onion, sautee. Add carrots, sautee. Add mustard seed and salt and stir. Add other spices mixed. Sautee until aromatic. Add yams and sautee for about 1o minutes. Add boxed chicken broth or pan drippings from home made chicken plus water to covering. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until tender.

Scoop out most of the soup into a blender or vitamix and blend well. Return creamy soup back in with chunks and broth to create a creamy and chunky effect together. Chop up cooked chicken and add as much or as little as you like and stir. Simmer a few minutes more and serve.

I seriously could not stop eating this. My eyes rolled back in my head upon first taste so I knew it was perfect. I hope this comes out as great for you as it did for me.

For more information on living a gluten free, dairy free, delicious and healthy life, go to http://www.deliciousandhealthy.com/

Thank you!!!!

Be Delicious!

Dr. Meg

Gluten Free Treats in Larchmont Village, Los Angeles

When I saw the sandwich board on the sidewalk outside of The Larchmont Bungalow today I nearly fell over. It read "Gluten Free Desserts" and something about a new vegan menu. Of course I had to run in and check out the glass encased sweets.

I stood there on the wide plank wooden floor of this fabulous eatery that screams seaside village joint on Cape Cod. I peered into the dessert case to find creamy white frosted cupcakes with bright pink and yellow sprinkles on them next to a sign reading "Gluten Free Cupcakes". That was fine but not nearly as decadent and tempting as the mini chocolate bundt cakes situated to their immediate right. Oh, now you're talking.

So were they any good? What was the texture like? The flavor? Ok, you're going to think I'm a seriously lame blogger when I tell you that I did not order either of the aforementioned treats. I was just way to sugared out from Christmas and my own sickeningly delicious chocolate cake and chocolate chip cookies to try something new.

The point is, and I do have a good one, THERE ARE GLUTEN FREE DESSERTS IN LARCHMONT!!! Go try them for yourself and see what you think.

For information on living a Delicious and Healthy Life, check out my website at http://www.deliciousandhealthy.com/

To get one of my books, now available in Whole Foods Markets in the Los Angeles area, click here.

The Kindness of Australians in Hong Kong

I had no intentions of going to Hong Kong. I admit I was grateful for the opportunity when I was rerouted through there on my way to Cairns, Australia during the Great Qantas Strike of 2011. I had just spent two nights in the Irvine, California Marriott with a lot of raucous Aussies who were also grounded with our cancelled flight. The Australain national slogan of "No Worries" was all around me as we all made the best of a bad situation. Australians had, afterall, founded their entire country on that premise.

I love airports and Hong Kong’s massive, sleek and fastidiously clean port of flight was no exception. In fact, it was more the rule. It was just about the most impressive airport I had ever been in.

After making determinations regarding my next flight out, my first question to one of the many kind and accommodating information specialists was, “Where are the restaurants?” She replied, “About ten minutes walk and upstairs down that corridor there.” After fourteen hours on a trans-Pacific flight, I could use that walk.

I arrived at a food court situation where you could unfortunately get McDonalds. After shaking my head at the line of obese people standing in front of it, I turned a one eighty to view the options behind me. There were a number of places to choose from.

I read all the lit up menus on the wall with their accompanying pictures. I adore the Asian propensity to provide a visual of what the plate may look like. As I scanned them, I ruled out all breaded, fried, pot sticker, fish ball, dim sum looking foodstuffs for their glutenous makeup. There were lovely curries, rice noodle soups, barbecued pork, goose, beef, and vegetarian options available.

I settled on beef brisket rice noodle soup. As I waited in line, I turned to the couple behind me and began to chat with them. They were from Melbourne, Australia. When it was my turn to order and I went to pay, I learned that credit cards were not accepted. Totally unprepared for Hong Kong dollars, I closed my wallet and began to walk away when I heard the Aussie behind me say, “Here’s some money, let me pay for your dinner.” I turned to her and cracked a big grateful smile and accepted her offer.

I sat with this lovely couple as we chatted about our lives and shared what turned out to be the best airport food I ever consumed. Michelle and Ian Harris had moved to Melbourne from South Africa several decades ago and loved it there. Michelle had a delicious chicken curry that elicited a deep breath with closed eyes. That unmistakable expression of culinary pleasure. Ian had a delicious vegetarian dish and my beef brisket rice noodle soup was better than anything of its kind I had consumed in the states.

The beef was incredibly tender and popping with flavor. It tasted so much better than beef I have had in the states. While the marinade was sweet and a little spicy, the meat itself was richly delicious and was not overpowered by the spices. The broth was not overly salted like so many broths are in Asian restaurants. The noodles were also slightly different in taste with a stronger rice flavor. I was a very happy woman.

I will always be grateful to Ian and Michelle for providing such a delicious meal and for their company in Hong Kong. I meet nice and lovely people everywhere I go but in only two days of meeting lots of Australians, I felt I had met some of the most gracious, fun and lovely people in the world and I hadn’t even arrived yet.

Four Italian Restaurants With Gluten Free Pasta!

Recently I had the great fortune of traveling to San Diego to meet up with a BFF from the east coast for a few days. She is quite the officiando of Italian cuisine. Being gluten free, I am painfully aware of the amount of flour flying around Italian Restaurants so the mention typically strikes a bit of panic in my heart. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Italian food! It's just that pasta, and all that delicious bread have gluten in them. In spite of my fears, I decided to venture in to see just what they had to offer.

First, we went to Chianti Restaurant where pictures of clebrities including Oprah hung on the walls. Even though I was only in the mood for a salad, I asked if they had GF pasta. They did! I was thirilled that I could, at the very least, pass this information on.

The next Italian restaurant we went to was Osteria Panevino where I asked again. Yes! They had gluten free penne. I ordered my absolute favorite pasta dish. Linguine and clam sauce with penne instead. I was in heaven! It was so delicious that I nearly licked the pasta bowl.

The third place we went to was Opera Caffe. They also had gluten free pasta! I opted for a salad - which was fabulous - because I wanted to cut down on simple carbohydrates. But this particular restaurant was really my favorite in terms of atmosphere, food quality, preparation, presentation and flavor. I highly recommend this one.

Back in Los Angeles, I dined at my favorite Italian restaurant in The Grove - La Piazza. My LA BFF, celebrity hairstylist Billy Lowe and I love to dine on the patio and watch the people go by as the fountain sprays its song and dance each half hour. When I asked if they had gluten free pasta, they also said yes! I had the pasta bolognese and again, I was thrilled.

A very important tip for you here is to also ask if they have a colander, pot and utensils that are dedicated to gluten free pasta. If you are super sensitive, you need them to say yes to all of the above before you eat so you can be certain not to have a reaction.

The moral of this story is: ASK!!! If you don't, it's an automatic "NO".

For more information on living a gluten and dairy free life, go to http://www.deliciousandhealthy.com/

Looking for a Natural Energy Boost? This Is Amazing!

A lack of energy is a problem I hear described by many of the people that I work with. My clients that have the most energy to spare are super health conscious - some are raw foodists.

While not everyone can afford the time and money involved in a raw diet, there is an easy solution that can help you get the most important thing you can put into your body on a daily basis - quickly and easily - fruits and veggies!

I found this fantastic raw, vegan, fruit and veggie powder at Whole Foods Market on sale this week (in the West Hollywood store - check your location for certain by calling your Whole Body Department.)

Macro Life Naturals makes "Macro Greens" powder that is gluten free and low carbohydrate. It's delicious! Not too sweet. I cut it with filtered water alone and really enjoyed the flavor. If you know you are sensitive to flavors, try putting this in a smoothie or in apple juice.

I have dips in my energy levels due to early menopause symptoms and a suspected hypo thyriod issue. I was dipping in energy late this morning and really wanting a nap. BUT, I drank one glass of this and did not need one. In fact, I am very focused with plenty of energy to get everything done that needs to be!

This delicious powder supplement surpasses the suggested four servings of fruits and veggies each day. I am very happy with this product and will keep you posted over the next few days as to how I am feeling as I continue take it. So far, I am IMPRESSED!!

To read more about the product, go here: http://www.macrolifenaturals.com/

To sign up for my newsletter: http://www.deliciousandhealthy.com/ or click on the "Newsletter" tab of this blog!

Is There Gluten in Your Lipstick?

If you keep having allergic reactions and you can't figure out what they are from, they could be from your lipstick - or the lipstick of someone you've kissed!

Yes, many lipsticks do contain gluten. Here is a list of ingredients that contain gluten that you should look out for:

• Amino peptide complex
  



• Hordeum vulgare (barley) extract




• Phytosphingosine extract




• Triticum vulgare (wheat) extract




• Hydrolyzed wheat extract or proteins




• Protein




• Disodium wheatgermamido PEG-2 sulfosuccinate




• Hydroxypropyltrimonium hydrolyzed wheat protein




• Cyclodextrin




• Dextrin palmitate




• Secale cereal




• Malt extract




• Maltodextrin




• Yeast extract




• Avena sativa

Here are a few companies that manufacture gluten free lipsticks:

Ecco Bella

Bare Minerals

Burt's Bees

Afterglow Cosmetics

For more information on living a gluten free life, recipes, and coaching help, go to:

http://www.deliciousandhealthy.com/

Gluten Free Breakfast Recipe

Gluten free folks are always looking for simple, delicious recipes for breakfast. Afterall, most breakfasts consist of toast, pancakes, bagels, pasteries, coffee cakes, and the list goes on. ALL of those are packed with gluten. Here's a simple, delicious breakfast you can make.

• Make two eggs over easy or poached (to poach, simply drop raw eggs in boiling water for a couple of minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon).
  


• Fill a bowl with salad greens on the bottom (about 1/3 of bowl).



• Place cooked rice, quinoa, or millet on top of that (I like them cold from the fridge).



• Place your eggs on top of that.



• Add hot sauce (I LOVE Cholula) and/or Bragg's Liquid Aminos.
  

Eat up and enjoy all those great flavors. If your quinoa, rice or millet has veggies or meats in it, all the better for adding more protein, flavor and nutrition.

For more information on gluten and dairy free living, go to http://www.deliciousandhealthy.com/

Nana's Gluten Free Cookie Review

I was at Rainbow Acres in Marina Del Rey with a dear friend today. She suggested I try Nana's Gluten Free Cookies. Her cookies are also fruit sweetened, egg and dairy free. Being a chocolate fiend, I chose the "Chocolate Crunch Cookie". Here is what I thought.

I like the big, individually wrapped cookie concept with the bright yellow and purple wrapper. The "O" in "NO" has a line through it with a drawing of a shaft of wheat. I thought, "clever". When I bit into the soft cookie, I immediately noticed the grainy texture of the flour. That's a big deal to me after nearly two decades of trying gluten free baked goods. It doesn't have to be grainy.

The flavor was nice. I really liked the crunch of the chocolaty rice and the richer flavor contained in that puffy rice crunch. It was like they added cocoa puffs to the recipe - without the nasty sugar content.

Over all, I enjoyed this cookie. It was satisfying and great to eat after a simple lunch of tuna salad and a veggie juice. I liked that I only had to buy one big cookie. It's nice not to have to commit to an entire box of them (for a number of reasons.)

As always, I recommend limited sweets, even ones that are fruit sweetened and especially gluten free ones with the high sugar content of rice flour, tapioca and potato starches. I would never say never to sugar unless you know it will do serious damage to you. Once in a while, go for it. Enjoy a delicious treat and as for Nana's, I recommend it as a healthier alternative to a lot of the products out there that are aiming mainly for taste and not nutrition. This brand cares. That's my impression.

For more information on Nana's, click here

Order my Triple Chocolate Cake for the Holidays!

To Order my Triple Chocolate Cake - Gluten, Dairy and Casein Free, for either Thanksgiving or Christmas or both, use the PayPal link below or send a check for $38.00 to:

Meg Haworth, PHD
7063 Lanewood Avenue, #205
Los Angeles, CA 90028

Please include: Name, phone number, address and e-mail adress

FOR LOCAL LOS ANGELES CLIENTS ONLY - for Pick up or delivery (Delivery charges apply based on location.)

Which Holiday

Thanksgiving Christmas

For Thanksgiving, orders must be placed by November 20, 2010
and picked up or delivered by Wednesday November 24, 2010

For Christmas, Orders must be in by December 17, 2010
and picked up or delivered by Wednesday December 22, 2010

Cakes are $38.00 each (delivery charges apply based on location.
Please ask for details.)

A Little GF/DF in Larchmont Village

I'm sitting at a lovely cafe in Larchmont Village - a sweet section of Los Angeles that has that sleepy town USA kind of feel. Independantly owned boutiques and restaurants line the street here just two blocks from Paramount Studios. Larchmont is a gem in LA.
I'm at Bricks and Scones. Its large garden patio has a secluded feel with potted palms and ficus trees lining the decorative wrought iron fence. In the afternoons it becomes a haven for screen writers who can sit for hours partaking of the free wireless internet connection. Its a little slice of coffee shop heaven.

I wanted a cup of coffee this morning so badly. I just wanted to sit on this patio and enjoy.

As I walked the 5 blocks to get here, I contemplated ordering a soy latte but really did not want the soy reaction of a possible headache and my bowels stopping for a day or two. I pictured myself at the counter ordering and asking, "Can I please bring in almond milk and have you keep it for me, pretty please!"

When I arrived I asked if they had an alternative other than soy milk and they said yes! Almond milk and rice milk. Oh freaking yay! So I sit sipping a delicious almond latte in Larchmont in the morning sun. Beautiful!

As for the GF option, they have this popover looking savory roll that I have yet to try. It's kind of on the large side so I asked if they would consider cutting it in half and making a sandwich out of it. Again, they said yes! When I am hungry for a sandwich, I'll try it and get back to you. They tell me it is a popular item that sells out each day.

So, in this moment I posses a huge amount of gratitude for the idependantly owned food conscious coffee shop here in Larchmont called Bricks and Scones.

Check it out yourself at www.BricksAndScones.com

Cafe Conversations

I'm sitting at Peet's Coffee in Larchmont Village - a very sweet little section of Los Angeles that makes you forget you're in LA. It's very east coast and sleepy little town like. I feel at home here.

When people sit in coffee shops, their conversations are quite audible to the the quiet folks tapping away on their computers next to them (like me right now). I try my best not to listen to what they are saying and just to focus on what I am doing but when I hear the word "gluten", I just have to hear what is being said. After all, it is my world.

This man and this woman were talking about a mutual friend of theirs who is gluten free. They were essentially making fun of her for her fears around cross contamination and getting something in her food that might cause a reaction. It made me think about the issue we food sensitives face: the disbelieving judgment of others.

I try to weigh it out from where they sit. They simply don't understand what it is like to nurse yourself through a reaction that can last for days - things like a nasty rash, a migraine, severe fatigue, bowel distress or painful inflammation in the muscles. I feel like if they had the same problem, they certainly wouldn't make fun of the situation. But then I think by the way they were talking about this person that they weren't crazy about here for a number of reasons. Then I feel a little better.

Seriously though, It is important to feel respected by the people around us. It is hard enough saying no to the home made bread at the table or asking if the chef used flour to thicken the sauce. We don't want to do these things - we have to.

If you find yourself criticizing a friend or being criticized for your food reactions, you are not alone. I think it is human nature to pass judgment on things you don't understand. Just keep taking care of yourself in the best way you can. My Mom has the best advice ever and always says just before I hang up the phone with her - "Take good care of my baby!" Thanks Mom, I will!

Do you have a story similar to this one? Go ahead and share it!

A Restaurant with Gluten Free Taste

Recently I was at Jonathan's beach club in Santa Monica with a dear friend. I thought to myself that at a high end beach club where the memberships are not cheap, they ought to know what gluten free means. No such luck. The guy at the register actually said, with incredulity "You're allergic to glue?!"

Tonight for dinner was an entirely different experience. I had dinner with the same dear friend at a place called "Taste" and boy does this joint have plenty of it. I was SO impressed with their menu. It was the first time in sixteen years that I ordered pasta with sauteed basil, tomato, garlic and spinach over brown rice penne! This happens to be my favorite pasta dish so I was thrilled.

I savored every bite and happily went to talk with chef Brian about his gluten free option. He was highly knowledgeable on cross contamination and issues facing the gluten free. He said he would re-work any dish he could to satisfy the gluten free eater and with great pleasure.

There are two locations in the LA area. Their menu is inventive and their food well prepared and presented. They use hormone and antibiotic free meats and fresh organic vegetables when available. These are my kind of people.

They have two locations - one at Melrose near La Cienega and one in The Palisades. Go! Eat, drink and enjoy a conscious restaurant choice.

Here's their website: http://www.ilovetaste.com/

10 Things I learned at The Celiac Disease Foundation Conference

This past Saturday, May 15, I went to Marriott Hotel in downtown Los Angeles to the Celiac Disease Foundation conference. As usual, they had a fantastic line up of speakers delivering the latest information on Celiac Disease.

Here are 10 things I learned:

1. Women are diagnosed more than men.
2. Celiac Disease diagnoses have increased five fold in the U.S. in the last 50 years.
3. More wheat is consumed in North Africa than any other place in the world. They have the highest instance of Celiac Disease in the world.
4. The children of c-section births have an increased risk of Celiac Disease due to a completely different type of bacteria in the intestinal tract of babies born via c-section.
5. Clinical trials are being done on medications that will degrade the immunogenic effects of gluten. They are not to be taken so Celiac Disease suffers can eat gluten when ever they want but to be taken in instances in which cross contamination may occur like in dining out.
6. Doctors are now suggesting a low or no lactose diet for the first year after a Celiac Disease diagnosis.
7. Celiac Disease has been linked with osteopenia, infertility, miscarriages, malignancy (thyroid, lymphoma and colon cancers), type I Diabetes, fibromyalgia, autoimmune thyroid disease, and anemia.
8. Refractory Celiac Disease is the the most serious of all diagnoses. It is a pre-lymphoma state in which severe malabsorption of nutrients occurs. Refractory Celiac Disease does not respond to a gluten free diet.
9. Sex drive has been shown to improve on a gluten free diet.
10. Malt vinegar is fermented and still contains gluten. Hard alcohol is distilled so all the glutinous proteins have been taken out so drink up!

The conference was a hit. I highly recommend it. We all eat like gluten free pigs and enjoy sharing our stories and symptoms without looks of disgust and dismay from people who just don't get it.

I got so many samples from the many vendors there. In the coming blogs, I will review those products for you so keep checking back.

An Entire Gluten Free Market!!!

There's a new kid in town and although it's not LA city, it is LA county. Alright, it's the far eastern edge of it but hey, Claremont, California now has a gluten free market!

Stella Lucy was opened in October of 2009. Catering to the food allergic, one thing Stella Lucy guarantees is that everything in the store is gluten free. Many things are dairy free and are so marked. Still other items are vegan.

The selection is wonderful! There is a wide range of products from pastas to cake mixes to cookies, breads and crackers.

I bought a few things (of course) and I will let you know what I think of them as I consume their gluten and dairy free goodness (I hope they are good anyway).

If you would like to visit Stella Lucy, it's located at 101 N. Indian Hill Blvd. in the fabulous town of Claremont, California. Their other store is located 108 S. Camino Real, San Clemente, California. To shop online, go to www.StellaLucy.com

Glutino's Flax Seed Bread

I just bought Glutino's flax seed gluten free bread at Sprout's Farmers Market in Claremont, California. The cost was $5.49 for the loaf. Yes, that is expensive for a loaf of bread but when you're gluten free, you just get used to the high prices.

So, I made a sandwich with the bread. I toasted it straight from the freezer. The bread really was delicious and I was so very happy to have a sandwich! I don't get bread very often due to the high carbohydrate situation and also the widespread use of tapioca and potato starches. They can send your glycemic index up and can be tough to digest. In fact, I've had quite a few stomach aches after consuming baked goods with potato starch and/or tapioca starch.

I thoroughly enjoyed the sandwich! The bread had a great crunchy crust and tasted delicious. It was lighter and spongier than most gluten free breads and I was very impressed. I did however have a problem with the slimy quality of the bread. Have you ever noticed a sort of "coat the roof of your mouth" sliminess to gluten free breads? I think it's the xanthan gum but I'm not completely sure. It could well be the starches used. If you know what it is, share it here. Also, if you have tried this bread, what do you think?

Best Gluten Free Flour

I'm always on the lookout for quality products. I used to use Bob's Redmill flours exclusively. Now, I whole heartedly recommend Authentic Foods for their brown rice flour, garfava bean flour and their cake mixes. Heck, everything I have tried has been great! The company is owned by Steven Rice who believes that using the highest quality ingredients, combined with a superb milling process will produce the best end products. I do believe he is absolutely correct. To learn more about how you can have these fantastic products, go to www.AuthenticFoods.com