C'mon everyone! I think it's high time someone helped the food allergic eat well in a public forum like television! I think I should host it and I will call it "Free Food" - Allergen Free that is!!!
So, I auditioned for The Oprah Winfrey Network and posted my audition video to her site for all to see. If you want to view it, you can watch it and vote for it. Please help me get this show. It is high time we had a voice for we food allergic.
Watch it here:
http://myown.oprah.com/audition/index.html?request=video_details&response_id=24401&promo_id=1
VOTE!!! PLEASE!!! THANK YOU!!!! xo
Monday, June 28, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
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
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
Friday, June 18, 2010
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!
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!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
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/
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/
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
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.
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.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
A Delicious Gluten Fr*ee Treat!
So, I tried those items I got from Stella Lucy (the gluten free market)in Claremont, CA. My top pick was the coconut lemon bar from Mariposa. It reminded me of baklava with it's moistness and flaky crust. I was in heaven!
I also tried their cinnamon toast biscotti. Perfection! Just like regular biscotti and so great dipped in coffee.
They were expensive products but worth it when you gotta have something delicious and a little naughty to eat!
If you want to find out where you can get their products, go to http://www.mariposabaking.com/information/retail.html
I also tried their cinnamon toast biscotti. Perfection! Just like regular biscotti and so great dipped in coffee.
They were expensive products but worth it when you gotta have something delicious and a little naughty to eat!
If you want to find out where you can get their products, go to http://www.mariposabaking.com/information/retail.html
Saturday, May 8, 2010
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
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
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