Off to Australia For The Second Time In Two Days!

"You are a part of Australian history", my new Aussie friend, Tony informed me last night as about twenty of us stranded Qantas casualities surrounded a tiny lobby bar in the Marriott Hotel in Irvine, California. Two days ago, Qantas announced their worldwide strike only after we boarded and settled on our plane to Brisbane. The hot plane we sat on for two hours that would never take off. Yeah, that plane.

I drank a Rosemount Estates Shiraz ironically from Australia as I sat and listened to all of the travel stories from the people around me. One might think we were drowning our sorrows there but no such thing happened. I learned that Australians - the authors of such phrases as "No worries" and "Good on ya, mate" - let everything roll off their backs. As that is my attitude too, I fit right in with them - right there on my home turf in Southern California.

As I sat there, I pulled out this book called "In a Sunburned Country", by Bill Bryson that my dear friend Ly, who lives in Cairns, sent to me to read on the flight over. One Aussie grabbed the book and said "We all should sign it for you!" And that's what they did.

I love my precious keepsake and will treasure my Australian memories of the Qantas strike and the lovely hospitable people I met. I'm a total sap and I have tears in my eyes at the moment, making it a tough view of the computer screen.

The announcement to board my flight to San Francisco just finished. Time to go. So, for now, good day mate! I can't wait to see Australia via Hong Kong. I'm already in love.

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!

Lactose Intolerance Versus Dairy Allergy

People often confuse dairy allergies with lactose intolerance. Some people believe they are one in the same thing. They are actually two very different conditions.

Lactose Intolerance:

Lactose is a sugar found in milk. Lactase in an enzyme produced in the upper intestinal tract that helps the body metabolize lactose. When the body stops producing lactase, you become lactose intolerant. The colon then tries to digest lactose and fails with the follwing results:

• Abdominal cramping
  


• Gas



• Bloating



• Diarrhea

Dairy Allergy:

A dairy allergy is caused by an immune response to any of the dozens of proteins found in milk. The most common allergen found in milk is called casein. During an allergic response, the body can react in any of a number of ways.

• Hives or other skin rashes
  


• Digestive distress



• Respiratory distress (wheezing, coughing)



• Migraine



• Anaphylaxis (full body allergic response, can be deadly)

The symptoms can be the same for either a dairy allergy or lactose intolerance. The way to tell which one you have is to get tested for dairy allergies.

Dairy products include anything made with cow, sheep or goat's milk. Some people report that they can digest goat or sheep's milk or cheese made from them but cannot handle cow's milk products. This is due to the difference in the proteins found in the various milks.

A number of persons with lactose intolerance have found that they can assimilate raw cow's milk without incident. This is due to all the natural enzymes being present in raw milk that help break down the lactose. Most milk is pasteurized to kill potentially harmful bacteria. This process also kills the helpful enzymes that are naturally in milk to help in digesting it.

If you would like to stay away from animal milk altogether, there are a number of options available on the market today.

• Almond Milk
  


• Rice Milk



• Soy Milk



• Hemp Milk



• Coconut Milk

You can find these milk substitutes at most grocery stores.

If you are interested in recipes that are dairy free, see my book "Done With Dairy. Giving Up Gluten".

For more information and for a copy of the special report, "Drowning in Dairy", go to http://www.deliciousandhealthy.com/

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/

Dr. Meg's Cookbook Now Available in Whole Foods Market!

The highly acclaimed book, Done With Dairy, Giving Up Gluten; 14 Days to a Delicious and Healthy You is now available in select Whole Foods Markets in West Hollywood, Fairfax and Third Streets and Pasadena.

When you go to pick up your copy, if they are out of stock, simply talk to the associate in the Whole Body Department. Tell them the book is in the system and that you would like to order it! It is as simple as that.

Come join the next class on Gluten Free and Dairy Free Desserts and you can get a signed copy from Dr. Meg personally!!


Where: West Hollywood Whole Foods Market store
When: Monday, September 19, 2011 from
What time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
What Desserts: Triple Chocolate Cake, Vegan Datenut Pudding, Vegan Peanutbutter Cookies
Cost: FREE!!!!!!!
RSVP: Marketing Department - 323-848-4200
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/