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Tag: gluten-free

Should Everyone Be Gluten-free and Dairy-free?

Reader question: (note: this is a multi-part conversation)

Hi Elizabeth. I just wanted to say thank you so much for your time and wisdom last we talked. I really appreciate you and your consciousness around healing and food. 
I’m wondering if you could share information with me. I am in conversation with my son’s father about nutrition . He has up to this point honored my requests for my son to be gluten and dairy free and also my request around him eating organic food options. Now his dad is really beginning to resist this and we are meeting to have a conversation this Sunday.

I am seeking information about the benefits of eating gluten free, dairy free and organic. Do you have any resources you can share that I can use in my discussion? I would love to come to the conversation with good information. I have a good grasp and am reaching out to others who use good to heal to gain additional source support. Any articles you can share would be deeply appreciated.
Blessings ~Rachel T., Denver, CO

Hi Rachel! A new study out last week showed that organic foods could ward off cancer.

Actually I am not sure I believe that all people should be gluten-free and dairy-free (only those who are sensitive to them, and as long as they are organic sources) so can’t really give you much in terms of those. I do think that organic is the most important of the things you mention.

Thank you ! Can you tell me why you feel gluten and dairy are beneficial to those not sensitive ? 

I want to do what is best for him . 
He’s always eaten gf and dairy free because I am. We have never had any issues with digestion, spitting  up as a baby or rashes. He seems pretty balanced. Would it make sense to get him tested? 

Rachel, I am personally wheat-free and dairy-free (among other things) because my body can’t tolerate them, but my husband and kids eat wheat and dairy and I keep them in the house for them. If they had to abstain from everything I have to avoid eating, they would really hate me. They are exposed to a lot of alternatives to gluten and dairy, which they sometimes choose, but it is their choice.

While I use my influence as The Mom to provide organic foods, homemade meals, and fruits and vegetables, the only things I think everyone across the board should avoid are:

  • Additives, preservatives, and other chemicals in our food supply.
  • Artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors, and scents.
  • Anything synthetic.
  • GMOs.
I feel so strongly about this that it was the topic of my TEDx talk titled, “Poisons in Our Everyday Foods.

Beyond that, it comes down to the individual as to what their body can tolerate. I’m not a fan in general of removing entire food groups willy-nilly. Most people do fine with organic wheat (70-90% of the population), and wheat has sustained human beings for more than 5,000 years. It’s difficult to go through life without eating wheat in our world, and just because something is “gluten-free” doesn’t mean it’s necessarily healthier. Often gluten-free items have many more ingredients and are more heavily processed than their wheat counterparts. Homemade bread, for example, only has a few ingredients.

Same for dairy. If he tries it and has issues, then he should avoid it. But otherwise, organic dairy products aren’t necessarily “bad” for everyone. I don’t think kids need to be drinking milk, though whole milk is always preferable if they want to.
How old is he? Does he have any ailments or struggles, digestive or otherwise?
I usually only recommend testing for people who are trying to resolve symptoms. Healthy people can certainly do the test, too, but not 100% of the population needs to or even should.
As for getting the MRT food sensitivity testing for a healthy kid with no current physical issues? I would say it is not needed. I’d rather not test a child who isn’t suffering and put him on a restricted diet unnecessarily and possibly create an unhealthy attitude toward food or an eating disorder as a result.
If his normal state is healthy, then you can likely identify the culprit of any new negative symptom if it arises in him. Just remember that food sensitivity reactions are dose-dependent and can manifest as long as four days after exposure. Then do the detective work to remember what new he could have eaten within the time frame.
Of course, if at any time he or anyone else experiences anaphylaxis, call 911 and give him an appropriate-sized dose of Benedryl or use an Epi-Pen as directed.
I hope this is helpful! Best of luck!

Vegan (egg-free) and Gluten-free Pancake Recipes

I’m a huge fan of pancakes when living with dietary restrictions.

Forget the traditional wheat pancakes your grandmother made on Sundays for creative versions that may include lentils, chickpeas, or almond flour but are just as fun to eat.

Not only are pancakes filling and satisfying to eat, they are easy to cook, can be made ahead and frozen for convenience, and can double for sandwich bread in a pinch.

Check out these 12 creative gluten-free and egg-free pancake recipes!

The Spiralizer Recipe Book

spiralizerrecipebookI’ve been longing for a spiralizer for quite a while – I even wrote about it here – but I finally got inspired to actually purchase one after I received a review copy of The Spiralizer Recipe Book. And, boy, am I glad I did. It is such a fun tool!

I purchased the Paderno 4-Blade Spiralizer because it folds up neatly into its own box for easy storage. I’ve used every blade and am loving it.

This summer I played around with spiralizing carrots, potatoes, onions, sweet potatoes, beets, and my favorite, zucchini. In The Spiralizer Recipe Book, author Carina Wolff gives a nice introduction to spiralizing and the equipment.

screen-shot-2016-09-30-at-11-14-22-amI loved her basic Summery Lemon Dill Zucchini Salad and thought the Potato-Crust Pesto Pizza with Avocado was an ingenius way to create a gluten-free pizza crust out of spiralized potatoes.

Zucchini-Wrapped Dates are on my must-try list for this winter!

Gluten-free Quinoa Muffins

A food-sensitivity client asked me to help her create a quinoa muffin recipe that uses ingredients that are all safe for her. I decided to take it a step further and make the recipe more universally-accessible for a variety of sensitivities by writing it to be adaptable to any needs. Use your preferred oil, milk or milk-substitute, eggs or egg-substitute, berries or fruits, etc. and make the recipe your own.

I tested it out this weekend and my kids gobbled up the results. I hope you like them, too.

LEAP-Safe Quinoa Muffins

Gluten-free Quinoa Muffins
Gluten-free Quinoa Muffins

Wheat-free, Gluten-free, Sugar-free, Vegan, Dairy-free, Nut-free 

Yield: 12 muffins or 36 mini-muffins

Ingredients

  • 2 cups quinoa flour
  • 2 ½ tsp aluminum-free baking soda
  • 1 tsp white vinegar
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • 4 Tbs. safe oil or mango puree
  • 1 cup milk, safe milk substitute, or water
  • 2 eggs, or 2 Tbs tapioca flour or ground flax seed mixed with 6 Tbs warm water, or 2 mashed ripe bananas, or other safe egg substitute
  • ½ cup pure maple syrup or safe sweetener
  • 2 cups dried cranberries or other dried or frozen fruit or berry, or nuts

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line muffin tin with paper muffin cups.
  2. Mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
  3. Whisk together the milk or water, oil or fruit puree, eggs or egg substitute, maple syrup in a smaller bowl and add to the dry mixture. Stir well. The batter will be very thick.
  4. Add the berries and/or nuts and fold into the batter.
  5. Ladle the batter evenly between 12 cups. Bake for 22-25 minutes until the tops are golden brown and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Move to a wire rack to cool completely before storing or freezing.

Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 25 mins for regular muffins, 12 mins for mini-muffins
Total time: 35 mins

 

Quinoa Muffins

Miss Paleo Mixes up Gluten-Free Brownies

Sometimes life calls for brownies. If you are gluten-free, that can be challenging to accomplish.brownie_mix

I received a sample of a grain-free and gluten-free brownie from Miss Paleo Mixes and was surprised at how yummy they were.

Miss Paleo Mixes are made with almond meal and contain no refined sugars or additives. They are made with coconut palm sugar, or come sugar-free with pure birch xylitol as a sweetener.

Having a pre-made mix makes it easy to whip up a batch of gluten-free brownies  in the blink of an eye, or in time to bring to school for that class party that your child neglected to mention until the night before.

I recommend keeping a few pouches in your pantry for emergencies like this!