I want to take a minute and thank all of you who keep coming back to my blog.  I also want to thank the people who use my links to make your purchases. As you all know, I only link to companies that I believe in and use myself.  So I wanted to thank you all, as it is the only source of income from this blog that I have…until my book is released!!! Yes…that’s right…I finally wrote a book!  It will be hitting the shelves in just a few months!  I can’t wait…I have been hearing for such a long time that I should write a book…well I finally did!  It is at the end of the editing process right now and the publisher will be releasing it to bookstores in a couple of months!  So stay tuned!!

I really appreciate everyone’s feedback on my articles and the fact that you all keep coming back to read my next ones!  My hope is that I can help someone out there with celiac, so they don’t have to go through the same things that I went through and am still going through.  So if I help even one person…I am a happy person!!

I wish you all a happy and healthy day!!!

Elizabeth

Hello everyone!  Sorry I have been out of touch lately…let me start by going back a few months…

So about 5 months ago I ended up in the hospital with severe dehydration and a bacterial infection (which they never figured out where it came from or where it was).  This happens to me about once a year, sometimes more.  Usually during the summer, so I am figuring that the heat has something to do with this.  But anyway, I haven’t felt 100% since I was in the hospital, I went through a few months where I thought I was dying, couldn’t get out of bed most of the time and I had absolutely no energy.  They checked my thyroid and did all kinds of tests…everything came back normal.

So I ended up losing 10 pounds, which I really didn’t need to lose and even today, I am still losing weight…can’t gain.  But…I put myself on a plain diet, got rid of all my sugar and caffeine…and I mean ALL sugar!  I also upped my probiotics and I am now finally starting to feel better and I can go out and do things.  I am not 100% there…but really close!

So, they other day….I had a small bowl of ice cream…gluten free…for the last 3 days my stomach has been in knots and I am not feeling quite as well as I was…I am also starting to scratch again.  I have noticed when I have sugar, my stomach, chest and back itch…I just want to rip my skin off.  SO…I am now assuming that my problems over the past 5 months were all associated with sugar.  As long as I’m 100% sugar free…that includes fruits…I seem to be ok…I add a small amount of sugar and I am down and out for a few days.

Anyone else have these issues?  Is it related to celiac?  These are the questions that I am determined to get the answers to!!!

Ok…so I have noticed that when it gets closer to the holidays….gluten intolerant people start to freak out a little.  Everyone needs to just calm down.  It’s just another day…it just happens to be centered around food…food that usually has a lot of flour and wheat and gluten in it.  But it doesn’t have to.  And the best part is….no one needs to know that everything on your table is gluten free.  I have been doing a gluten free Thanksgiving for years…no one knows that it’s all gluten free…but they do always tell me that they don’t understand why they feel so much better after eating the food I’ve cooked!  I always love when they say that!!

SO!  Here we go….most turkey’s now will say that they are gluten free.  I know that Walmart carries brands that specifically say “gluten free” on the turkey, Butterball…I have not seen one that says “gluten free” on the packaging, but they say that their turekys are gluten free…as always…check the ingredients list if you really want a Butterball turkey.

Gravy!  Yes..you can have gravy…make it just like you normally would…the only thing you are going to change is the flour…go to Better Batter Gluten Free Flour and exchange “cup for cup”, their flour with the flour you would normally use.  I promise you…it’s comes out just as good…if nor better.  They have some really great recipes on their site too…so check them out.

Stuffing…I have a cornbread recipe and stuffing recipe on the site….check them out and again…use the Better Batter Gluten Free Flour!

Desserts…I have cheesecake and pumpkin pie recipes on the site…they are awesome…and flourless…no one know’s the difference.

Now…are you going over to someone’s house for Thanksgiving…that’s ok too.  Just double check with them that they don’t put anything on the turkey when they cook it…sauces or anything like that.  Offer to make something and bring it.  If you really want stuffing…offer to make the stuffing…you make it gluten free…don’t have to tell anyone…and then you good!  You can also bring a dessert.  The hostess will love that they don’t have to worry about making those items…and you know that you can eat them!  It’s a win…win!

If you have questions or problems with your Thanksgiving…let me know…and if you have a great one…send me pics and tell me all about it!

I wish you all the best Thanksgiving…may it be happy, healthy and gluten free!

It’s that time of year again.  The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness has issued their list of gluten free candy for 2011.  So, make sure you check all the candy that you get this year and always double check the ingredients, as sometimes the ingredients are different, depending on the size of the candy.  Still haven’t figured out why that is..but it is!  So ALWAYS double check!

Hope everyone has a very Happy and Gluten free Halloween!!

2011 Gluten free candy list

The U.S. Senate passed a resolution that designates September 13, 2011 as National Celiac Disease Awareness day.  Exciting stuff, huh?

The resolution talked about such things as:

• celiac disease affects approximately 1 in every 130 people in the United States, for a total of 3,000,000 people
• majority of people with celiac disease have yet to be diagnosed
• celiac disease is a chronic inflammatory disorder that is classified as both an autoimmune condition and a genetic condition
• celiac disease causes damage to the lining of the small intestine, which results in overall malnutrition
• celiac disease is underdiagnosed because the symptoms can be attributed to other conditions and are easily overlooked by doctors and patients
• as recently as 2000, the average person with celiac disease waited 11 years for a correct diagnosis
• a delay in the diagnosis of celiac disease can result in damage to the small intestine, which leads to an increased risk for malnutrition, anemia, lymphoma, adenocarcinoma, osteoporosis, miscarriage, congenital malformation, short stature, and disorders of the skin and other organs

Click here to see the entire resolution.

The NFCA’s September newsletter has 13 different ways that you can celebrate this day…so check it out and make big plans for September 13th!  Check out the 13 ways to celebrate here.