What To Do If You're Diagnosed With Celiac Disease

When you or a member of your family are told by your doctor that you have celiac disease, you will most likely feel overwhelmed.  Of course, you may also feel relieved to know that your symptoms are easily treated, and damage to the small intestine can even be reversed with the proper diet.

Then you find yourself slipping back into overwhelmed mode. You may even be tempted to stop at the grocery store on your way back from the doctor's office to grab all the foods in the 'gluten-free' aisle you can get your hands on. However, this will surely cause even more frustration. 

So, what should you do when you are diagnosed with celiac disease? Read. Study. Learn. Let's take a look at a few simple suggestions for changing to a gluten-free household.

Learn to Read Labels

Understanding Food Labels (Photo credit: Healing and Eating)

One of the best things that has happened in the gluten-free world is new food labeling laws.  All foods manufactured and labeled after January 1, 2006, must be labeled in plain language with the eight most prevalent food allergens, which includes wheat. If any wheat gluten is used in any form and in any amount, it must be clearly stated on the label. Even if gluten is used in coloring or flavoring, it must be listed.
Of course, that just covers wheat gluten. You will still need to watch ingredient labels for other sources of gluten, such as barley (malt) and rye. You may wish to avoid oats, as well, even though they are not actually a gluten-containing product, because there may be cross-contamination in grain packaging and processing plants.

Learn to Recognize Gluten

Any simple internet search for the term 'gluten free foods' will give you lists of foods with gluten, foods without gluten, and foods with 'hidden' gluten. Start by creating a list for yourself of all foods with gluten (obvious foods like wheat flour, crackers, pasta, etc.), along with the potential 'hidden' sources of gluten (ketchup, broth, soy sauce, croutons, stuffing, marinades, dressings, etc.)

Now make a list of all the foods that are naturally gluten free. Here is where your whole fruits, vegetables, and proteins such as meat, fish, chicken, and eggs come in.  I guarantee, once you list all the foods you can eat without worry, you'll feel better about sacrificing other foods. (Not to mention, most of these foods are actually healthier for you anyway!)

Purge the Pantry

With a good understanding of how to read labels, and with your lists in hand, you are ready to begin at the beginning - in your kitchen. Rather than approach the grocery store yet, dig into your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer and purge anything that you know to have gluten, such as anything made with wheat flour.

Once you have cleaned out the obvious sources of gluten, it's time to put your label reading expertise to work. Take your time and read the label of each packaged food, looking for both the allergen listing and the ingredient list. Double check the labels against the list you made of foods with gluten, and remember to look for the 'hidden' gluten sources. This will take some time, but you and your health are worth the effort. Once you get used to doing this, you will quickly be able to recognize sources of gluten with just a glance.

Time to Shop

The reason you go through your kitchen first is because you need to see how much food you already have in the house that is actually gluten-free.  You may be surprised to find plenty to get you by for a few days.  If not, then get ready to take your lists to the grocery store.

Some gluten-free foods. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

However, before you embark on this journey, remind yourself that you don't need to stock the kitchen full of special 'gluten-free' foods.  You'll be overwhelmed (and over budget) if you start out by buying these specialty items. Many foods (especially whole, non-processed foods) are naturally gluten free, making the shopping much easier, especially in the beginning.

Start with the basics so you can eat healthy without the frustration of trying to discover new foods. Shop the perimeters of the store, which is where your fresh produce and proteins typically can be found. Stick to the foods that you know are gluten-free to avoid label reading over-load. There is plenty of time for that later.
Stock up on naturally gluten-free foods and plan out your first few meals. Try fish seasoned with real lemon and fresh dill, and a side dish of quinoa tossed with diced fresh vegetables. Skip all the prepackaged foods to make these first meals easier - and healthier as well!  Then you can branch out and look for other foods that are gluten-free when you're feeling more adventurous.

This is a learning process, so take it slow and you can relax and enjoy (finally!) how good you feel after a delicious meal. And be sure to keep your eye on this blog for some more tasty gluten-free recipes!

Simple Tips for Choosing Healthy Foods for Weight Loss

If you ask ten people what the hardest part of losing weight is, nine of them will say shopping for food. When you are dieting and trying to slim down, the most daunting place you can go is your local supermarket. There is just so much food and you can't get in and out without passing by your favorite sweet treat or deli counter. Shopping for groceries when you are trying to lose weight takes a bit of practice, but once you've learned the basics, you'll be able to sail right past those cookie samples without even a glance.  Here are a few tips to get you in and out without a hitch - and without an unhealthy impulse buy!

Shop the Perimeters

Fruits & vegetables are commonly found around the perimeter of the grocery store. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A good rule of thumb when shopping your local grocery store is to hug the outer lanes of the store to find the healthiest foods. Typically, grocery stores line the perimeter of the store with the produce cases, the dairy case, and the fresh meats and fish.  The inside aisles hold the majority of the prepackaged foods that you want to avoid.  This is generally speaking, of course, but give it a try at your grocery store and see how much easier it is to shop healthy.

Shop for Color

As you push your cart along the outer walls of the store, look for the bright and vibrant-color foods.  As we've all learned in our nutrition classes, foods with rich, bright, or dark colors generally have more nutrients than those with a pale color. For instance, strawberries and eggplants have a higher nutrient-density than potatoes or onions. Even though potatoes and onions are perfectly fine and offer nutrition, to get the most bang out of your dieting buck, go for the bright colors. You can apply this to proteins in many instances, as well.  A deep red salmon fillet is likely going to be more nutrient-dense than a salmon fillet that has a light color (it's also more likely to be naturally raised; farm-fed fish are often artificially colored with bright pink dye). Dark red meat (such as bison) is usually more likely to be grass-fed, and therefore more nutritious than grain-fed animals, whose meat is a lighter pink.  (Remember - when shopping for meat, it is ALWAYS best to choose organic, and grass-fed if at all possible.)

Avoid Sugar by Any Name

You would be surprised at all the places sugar can hide in a grocery store. It is practically around every corner. Since sugar will stealthily rob you of your weight loss goals, it is important to turn into a detective in order to avoid it. Just for reference, here is a laundry list of aliases for sugar.

Agave nectar
Barley malt syrup
Brown sugar
Cane sugar
Corn sweetener
Corn syrup, or corn syrup solids
Dehydrated cane juice
Dextrin
Dextrose
Fructose
Fruit juice concentrate
Glucose
High-fructose corn syrup
Honey
Invert sugar
Lactose
Maltodextrin
Malt syrup
Maltose
Maple syrup
Molasses
Powdered sugar
Raw sugar
Rice syrup
Saccharose
Sorghum or sorghum syrup
Sucrose
Syrup
Treacle
Turbinado sugar
Xylose

Of course, not all sugar is created equal.  Raw sugar may be a better choice than refined sugar, and the less-refined/processed, the better.  However, when it comes to weight loss, your body isn't going to know the difference.  It's going to want to turn that sugar into fat.  Learn your sugars and learn what levels are tolerable for your diet.  Be aware also that most processed foods that are labeled “low fat” have added sugar to adjust the taste!  Here again, you need to know what is better for you and know your tolerable limits.  Labels are your friend – get used to reading them.

Choose whole grains when possible. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Choose Whole Grains vs. Refined Grains

One of the easiest tips to remember when buying bread, pasta, flour, and any type of baking ingredients is to go for whole grains rather than refined grains. Eating whole grains adds much-needed fiber and nutrients to your healthy diet.  Fiber helps speed digestion and metabolism both.  Refined grains have all that goodness cleaned right out of them during the refining process.  Eating whole wheat pastas and breads, and baking with whole grain products may take some getting used to, but you can ease into it by using half refined and half whole grain to get started. It won't be long before you prefer the firmer texture and nuttier flavor of your favorite muffin recipe made with whole grains.

You don't have to carry a big list of foods allowed on a special diet along with you to the grocery store.  You just have to shop smarter with these simple rules.  It's easier to eat healthy when you have simple tricks to use when you're in the grocery store, and make a habit of following them. If you consistently fill your cart with foods from the perimeters, brightly colored foods, foods without added sugar, and whole grains, without much effort you are already well on your way to eating a diet that will help you lose weight now and keep it off for a lifetime!

Why Real Healthy Food Tastes So Good

Today I'm being a little introspective, as I was inspired this morning to explore something. I was sitting on my porch in the sun, eating a sourdough Wasa cracker with small slices of locally made raw milk Gouda from my CSA share - a perfect combination of crisp & creamy, salty & nutty. Each bite tasted so wholesome and complete - I could practically feel my body thanking me. I had started off with half of a container of ripe, sweet purple raspberries, and as I finished my second cracker and the last of the cheese, I realized that was all I wanted for breakfast. So that's all I had.

Lettuces (Photo credit: AlyssssylA)

As I was eating, I pondered how perfect everything tasted, and thought about how so many people think "healthy" food is bland, tasteless, or just plain tastes bad. I realized this is because what people usually think of as healthy food often really does!

The problem is that many of us have forgotten what real food is supposed to taste like. If you go by what you find on the grocery store shelves, yeah, maybe the "healthy" stuff doesn't taste so great. With the produce section filled with bland, waxed, under ripe fruits and vegetables picked who knows how long ago, and the common presumption that the "low fat" or nonfat version of everything is the healthiest, you're right - it's not so tasty.  But the difference between a grocery store tomato, and one picked ripe from your own garden in the summer sun, is (almost literally) comparing apples & oranges. The difference between the bag of chopped iceberg lettuce and shredded red cabbage (graying around the edges) from Kroger, and the salad bowl full of 7 kinds of mixed lettuce and greens picked from the garden yesterday (or this morning) that I get in my CSA share every week...well, one can't even hold a candle to the other - and it doesn't take a genius to know which one tastes better.

This year was the first time I added the cheese option to my CSA share, and although I almost didn't do it (it was pretty expensive), I was almost instantly addicted. The rich, tangy, flavorful variety of cheeses I got to experience bore no resemblance to the uniform orange shrink-wrapped rectangular blocks from the supermarket (and don't get me wrong - I  love cheese, of almost all kinds). Plus, they were made locally, using fresh milk from local farms, and contained no preservatives, artificial coloring, or any such junk. Each variety contained only milk (goat, cow, or a combination), salt, enzymes, and cultures. And each was totally different from the other. From salty, dry Feta, with a fresh taste never experienced with store-bought Feta (which I usually love), to soft goat cheese gently smoked and rolled in spicebush berries, to creamy, mild Gouda, each week was a new taste sensation to experience.

Not to mention the wide variety of fresh vegetables that fill my refrigerator - all grown and harvested within a couple of hours from me, usually the day before. Swiss chard (which, by the way, can be bitter after being refrigerated a few days, so if you tried chard from the store and didn't like it, this may be why), salad mix, mushrooms, sprouts, spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes, garlic, radishes, herbs, the list goes on - all of these much fresher, sweeter, and downright tastier than anything you'll find in the grocery store produce section.

CSA Box - Week of April 30 - May 6 (Photo credit: Suzies Farm)

This is real food - whole, natural, unadulterated - grown organically in good, natural soil, picked recently, and delivered to me within hours. And boy does it ever taste good!! And the health and nutrition factor also just can't compare. Vitamins don't survive long after harvesting. Most grocery store vegetables (especially those that are cut) have lost the majority of their nutrients by the time you put them in your cart.

The same is true with other foods too - though. Fresh milk - lightly pasteurized (or raw, if you can get it) tastes nothing like the watery stuff in the plastic jugs sitting in rows in the refrigerator cases at Giant Eagle. Fresh bread, warm from the oven (even the plain old Walmart kind) has no resemblance to the bland uniform slices in the packaged bread aisle. Or try whole grain sprouted bread for a real taste (and nutrition) treat!

And I don't guess I need to even mention the proverbial apples and oranges, as nowhere is the sad lack of flavor more evident than in mass-produced supermarket fruit.

All that said, maybe I couldn't pay you enough to eat a Wasa cracker. And I do admit they are pretty bland and tasteless. I just love them for some reason! But in general, real, whole, fresh foods are not only the healthiest, but also the best tasting foods you'll find anywhere. If you're trying to eat healthier, try joining a local CSA and see just how good healthy can really taste. Or for the ultimate in fresh, grow (or cook) your own!

For some helpful resources, just visit the links below.

Finding a CSA: http://www.newholisticliving.com/csa.html
Growing your own food: http://www.newholisticliving.com/sustainablegardening.html
Cooking from scratch: http://www.newholisticliving.com/cookingfromscratch.html

Organic Products and Raw & Living Foods

Fortunately for those of us newly interested in eating organic and fresh or raw foods, there are lots of products out there. Natural and organic foods used to be found only in natural food stores, and those could be few and far between. While not as ubiquitous as McDonald’s, there ARE many more stand-alone stores. And the grocery chains are catching on too, with more organic selections than ever before. If you don’t see them in your grocery store, just ask. You’re probably not the only person in your neighborhood who’d like to see more of these options.

Many grocery stores now feature sprouts and other living foods in the produce aisle. Of course, if they don’t, there’s nothing easier to grow for yourself than sprouts!

Image via Wikipedia

There are also tons of sites on the Web where you can order raw and living foods. Just do a search on raw foods and you’ll come up with a lot of different places to order the foods you’d like to buy. Many of these sites are also full of useful information, to help you learn about eating raw and living foods, and help educate you on the specific food values. (You may also wish to join a local CSA or frequent your local farmer's market - a great source of fresher foods with more nutrients. A CSA may even deliver a weekly share of fresh produce to your door. For more info on CSAs, visit http://www.newholisticliving.com/csa.html.)

What else? Experiment with what you like. Take the time to learn a little about what the different nutrients in foods do for you. Just a few examples:

Cabbage – High in Vitamin C; important for healthy cell function.

Shitake mushrooms – contain essential fatty acids and antioxidants to support a healthy immune system (I get these in my CSA every week - they are awesome!)

Kale – Rich in fiber and helps reduce calorie intake with less hunger. We like that! (Another common CSA item.)

Barley – Loaded with niacin, fiber and iron and is important for healthy blood sugar.

Pumpkin – Very rich in fiber and vitamins; also helps reduce appetite by filling the stomach with indigestible fibers.

Healthy Grocery Shopping Tips

For any cook, grocery shopping is something we all have to do, and sometimes choosing the right foods can be very hard indeed.  There are some tips to assist you with your healthy grocery shopping:

Image via Wikipedia1.  Never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach. Anyone who has done this will attest that you will end up buying way more than you intended, and often things that you normally wouldn't even think of eating! (Once, in a fit of hunger-induced delirium while shopping, I actually picked up a package of Twinkies! Thankfully, one bite of the greasy, sticky, sugar-sponge was enough to spoil my appetite....)

2.  Select canned fruits and tuna that are packed in water, not oil or syrup.

3.  Look at the labels for the words "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated".  The earlier you see them appear on the list, the higher the amount of unhealthy trans fatty acids the food will contain.

4.  If you absolutely must buy frozen dinners (which we don't recommend - they are full of preservatives, highly processed, and often don't even taste that good; instead, when you cook, make extras and freeze the leftovers in small portion-sized containers), select those that are not only low in fat, but low in sodium
and sugar as well.

5.  If you aren't consuming enough dairy products, try calcium-fortified orange juice, or take a supplement containing a citrate form of calcium, as well as magnesium and vitamin D, as these help your body absorb calcium.

6.  Opt for whole grain breads, cereals, and rolls. If you can find them, sprouted grain breads are even more nutritious and much easier on your body to digest and use (plus they are delicious!).

7.  Shop around the outside edges of the store. This is where the fresh foods are offered, such as vegetables, meat, and fresh baked goods. By staying out of the center aisles, you will avoid the more heavily processed and unhealthy foods, as well as avoiding temptation!

8.  Don't be tricked into buying "yogurt"-covered nuts or raisins thinking they are healthy, as the coating is normally made of sugar and partially hydrogenated oils.

Image via Wikipedia9.  Try some natural treats, such as dried fruit, or a frozen fruit bar containing several actual fruits (avoid artificial ingredients, and try to go for a lower-sugar brand.

10. Skip the grocery store altogether, and join a CSA or make it a habit to shop at your local farmer's market! Not only will you be buying MUCH fresher and healthier foods, you will also be supporting your local community and economy, and avoiding all the junky temptations on the grocery store shelves. You will probably even save money by avoiding all those impulse buys!

By following the above tips when grocery shopping, you'll avoid the bad foods and get those that you need.  There are many different healthy foods out there, all it takes is the will power to go past the bad foods and on to the good ones.

Money Saving Grocery Shopping Tips

Everything is getting more expensive today. From gas to groceries, our hard-earned dollars are challenged to stretch further. Now, we may be able to ride a bicycle around town if we can’t put gas in our cars. But, we have to eat -- there’s no getting around that. So, we have to find ways to spend less on groceries while still getting the things that we need to feed ourselves and our families, while staying healthy. Here are six money saving tips to try the next time you go grocery shopping.

Image via Wikipedia1. Clip coupons. They put those in the newspaper for a reason. If there are new items you want to try, use a coupon to get it at a discount. If you like it, you have saved some money. On the other hand, if you don’t take a liking to it, you didn’t pay full price. Also check for online coupons, and keep an eye out for sale fliers for your local grocery store, so you can stock up on certain items when they are cheaper.

2. Buy in bulk. Consider the food items that you use most often. If they are "non-perishable" staples which keep well, you may be able to buy them in bulk usually at a lower price at food warehouses like Costco, BJ’s, and Wal-Mart. If you have a coupon, you’ll save even more money. However, as you know, we don't recommend a lot of the typical "non-perishables, as they tend not to be very healthy, so skipping the non-essentials can also help! (Do you REALLY NEED that super-size box of macaroni  & cheese, or 24-pack of soda? Stop a second and think about what it's doing to your body, before you heave it into the cart....)

3. Don’t shop when you are hungry. This is a definite no-no, which I have definitely learned the hard way! Shopping on an empty stomach means that you will pick up more things than you need. You are more likely to pick up that bag of chocolate chip cookies or that box of donuts when the growling gets underway. (And you will also be more likely to buy unhealthy "convenience foods.")

4. Take a grocery list with you. This is another protection against picking up things that are too costly, or things you don't really need. Check your cabinets and the fridge to see what you need and write them down. Remember, the goal is to stick to the list as much as possible, so avoid looking around/browsing while shopping -- just go straight to the relevant sections of the store, and then get out as quickly as possible. (From a health standpoint the general rule is to keep to the outer perimeter of the store -- this is where you will find the fresher and healthier foods -- and avoid the processed foods at the center.)

5. Shop at the same stores. This is more of a frustration reliever. In a new store, you spend most of your time looking for things and walking up and down every aisle, which oftentimes leads to forgetting an item or two, as well as picking up items you happened to see, but don't really need. Going to the same store each time makes you more familiar with the prices so you can estimate your bill as you write your grocery list. You can also plan to shop at stores that carry healthier fare, so you don't get tempted by as much "bad" stuff.

6. Our favorite healthy and frugal tip - Purchase your groceries through a localImage by edseloh via Flickr CSA! Buying direct from your local farmers is not only healthier and helps support your local community, but it also saves you money, and since you get most of your groceries delivered in your weekly share, it keeps you out of the grocery stores, and away from temptation -- it's a win-win-win! (For more on CSA's, and how to find one in your area, visit our website: http://www.newholisticliving.com/csa.html)

Rising prices don’t have to mean a lean dinner table. There are ways to make your food dollar go further, while still shopping healthy, and if you take the time to implement the ideas listed above as well as others of your own, you’ll see savings each and every time you shop.

Post your own healthy and money-saving shopping tips below - we'd love to hear about them!

Related articles on frugal shopping:

• Money tip: Planning, cooking can trim grocery costs (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Supermarket Shopping Made Easier (lifescript.com)
• 15 Ways to Save Money Buying Natural Foods (mint.com)
• Organic Groceries on a Budget (wisebread.com)
• Sustainable Dining: Save the Environment, Save Cash (mint.com)