Educate yourself about gluten for National Celiac Awareness month

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May is National Celiac Awareness month.  Did you know an estimated 1 in 133 people in the United States are living with celiac disease, a digestive disorder triggered by intolerance to gluten?

Gluten can be problematic for all of us, even the non-celiac sufferers as Mark Hyman MD wrote about in his recent post, Gluten: What You Don’t Know Might Kill You. He said:

“Something you’re eating may be killing you, and you probably don’t even know it!

If you eat cheeseburgers or French fries all the time or drink six sodas a day, you likely know you are shortening your life. But eating a nice dark, crunchy slice of whole wheat bread–how could that be bad for you?

Well, bread contains gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, spelt, kamut, and oats. It is hidden in pizza, pasta, bread, wraps, rolls, and most processed foods. Clearly, gluten is a staple of the American diet.

What most people don’t know is that gluten can cause serious health complications for many. You may be at risk even if you don’t have full blown celiac disease.” Read the full article here.

Do yourself a favor and dive deeper in to the good and bad relating to gluten. Your health could depend on it. More info about gluten can be read here:

What I need to know about Celiac Disease and gluten sensitivity.

For personalized detailed nutrition and body system information order an ALCAT Food Intolerance,  Hair Mineral Tissue or Urinalysis Test and as always, if you want to discuss your specific symptoms and issues consider booking a private consultation with our staff.

 

A New Year’s Eve Tradition

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A New Year’s Eve tradition is something my husband and I do together. We look forward to every year sitting down on New Year’s Eve and remembering the highlights of the past year.  I create a special page in my journal to note these precious memories so they are not lost.

It is so enjoyable to relive the memories we have made which are sometimes as a couple or as a family.  Funny, they never seem to be about things we’ve purchased or promotions at work.  They all have to do with special moments and quality time together with each other and family. Several years ago we took our three children on a cruise and they had a blast.  We relive that event over and over.

This year consisted of a few simple things that were our highlights.  One day my husband and I made shrimp etouffee together for the first time.    It may sound silly but it was quite a task for us.  We worked together so well (which doesn’t always happen with projects-lol) and the meal turned out incredible.  It was so exciting to create something together and enjoy the rewards at the end.

Another memorable event was our trip to Atlanta for Thanksgiving with his girls.  We found some incredible restaurants, hiked Stone Mountain and visited the Aquarium.  All great quality time together!

Another new experience that my husband created was our Pay it Forward challenge.  We put some cash in envelopes with Christmas cards and drove around until we found someone that looked like they may need it.  We each took turns walking up to complete strangers and handing them the envelope.  It was very uncomfortable and awkward but we felt really good after.   The people we gave the envelopes to looked at us like we were crazy!  We gave an envelope with money to each of our kids and have asked them to hold on to it until God leads them to share with someone in need.  It was so cool when our youngest called told us that she found someone to give it to that had broke down on the road.  This is definitely a tradition that we will continue through the years!

My most recent highlight  is going home to Michigan to see my mom and family with my son.  At 20 years old, I am not able to see him or spend much time with him so every moment is precious.  And with my mom being 87 years young, I treasure each day that I have with her on this earth.

I encourage you to take a few minutes to reflect on the highlights of 2010 as we all have so much to be thankful for.  As the saying goes, in our last days on earth we’ll never wish we had worked more or accomplished more in our career.  We’ll only wish we had spent more time with the ones we love.

Love and blessings to you in creating memorable moments in 2011.

Countdown to Christmas and Traditions

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Well, we are officially 7 days away and the countdown begins. For those traveling, this typically means WE have far less time to complete our holiday shopping so the pressure is on!

I’ll be traveling to Michigan which is part of my tradition of going home. It’s a bittersweet trip as I’m excited to see my family but sad that my husband stays here as his daughters arrive from out of state. It was understood at the beginning of our relationship that this was the way it would be as there would be a time that our children would not be coming home.

My son, a chef, and a dedicated employee will stay in town with his dad’s family as to not miss work. I’m proud that he is so dedicated to his job but I find myself singing, “Cats in the Cradle” too many times these days. You know, “when you coming home son, I don’t when, but we’ll get together then..”

So, what I really wanted to share is some of our Christmas traditions. Our Christmas is celebrated on Christmas Eve with almost everyone (six siblings) coming home. Christmas food consists of a unique blend of old versus new traditions. My dad (now in heaven) was Polish and my mom was from the Czech Republic so our foods connect to these nationalities. The pinnacle of our meal is the Pierogi. This is a Polish specialty consisting of half-moon-shaped noodle dumplings filled with a mixture of potatoes, onion, garlic, and a bit of cheese. (BTW—this is NOT a health food for those that know me.) Fish and fish soup are both parts of the Czech Christmas food tradition. Big brother (one of three big bros) Dennis provides fresh catch which is appropriate as we live in the Land of Lakes! The fish is lightly fried and the soup is oyster stew.

Some newer food traditions that have popped up since our health movement are a variety of salads. My sister Sandy and my niece Chef Jen, personal chef and caterer always come through with something amazing. The amount of sweets has diminished and almost completely eliminated. Mom makes her fav molasses (hold the sugar) cookies and I’ll be starting a new tradition of peanut butter rice crispies squares with my secret ingredient (Modere Chocolate Sync) for the chocolate lovers.

Outside of food, mom and I have created our own new tradition. Since my siblings leave Christmas Day to spend with their extended families, it ends up just mom and me.  So we started the, “stay in your PJ’s all day, play Scrabble and read day”.  This is one of my new favorites. Need to mention, mom (at 87) can kick my butt in Scrabble.

Mom playing Scrabble