Halloween is a mixed-emotion day for anyone with food allergies or intolerances. It’s hard to be a kid and go from the excitement of having a bag full of candy to the disappointment of setting aside all the forbidden ones. Luckily Halloween has always been more about the dressing up than the candy for my kids , but it’s still always a big let-down when they sort their goodies. I try to have extra gluten-free, dairy-free candy here that the can trade for the stuff in their bags, including some of their favorite chocolates that they are certainly not going to find trick-or-treating. It helps. And it also gives them some character really, to have to show some judgment, understand consequences, give up some things that are hard to give up because it’s the healthier choice for them. They get to learn it isn’t the end of the world to part with some candy and that is a lesson in emotional maturity that I can be thankful for. They handle it, and so do I. Let’s enjoy this day everyone! Be safe and have fun.
Category: health
Cold and Flu Season
School is in session, the weather is changing from warm and sunny to chilly and cloudy, and the local drug stores are advertising flu shots. It’s that time of year, and it sure hit fast and hard this time around, at least in my little corner of the Pacific Northwest. This is week two of a nasty cold that lodged itself somewhere between my sinuses and chest, and it’s thrown me because I don’t get sick often. Usually at the first sign that some stealthy little virus has invaded my body I can knock it out with extra vitamin C, preferably in the form of Emergenc-C, sucking on Zand zinc and elderberry lozenges, and if those don’t work alone, I’ll take Oscillococcinum. This time around I was lazy. It was late at night when I first realized I was getting sick so I just went to bed, and when I woke up the sickness had obviously taken root, so I needed a different game plan. You need to take oscillococcinum right when you first feel sick for it to work, so instead of that I started taking Bragg’s apple cider vinegar (2 t in a glass of water) three times per day, along with Umcka. Actually Umcka also should be taken right when first feeling sick, but it will help reduce the length and severity of symptoms whenever you start taking it, so late is better than never. The day after I started Umcka I felt markedly better which was a relief because those first couple of days really hit me hard. Also, I’ve replaced my neti pot with a squeeze bottle because my oldest can use it much easier than the neti, and any kind of sinus rinse helps the recovery process. Instead of masking the symptoms like over-the-counter remedies do, these natural remedies actually help the body to fight the virus and they have no bad effects at all, no tiredness or liver stress. They also can provide extra benefits as well, such as building your immune system to fight other bacteria and viruses that are hanging around. If you don’t already have these on hand for when your next cold or flu creeps up, you might want to stock them, or at least choose one or two as your go-to remedies, because catching illnesses at the beginning is always far more effective. Here’s the list:
Of course plenty of rest and tea help too, as well as adding essential oils (any!) to your environment or clothing. Stay well everyone!
Food as Medicine
I thought I’d share this infographic that I saw today on NewHope360 even though it isn’t overly informative. It gives enough information to get one thinking about food as nutrition instead of just mindless pleasure, but not enough information to really astound anyone unless they happened to have never had an ounce of nutritional information seep through their brain ever. I would like to see one that shows herbs in there too. I guess that just means I need to learn how to make infographics…hm, better get my 10-year-old on that because I’m sure he’ll figure it out much sooner than I ever could. If you think of food and medicine on a spectrum where the more nutritious foods are closer to medicine while the less nutritious foods are further away, then herbs, (depending on what they are and how much because the dose makes the medicine with food including herbs,) would bridge the gap between food and medicine. Herbs are meant to be used like food in that you take them to help balance imbalances, strengthen weaknesses, and yes, fight bacteria/viruses/disease, but herbs are generally not something you can take and see an immediate result, just like you can’t eat a head of broccoli and be cancer-free. If you have a tendency towards inflammation, for example, as so many of us do, then taking anti-inflammatory herbs, such as turmeric, might be something that could help your body long-term. That means taking the herb at a medicinal dose for at least two months to see if you notice a difference, but better to take it longer before deciding to stick with it long-term or not, unless you have a bad reaction to it of course. Incidentally, if your ‘bad reaction’ involves diarrhea, you might consider the fact that herbs generally contain fiber and therefore you may need to work up to the recommended dose. As always, talking to a doctor, especially a naturopath who has actually studied this stuff, is the best way to get started. Well that was a long intro to this infographic: 
Gluten Free in Louisville, KY
Part of the reason I haven’t written much lately has to do with a trip to see my family in Louisville, KY, which turned out to be a very easy place to visit with multiple food intolerances in our crew. The other reason is the sheer craziness of summer with two high-energy boys~ it takes some time to adjust from school year days to summer days and honestly, I’m still adjusting. But, here’s what you will find in Louisville if you head that way (maybe in May…?) It is the Derby City after all.
Annie May’s Sweet Café is a gluten and nut free place that also has a large selection of vegan items. We went there for lunch and immediately regretted having not gone earlier in the trip. My son thought their vegan cream of broccoli soup was ‘epic’ and three of us got sandwiches we very much enjoyed and I was the only one of the three who is even gluten intolerant. The desserts we ate were delicious~ mostly cookies with cream in the middle, some vegan and some not depending on the person. My sons and I had the vegan kind which were dipped in chocolate too and probably the most decadent thing I’ve had in years. I don’t know what the vegan cream was in the middle but it definitely tasted like the real thing and I did not ask because if I knew how to make those things I might never leave my kitchen again.
Just down the road is Bluegrass Burgers which advertises on its sign outside, “Gluten free buns and beers” but it isn’t just buns and beers actually because I asked about the veggie patty and the black bean patty (they have both!) and those were also gluten-free and vegan. They were nice and patient about my questions, something that can be hard to find at restaurants where the going trend is to hate on people with food intolerances. They were extremely friendly and their food was great but there is one warning, their fries are way too good. Seriously, if you don’t want to eat a ton of them, just say no because once you start it’s all over~ they are seasoned to perfection and more addictive than chocolate covered cashews. Highly recommend this place. (And chocolate covered cashews for that matter.)
And of course there’s pizza. There are several places that have gluten-free options, but we chose Blaze Pizza because they have vegan cheese, all the pizza pies are individual size, and they cook them quickly in a wood fire so there (theoretically) isn’t much wait time. I was impressed that when I ordered the gluten-free crusts and vegan cheeses that they asked me if they needed to change gloves when handling those pizzas. They knew what they were doing when it came to allergies and I felt quite safe feeding their food to my kids and eating it myself. We liked the taste but it kind of reminded me of Chuck E. Cheese pizza, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, something about it was just similar…the thinner crust, snappier cheese, slightly sweet tomato sauce. But if that isn’t to your taste, there are plenty of other pizza places that have gluten-free crust options, such as Mellow Mushroom, Impellizzeris, Puccini’s, Uncle Maddio’s, and Cottage Inn Pizza, so basically wherever you are in Louisville you are never far from gluten-free crust.
Something else you are never far from in Louisville are natural foods stores, so in a pinch you can always find allergy free food at Whole Foods, Lucky’s Market, or shop local and visit Rainbow Blossom at one of their five locations.
A surprising amount of allergy-friendly food can be found at the most unusual place of all, and I say that mostly because the town’s name is Santa Claus but also because the amusement park there, Holiday World, is, well, an amusement park (and water park) which generally aren’t hubs of allergy free dining.
This place is about 70 miles from Louisville and well worth the trip if you are traveling with kids or just like rides, water parks, and Christmas music in July. Just check out this list of allergy-free foods that you can get there and you’ll be adding Santa Claus, Indiana to your must-do list. The only thing I caution is to have the list handy with you before you go in to order because the people behind the counter weren’t always up-to-date on the offerings. There seemed to be one person in charge who handled the allergic folks and the rest of them waved her down to deal with us. That was fine with me, as long as there was one person dedicated to keeping us safe I was thoroughly impressed. We also had to wait extra time for the allergy free food so another caution is to go before your four-year old is in low-sugar-sunburnt-over-tired-and-hungry-tantrum-mode, but really it wasn’t too long of a wait, 15 minutes maybe. Of course 15 minutes with a hungry child is a lot longer than 15 minutes with just yourself to worry about, so you’ve been forewarned. But both my sons said the place was better than Disney Land, so check it out.
I’m sure there are plenty of other restaurants that accommodate gluten intolerant people but I just want to highlight one more because their menu is very clear with calling out gluten-free items, along with vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, and whatever other kind of ~ian you want to call yourself, they’ve heard it all before. Ramsi’s Café will fill your worldly cravings when you’ve tried all the gluten-free pizza (impossible!) and eaten all the burgers on gluten-free buns that you can handle. Kids are welcome but if you are going to leave them behind for an evening out with your significant other, this is the place to go. When you are finished with dinner be sure to walk up and down Bardstown Road for some fun shopping and people watching, or grab a movie at the nearby Baxter Avenue Theaters. Enjoy!
Gluten Intolerant Symptoms
Schar just shared this infographic on their Facebook page. If you don’t already follow them, I heartily recommend doing so if you like nice visuals along with your gluten-free tidbits. And if you are planning a visit to Italy, this is definitely a company to know because as I understand it, they have played a major role in making the land of pasta a safe place for Celiacs and the like. As far as the picture below goes, I can check off more than half those symptoms myself~ how about you?
Smoothie Recipe
This is the smoothie I’ve been making lately and I like it because it doesn’t use any fake milk products. When we want cereal or need milk for baking I do use coconut milk because it seems the closest to a real food product, but I like to avoid it when possible. I know some people make their own coconut milk without all the questionable additives like carrageenan, but really we just don’t use it that often enough to warrant making it myself. Picking battles I guess. Anyway, the recipe:
Smoothie for one:
1 cup water
1 T chia seeds
1 serving of protein powder ( a serving depends on what brand)
1 small banana
1 handful frozen berries
1 leaf of kale or small handful of spinach (optional)
Let the chia seeds soak in the water for about 10 minutes. Add in the other ingredients and blend until smooth. I also open up a probiotic capsule and pour in the contents for a little extra gut goodness. If you aren’t already riding chia’s wave of fame this is an easy way to jump on.
Chia provides fiber and omega 3’s and if you remember the old commercials for chia pets, you can consider eating them revenge for years of that terrible ear worm. Some claim health benefits from weight loss to sugar management also, but basically chia is having a moment just as CoQ10 and bee pollen did before. It’s all good stuff, I’m just saying it’s not a miracle worker. The smoothie is darn yummy though and it feels especially good to drink in that much nutrition in one glass.
Schools a Healthy Place?
I had a strange experience last week when I went to my youngest son’s music class presentation. It was beyond cute of course, with all the second graders sounding angelic although I know they are often quite a devilish group as I’ve seen them enough in other settings. But sitting in the metal folding chairs as they sat on the floor or walked around singing, something else struck me besides the sweetness of it all~ when I looked at them each individually, as in really looked at them, they mostly looked kind of…sickly. Granted it was the end of the day and also the end of the week so they had reason to be tired, and maybe the lighting is not the best in their brand new school, but it seemed odd to me that they could all look so sluggish and lacking vibrancy considering their youth. My own son’s cheeks were flared up with the pink that signifies something is bothering him allergy-wise, either the carpet or something he ate, or who knows what, but that is what made me start looking at the other kids. There was one girl who looked completely healthy, alert, and engaged and I happen to know that this girl always looks that way or at least she does at library time where I help out and also field trips and parties, before and after school. She is just that kind of girl who notices everything and is part of everything and probably questions her teachers and parents ad nauseam. She was seriously the only one. The other kids were a mixture of eyes with dark circles, half closed eyes, wandering eyes and hands, bad skin, rashes, confused and disengaged looks, and tired faces and bodies. It made me wonder about kids, schools, and health. Is the modern school a healthy place for our students? Do they get enough outdoor time? Are they eating good food? Are we doing our best to help them learn? I don’t know, it just bothered me to see a bunch of second graders that just didn’t look vibrant and vivacious. They are too young not to be! The edible schoolyard project is one place to look for answers though my kids’ school has put me off for two years now when I’ve brought up planting a garden there. The students would get so much out of it, not the least of which would be a bit more good health. One bright eyed bushy tailed student out of 21 is not enough.
Natural Anti-Anxiety
This was definitely one of those days where I needed some good news. Our refrigerator is on the fritz, the sky can’t decide whether rain or sleet is better for pelting, and my son made a huge deal about walking to school this morning~ not a fun way to start the day. It was sunny then, by the way, when we chose to walk, OK I chose to walk them, and that is one of the reasons I thought they should walk~ the forecast was not a happy one so all the more important to take advantage of the sun, right? Well, my oldest didn’t agree and he certainly knows how to make his feelings well-known. But, here’s the good news: I saw our family naturopath today to talk about my oldest son’s needle phobia which is causing him to dread turning 10 in a month b/c then he’ll turn 11 and have to get some shots. I know kids in general hate shots, but his fear goes well beyond the norm~ he has seriously talked about his fear of turning 11 due to shots at least once a week for about two years now. The last time they tried drawing blood to test something they literally could not do it b/c he was screaming and hitting and thrashing around so much. They actually gave up after one person tried to control him while the other tried to poke him and all the while I tried distraction techniques, not that he noticed. (I guess I don’t have a future in puppeteering.) So, that’s how badly he dreads needles, but our naturopath gave me some great suggestions and I have a sliver of hope they might actually help him. The biggest piece of advice is to use GABA which apparently is a neurotransmitter that helps keep the body calm, in other words a natural anti-anxiety supplement. After looking around the web a bit for side effect information, this article seemed to sum up what I found, and WebMD has similar information. There is actually a ‘listen’ option on WebMD which is nice if you are sick and tired of reading articles on your screen, and believe me, I can relate. I guess I got so excited about this because I know so many people with anxiety triggers and I’m always talking about kava and other herbal sedatives with them, but this is something that’s found in the brain already and is supposed to keep you calm but alert, something herbs don’t necessarily do as well. Everyone is different, so herbs might be one person’s answer and GABA another’s, or a combination of both. Of course, talk to your own doctor first, or better yet, your naturopath (who has actually studied these things.) And if you want a recommendation for a naturopath is Bellevue, I think ours is the best and I’d be happy to pass along her info.
KISS
I’ve heard a certain expression all my life and never realized the acronym was k.i.s.s. until I just recently put it together. It was one of those moments when I thought, “does everyone already know this?” Anyway, if you’re like me and a little late to the party I’m talking about the expression, “keep it simple, stupid”. That line goes through my head a lot because I have a natural aversion to complications, which is a bit of handicap in this quickly complicating world. That is probably my least favorite part about our family’s food intolerances~ it adds a layer of complexity to what seemingly should be a very simple, straight to the point thing~ eating. When you add in eating while out, or eating while on vacation, the complications add up and complications mean stressers and stress and sometimes I just feel like saying, “let’s just eat whatever we want, shall we?” Actually, I know quite a few families who operate like that~ their children stay away from wheat and/or dairy while at home, but if they are at school and there is trigger food, they can eat it, or if they go out and there is not an easy option to avoiding it, they will just eat it and deal with the consequences. I can see doing that with my own kids once they have been off their trigger foods for a good year so it is totally out of their system and then maybe the bits will help to desensitize them, but for now it just isn’t worth it. They are so much healthier now, with better skin, brighter eyes, more energy, and happier outlooks it’s hard to imagine just letting them slide back into the funkiness of food intolerance~ I should know because I was funky for decades before realizing my own intolerances. It makes a huge difference, and in a way, it has it’s own simplification aspects that I appreciate~ the more natural the ingredients and the fewer the ingredients, the better. This time of year we hear a lot about food and diet programs, Paleo this and cleanse that, and again the idea of ‘keep it simple, stupid’ comes to mind. If something feels drastic, and difficult, and not doable for the long haul, it’s probably not the best option. I’m all for a cleanse every once in a while, as long as it involves real foods and helps to reset healthy eating habits, but it’s far more important to eat real food, mindfully, every day. I’ve mentioned how picky my youngest is, and in an effort in reinforcing healthy food choices we’ve started a sticker chart for him~ if he tries a new food he gets one sticker, if he eats the whole serving he earns another sticker. Once he reaches 50 stickers then I give him $10. So far it’s helped him with the trying part, though less so with the whole serving part~ but it’s a start, and this is a good time of year for new starts. Good luck with your own New Year’s resolutions, and remember to check in regularly with yourself and make sure you are being ‘kissable’.
New Year’s Resolutions
It is that time of year again. We all take a look at our lives and ourselves and decide what we could be doing better. It is a nice thought considering how often we are bombarded with other people’s opinions on what others should be doing, including ourselves. How many times a day do we see images of people and think, I should be more like that, thinner, better looking, more successful, happier, not to mention the pundits sounding off on every t.v. channel and talk-radio station. The world is full of people telling us who we are, what we should believe and how we should behave. It is a shame really that self reflection only happens culturally once a year. When the balance is so skewed in the favor of others, how can one tap into what one really needs in the midst of the holiday hubbub? No wonder the whole thing seems so, commercial. I belong to a gym and every year I despise January because of the influx of people who decide it is time to lose 5 pounds. Not that losing weight is a completely unworthy goal, it is just the fact so many people lose themselves in the year, and then the overwhelming group mentality resolution is to lose a few pounds. February rolls around and the parking lot is emptier. March blows in and the machines are all available. By April the gym is back to normal, quietly accepting the monthly dues of the absent. But what else are people thinking about when they look at their lives? Do they compare themselves with their neighbors or the world at large? Is the ‘big picture’ a part of individual thought, or have we become a world of details; facebook statuses, photos of every meal, twitter updates. I admit to being old-school in a lot of ways, but I think the modern age is really missing a great opportunity here, so I propose a new kind of resolution for the New Year~ one that takes more than 30 seconds to decide upon. A New Year’s resolution for people to really take a few moments and think about what they have, how they spend their time on a daily basis, who they are as people, and then make conscious choices on who they want to be in the future. Health resolutions are great, in fact they can be the most life-changing of all, but looking beyond the obvious could really cause a ripple effect of good, balanced living. Maybe people might even start living consciously more than once a year. That would be a truly different world.
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