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People continue to be sick even after following the gluten free diet scrupulously. Problem for those who are celiac can lurk in unexpected places, like the glue used on the envelopes and mailing labels, which is made from the wheat. You can use a damp sponge, self sticking envelopes and stamps, or simply let somebody else in the family do this job.

Some celiacs  are sensitive to gluten as well as to some chemicals. Those with dermatitis herpetiformis, a skin reaction to gluten, should be careful while using craft kits, paste and spray waxes and cleaners. If you cannot avoid using these, only do so wearing a mask and in well ventilated area. Celiacs with highly sensitive skin must avoid wheat germ oil in cosmetics and in personal care products like skin creams and lotions, toothpaste and false teeth fixatives. Ask your dentist which is the best toothpaste for you. (continue reading…)

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Last week, I addressed myths about whole foods. While some misinformation surrounds whole foods, they provide the foundation of many healthful ways of eating, and have plenty to recommend them as a clean food source.

No Additives

It’s there. It’s a chunk of food, just the way it came out of the field, orchard or barn. No hidden ingredients, nothing added or taken away. You can look at it and know exactly what you’re getting. Anything added to whole foods, you add yourself. (continue reading…)

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If you have an exercise program you follow, you should know that when you exercise, you use up more nutrients and therefore, will need more nutritional supplementation than those who don’t.

Exercise makes people healthy, but that’s only half the picture. The recovery period after exercise is what ultimately makes you healthier. You do not improve your health during the exercise, nor do you burn significant amounts of fat during exercise. Virtually all the health benefits associated with exercise are created during the recovery period after exercise, which can take anywhere from 24 hours to several weeks, depending on the intensity of your exercise. (continue reading…)

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This recipe evolved from huevos rancheros, a Mexican dish with a fried egg served over a tortilla with tomato-chile sauce, and sometimes beans, cheese, sour cream and whatever else Tex-Mex cooks decided to throw in.

Some healthy modifications make the vegetables an equal partner in the meal, rather than a flavor accent, and poaches the eggs in the juice from the vegetables instead of frying them. Eliminating the tortilla makes it suitable for gluten-free or low-carb diets, with a bed of lightly wilted spinach serving as a base for the eggs and sauce. Low carbers may want to reduce the number of tomatoes and increase the mushrooms, zucchini and green pepper; however, much of the poaching liquid comes from the tomatoes, so a few are necessary. (continue reading…)

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It’s a school night and you are cleaning out your child’s lunchbox so it’s ready to go in the morning, only to realize that almost none of it was eaten. Some days it may feel pointless packing your child a lunch at all. The problem is that lunchtime is also playtime at school. Lunch needs to be a non-fussy affair so kids can get on with the business of playing with friends. Really, they don’t eat; they graze. Therefore, the lunches that get eaten are both appealing and easy to eat. Think “quick, healthy eats”, and offer a variety each day, and you will see a difference. Your success rate will be even higher if you go shopping with your child and have them help in the selection process. They will be emotionally invested in the choices they make, and the lunchbox will come back emptier (if not completely empty).

Finger food is king in the lunchbox world. Begin with a hearty main dish, such as a wrap. The outside wrapper can be a tortilla or flavored wrap, or try an Asian Fusion version, using a rice wrapper to hold the ingredients together. Fill with your favorite protein option, such as tofu strips, shrimp or chicken strips, topped with thinly-sliced cucumber, carrots, chopped lettuce and sprouts. Another easy option is a burrito filled with beans and cheese and topped with extras, such as avocado. (continue reading…)

As a vegetarian (and a female) I pay a lot of attention to my protein and iron intake since I can’t just eat a hunk of red meat and call it a day. Blacks beans are an excellent and inexpensive source of protein, iron, and fiber as well as folate and manganese.

While it’s nice to have a can of beans in the pantry, I find them to have a metallic taste and too much salt. In addition, most brands of packaged beans (the notable exception being Eden Foods) have BPA in the lining of their cans. To avoid all of these problems I like to cook a huge pot of dried beans at once then keep some in the refrigerator and some in the freezer. There are many variations on quick-soaking methods, crockpot beans, and pressure cookers. Here is my preferred and simple method using only a bowl, a pot, and the stove. (continue reading…)

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Whole foods - the general idea of eating close to nature, not the supermarket of the same name - provides the foundation for many healthful dietary styles. At the core, whole foods are basically foods that you could identify from your fridge or pantry if you went out to a garden, orchard or farm. You could go to a barn and pick up an egg, but not a chicken nugget. In a field, you could see tomatoes, but not ketchup, beans but not a burrito.

As with so many food styles that have advocates, whole foods have some fuzzy borders. Depending on who you ask, certain grains like oats may or may not be whole foods, since they require milling to be edible. Entire websites are devoted to what extent animal foods can be whole foods, like whether a boiled lobster is whole food while a grilled chicken breast isn’t. With the fuzzy borders comes myths about the nature and capabilities of whole foods. (continue reading…)