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Feb/Mar 2012
Features
Is there Gluten in your Medicine?
Subscribers OnlyWhen you’re under the weather, the last thing you want to worry about is whether your prescription drugs will make you sicker. Does your medication contain gluten? Unfortunately, this can be a tough question to answer. Gluten (like other common allergens) doesn’t have to be listed as an ingredient on prescription or over-the-counter medications.
Gluten-Free Masterful Pizza
Not long ago, a real-life muse appeared in my kitchen: Rebecca Reilly, master of gluten-free baking. Preparing for a shtick in an upcoming celiac cooking conference, Rebecca and I created recipes with flour flying as we tested, nibbled and baked. We billed ourselves as “The Dueling Chefs,” our goal being to show our audience different ways to make gluten-free pizza.
Anaphylaxis
Nine-year-old Marysa Gavankar and her parents were enjoying a meal together at a local restaurant where the food-allergic little girl had dined safely many times before. Marysa ate the usual fresh-cooked French fries and a plain hamburger patty, supplemented with a bun from home. In between bites, she sipped a raspberry-flavored soda, a new drink for her. When they finished eating, Marysa said her tummy hurt.
Special-Diet Romance
Let’s face it. Dating involves a certain degree of tension, anxiety and embarrassment. You worry about your outfit, your hair, your conversation skills. You wonder if your date is having a good time, fret over each awkward pause and speculate about a goodnight kiss. Yet those with food allergies have a litany of additional concerns competing for their attention. Will the restaurant be able to handle your needs? Are the ingredients of this dish safe? What about cross contamination—or for that matter, kiss contamination?
Use Your Gluten-Free Noodle Asian Style
Subscribers OnlyThe first time I stood in the noodle aisle of an Asian market, my head was spinning. The sheer quantity of noodles was overwhelming and the task of sorting through the different varieties in search of gluten-free choices seemed completely insurmountable.
Departments
Life Story
Mariel Hemingway
Actress and author Mariel Hemingway is an avid health advocate who’s been on an odyssey of wellness for over 20 years. The granddaughter of Nobel Prize-winning novelist Ernest Hemingway, Hemingway says her decision to live a healthy life was prompted by a family history of heart disease, cancer and diabetes, as well as her grandfather’s epic struggles with depression and alcoholism. She was determined to overcome this legacy.
So Good
Dairy-Free Truffles on a Shoestring
Subscribers OnlyThese days, many chocolatiers sell great-tasting, reliably gluten-free truffles, although the cost can leave you cold. But dairy-free truffles? That’s another matter entirely—until now. These dairy-free truffles are everything you hope they would be: smooth and creamy with a deep, rich chocolate flavor. Not to mention the money you’ll save having made the gift yourself.
Crazy for Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Chocolate
We’ve all heard about—and probably experienced—the mood-elevating properties of chocolate but increased serotonin and endorphin levels aren’t chocolate’s only benefits. Recent studies confirm that chocolate is good for your heart and overall health, as well. Try these recipes for delicious ways to enjoy chocolate, all gluten and dairy free.
House Call
Pediatric Allergies Q & A - Flu Vaccine, Celiac Disease and EE, and More!
My doctor recently told me that I didn’t need to worry about my egg-allergic son having a reaction to the flu vaccine. In the past, she said that my child had to be tested by an allergist beforehand and, if deemed safe, the vaccine would be given in split doses. Why is it safe now?
Research Roundup: Good Bacteria at Birth, Celiac Pill, and More!
Last year, a study suggested a possible link between birth by cesarean and celiac disease (in the offspring). Now a team collaborating at several university hospitals in Sweden and at the Mayo Clinic has found elective—but not emergency—cesarean delivery is associated with increased risk of celiac disease. The finding indicates that the newborn’s bacterial flora—the normal bacteria present throughout the body, notably the gut, beginning at birth—may play a role in the development of celiac disease. In elective cesareans, babies avoid contact with the birth canal and, as a result, colonization with their mother’s bacterial flora. (Note: Celiac disease can occur only in those with a genetic predisposition for it.)
Try it
Living Without's Favorites:Triple Play
Don’t miss the sprouted blends from truRoots. These naturally gluten-free, vegan products cook into exceptional side dishes in minutes. Sprouting increases vitamins and micronutrients in these wholesome, organic grains and makes nutrients more readily absorbed.
Living Without's Favorites: Wonder Food
We suspect the idyllic life in Polynesia isn’t all due to the weather—it’s also the coconuts. Coconut Secret makes the case with a line of organic, allergy-friendly products (no gluten, soy, dairy, egg, tree nuts, peanut) made from coconut sap. Do you miss soy sauce? Check out Raw Coconut Aminos, a tasty replacement for those avoiding gluten and soy. Coconut Nectar is a low-glycemic natural sweetener, raw and alive with enzymes, made from the nutrient-rich “sap” of coconut blossoms.
Living Without's Favorites: Fast and Fabulous
Hungry but no time to cook? Look no further than your freezer. Organic Bistro’s Whole Life Meals are gluten-free taste-tempters that redefine frozen food. Premium organic ingredients deliver colorful, nutrient-dense dishes featuring vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fruits and healthy oils creatively combined with poultry, beef or fish and just-right herbs and spices for delicious flavor.
Living Without's Favorites: Upper Crust
Mama mia! The gluten-free, dairy-free pizza crust from Venice Bakery is delizioso. First created by doctor’s request for children on the autistic spectrum, Venice Bakery now sells its popular crust to one and all.
Read it
Living Without's Favorite Books: Clean Up Your Act
Are you trying to ditch packaged convenience foods for healthier eating and living? The Pure Kitchen (Pure Living Press) can help. Step by step and bite by bite, author Hallie Klecker shows you the way to get from here to there. Destination: a happy, balanced lifestyle with a diet of natural, colorful whole foods.
Living Without's Favorite Books: No Diner Left Behind
Subscribers OnlyNo need to feel left out at breakfast, lunch or dinner, thanks to Welcoming Kitchen (Sterling Publishing), by Kim Lutz with registered dietician Megan Hart. Tasty vegan recipes totally devoid of the big 8 allergens (free of gluten and sesame, too) allow you and almost any family member and guest to relax and eat just like everybody else.
Living Without's Favorite Books: Service with a Smile
Joel Schaefer knows how to feed people with food allergies and sensitivities. He’s the chef who developed the widely successful special-diet program at Walt Disney World Resort, allowing thousands of families to enjoy safe vacations. Now he shares that knowledge with food service professionals in Serving People with Food Allergies, Kitchen Management and Menu Creation (CRC Press).
Living Without's Favorite Book: Special Diet, Special Kids
The mother of a son on the autistic spectrum, Lisa Lewis, PhD, makes the case for the gluten-free, casein-free diet (GFCF) in Special Diets for Special Kids (Future Horizons). This update of Lewis’ award-winning classic contains over 200 new and revised GFCF recipes, along with lifestyle advice that includes money-saving tips on making nutrient-dense foods palatable for picky eaters.
Make it
Winter Skin Care
Just because the weather outside is frightful doesn’t mean your skin has to be. A little TLC can keep your complexion soft and well hydrated even when the temperature plummets and the humidity drops. These simple tips will help your complexion look its best, naturally.
Food for Thought
Chocolate Breakfast
My family’s quirkiest holiday tradition is chocolate breakfast. On Valentine’s Day, each child is served a stack of chocolate chip pancakes, surrounded by chocolate candy clusters, orange wedges, fresh mango chunks and berries. The plates are garnished with stuffed trinkets, love notes and select bits of more chocolate. It’s a veritable feast, a morning meal of decadence only a Scrooge could despise.