Was Independence Day Meaningful For You?

According to Wikipedia, "Independence Day of the United States, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, by the Continental Congress declaring that the thirteen American colonies regarded themselves as a new nation, the United States of America, and no longer part of the British Empire."

Despite what you believe in, support or agree with according to American history, when you have allergies or an issue with food associated with this holiday, life is more complicated than just celebratory! Since food is a key variable this time of year, gluten-free eating becomes once again nearly impossible, if you let it. That's why preparing ahead, learning to say no and minimizing expectations by taking no risks is what being "independent" is all about. 

Celiac Awareness Month To Reflect

Activities like yoga connect mind & body.

It is my favorite month of the year, May - Celiac Awareness Month! So another year has gone by, and we journey through another period of reflection. Let's look back at this moment on your health - how do you actually feel about the health of your body and mind this past year? Seriously, are you feeling well right this moment? Are you satisfied with your ability to say, No? Are you handling food and beverages risks and have you learned more this year than the past regarding the risk of cross contamination, asking questions about food ingredients?  Do you feel that your overall health has improved or are you unsure, frustrated and confused more than ever of the status of your Celiac Disease, gluten intolerance or gluten reduced diet? I certainly hope that you put yourself first, lived well, eaten well, exercised and laughed in the good life!

CELIAC AWARENESS MONTH

We all know that I'm not perfect, hehe, but I am a 20 year Celiac Disease veteran managing my strictly gluten free lifestyle in a positive way. If there is one tip I can share regarding the health of my own mind and body, it is my confidence to say, "No" a lot. In fact, all of the time I say No to food options.

Holistic Entrepreneur Association Interviews Craig Franzblau

I am delighted to share my recent interview by Jessica of the Holistic Entrepreneur Association​ (HEA) & hope you enjoy the reading.  The HEA is an online resource and community for providing health and wellness professionals with resources and tools to build successful practices and businesses. You are encouraged to share, connect and follow up with others to network and find peace. Enjoy!

If you enjoy our gluten-free articles, click to enjoy our ads that connect with your lifestyle and follow us on Instagram at @RealGlutenFreeG right now.

Green Fair NJ on October 3rd 2015

Introducing the 6th Annual Green Fair in Monroe Township, NJ. This year the "Green Fair" is more personal than ever to include local, regional and national contributions to the community.  

I will be a vendor! Yours truly, Real GlutenFreeG will be set-up as an educational vendor to provide insights and learnings on properly following a gluten free lifestyle and sharing natural food lifestyle recommendations. Since we're all very different people with varied food choices, and health levels, it's important that we're all aware of our resources to eat healthy despite our current gluten free diagnosis. 

Gluten Free & Allergen Free Expo NJ Is Coming!

Healthy shoppers, do you live in these areas? 

New York City
North New Jersey

PHILADELPHIA

CONNECTICUT

GF & AF EXPO 

Is

OCTOBER 3rd & 4th

Natural Products Expo East 2015

Education & Events 

September 16–19, 2015

Trade Show

September 17–19, 2015

Location

Baltimore Convention Center, MD USA

It's one of the most important occasions of the year for natural products. The "natural" here is legit and that term cannot be used loosely anymore. The Natural Products Expo East show is striving for supporting the increase of organic, non GMO (genetically modified organisms) and sustainable industry! Manufacturers, distributors, brokers, retailers, suppliers, services, speakers, leaders and agents of change connect to uplift the natural industry to continue it's acceleration into overtaking the new mainstream way of living. Why? Because most produce in the grocery store is GMO and the packaged goods also use a lot of low quality ingredients :( 

Saffron Road Halal Meals & Snacks Product Review

Saffron Road Foods -World Cuisine

Introducing one of my favorite gluten free trusted brands, Saffron Road Foods - world cuisine. Saffron Roads provides Halal certified, antibiotic free, humanely raised animals frozen entrees, meals and chickpea snacks, along with appetizers and shelf stable products.  Their products encompass a mixture of cultures and traditions from Mexico, India, Korea and Thailand. Most products are gluten free certified, but they have some products that are not gluten free, too.   

How To Eat Gluten Free From A Diagnosed Celiac Disease

Receiving a diagnosis is usually going to change your life for the better! With a doctor's diagnosis and enough research around the journey to this diagnosis, should shed light on what's the new chapter in your life to recover and sustain your health. If you haven't felt that you've done ample studies, testing, and your doctor doesn't make you feel warm and fuzzy about a life gluten-free without medication then you may want to get a second or third opinion.

Going gluten-free for those with Celiac Disease can in a few months or longer regain your nutrition absorption, gain weight, reduce common symptoms and you should get your blood checked and even a follow up endoscopy or colonoscopy to be sure you're healing. However, the only way you can get on the road to recovery is a 100% gluten-free lifestyle and that includes cross contamination risks that we face everyday, everywhere we go. Reducing your gluten intake will only help a little because if you keep 'poisoning' yourself by taking risks at restaurants, friends homes, purchasing packaged goods, or in your own home then you're going to be sick forever.

These changes should not scare you, but embrace them as you have a second chance on living healthy and smart. You can gain an education on where food comes from, manufacturing, labeling laws, and how to prepare you down food to stay in control with reduce risks. When I was diagnosed in 1997 as a young 14 year old, I was scared and needed help, but the first thing I learned was hot to say 'No" and where to find my comfort foods which was salads and unfortunately chips! Having the ability to go somewhere and have fun while being able to say "NO" to risks changed my life to continue to be a functioning athlete at a high level and find joy throughout my entire life because I was healthy and in control of life :)

How To Live 100% Gluten-Free by A Celiac 

• Stop eating out 99% - The truth is that a restaurant can't be gluten-free when the risk of contamination is everywhere (chef hands, aprons, surfaces, pots, pans, and human mistake.  If you choose to go out you should eat at the same few places because you can trust them. This is always a risk, but hopefully it can become a low, more trusted risk. Most gluten-free apps showcasing gluten-free menus are not gluten-free and you need to be very careful where you trust. 

• Learn how to cook/bake - It's vital to your recovery and your life as a human being to diversify your skill-set and understand how to cook and bake. In doing so you'll walk into the grocery store, farmers market and succeed in a whole new way in life and effect others in doing so. Prepare your own foods, explore new ingredients, and realize that there are so many new options out there and plan your day/week accordingly. I'd even suggest taking a cooking class, but those rarely have gluten-free facilities and the aprons are covered in gluten :( so be wary. 

• Learn about food sources - When you find out where food comes from and how animals are treated, you likely will be disappointed. Truth. A box of packaged food is far removed from fresh unless it's a certain raw product. Learn about food through the supply chain and make smart decisions. 

• Read labels - When in doubt don't eat it. Many products are verified gluten-free if not, call them up and if they have done 3rd party testing and can PROVE it, otherwise then skip it, and go buy something fresh not in a box/pack :) like fruit and vegetables and live without a bad risk that day. 

• If someone glutens you, never ever go back - Whether it's family, friends or a restaurant. Do not allow yourself to be a victim so bring your own food and stay in control. You can still hang out and socialize, but do not eat the food there again and confront them privately and say that it's best that you prepare your own food ahead of time. Don't let it get awkward and just move on while having fun. If they can't handle the confrontation then have mediator who can help. 

• Avoid Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) - There is not enough research to showcase that GMO are safe at all and on the contrary research shows health risks. Plan to eat organic or at least hybrid food and wash them well. Google "GMO Facts" and you'll never eat a GMO again. GMOs are scary and I do not eat them by asking questions and shopping organic smartly and thrifty. 

• Lear to say "No"99% of the time - Seriously, this is a big challenge, but you can do this kindly, and prepare ahead of time with fresh snacks, raw foods, and prepare meals because most places do not have gluten-free options. Don't trust strangers who can't prove their foods or beverages are not contaminated. So look around and trust your instincts to say NO before YES. Most friends and family will learn how to properly shop and care for your gluten-free needs, but they need to learn the right way, the hard way. 

Help remove an upcoming Super Bowl ad for Nascar

As first launched by +Gluten Dude, an advocate for Celiac Disease health, awareness and righteousness, we need your help to sign an important petition immediately. This ad from NBC for Nascar is launching in front of the massive Super Bowl TV audience, so we need signatures to boycott the ad before the Super Bowl because it insults the gluten-free lifestyle. Yes. Another insult and this time to a large and massive reaching audience this time, and we can't let this happen. You and your social circle need to act tonight, Friday night, asap.  Read here to learn all about how this ad, actors and those associated with NBC can promote and insult people with an auto immune disease, Celiac Disease, and call us weak and how we're an American problem, ugh! It's a shame and it's sad that today, people with diseases have to face this type of hardship by the mass media and those in the main stream who control what millions of people will see who are fans of this Nascar sport, for a laugh. Education and ignorance will love long in this country of America. As opposites it inevitably will always exist. Don't be on the wrong side of history and Sign the petition here, and please share this immediately with those who support Celiac Disease - gluten free lifestyle health. 

SIGN THE PETITION TODAY

BEFORE THE SUPER BOWL

What's Your Meaning Of Gluten-Free?

Is this gluten-free?

This is a complicated yet easy question to analyze. Something either has gluten or it doesn't right?  However, we don't live in a homogenous style world... Not in the USA and not in any kitchen. Therefore people will believe what they choose and live how they decide that's best for their health, wealth and lifestyle, period. Regardless of someone's health symptoms, financials, and equality overall, each of us chooses to smile, laugh or frown, live in pain, we live in distress and sometimes we see things that we believe are correct, despite our body or others telling something different. We argue and we quarrel, but do we learn and change?  Most of the time, I would assume yes, but ask yourself this question? With that said, I ask you if you truly believe that you're living a gluten-free life or if you're just living your life by reducing some of this and some of that.

• Do you have gluten in your house and use the same silverware, cutting boards & pots? 
• Do you have a dishwasher and do you clean with a dedicated gluten-free sponge? 

Perhaps you believe that you feel better when you reduce some gluten or reduce wheat or dairy, but the truth is the never ending education on each is great, so have you invested in your ongoing food education?  Some admit they haven't, some believe they have, but I encourage you to keep reading, and opening yourself or others to learn about why and how you feel and challenge yourself, family and friends to be healthier by being gluten-free smarter.

Is this gluten-free?

Is this gluten-free?

Is this gluten-free?

Is this gluten-free?

FDA guides brands to declare gluten-free if products have been verified <20 ppm gluten contamination, and that's microscopic! However, this isn't enough as most Celiacs believe they react and show symptoms on a committed gluten-free lifestyle. Personally, I eat no gluten-free and the risks I must take I carefully monitor by body and get blood checks throughout the year to see if my body's gluten antibodies are active. There are other testing <10ppm and <5ppm and hopefully the FDA will lower their standards so that the entire community can change forward.  Who do you trust and where do you find resources? The truth is it's impossible to know if  anything is gluten-free because the farm, processing, packaging, fulfillment and handling supply chain contaminate everything. It's true.  Therefore, eating legit farm fresh, home grown and made is your best way of living the way humans did before processed and packaged goods. Truth is the truth.

Subscribe here to @GlutenFreeG & then confirm by Email

The Gluten Summit - Free Online Webinar Series

Beginning November 11th

This is an original Gluten Summit unassociated with any other expo or convention brought before to benefit scientists, physicians, health practioners, bloggers, manufacturers, distributors, patients and consumers of all kind. The Gluten Summit is brought to everyone and anyone concerned with the world of gluten in our food supply and how we are effected from it by Dr. Tom O'Bryan of theDr.com. He has interviewed 25 of the world's leading experts on Celiac Disease and sensitivities to help us answer the basic and difficult questions of how to thrive without this "poison" that it's often referred to.

Register today and attend this multi-day online webinar series with expert speakers, introductions, recaps and learn more about the backbone of gluten-free living. It's promising to see this many committed people continue to recognize the dangers of gluten in food (yet large companies continue to inexpensively stuff gluten in our food supply and profit from from public health issues) and lead gluten awareness to the mainstream media when federal government research and some large companies either don't care or simply moons away. This session is a key to your health.

Share this registration opportunity with your friends, family and co-workers to be sure everyone can benefit and learn about the dangers of gluten to the general public. The findings are authentic, impactful and future changing. Enjoy!

• Tom O’Bryan, DC, CCN, DABCN
• Host, Gluten Summit; Educator/Physician, theDr.com
• Michael Marsh, MD, DSC, FRCP
• Renowned Celiac Disease Researcher

Protect Celiacs w/ Gaining Gluten-Free Awareness!

My grandfather just sent me an article like this one but from Florida Sun Sentinel about the growing interest to the public about going gluten-free. Thanks Pop!

This is good news, right? maybe? not quite... This is a terribly concerning article for Celiacs...

THE TRAGEDY:

The major concern I have when I see articles like this (more are circulating about benefits to going gluten-free to the masses each week) is that people like myself who are diagnosed Celiacs, have to eat gluten-free (strictly 100% gluten-free) for medical reasons. Therefore if a company, restaurant or anyone else wants to join the band wagon to cater to make money on this growing market opportunity they must learn how to prepare gluten-free foods and guarantee food is safe for Celiacs, too not just the followers.  

"If a restaurant offers 'gluten-free' options on their menu and I can't eat it as a Celiac,  since I asked them detailed questions about their kitchen, well guess what, it's not gluten-free!" 

-Craig F (Colorado)