Gluten Free Menus And Their Risky Disclaimers

Living with a gluten related auto-immune disease, wheat allergy, or gluten intolerance can be extremely difficult. None of these are the same though yet that have a lot in common. From Celiac Disease to a wheat allergy we all decide on different lifestyle choices. Some illnesses can be life threatening and others are not because you can treat yourself and remove risks. A very common everyday risk remains though, when you dine in at a restaurant and order from a gluten-free menu or from a server explaining their GF options, there is little to no chance you're receiving a 100% gluten-free meal. In turn, you have accepted the responsibility for potential G.I. intestinal trauma, diarrhea, exhaustion, or another delayed auto immune reaction. A restaurant may provide you with a degree of 1-on-1 attention to make you feel safe, warm and fuzzy, but the risk is real, every time, you're taking a conscious risk of cross contamination in the kitchen. These decisions are very risky!

Example of a gluten-free menu & disclaimer... a complete contradiction of gluten-free definition.

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.

Hidden Garden Gluten Free Cookies Review

There are few foods in the world that people can't live without. Let's get to the point and identify cookies! With so many gluten free restrictions we find and love gluten free cookies to be a needed replacement sometimes. That's fine if you are able to balance sweets with choosing the right brand and of course, exercise! Sweet, chewy, crunchy, soft or hard it's impossible to eat just one of your favorite GF treats. I don't frequent the cookie jar, but when I do, I love the cookies and I'll share them, too. I have been sampling GF cookies more often than I anticipated, and there are a few treats out there such as Hidden Gardens. Hidden Gardens gluten free cookies have beets, squash, spinach,  pumpkin sneaking in their cookies for taste and delicate nutrients still tasting entirely like cookies. From British Columbia, Canada now available in USA sneaking veggies in your new favorite gluten free cookies! Let's say, I wish these Hidden Garden cookies were around in 1997 when gluten free cookies hadn't evolved...if only I thought of this!

Certified Gluten Free

Avocado Mayo Primal Kitchen Review

"every bite of food you eat should be 

both delicious and healthy. "  

- Mark Sission -

Absolutely! Today is  an opportunity to put down that product in your shopping cart and find a smarter food that still tastes good but is better for you. What you bought in the past may have scary and questionable ingredients. Ehh that's the truth we all face at some point. Decision Time. Got the stones to replace the unhealthy mayonnaise and/or dressing you keep using in your fridge and replace it to strive for better gluten free ingredients? Introducing Primal Kitchen's Gluten Free mayonnaise, dressings, avocado oil and chocolate bar made of awesomeness that keeps your family satisfied with delicious and more nutritious options. Let's learn about the mayo!

Primal Kitchen Mayonnaise

Scratch & Grain Cookie Kit Product Review

Watch out cookie monsters, the easiest, most convenient gluten free cookie recipe has arrived from Scratch & Grain Cookie Kit. Previously featured on ABC Shark Tank a few years ago, the product line has grown! I don't eat cookies or sweets too often, but when I do, I make them special with the best ingredients, usually cut out 1/2 the sugar, butter or excess naughtiness. With Scratch & Grain Cookie Kit you're able to pick and choose the numbered gluten free ingredients to make your gluten free cookies in a flash and have fun, just add butter and eggs, for example. Baking is always supposed to be a joy, and it remains that way, and now you don't have to buy those 5-7 random ingredients and store them in your cabinet to spoil.  

Vermints Gluten Free Product Review

Finally, a mint that delivers on ingredients, taste and is certified awesome! Introducing... Vermints! 

You may be used to the taste of traditional store mints. Mouth cooling, low priced, wild packaging. Yes and their ingredients likely have red dye #40 and have artificial sweeteners and GMOs (genetically modified organisms). If you love mints and gum like me, let's discuss better options because they are here :) Healthy snacks, ice cream, mints, gum, and other splurges are needed (we're humans after all) so I'm sharing these Vermints with you today. 

Valentine's Day With Celiac Disease Is Rough

One, two or three bars of chocolate, that is an important question of many for today's purchases on Valentine's Day. 

Then I would get a pit in my stomach and think about where would I search for safe gluten-free chocolate, knowing it's not commonly available at most stores. 

Promise Gluten Free Bread Is For Celiacs

If you have Celiac Disease vs choosing a gluten free lifestyle, there is a different health standard and expectation. But we should reunite our standards. Those who know me and have read my articles regularly (thank you) would know by now that I have very high gluten free standards and constantly question the market place, restaurants and any labeled GF options because of ongoing disappointments and lack of policing and regulation. Yet I love our progress and appreciate those who certify their products, you rock! However for some reason in 2016, gluten-free standards are still not taken seriously by all.  However, today is a great day for gluten free sandwich lovers out there whom have Celiac Disease or a legit gluten free lifestyle choice because Promise Gluten Free Bread is a great option! 

Bisogno Pasta Is A Must Try Gluten Free Pasta

Is it yarn, a painting, is it premium rubber bands, or is this gluten free artisan pasta? Yes my friends! Introducing gluten free artisan Bisogno Pasta made from lentils. Bisogno Pasta is high protein and a vegan, nonGMO delicious and nutritious pasta improvement from some of the gluten free crappy pasta. Made in California and available at select retailers or shipped fresh online to your home cold, refrigerated Bisogno Pasta is for your new year delight. Lentils are naturally high in protein (made with pea protein, too) includes high fiber, and overall more nutritious pasta meal that you can brag about. With a unique desireable shape, instead of penne, elbows, fusilli, etc, a fresh cold pasta expectation (not stored in a box in your cupboard) will send you running from gross tasting gluten free pasta of yesterday. Just look at how beautiful fresh gluten free pasta can be!

Gluten Free Protein Pancakes

Is there a perfect pancake? For most of my life and maybe yours, too, we were taught certain things such as foods should taste a certain way to be perfect, be made with only the ideal ingredients and no substitutes, and even look a certain way. Further, these foods must be perfectly round or squared and flawless, but that's heavy b.s. The truth is what we learned as a child or in the past may not be true for the present and future.  Health is an ongoing change unless you just don't care about your health! Balancing your food and beverage intake, your libations, exercise and other variable choices are an ongoing choice that you make. Nothing is perfect.  Welcome to the new normal. 

Epic Acquisition by General Mills Big Food

Has the small guy taught the big bully how to be nice? Only time will tell, but how much time and how much change? 

Hooray or Hmmm?

Have you ever eaten one of these delicious Epic Bars? You can find Epic at nearly every natural food market and grocery, along with some of the local stores and big food chains. They're amazing, any flavor actually (beef, chicken, bison and bacon). Epic products are gluten free, paleo friendly, low in sugar and scream about their grass fed animals and epic changes of land regeneration, sourcing and certifying humane treatments of animals. As of today, Epic Provisions is now part of the General Mills family of brands. Are we excited?

Bam Bam Broth Gluten Free Product Review

Paleo Penicillin Arrives

Health, strength and deliciousness. The back "bone" of our ancestor Paleo lifestyle is very valid today. 

Boiling bones is the most normal and primal food choice. Or it was at least. So how many of us today are boiling bones? Hmm. mmm. Not enough I'll admit myself!

Everbest Bakery and Pastry Shoppe Gluten Free Fail

 

Interesting photo to asses here. Why? We have a traditional bakery and a uniquely dedicated gluten free retail store, side by side, in East Northport, Long Island. Although it may be difficult to see from a distance, on the right is the "Strictly Gluten Free" retailer and "Everbest Bakery & Pastry Shoppe" (couldn't find their website) on the left. Yet these opposite businesses are both promising gluten free products. Hmm mm m, this is going to end bad unfortunately for one of them, can you guess who? 

Going Grainless Is Gluten Free

Is grain free healthy, what is the truth?

If you're reading here then you're already a step ahead in health conscious behaviors. Which ones you decide to abide by and where you cross the line if you do, is up to you and your choices. So you're probably not surprised about grainless (paleo) lifestyles and how they've trended fast and furious to the mainstream. And when I say trend I mean it, because it's a proven, conscious, educated way of living that's not based on a false claim or a silly spokesperson like in the past fad diets of old. Grain free is gluten free and it's a real lifestyle based on our ancestors from thousands of years ago who were hunters and gatherers. 

Backyard farming vegetables and grazing animals

Look out your window, do you have property that is just wasted space for grass? Or do you have land for being more sustainable to have a small or even larger farming area?

As committed gluten free consumers in this world, we must stay in control without risks. Growing your own food is the primary way to regain the lost control and salvage your hard earned money from buying packaged food each week or even multiple times when you have to read labels and trust other brands for gluten risks. Having a small garden or a small farming space would be ideal for healthy living plan in 2016!

Nature's Answer Sambucus Product Review

Sambucus Eldeberberry

It's true, super berries are used to make medicine, oh my gosh who would've thought! The black elderberry, Sambucus, is a superb genus of flowering plants that everyone must have in their cabinet. Of course it's also a gluten free berry and remains gluten free as it's pure and not tainted with gluten in the manufacturing process. 

Our world is full of absolutely treasures and if you haven't yet had Sambucus in your medicine chest it's time for today to be that day. There is no need to rush to buy Rx drugs when there are outstanding natural botanical options from the superb outdoors here for us. Nature continues to provided us with food, water, oxygen, healing and so many more opportunities that we often take for granted!  Learn more about Nature's Answer Sambucus, made from elderberries to boost your immunity and alleviate, soothe and treat some of your health needs this Fall and Winter. 

Plant Head Real Meal Product Review

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. That's why I make sure to have a nutrient dense, high protein, low sugar balanced meal prepared to get me on my day! If you are tired in the morning and unmotivated by boring and processed cereal, repetitive carb heavy bagels or other quick blah food, it's time to make a good change today. Believe it or not it's only going to take about 10 minutes or less to make a shake.  Having a delicious, healthy, protein rich meal is critical to your brain performance, and energy going forward. That's why I choose to go with a shake and I construct it differently just about each time to keep it extra enjoyable, fresh and low cost. However, you can't just choose any protein shake or meal replacement option on the market as there are a lot of misleading low quality products out there or very expense as well.So re-evaluate the morning and think about why and how this critical breakfast meal can kickstart your day. 

Cheerios Fails Gluten Free Launch With Recall of 1.8 million

Cheerios Recalls 1.8 million Boxes of Their Cheerios

I'm somewhat speechless yet I have so much disappointment and rage. I'll leave it for what it is because if you've done your research and live a risk-free life as a Celiac Disease consumer, or wise gluten-free shopper, you wouldn't have bought "gluten-free Cheerios"...

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. 

Expo East 2015 Gluten Free Findings

Gluten Free Food Trends

It was another successful natural products expo east in Baltimore, MD this year. Crowds of business pros united conducting meetings, showcasing new offerings and opportunities, that one day may result in new product launches for the rest of the shopping world. I set out on the show floor, and I'm here now to report on trends, unique findings, see if GMOs are here (hope not) and educate to you our natural and gluten free community.

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.   

Send Me Gluten Free Package September 2015

Send Me Gluten Free

It's such a good idea and also a work in progress. Send Me Gluten Free has created what we all need, delivered gluten free products to the home. Being able to receive a variety of gluten free trending products from baking, cooking, snacking, energy, and desserts are important and useful as well as educational. We as gluten free shoppers don't always have time and ability to source these products, but we always must be educated and research products before consuming anything! That's why Send Me Gluten Free is a smart idea and off to something very special.  I just received this product including a few very intriguing brands.

Do You Bag Your Own Groceries?

Are you the type of shopper who helps bag your own groceries or stands there watching? Bagging groceries is not a new concept at the grocery store. It doesn't matter where you shop: Whole Foods, HEB, Sprouts, Wegmans, Public, Shoprite, Stop N Shop, etc. standing at the cashier and watching people bag for you instead of lifting your hands is not acceptable. This is a problem for you, as other people watch with disbelief. I've gone to the grocery store multiple times over the last month observing shopper's behavior. Here are my findings, they're quite simple. Where do you belong in this analysis?

70% of Customers Don't Bag Groceries

-Trader Joe's Cashier-

Mikey's Muffin are Gluten Free Paleo

Mikey's Muffin's are simply smart nutrition for your gluten free and paleo lifestyle. Carefully made and available frozen, Mikey's Muffins are certified gluten free and offer you a fairly quick breakfast or anytime snack option high in protein and low in sugar. I met Mikey at a food show where he passionately speaks about living a Paleo lifestyle, healthier living and utilizing high quality ingredients vs the common option. Mikey and I shared a common interest and joy for demanding more from brands, non GMO ingredients used and truly living the same passion as you preach. All Mikey's Muffins are made with a key on less than six or seven ingredients!  (Look at your other food and see how many ingredients are listed and if you recognize them).

Gluten Free Cheerios Are Disappointing, I Say

The efforts put forth by General Mills Cheerios to be gluten free safe for the community in my opinion are only rated: C. Would I eat a product and trust it because they received a C, the answer is probably NO. I've read the stories and interviews and analysis and they do a good job of trying to remove gluten contamination and ensure a safe product, but is it perfect, no. And is the company a good one, I'm sorry but from a food industry perspective, the answer is No.  Is Cheerios ideal for someone with Celiac Disease according to the FDA regulations, yes, but not according to someone who has higher standards than the, FDA, a corrupted organization in the food industry known to have ties to Monsanto and GMOs which makes them untrustworthy. As a Celiac my interests are health and safety for you. The reason gluten free Cheerios are far from perfect is because General Mills is lazy and non-committed in my personal opinion to truly participate in the gluten free mission. You must higher your health standards.

General Mills Uses GMOs (Cheerios are not clean food)

Gluten Free Bakery Items Will Make You Sick

CAN YOU SPOT THE GLUTEN FREE FAIL?

Introducing

 Mountain Oven 

Crested Butte, Colorado 

Hurry, Camel Milk 45% off Coupon Code

See my product review here

SUMMER SALE 

GOIN ON RIGHT NOW

Is Camel Milk The Next Craze?

Is Camel Milk The Next Craze?

I hope so! The next milk and perhaps the best and healthiest of them all has just entered the USA marketplace in early 2014 with anticipations of being available, everywhere! Introducing Desert Farms camel milk. They appeared at the Fancy Food Show NY in June 2015 and I was welcomed to taste the nutritious camel milk similarly how a baby camel takes their journey to adulthood, but I'm a human. To all you almonds, coconuts, hemp, rice and cows out there, just don't get jealous of these actions! 

Banza Gluten Free Chickpea Pasta Is Stellar

Cooks in less than 5 minutes

Life isn't too shabby going gluten free today in 2015. Those on a healthy and strict gluten free lifestyle have a plethora of pasta options. However, the more common corn and rice pastas are lacking in nutrients. Meanwhile vegetable, quinoa and bean pastas start to show more promise.  Generally gluten free replacement pastas can be made from simple ingredients with higher carbs, sugars, low fibers and proteins sustaining the issues of malnutrition. This is why I rarely eat pasta.  

Protes Gluten Free Product Review

Now called "Protes"

WHAT ARE PROTES?

Let's imagine a pea protein joined forces with a triangular crispy potato chip with delicious seasonings. Then imagine the name "pro" as in protein and "ting" as in things and merge them into something fun and catchy. I asked this question to co-founder Ryan at a food show. I liked it. Ryan and co-founder Kirk are based in Brooklyn, NY.  Protings are for healthy peeps and chip lovers who seek an alternative but love food and eating smart. No more empty nutrition while snacking in-between meals. Crunch on Protings at the gym after a workout, at the office, on the bus/train or home wherever you're hungry to avoid binging. 

Svelte Protein Shake Gluten Free Product Review

The idea of a ready to drink, grab and go organic, vegan, Kosher, gluten free and dairy free protein shake is too good to be true. No actually it's not... But this combination is hard to find. Secondly, some shakes just taste horrible and you have to convince yourself to drink them. C'mon they are not great even when you make them yourself, you kind of talk yourself into it usually. I don't mean yours are bad, but just that they're not amazeballs. Also shakes and smoothies often can be expensive, or the ultimate combination for your lifestyle is too tough to match. If you dig soy milks (nonGMO of course) then Svelte USDA organic shakes should be on your new short list of options. 

Gluten Is Everywhere Including Probiotics

More than half of the top-selling probiotic supplements analyzed in a study contained gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye that is harmful to people with Celiac Disease.Credit Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times

I have to say that I'm not surprised, were you? Trusting in the free world has gone way out the door.  Vitamins and supplements are not regulated by the FDA and probiotic supplements, albeit are vital to your gut health, are just not being watched enough. Gluten can be used as fillers, coating, and simply all over the tools and machinery in a  manufacturing facility. Therefore,  foods of all sorts are being contaminated even with some form of "gluten-free" claim. Small and large companies are likely, all culprits according to the NY TIMES article via Many Probiotics Taken For Celiac Disease Contain Gluten from Wed, May 19th. 

Sweet Note Bagels Gluten Free Product Review

All gluten-free bagels were not created equal. Texture, aroma, taste, and healthy ingredients should be the recipe for every food and beverage you eat. Recently, at a food expo in California, I met Michelle and Brittany from Sweet Note Bakery, lucky me! Michelle is a Philadelphia baker with the dream of bringing NY style gluten-free safe bagels to the free world everywhere. She reminded me that I should raise my expectations and consider a tastier NY style gluten free, fantastic bagel that I never had before (Made in a dedicated GF facility) ... All while being gluten free, soy free, dairy free, egg free, peanut and tree nut free and NON GMO. I was happily intrigued. 

Gluten & Allergen Free Marketplace

Finally, a trusted gluten free marketplace!

I've been searching high and low for a place to easily find gluten-free trusted and credible products. Sure, there are websites out there that sell gluten free products, but many of them lack transparency behind the gluten free claims, lack detailed information about the products, also these sites may even sell gluten containing products or are just confusing to navigate and that's frustrating to actually buy effectively. If I can't find a product online, understand the price and shipping information then I leave. Or I'll simply drive to Whole Foods, Sprouts, or local healthy natural market where I can speak to educated staff to find, learn and buy. The problem is that driving is a waste of time to go wait in lines and search forever in a store that carries limited gluten-free products when a lot of the good gluten-free products are available online at Strictly Gluten Free. 

Vegetables Belong In Majority of Meals

Look at your meal and ask yourself if there is enough organic vegetables in them. Yes/No?  Add more.

This is a question you should have during every meal; breakfast, lunch and dinner. In my humble opinion, your meals should have at least 50-75% of vegetables in every serving. These vegetables should be both raw and/or cooked, and you should be focussing on primarily organic foods as too many vegetables are being made with GMOs. Never eat a GMO as there is too little research done on long term testing for humans common sense says a food genetically made in a laboratory with chemicals unnatural to resist pesticides is unfathomably irrational.

Why Flush Your Toilet? Product Review

It's a question and a product name. Why Flush? 

This is a serious question for the world as we waste a lot of water in the bathroom, my friends. You may be curious what is it actually doing and it's purpose being in the toilet?  I'll answer those mystifying questions and help you realize that you should have Why Flush? in your home, so should your family and friends. We all should own Why Flush (available on Amazon) as part of our everyday life because we all need a place to relieve ourselves in our society yet we all should care more about water conservation. Together, we can accomplish a mental change in toilet behavior with just 2-3 flushes in the middle of the toilet after each #1 pee. This results in neutralized toilet water with a citrus, fresh scented bathroom via Why Flush.

EZ Gluten Test Kit Product Review

How Can I Know For Sure 

If Food & Beverages Are Gluten-Free?

If you haven't used the EZ Gluten Test Kit before then it's time  pick up a few kits for the holidays for you or someone you truly care about.  Whether you have Celiac Disease, gluten intolerance or another form of sensitivity to gluten proteins, Elisa Technologies offer kits for you to test food and beverages quickly and efficiently via a test strip. Most of us know not to take risks, but every once in a while I hear about people taking way too many risks, so now in less than 10 minutes you can check that food sample, finally! I tried it and I'll share with you my results.  These EZ Gluten™ Test are extremely simple kit that in less than ten minutes will detect the presence of gluten proteins in foods and beverages. It is sensitive enough to detect levels of gluten as low as 10 ppm (which is 2x better than the FDA guidelines). As you can see in my example here, the test kit is small and portable enough for at home, going to friends, or family, heading to a restaurant or whenever you need to know if a food could have gluten contamination, and avoid it!