Starbucks is trying to cater to the gluten intolerant crowd once again.  They first came out with a “Orange Valencia Cake” that was gluten free but pulled it soon after -Starbucks probably realized gluten free products don’t exactly keep for long periods of time.  But this time they are trying a healthier approach.

KIND Bars from Starbucks

The first addition is “KIND Bars” that are between 170-190 calories each.  They also state that they do not contain wheat, dairy or gluten and come in 4 different flavors: Almond Cashew, Mango Macadamia, Cranberry & Almond and Fruit & Nut Delight.

The next of their gluten free selection is  “Lucy’s Cookies” that are free of any milk, wheat, gluten, eggs, casein, butter, peanuts and tree nuts.  Now here is the thing though with these cookies (which I haven’t tried…I just learned of all this a few minutes ago).  When I was researching this I found a comment by someone who had infact tried them and was horrified to find that they contained oats?  Now those of us in the US do not consider oats to be gluten free… so this would mean they are not actually gluten free.

Lucy's Cookies

But again, I have not tried not looked at the package myself yet – so I cannot say that they 100% contain oats…just read from another Celiac that they did.  Also I’m confused why they would put oats in them for chocolate chip cookies?  I’d be interested to know if anyone else found this to be true as well!

So to wrap this up I’m pretty excited that Starbucks is actually trying to carry gluten free foods for those of us who would love to snack on something while we sip on our lattes.  Next time I go into a Starbucks I will be sure to look for this and try them out!  Unless of course the cookies do in fact contain oats…then I will be skipping them

Just thought I would make one of these for a fun post! 

• You have been told “oh your so lucky to have that disease…that’s how you must stay so thin!”
• You refer to non gluten free foods as “normal people foods”
• You have driven over 30 minutes to buy some gluten free cookies from special health food stores.
• You give the bread isle the evil eye and mumble something under your breath when you walk by.
• You cringe when people rattle off a list of ingredients that they used and say “yeah I think that’s all I used…”
• You have had someone throw away saved gluten free leftover because they thought they were “old and tasted bad”.
• You were upset the rest of the day after the above incident.
• Your dog wouldn’t even eat the first batch of gluten free cookies you attempted to make.
• You have an almost scary reaction time to the word “wheat” or “gluten” printed on anything.
• You drool while watching someone eat a piece of pizza…and you seriously contemplate whether or not to knock them down to take it.
• You dream about foods you once enjoyed.
• You bring your own food to parties.
• You have to constantly explain yourself for why you cannot try someones dish at a dinner party.
• You are suspicious of  the flavored rice.
• You know that Dermatitis Herpetiformis is in fact, not herpes.
• You may have set your eyes in a permanent squinting state after trying your best to read the ingredients on a package of makeup.
• You don’t even attempt to read ingredients for lip gloss anymore.
• You have to write your name on the Mayo jar and have an extra one for guests…because you cannot go through another episode of having family members use the same knife they used to cut their sandwich…then dip into the Mayo jar!
• You have annoyed your family with  “if I could eat gluten again I would eat…”.  On more than one occasion.
• You fear cross contamination to an unhealthy level.
• You get excited for the little things like Heinz having multiple gluten free products.
• You are the clean police… wash your hands after eating that sandwich!
• You pre-wash any dishes that had gluten on them before loading them in the dishwasher…because you just never know where the left over gluten goes in there.
• You have been dared to “just eat a crumb of this bread…so I can see what happens!”
• You have been asked if you will explode if you eat bread.
• You wet your envelops and refuse to lick them.
• You could never play beer pong.
• You have become an expert at reading labels.
• You know that eating gluten free is not a “diet” for loosing weight.
• You get overly excited when you see those wonderful words on the label…”gluten free”.
• You have paid $8 for two serving box of spaghetti.
• You have also paid $6 for a box of crackers.
• You have forgotten what real cookies taste like.
• You forget that when you discover new gluten free foods like Chex cereal… that your husband doesn’t want to eat cereal for breakfast…lunch…and dinner.

For the past week and a half I have had an on and off cold-  The whole runny nose, headaches, stiffness, felt like throwing up and a sore throat.  Finally yesterday I started to feel better from my cold in the morning.  However late last night my lips started to swell and feel waxy (does anyone else ever have that?).  Then I got horrible stomach pain and laid in the bathroom by the toilet, feeling like I could throw up any second whole my stomach kept cramping up.  This morning I woke up to my lips not only swollen and waxy feeling but with blisters

I really have no idea what I could have possibly of eaten…the only thing out of the ordinary was some decaf coffee I got from a 7-11 yesterday.  I used regular sugar and some coffee creamer (one that I know if gluten free) so I am at a loss of what else could of caused these annoying (and painful) blisters.

When I was younger and this would happen I would freak out and believe that I had cold sores or something horrible.  Thankfully today I understand that these painful, itchy blisters are caused by a gluten allergic reaction called Dermatitis Herpetiformis.  Dermatitis Herpetiformis or Duhring Disease is”…characterized by grouped excoriations; erythematous, urticarial plaques; and papules with vesicles.”  according to emedicine.medscape.com.  Most places that are affected are on the buttocks, elbows, knees, shoulders and back.  However mine always appear on my lips (rare, but I have heard of other Celiac sufferers having it appear here as well.)  Also according to “Understanding Dermatitis Herpetiformis or Duhring’s Disease” a treatment called “Dapsone” (an antibiotic) has been known to help people suffering from Dermatitis Herpetiformis.

Personally I have never tried Dapsone, usually mine will clear up on its own in about a week or so.  I have also tried holding a wet caffeinated tea bag between my lips (when they got really bad).  Tea contains Tannin, which has anti-inflammatory effect.  It worked pretty well for me…otherwise I’m pretty much just stuck with blistering lips that itch and burn for a week.  Keeping them moisturized with petroleum jelly seems to help too so I don’t feel they scrap together.

So here goes another week of swollen and blistering lips…fun fun.

Sound too good to be true?  Well maybe, but it is an option now for those who would like to try and see in the comfort of their own homes.  Did I do it this way your wondering?  No I did it the old fashioned way (years of doctors kinda thing).  However I was diagnosed seven years ago, and back then there wasn’t alot of hype about gluten free for those with Celiac Disease let alone home diagnostic products to even test for it.

I recently came across a website that claims to have a “Celiac Disease Home Test“.  What they call a “Biocard Celiac Home Test” where you get a single-one time use test kit.

They are based in Canada and I do not believe they sell directly yet to the US…however they have a phone number you can call to speak with them if you live in the US (so I’m not sure where that leads…if your able to purchase or not).  They have an instructional video you can watch that shows someone taking a Celiac home test.  Seems like a lot of careful work to me, however it is only $50 compared to what a test would cost from a doctor.  Also they go on to say that if you do in fact test positive you should seek out a doctor to see what to do next.  Kinda defeats the no doctor approach…but I could see how this would help those who don’t have health insurance or just don’t have the money at the moment.

Of course you could always start eating gluten free to see if you feel better.  However beware – once you start eating gluten free a test for Celiac Disease will come out negative.  The reasons for this are best explained by uchospitals.edu in their article about Blood Test for Celiac Disease.  Also they further explain why you should go beyond just the blood test and do a endoscopic biopsy (I did this along with the blood test).

So to take the test or not to take the test?

Personally I cannot try it out since I have been gluten free for seven years…but I’d be interested in hearing if anyone else has tried this at home test!  I don’t see why it couldn’t hurt to try if you suspect you show symptoms of  Celiac Disease.

I realized I haven’t made any posts dedicated to Heinz 57 Sauce…and well that’s just wrong.  This sauce is amazing…I always loved things like A1 or BBQ sauces but after going gluten free I am not able to eat any of those.  It is a great spicy sauce if your looking for a little extra kick!

Also inspired by the health benefits of peppers (that I am now addicted too) I decided to try mixing them into a delicious (and healthy) rice dish.  Mixed with some Heinz 57sauce its a great tasting, easy to make meal!

Ingredients:

• Brown Rice
• 1 Bubba Burger (or you could use chicken)
• 1 red pepper
• 1 green pepper
• 1/2 onion
• Tomato’s
• Green Peppers
• Pinch of Paprika
• 1 Chili Pepper
• Heinz 57 Sauce

Egg and Hashbrown Omelettes

Looking for a great tasting breakfast to start off the day?  These little bite sized “omelettes” should do the trick!

Directions:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees
• Place hash browns in oven  (while you make eggs)
  
• Whisk eggs together (use 1 egg for every two – so in this picture I used two eggs)
• Add Cheese
• Add any peppers (I used red/green peppers and some diced tomato)
  
• Take hash browns out of oven and pour some eggs into each portion
• Let bake in oven till eggs look done

*Note:  I used a muffin pan for baking these- made for perfect bite sized omelettes!

I’m sure you can buy gluten free salsa in the grocery store…and I know I have before, however I cannot recall the name.  Just make sure to read all the ingredients since there are some that are not gluten free.  Also Chili Peppers have alot of great health benefits from helping soothe intestinal diseases to fighting cancer and even burn some extra calories.  I did feel in a better mood after eating some…just beware they are pretty spicy…have some milk on hand!

Ingredients for Home Made Salsa (All diced & sliced)

Addicting Home Made Salsa

• Jalapenos
• Onions
• Tomato’s
• Green Peppers
• Red Peppers
• Chili Peppers

The Tomato’s when sliced added a good base for the salsa.  Pictured above is when I hand sliced the peppers.  Soon after I gave in and bought a “Slap Chop” which worked nicely…except after the second time I used it the plastic piece broke…still works but I have to be careful.  It does make it alot quicker to make instead of hand slicing!

Now just get some gluten free corn chips and your ready to eat your salsa!

Gluten Free Pizza (The Miller Special)

Fresh Brothers is another place I just found out who caters to those of us who cannot tolerate wheat, have Celiac Disease or just want something Gluten Free.  Now I love Garlic Jim’s Pizza (gluten free pizza of course) and at first was a little weary of trying another gluten free pizza in fear it might not be as good as Garlic Jim’s (Read my review of them).  However I was pleasantly surprised!

It reminded me of a Chicago style pizza once I saw and tasted how thick the pizza actually was.  They also cut it into smaller pieces  (which I have now found I like-feels like your eating more).  They definitely didn’t skimp on the toppings either.  There is plenty of cheese and sauce on their pizzas!  They only carry medium sized pizzas in their gluten free selection- which Garlic Jim’s come in different sizes- but the pizzas I got from Fresh Brothers turned out to be a big size (very close if not the same as a large from Garlic Jim’s).

Fresh Brothers GF Pizza (Cheese)

Their pizza style is made really thick.

I ended up getting two different pizzas so I could try them both out (and eat them for the next few days since it’s a bit of a drive for me).  I ordered a 1 medium gluten free extra cheese and 1 Miller Special (lots of different toppings, that are also gluten free).

Fresh Brothers’ gluten free pizza’s are incredibly good and taste like they are freshly baked.  They come in pizza boxes just like Garlic Jim’s.  You can also eat inside (however it’s pretty small just 3 tables).  So if you like extra thick crust, lots of toppings, and just a great tasting pizza- you should try out Fresh Bothers!  I also found out after that they carry other gluten free foods, next time I will have to try some now that I know!

Just like Garlic Jim’s, they also deliver.  However you still have to live pretty close to either one to get it since they like to do delivers close by, but I still think it’s awesome they can deliver. As for me, any drive for some great gluten free pizza isn’t any problem to me

Fresh Brothers

Ah yes, those dreaded under eye circles that make you look like you haven’t slept in days, keeping you from looking and feeling your best.  I mean I’m sure we have all had those days where we wake up looking like someones given a good punch to the eye from lack of sleep or woken up to some puffy eyes possibly due to seasonal allergies.

Personally I wake up most days with semi-dark under eye circles along with my right under eye always looking a bit puffy compared to my left eye.  Normally I just put some under eye concealer on and they look alot better.  Or if it’s really bad I like to use a cold compress – like a cold washcloth and hold it on my eyes for 10 minutes for any puffy eyes.  However despite getting a good 8-9 hours every night of sleep, I’ve been waking up with darker than usual under eyes along with the right eye looking more puffy then what I’m used too.  So today I have finally had enough of this since even the concealer is starting not to work and I still feel tired after a good nights sleep.  Today I did some research on dark under eyes to puffy under eyes and I found out some interesting things, possibly related to Celiac Disease.

I started by looking at Wikihow.com on how to get rid of under eye circles.  It gives you some ideas on how to possibly cure bad under eye circles (even though sometimes it can unfortunately be hereditary in which case there’s not a whole lot you could do).  There advice consists of Cold Wash Cloth, frozen Q-tip rolled on your under eye, getting enough consistent sleep and so on.  However I was surprised to read that under the “Allergies” part that someone mentioned Celiac Disease and that “People with allergies also tend again to be deficient in B6, folic acid and B12 on occasion“.  Now of course this is more prevalent with those not diagnosed for their allergy.  But I wondered if you could be gluten free and still have problems absorbing these different vitamins?  Again I looked up to see if there was possibly any link with persons with Celiac Disease having issues absorbing B12.  First article I found suggested yes on Celiac.com.  The next on dizziness-and-balance.com suggests that a cause of B12 deficiency could be from “stomach and small bowel disorders“.   And yet on on another site (diagnose-me.com) states that “Another cause is the bowel failing to absorb vitamin B12 because it has been damaged by disease (e.g. Crohn’s disease) or shortened by surgery (usually to treat bowel disease).“  Which leads me to conclude that after someone having Celiac Disease so long it could have been damaged enough to cause problems with absorbing B12 (and possibly other vitamins).  You can read more about Vitamin B12 Deficiency on WebMD.com.

Now I’m just observing this connection to B12 Deficiency and Celiac Disease- I’m not saying that you will have a B12 Deficiency if you have Celiac Disease, but possibly something to look into if you have any symptoms of B12 Deficiency or you suspect you aren’t absorbing vitamins like you should.

Are you wondering what does Barley Grass and a Colon Cleanse have to do with one another?  Well this past Monday I decided that going on a Colon Cleanse would be a great way to detoxify my body now that I believe my intestines are completely healed.  I went to CVS and looked at all of the colon cleanse products of the shelves…all of which seem to say the same things.  I finally ended up with this stuff called “Dual Action Cleanse” that claims to Flush out excess waste, Remove Toxic Buildup, and Relieve Temporary Constipation.  My husband had previous used this particular one and said he felt great after taking it after 1 month- and even lost 5 pounds!

So What’s in them?

The first bottle is called “Total Body Purifier”  to clean and stimulate your digestive system with special herbs.  The second bottle is called “Colon Clear Formula” which cleans your colon and remove toxins.  So I read the ingredients and besides a bunch of herbs there wasn’t any clear indicators for wheat…plus at the bottom in bold said Contains: Soy (normally where wheat or gluten would be listed).

What I did.

Monday morning I took one of each pill with a full glass of water and a meal (Chocolate Chex).  I didn’t really notice any difference after the first 30 minutes, but then all of a sudden my stomach cramped and I couldn’t even sit myself up I was in so much pain.  Then I felt like a could throw it back up like something was burning in my throat and my mouth was filling with saliva (like when your about to throw up-gross I know).  After laying down for 4 hours in terrible pain it worked but I still had pain for another hour.  I ended up eating some eggs and drinking water- which helped and my stomach felt somewhat better.

I again took them with dinner because I read online that some people feel sick for the first few days when they start to take them and that the body has to adjust to it.  Again 30 minutes later I started to feel awful, only this time it was 10 times worse, it hurt to breathe, I could not sit up my stomach was cramping, felt like I had a fever and I felt so dizzy like I could pass out.  I described to my husband that it felt like I had just eaten a loaf of bread that had wheat in it.  I spent hours in the bathroom and laying down in bed feeling so horrible.  About 7 hours later I ate some crackers and water which seemed to help but my stomach was extremely bloated and it felt like someone has punched me in the stomach over and over again.  Least to say I did not take them the next morning.

Barley Grass?

This brings me to the Barley Grass part of my post.  I looked at the bottles and read them thoroughly (I will admit I did somewhat “skim read” ingredients in the store) and I found it listed Barley Grass Powder as an ingredient.  And I though “huh, Barley isn’t gluten free…so what is Barley Grass Powder and why isn’t it listed as gluten??”.  I Googled “barley grass power (leaf) does it contain gluten”.  And most everything pointed to Barley Grass being Gluten Free.  Finally I looked up “does barley grass contain gluten” which gave me some conflicting answers.

On natural-nutrition-for-health.com they have an article about how Barley Grass in in fact Gluten Free because Barley Grass power is harvested before the grain stalk has started to develop- therefore making it gluten free.  However Celiac.com has a forum where someone asked the same question and people seemed to say that it is not gluten free because there was such a risk for contamination.  Also on neurotalk.psychcentral.com and on their forum someone with the user name aklap (the last answer) gave alot of great links of how Barley Grass is in fact not gluten free.

Conclusion.

Overall I have concluded that Barley Grass is not gluten free, even though colon cleanse companies claim otherwise.  Also on a side note- the same goes for wheat grass in what research I found.  Now of course there were those (very few) who said they were Celiac and they felt fine after eating barley grass.  But I would seriously beware of the stuff.  I found it to not be a pleasant experience and a lesson to not skim long labels