Wednesday

When The Gluten Free Section Isn't




I went to HomeSense yesterday . This was my first trip to the store and I went thanks to the suggestion of a friend. When  I approached the food section, I was pleasantly surprised to find a lot of Gluten Free items. They were in a section labelled as such too. I was so happy at the site of this that I took a picture with my phone.


Now for the not so cool part. Today I was going through yesterday's GF purchase of almost $40.00 to decide what product I would be enjoying first. Upon reading the ingredients/directions I discovered that  I had made a silly mistake. A novice mistake. In my shear joy of seeing a section full of Gluten Free goodies, I neglected to read EVERY label of every item I was placing in the shopping basket. I bet you can guess what is next! I ended up purchasing 2 NON Gluten Free products. Total bummer! I have labelled the 2 items in my photo in hopes of preventing the same mistake from being repeated by anyone else. At first I thought, okay I must have grabbed these items from a different section. Nope. So there seems to be a mishmash of Celiac friendly and pain inducing (non gf) product in the so called Gluten Free area. Not sure if this is a mistake or if this is just how that section is taken care of. Unfortunate I know.My mistake completely for not verifying and triple checking like I normally do. But still, you would think that a Gluten Free Section would be just that wouldn't you.


Metro's GF Freezer Bin
Metro has a freezer bin almost full of amazing Gluten Free items. I say almost as a few items in the right of the bin (not in the photo) are only nut free. Interesting how prominent the Gf sign is and how there is NO sign advertising the nut free part of the bin. A sign is needed not only to help promote the nut free product, but to prevent confusion. Oh, and the cookies on the top of the bin are NOT GF. Im not even sure they are nut free.

 The Real Canadian Superstore , like many grocery stores has Gluten Free mixed in with Organic and Natural items. This is where I do my groceries so I am well aware of the regular stock of GF items. Anything new, I triple check.


I guess I would just like to see a Gluten Free section that is just that. Gluten Free.
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Thursday

Sleep, Where Are You?

Lately I have been feeling tired. Really tired. There have been days where all I wanted to do was sleep.  With a 3 year old and work, that is not an option. Those are the days Im like a zombie. I can barely think, my appetite is nowhere to be found and I have trouble sleeping...getting that good sleep. 

I wish I could be more like my husband - close my eyes & be immersed in dreamland instantly. But Im not.It's always taken me a while to fall asleep.Lately though, there is not much of that whole deep sleep going on for me.

At times I wonder if I have accidentally ingested the dreaded gluten. It's not a far off possibility. We have a small kitchen with minimal counter space. Sometimes my little guy with stick his hands in a bowl of a gluten free snack for a bite before I can wash his hands. Often before I even notice. There are also times where hubby, as vigilant as he is, assumes safety of food without reading ingredients. I get it though, it kind of makes me shake my head to see gluten in certain food.

Months ago, my family Doctor diagnosed me with Chronic Fatigue. I didn't know what to think and I still don't. There are many different theories on this issue. I forgot about it until recently when I became so tired again. 

I hope it's something minor like stress affecting my sleep. Hopefully with Spring well on it's way, the fresh air and sunshine will help me get back to my usual self.
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Enjoy Life Plentils Review



I won a contest care of Enjoy Life ! Talk about exciting! The prize I have been eagerly awaiting has arrived. Can you guess what it is? I received a box containing the NEW  and soon to be released in stores Plentils. My gift pack contained 4 bags of Plentils. One of each flavour -


Margherita Pizza 

Light Sea Salt

Garlic & Parmesean

Dill &Sour Cream




The overall design of the individual packages made me smile right away. As you can see from the pictures, it was like opening a box of Summer. I kid you not. The colours are bold, yet warm and inviting.

On to the most important thing....TASTE. It took a few Plentils to get used to the texture. They have the crisp snap of a potato chip when bitten into. Once in your mouth, the Plentil is almost like a rice-cake in airiness. At the end, it melts away like a shrimp chip. It's a rather interesting experience. Before I knew it, I had downed an entire bowl and was starting a second. Good thing they are healthy. ;)

After sampling the Plentils I have decided the following

1) They are a welcome treat
2) Great snack choice for school / work lunches
3) Would be great for entertaining
4) I can't eat just one
5) Flavour filled without being overloaded


The little note that was on top of my Plentils states that the packaging I received will be used in America only. I'm guessing that the Canadian version  will be only slightly different with the obvious addition of French labelling. 

If you cannot wait for Plentils to hit store shelves, they are currently available online through the Enjoy Life  web store.









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Friday

Joy Bauer : "If You Don't Need To Go Gluten Free, Dont!"

 
The header says it all. Joy Bauer does a great job describing Celiac Disease and who should be following a Gluten Free Diet. We need more people like this awesome lady in our corner!

I want to thank @GFreeJanelle catching my attention with this on Twitter.
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Dean McDermott Said WHAT ?

Yesterday morning I read the NFCA Celiac Central Newsletter for February 2012. Nothing unusual there. I love to keep up to date with the valuable information they provide. Then I scrolled down to the Q&A with Tori's Dean...

Where to begin?!  Surprised, frustrated, disappointed and alarmed should just about cover my feelings here.

Dean McDermott, husband of Tori Spelling, spoke about how he was diagnosed with Celiac Disease about a year and a half ago.

There are three very troubling parts of this interview for me: 

  • He is in culinary school and regularly samples his non gluten free dishes.


Even the gluten in the air is affecting him and he has no clue to it. Although he may not feel the affects as boldly as some, he is still reacting the same internally. I would like to see him attend a 100% GF cooking class. Not only will this prevent him from having to sample gluten containing food, but it will educate him on how to create safe dishes for himself.

  • Dean states that he is on the lower end of the spectrum of Celiac Disease therefore his physician is not terribly concerned if he consumes gluten here and there.


First of all, WHAT ?!?

Such a dangerous comment to make. Especially dangerous as it is coming from someone with a fan base. A fan base that will take what he says seriously.
This is why education is needed. As for his Doctor? Time for a new one Mr. McDermott! My goodness, the Hollywood is crazy stigma is alive and well.

I emailed the Canadian Celiac Association in regards to this article and below is a response from Jim McCarthy, Executive Director.

Hi Sandra,
The celebrity’s doctor is wrong – there is no ‘spectrum’.  No one, not even celebrities, who have been properly diagnosed can eat food containing gluten.
Jim McCarthy
Executive Director
Canadian Celiac Association
Ph: 905-507-6208 x224
Toll-free: 1-800-363-7296
Fax: 905-507-4673
E: ed@celiac.ca



  • He is planning on opening a Gluten Free  restaurant
Would YOU eat a a restaurant run by someone diagnosed with Celiac Disease that does not strictly adhere to a Gluten Free diet? I know I wouldn't!

At the end of the day people either have Celiac Disease or they don't. There is no in between and there is no wacky way to dodge the effects of gluten consumption. It's unfortunate that there are clearly many Doctor's who are not properly educated about Celiac Disease


I want to point out that the wonderful people at Allergic Living made a special note for readers, advising that they stick to a 100% Gluten Free Diet.

Disclosure

This policy is valid from 23 February 2013

This is a personal blog written and edited by me. All opinions are that of my own. I am not a healthcare professional or an expert. All information presented in this blog is purely that of my own experience and or opinion. Please consult a medical professional before making any changes to your diet.

I write this blog as a hobby that I am passionate about. From time to time, I may receive monetary compensation for a sponsored post. I only work with brands that I trust and would use in my own home.

This blog accepts complimentary products for review. The opinions I have of a product will never be swayed by a company sending me an item(s) for free. I take into consideration the opinion of family members who are gluten-free due to Celiac Disease and I also value the opinions of non-gluten free family members. Taste is a matter of personal opinion so please use your own discretion and don't take my opinion as a gold standard.

Any ingredient or gluten-free claims should be verified with the restaurant/manufacturer as things can and do change.

For questions about this blog, please contact: sandra@glutenfreedoll.com

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