Best Vodka for a Gluten free diet is most certainly Ciroc Vodka.

Ciroc is distilled from Grapes and hella delicious. It tastes much smoother and lighter than most Vodka’s from potato or wheat origin and mixes better too.

Avoid the messy distillation debate all together, (Is drinking distilled vodka safe or not because the distillation process supposedly removes reaction inducing proteins?)

The truth is that after one distillation, all impurities that will be removed have been removed. Multiple distillations are for show and a reason to raise prices.

But a drink made from wheat, barley or rye (most vodkas) is usually never a good choice for someone with Celiac disease.

Ciroc tastes like any other vodka and mixes much better with fruit drinks because it has a sweeter flavor.

* Ciroc Drink Recipes:

Long Island:

1. Fill martini shaker with ice, ½ oz (Half of a shot) of Vodka (Ciroc or Club), ½ oz Clear Tequila, Rum, and Gin.

2. The Gin will not be missed if you extract it from your recipe.

3. Shake in a martini mixer with ice. Strain out over a tall glass filled with Ice. Add some gluten free “Simply Lemonade” and Coca-Cola, which is also gluten free.

Cosmopolitan

1. Fill shaker with ice.

2. Pour ½ oz. of Ciroc Vodka (obvi) into shaker.

3. Add 2 ounces of Cranberry Juice and 1 ounce of Cointreau.

Other good stuff: Try Ciroc Raspberry Vodka. Mixes well with Canada Dry Ginger Ale.

The author of this article is Justin Spilker. If you would like to share with the gluten free hub you can get in touch with us by visitng our contact page  or facebook

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Being a kid is rough enough in public school without being different from your peers. If your child has gluten sensitivity or Celiac disease, he or she may face difficult challenges in daily school life. Many school lunch menus offer only one gluten-free item — milk. As the parent of a gluten-free child, you can ease the embarrassment of being different by preparing foods that are attractive and delicious. Send them these foods along in his lunchbox and he will be proud to eat them.

© Photographer: Shininghope | Agency: Dreamstime.com

The lunchbox itself should be as unique as your child’s dietary needs. Skip the widely available offerings at the discount department store. This lunchbox will travel to school, extracurricular activities and even sleepovers with your child, as he or she needs to provide food when nothing suitable is available to eat. Ask what sort of lunchbox she would like to carry. If there is an inexpensive lunchbox available, see if you can find a unique one that will set hers apart. In addition to just looking neat, an unusual lunchbox will help your child avoid mixing his lunchbox with that of another child. If a mix-up should this happen, she may have to skip a meal.

Be sure to pack more food than your child will need to eat. In case something pops up unexpectedly after school, he will have gluten-free snacks available to eat. Also, many children trade in the cafeteria. While your child may be unable to make an exchange, he can share some delicious gluten-free snacks with curious friends.

Keep your child’s menu from growing stale. Incorporate different variations of her favorite gluten-free items. Pack a main entrée, a fruit, a cold snack such as gluten-free Yoplait Gogurt and a dessert. Try packing Nutella or peanut butter in a small plastic container. Your child will be able to dip gluten free chips or crackers and have fun eating with her fingers. Some commercially available snacks are gluten-free, so add them to minimize the divide between your son’s diet and that of his classmates. Cheetos, Fruit by the Foot, string cheese and Frito Lay sunflower seeds are all lunchbox items that may mirror the other children in class.

Provide a gluten-free snack for the entire class during party events. Many children can’t tell the difference between a brownie with gluten and one without. Subtly introducing other kids to the gluten-free diet may encourage a less critical environment in which your child can enjoy his meals. Ask your child’s teacher if you may leave a few emergency snacks in the classroom. In the event that someone brings a snack to share that your child cannot eat, there will be something for him to enjoy, rather than just watching others eat. Make the classroom snacks ones that are enviable, such as Skittles or Cracker Jacks.

The author of this article is Holly Miller, who writes for Coupon Croc, the best place to find savings on all of your online shopping, including groceries.

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On a recent trip to my local Jewel-Osco, I noticed a sign in the organics section indicating that a current listing of all the gluten-free foods sold at Jewel was available at the counter.

Naturally, I asked and received a neatly organized brochure listing food categories, sub-catagories, the companies and products. The brochure gives you a link (below) to their website where you can view these products online, click on the gluten-free products you want and then add them to your shopping list for printing and bringing with you to the store. (see sample list below) This is a convenient way to grocery shop gluten-free, before you actually go to the store. I commend Jewel-Osco for their efforts to make gluten-free grocery shopping easier and appreciate the gluten-free signage in their stores.

One slight problem however, when you print your shopping list it doesn’t print the companies name, just the product. I’ll let them know about this and hopefully they will change it and your list will be complete, before you go shopping!

www.jewelosco.com/healthy-eating/gluten-free-food-finder.jsp

Take Our Poll

Gluten-Free Food Finder

DAIRY & REFRIGERATED PRODUCTS

         BUTTER/MARGARINE

         CHEESE

         CONVENIENT BREAKFAST

         COTTAGE CHEESE/SOUR CREAM

         DAIRY KOSHER

         EGGS

         MILK & SOYMILK

            Blue Diamond

            Coffee-Mate

            Jewel-Osco

            Lifeway

            Nesquik

Chocolate Milk Shake (Add to List)

Low-Fat Chocolate Milk (Add to List)

Reduced Fat Strawberry Milk (Add to List)

Reduced-Fat Chocolate Milk (Add to List)

Reduced-Fat Chocolate Milk (Add to List)

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Americans drink 146 Billion cups of coffee each year (that’s 400 million cups per day), and most of us don’t drink it for the flavor. We drink it for the buzz! But some of us, especially those of us with celiac disease, feel worn out and tired almost all the time, even after a cup of strong coffee (well, worn out and jittery, I suppose!).

There are several reasons why people who have celiac disease and are on the gluten-free diet feel fatigued. Fortunately, there are some quick solutions that can help you feel energetic without wasting much time!

7 Ways to End Fatigue and Have More Energy

1. Eat complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are foods with three or more sugar molecules linked together, and they are the fuel for our body. One of the best sources for complex carbohydrates is whole grain, like breads and pasta, but obviously this is not a possibility for us. Other great sources of complex carbohydrates are fruits, vegetables, beans, and brown rice or quinoa (white rice is a simple carbohydrate and won’t provide you with the energy you need).
2. Avoid simple sugars and starches. While complex carbohydrates fuel your body for the long run, simple carbohydrates give you short energy bursts and cause you to crash. These simple sugars are obviously found in deserts like cookies, cake and ice cream, but they also come from white rice, potatoes, and other white starch vegetables. It’s also best to lessen the amount of sugar you put in your food for cooking in general (I know it tastes good—try using a small amount of agave nectar instead!).
3. Eat more often. One of the healthiest ways to eat is to eat three meals each day just until you’re full, and have two healthy snacks in between. I’ve been trying to eat this way for months, and I love it! I carry fruit, like an apple or peach, and a KIND fruit and nut bar with me everyday for mid-day snacks. These healthy snacks keep me energetic, and my blood sugar doesn’t crash so I don’t crave cookies or Snickers bars like I used to.
4. Take a multivitamin (with vitamin B and iron). One of the reasons I was so fatigued is because I had a deficiency of iron and vitamin B that was related to my body’s inability to absorb nutrients when I had untreated celiac disease. Once I added a multivitamin with iron and started taking vitamin B supplements, my energy level really improved! Check with your doctor to see if you have any specific nutrient deficiencies that may be causing you to feel tired all the time.
5. Drink Green Tea or Yerba Maté instead of coffee. I’m not trying to get all “hippy” on you, but green tea and yerba maté are full of healthy antioxidants, in addition to a little natural caffeine. If coffee gives you the jitters like it gives me, try a cup of organic green tea instead. If you need extra pick-me-up, yerba maté has more caffeine than green tea, but it’s a less intense high than caffeine from coffee. Plus, these teas are great for your body!
6. Exercise a little everyday. Seriously, it doesn’t have to be much. Try taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or parking in the back of the parking lot at work and walking in. Also, try to stand up and stretch every 30-45 minutes you are sitting at your desk. This little extra will help keep your blood flowing and remind your body that you are an active individual and you need energy!
7. Avoid alcohol and soda; drink water instead. Drew and I enjoy a glass of wine with dinner, and that’s okay. But we always feel sluggish the next day when we decide to finish the bottle. Instead of having that second glass of wine or a glass of Diet Coke, drink some water. After all, our bodies are made of up 60-70 percent water, and we need that water to fuel our cells.

Did you like these tips? We have a ton more like them in our Free Gluten-Free E-Course. You’ll get 7 lessons that are full of helpful ways to live a hassle-free, worry-free, gluten-free life. Click here to signup now!

Photo credit: delgaudm

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Crystal and I have been working really hard recently to improve our immune system and our overall health. Improving the functionality of your immune system is important for everyone, and it is critical when you have celiac disease.

Imagine that your immune system is the security guard of your body, and your intestines are the payroll department. Now the CEO (you) puts gluten in your system and your security guard has to work overtime to fight it. But the payroll department doesn’t have enough money (nutrients) to pay the security guard for the overtime.

How hard do you think the security guard will work without pay?

This is pretty close to what happens in your body when you have untreated celiac disease. So once you are on the gluten free diet, you need to build your immune system health back up to function normally.

Here are 5 ways you can improve your immune system function and overall health:

1. Drink plenty of water. Did you know that we’re made up almost entirely of water (60-70%)? Replacing that water in our system improves our health—think of it like a daily oil change for your body. How much is enough? We’ve all heard 8 glasses per day, but that’s just an average. Obviously a person who is 6’3” will need more water than a person who is 5’1″. The best thing to do is drink half your body weight in ounces of water each day (so if you are 150 pounds, you would drink 75 ounces of water per day).
2. Take deep breaths. One of the best things you can do for your body and your mood is to sit up straight and take a few deep breaths (the ones that make your stomach and your chest poof out). The fresh air will help you relax, and your body will have more energy from the extra oxygen in your blood.
3. Exercise. I know we’ve all heard how much we need to exercise. But honestly, it doesn’t have to be hard, and it doesn’t have to take long. Ideally, we should exercise for 30-minutes a day, 5 days per week. That sounds like a lot, but here are a few suggestions to get you moving:
   • Take a 10-minute walk over your lunch break
   • Run around with your children or pets for a few minutes in the morning or evening
   • Stretch or do yoga poses while you watch your favorite TV show
   • Take the stairs instead of the elevator
4. Reduce your stress level. If you’re a high-stress person, you may think this is impossible. Believe me, it’s not. I’m a recovering Type-A high-strung person who takes the little things way too seriously! I’ve learned that the situations that stress you out happen regardless of whether you stress about them or not.You can almost never change a situation, but you can always change your attitude! Yoga and meditation have been really important for me in reducing my overall stress level (although I do relapse from time-to-time!).
5. Smile more often. Seriously! Smiling and laughter improve the immune system’s function, and you’ll feel better when you’re smiling anyway. So turn that frown upside-down and smile your way to health.

Photo credit: apdk

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Drew and I went to a seminar last weekend about improving immunity through nutrition and lifestyle choices. We learned that there are a lot of things about our health and nutrition that we can improve. Dr. Bevacqua recommends drinking a lot of water, breathing deeply, and sweating on a regular basis to cleanse the body (exercise 30 minutes a day, five days a week!). She also recommends eating tons of fruits and vegetables, which is something that Drew and I have been trying to do anyway. Her presentation also highlighted the importance of eating fiber and protein at every meal.

Eating enough fiber can be difficult on the gluten-free diet. Of course, some of the best sources of fiber are whole grains, and we obviously can’t eat many of those. She shared with us a recipe for breakfast cereal that is high in fiber and protein, but it contained wheat, barley, and rye. The gluten trifecta! So, I have adapted her recipe into something just as nutritious, but without the gluten.

Healthy Gluten-Free Breakfast (Makes 5 Servings)

• 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Rolled Oats
• ¼ cup flax seed
• ½ cup raw organic pecans (crushed)
• ½ cup raw organic almonds (crushed or ground)
• 2 tbsp cinnamon (Tones is gluten free)
• Vanilla extract to taste (Tones is gluten free)
• Almond milk

Grind flax seeds using a coffee grinder (flax seed is only properly digested when ground). Mix together all dry ingredients and store in an airtight container in the freezer. One serving is ¼ to ½ cup. Add vanilla and almond milk before serving. Do not cook. Serve cold or warm (30 seconds in the microwave max).

I chopped up a pear with it this morning and then put it in the microwave for 30 seconds (don’t put it in for longer or it will become a soggy mess). It was like having a fruit crisp for breakfast (yum!), and it was totally guilt-free, which is even better.

This breakfast mix is high in protein, fiber, and antioxidants. Cinnamon is really good for you, too. Hope you enjoy!

Photo credit: filtran

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We make most of our meals using naturally gluten free ingredients, but there are several gluten free products in our kitchen we just can’t go without. Here are five of our favorites (in no particular order):

1. DeBoles Gluten Free Corn Spaghetti Style Pasta
2. Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix (check out how we doctor this to make Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cupcakes and Lemon Poppyseed Cupcakes)
3. Kinnikinnick KinniToos Chocolate Vanilla Sandwich Cookies (Just like Oreos!)
4. Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
5. Kinnikinnick Cheese Tapioca Rice Bread (Makes excellent garlic bread to serve with the corn spaghetti)

What are your favorites? Leave a comment and let us know!

Photo credit: the_moment

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I travelled to Minneapolis over the weekend to present some of my research on depression and anxiety at a conference. While there, I had an opportunity to eat at some fantastic restaurants that offer gluten-free menu options (Fogo de Chão rocks!). I also had a chance to hangout with my best friend from college and her 11-month-old baby. I don’t have a baby, so I have to admit that I had never really thought about all of the ways in which celiac disease could affect the mother-infant relationship. My friend tasted most things that she fed the baby, and she always checked the temperature of warm foods and drinks. Most of what the baby ate ended up all over his face, hands and clothes, which inevitably touched his mom’s face and mouth by the end of the meal.

Beyond the food issues inherent in the mother-infant relationship, cosmetics and self-care products are an important consideration. The baby’s hands were constantly in his mouth, his mom’s mouth, touching her face, and my face.  Many kisses were exchanged.

If your baby has celiac disease, all of his or her activities must be taken into account. Does she suck her thumb? Do you kiss her while wearing lipstick or lip balm? Do you put lotion on her? Does she put her hands in her mouth when eating? If so, then you may want to make sure that your lipstick and lip balm are gluten free so that you can exchange worry-free kisses. You may also want to consider the baby lotion, oil, and shampoo that you use.

If you have celiac disease, the considerations are similar. Do you kiss the baby’s skin or hair? Do you wash your hands after applying the baby’s lotion or oil and after giving her a bath? Does the child wear lip balm or facial moisturizer? You may want to make sure that the baby’s products are gluten free so that you don’t have to worry about avoiding kissing her skin or washing your hands after applying her lotion.

This approach may sound overzealous to some, but many others, including celiac specialists, nutritionists, and physicians, seem to agree:

“Make sure everything you use is gluten free; for example, shampoos, hand soaps, makeup and hand lotions.” Erik Spersrud & Jennifer Spersrud (2008) in Everything You Want to Know about Recipes Restaurants and Much More…

“Anything that can be ingested may be a potential source of gluten. This includes not only medications and dietary supplements but also toothpaste, mouthwash, lipstick, and postage stamps… Until more is know about the minimum safe exposure threshold of gluten, the patient should be advised to be as strict as possible.” – See & Murray (2008) in Nutrition in Clinical Practice

“These non-foods may also be gluten sources: lip stick and lip balm, sunscreen… soaps and shampoos, toothpaste and mouthwash, cosmetics, lotions, creams…” – Baurman & Friedlander (2008)

“The make-up that matters most is make-up you’re likely to get in your mouth (or someone else’s), like lipstick, lip gloss, lip balm, and anything else that goes on or near your lips…. Sometimes lotion from your hands or arms can get on the food you’re eating or preparing, and that can cause a problem.” Dana Korn in Living Gluten Free for Dummies (p. 74-75).

Finding out which cosmetics and self care-products are gluten free can be difficult and time-consuming, so we have done the legwork for you. Our Gluten Free Cosmetics List makes going gluten-free easy and includes over 550 gluten-free products from 25 companies in 35 categories and includes baby products, men’s products, lipsticks, lip balms, and lotions, and we’re constantly adding more.

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“Fighting Celiac Disease” was recently published by a news outlet in Michigan. We fight against cancer, we fight against AIDS, we fight the war on drugs, and it all seems futile to me, particularly in the case of fighting celiac disease. According to Eckhart Tolle, fighting against something, whether it’s drug trafficking, depression, another person or a country, only serves to increase our focus and attention on the very thing we don’t want, which ultimately results in frustration and misery. The widely popular book and movie The Secret is based on a similar idea. Buddhist philosophers have said the same thing for centuries, and new wave behavior therapies are advocating patients and therapists to live the life that they want instead of focusing on getting rid of the negative emotions and circumstances they don’t want.

Celiac disease is a completely manageable illness. Fighting it is totally counterproductive. We need to start focusing on what we do want, how we do want to live, and who do we want to be rather than focusing on what we don’t want and the illness that we’re “fighting.”

Accepting celiac disease as part of my life has been empowering. I am committed to the gluten-free diet for myself, my health, and my long term happiness, but it’s not always easy. Sometimes it’s incredibly difficult, and sometimes I still get sick, but I am willing to face the difficulty of maintaining a gluten-free diet in order to live a healthy life. My commitment to be gluten free means that I will do my best every day, that I accept responsibility for my diet, that I plan ahead, and that I have compassion for myself. In the beginning, I allowed myself time to mourn the loss of my favorite foods and my former lifestyle. I experienced sadness that I would never again eat my favorite pizza, but I was also committed to finding a new favorite gluten-free pizza. I still experience concern about travelling with celiac disease, but I can plan ahead and find creative new ways to travel gluten free. The gluten-free diet is a commitment, not a fight. For me, the notion of fighting celiac disease is equivalent to fighting myself. Maintaining a gluten free diet is about honoring myself and taking care of my body—it’s the only one I have.

Recommended reading:

A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle

Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life with the Heart of the Buddha by Tara Brach

The Wise Heart: A Guide to the Universal Teachings of Buddhist Psychology by Jack Kornfield

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Research suggests significant vitamin deficiencies in individuals with celiac disease, even among those on a gluten-free diet. This may be related to recent findings that many people with celiac disease who were diagnosed as adults do not demonstrate full intestinal recovery. However, it may also be caused by cutting wheat out of the diet leads to nutritional deficiencies unless something is added back to provide those missing nutrients. At a recent medical appointment, I discovered that I had low iron and immune function. As a result, I began seeking out ways to improve my health. In recent posts, I have discussed my efforts to exercise, eat well balanced, nutritional meals, my effort to move toward an organic diet, and my switch to natural cosmetics and self-care products.

However, the single most effective thing I have done to improve my health has been to start taking vitamins and supplements. I met with Janet, my local Shaklee representative, and she made recommendations based on my diet, lifestyle, and symptoms. The majority of Shaklee’s nutritional products are gluten free. After three weeks taking the supplements, I felt like I had more energy and fewer headaches. I have even lost a few pounds, and I’m sleeping better at night.

Here’s what I’ve been taking:

Vitalizer: contains 80 bio-optimized nutrients, including probiotics, omega-3s, and antioxidants

Nutriferon: clinically tested natural immune booster

Vivix: cellular anti-aging tonic that works at the DNA level

Energizing Soy Protein Shake: soy protein that helps to build muscle, support the immune system, retain normal cholesterol levels, and promote heart health.

If you’re interested in learning more about these products, click the links above or drop me a line. When I ordered the package listed above, I received three months of a free personalized Shaklee website, so you can check it out here.

Also, here is a list of all Shaklee gluten-free nutrition products.

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