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I am again featuring the video that introduced me to the NIMA gluten testing device. I pre-ordered my device immediately following the 2015 Nourished Festival (formerly GFAF Expo). This device has helped numerous people to avoid being exposed to gluten accidentally. If you are a Celiac or on a gluten free diet, always remember that when it comes to gluten in food, when in doubt do with out. Please do not forget to check out the Nima video below. XOXOXOX Dawn
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Meet me at the Nourished Festival!
Hello my fellow Celiacs, gluten free and specialty diet friends. I am an official blogger at this year's Nourished Festival (The Gluten Free, Allergy & Specialty Diet Festival). Please join me on Saturday, October 5th and Sunday, October 6th at the Meadowlands Expo Center in Secaucus, NJ. Let's explore the numerous booths. I am certain that we will have a great time sampling food and products, Receive first hand information on the foods and products customized for us. Engage in conversation and provide feedback to business owners, product manufacturers and marketing representatives. Connect with me while I take pictures and post live videos to my social media accounts. Here's the link to the festival's website for you to explore: https://nourishedfestival.com/ I will be hosting my annual giveaway of tickets! Please be sure to follow my blog and social media accounts for the details of my ticket giveaway! XOXOXOX Dawn Here is the recipe for preparing Goya Organic Quinoa
Combine Ingredients 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 tsp. Salt 1/3 Onion Dill (a couple of stems) Parsley (a couple of stems) Chives (a couple of stems) 1 cup Goya Organic Quinoa 1 can Chick Peas drained and rinsed ¾ cup Orange juice I prepared and combined my ingredients in a rice cooker. If you intend to make your Quinoa on the stove, please follow the instructions below: Boil ¾ cups of water Add the ingredients to the pan and cover Use low to medium heat Cook until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender (this usually takes 20 minutes) Enjoy! XOXOXOX Dawn   I was quite skeptical about trying Dragon Fruit. The primary reason was the fruit’s unique outside made it difficult to determine what was on the inside. However much to my surprise, I enjoyed it. In fact, I ate the entire fruit shortly after it was photographed.
Dragon Fruit is also known as pitaya, pitahaya, and strawberry pear. It grows on the Hylocereus cactus. The plant is native to southern Mexico and Central America. However, it is grown all over the world. Dragon Fruit is not just a beautiful fruit. It has a red skin that resembles a dragon's scales. The inside is white, speckled with seeds and it has a pulp like texture to its center. This tropical fruit has a sweet taste and there are many health benefits to incorporating it into your diet. This low calorie fruit is filled with dietary fiber, Iron, Magnesium, Vitamin C and E. It is also known to be antioxidant-rich fruit (Betalains, Hydroxycinnamates and Flavonoids) that contains prebiotics (a special form of dietary fiber that acts as a fertilizer for the good bacteria in your gut). Dragon can be eaten by itself, added to smoothies and salads. It interesting inside will add a pop of color to any dish. XOXOXOX Dawn source: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/dragon-fruit#antioxidants When people think about food banks, they do not typically think about the needs of people with allergies. It is unfortunate that we live in a world where anyone can require assistance with food. We need to ensure that the needs of all recipients are met. Allergen awareness is still not wide spread. That's why food banks that focus on providing allergen friendly foods are extremely important. If you have not donated to a food bank, please consider doing so as part of your annual to do list. Garden of Health is doing an excellent job with distributing allergen friendly foods to numerous food banks. Let's help them achieve their goals. XOXOXOX Dawn Meet me at the Gluten Free and Allergen Friendly Expo! It is that time again. The Expo will be held in the Meadowlands Expo Center in Secaucus, New Jersey on October 13th and 14th. I am giving away tickets! Email me at [email protected] to win 1 ticket to the Expo. You can select either Saturday or Sunday. If you're not a ticket winner, do not worry! Here is a code to purchase tickets with 20% off use code code ADVANCE (thru 10/12). Tickets can be purchase at GFAFExpo.com. Meet me at the Expo! If you see me say hello. Let's take pictures together, make a video and post on our social media accounts. The GFAF Expo is children friendly, so bring them along. It a great day for family and friends. I hope to see all of my Celiac babies at the Expo! XOXOXOX Dawn Did you know that school age children also experience stress while trying to manage their eating habits after being diagnosed with Celiac Disease, a gluten sensitivity or intolerance? Typically children do not take time off from school after receiving their diagnosis (this statement excludes children with other underlining medical issues). Like adults, they are thrown into a world where they have to constantly think about and question the origin of everything they eat. Parents and or guardians manage meal plans at home and when eating at friends and restaurants. Unfortunately children are left to exercise their own judgment and sometimes fear feeling different when the issue of food and school are combined.
Someone students brown bag their school lunch while others eat food provided by the school cafeteria. The meals of these students are left in the care of school systems for approximately 5 days a week 10 months a year. This can be a source of great dietary problems for students with Celiac Disease, a gluten sensitivity or intolerance. Most school administrators, dietitians and cafeteria staff are not educated on how to identify foods containing gluten and how to ensure gluten free food is not cross contaminated. As a result of this, students could potentially continue to experience their Celiac, sensitivity or intolerance symptoms after beginning a gluten free diet because safe food is not provided and or gluten free food is exposed to glutens. This can be the consequence of a lack of knowledge, cafeteria workers not designating a space exclusively for gluten free food and not wearing gloves. Can parents and guardians resolve this issue? Yes, your child maybe eligible for a safe food accommodation. Meal substitutions must be made for children who are unable to eat school meals because of their disability (in this instance the word “disability” is referring to Celiac Disease, a gluten sensitivity or intolerance). Students must have their disability certified by a licensed physician such a Pediatrician or a Gastroenterologist stating that he or she must be served gluten-free food as a result of being unable to tolerate gluten. The student’s parent and or guardian should request a Gluten Free 504 Plan when submitting the medical documentation to the school. A meeting will be scheduled with the school’s dietitian and or cafeteria supervisor to develop meal plan to meet the student’s needs. Please note it is important to ensure that the school has a clear understanding of the foods that are gluten free by providing a list (or reviewing the school’s proposed list of acceptable foods), request that you are contacted before substitutions are made and questions are directed to you. The school should also ensure that its cafeteria staff is educated on how to safely handle gluten free food. Lastly, please make certain that you child’s school administrators assists with the transferring of the Gluten Free 504 Plan as your child progresses through elementary, middle and high school. For additional information, below is a link to the article How to Make School Lunches Safe Enough for Your Gluten-Free Child https://www.verywell.com/gluten-free-school-cafeteria-lunches-563028 XOXOXOX Dawn If you have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease, you are probably wondering if you are protected by the Americans with Disability Act. The answer is yes, it does provide you with protection in certain cases and you need to know the facts!
Your Celiac diagnosis will impact both your work and home life. While you will have control over you home life, you may have questions about how your work life will be impacted. Is your employer legally obligated to make accommodations for you? Will your employer provide you with a gluten free lunch during meetings when lunch is provided for the attendees? Or is your employer legally obligated under the ADA to provide you with safe food in an emergency shelter situation? Also how does having Celiac Disease impact young adults such as college freshmen who live on campus and are required to purchase a meal plan according to school policy. How is this handled under the ADA? Below is a link to an article that will answer most of your questions. I strongly recommend that you read this article. After reading the article, please consider speaking with your employer and/or your college freshman’s school regarding the accommodations that can be made. Please keep in mind that your employer and/or the college may request certification of your Celiac diagnosis such a physician’s note before making any arrangements. Also, it is likely that you will have to share a great deal of information about Celiac disease and gluten free food to help educate the individuals creating the accommodation. Does the ADA Cover People with Celiac Disease? https://www.verywell.com/ada-and-celiac-disease-563100 XOXOXOX Dawn |
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