Gluten Free Event Kicks off Celiac Disease Awareness Month

There is a brand new Gluten Free market in Burbank, CA called Pam MacD's Gluten Free Markets. The Celiac Disease Foundation and Pam MacD's have teamed up and are having a Kickoff event at their store on May 9th.

I have been asked by Deb Wheaton of Not Even a Crumb to have a booth and pass out some of my baked goods. I gladly accepted and although I cannot physically attend the event, someone will be represending my company XO Baking Co. So now's your chance to sample my delicious treats for FREE!

Here is a Press Release that talks more about the event on May 9th. You will not want to miss this one!

13251 Ventura Blvd., Suite 1 Studio City, CA 91604-1838

www.celiac.org (818) 990-2354 contact@notevenacrumb.com (818) 249-4668

Press Release

Contact: Deb Wheaton (contact@notevenacrumb.com) Phone: (818) 249-4668	FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 9 A.M. EDT, April 28, 2011
FREE! Gluten-Free Event Kicks Off Celiac Disease Awareness Monthburbank, April 28, 2011: Going gluten-free is a hot topic among those embracing a more healthful diet in 2011. And new research estimates that gluten sensitivity may affect over 40% of the population.

But for 3 million Americans, going gluten-free should be more than a lifestyle choice. Celiac Disease affects 3 million Americans, yet 95% don’t know they have it.

May is National Celiac Disease Awareness Month and the Celiac Disease Foundation (www.celiac.org) is celebrating 21 years of raising awareness.

Monday, May 9^th from 11a.m-2p.m join the Celiac Disease Foundation and Pam’s Gluten-Free Market, (3516 W. Magnolia Bl., Burbank) to kick off National Celiac Disease Awareness Month!

Attendees to this FREE event will enjoy yummy, sweet and savory samplings from several Gluten-Free Food vendors. Gluten-Free Grilled Cheese Sandwiches courtesy of Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bread, and Gluten-Free Goodie Bags courtesy of PF Changs China Bistro.

Foundation members will be on hand to answer questions and provide informational flyers about Celiac Disease.

Please join us as we raise awareness about Celiac Disease: “The #1 disease you’ve never heard of”

The Celiac Disease Foundations Annual Educational Conference and Food Faire will be held on May 14^th at the Universal Hilton, Universal Studios.

Registration is available on-line: www.celiac.org. , or by calling (818) 990-2354

My Big Fat Greek Seedy Breakfast

Most of you have seen me post photos of my crazy looking breakfasts, most of which contain chia seeds. I thought I would write and share a bit about one of my favorite concoctions. I call it My Big Fat Greek Seedy Breakfast. It all starts with the ingredients below:

1. Greek Yogurt: I absolutely love plain Greek yogurt. The Fage brand is one of my favs because it's super thick and creamy. It's 100% Natural, gluten-free and contains live active cultures. It's also packed with 15g protein for the 6oz container, and is a great breakfast or snack option for those on gluten-free diets or diabetics.

2. Chia Seeds: I always mix chia seeds into my yogurt. Chia seeds, when soaked in a liquid for a few minutes, turn gummy, almost like the texture of boba (tapioca). I love adding texture to my food - makes eating more fun! Chia seeds are superfoods and contain tons of fiber, protein and omega 3 fatty acids! Click here to read their complete nutrient profile.

3. Banana: I eat 1 banana every day - usually with my breakfast. However, I am very picky when it comes to eating them. I will only eat bananas if they are ripe or overripe. I don't mean all black and mushy ( i'll be saving those for banana bread), they just need to be completely yellow with a few (or a lot) of black spots. They have the most flavor and still have good texture. Supposedly, the antioxidant properties in the fruit increase as they ripen, so it's good that I prefer yellow bananas!

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4. Fruit Preserves/honey: I love adding either a spoonful of all natural fruit preserves or a bit of honey to my yogurt. This just makes everything taste 10x better. The Banana alone gives the yogurt enough sweetness, but I just love the honey or jam combo with it as well :)

The final product looks like this:

My tummy was happy. This was today's breakfast. Looks kind of funky, but I assure you, tastes so delicious!! It's great to try new foods. Try making this yourself and let me know how you like it.

XO

Linds

Demystifying Coconut

by Lindsey Deitsch, CHC, AADP and Ilise Ratner, CHC, AADP

What do you associate with coconut? Palm trees? Almond Joy and Mounds bars? Certainly not butter yogurt, milk or cream for coffee or would you?

How about…milk, cream, butter, flour, yogurt, natural, ice cream, oil, fruit, water, toasted flakes, vinegar?

Coconuts and its part’s – oil and the flesh – are widely eaten in tropical areas; specifically Southeast Asia and have been used in cooking for centuries. However, here in the US of A, people believe coconut oil and its properties must be bad for you because it is a saturated fat and ‘saturated fats are bad’. Well, this information is true in part as coconut oil is a saturated fat; however, the USDA does not distinguish between different kinds of saturated fats and insist ALL saturated fats are harmful. This is just not so. As there is good cholesterol, there are also good saturated fats. Coconut oil is one of them.

There are many good reasons to eat coconut. The quick version is that coconut contains a substance called lauric acid, which in the body is anti-microbial – it protects against bacteria and viruses that cause illness. In Indonesia, young coconut juice is often given when someone has diarrhea. Coconut is also known to boost energy, improve digestion, support thyroid function, and improve bowel function.

Coconut juice / water is cooling and is full of electrolytes – think of it as the world’s only natural sports drink – a perfect beverage in a hot climate. Currently, it is becoming mainstream in local grocery stores. Some popular brands include: Zico, Vita Coco and One.

For one cup of shredded coconut there are 283 calories and 224 are from saturated fat. There are 12g of carbohydrates, 7g of fiber, 3g of protein and 5g (just about 1 tsp) which is low on the glycemic load.

There are several uses for coconuts. I recently made sweet potato / leek latkes and used coconut butter on the griddle mixed with canola oil. It gave it a richer taste and the sweet flavor was more pronounced. I love coconut water after a work- out or in the summer when it’s hot outside. Coconut water is also great o use as a base for smoothies as it will give your smoothie the perfect amount of natural sweetness. If you really want to treat yourself to something delicious, purchase a fresh young Thai coconut (the white ones) from your local health food or Asian market. The water from a fresh coconut is unlike anything you’ll ever taste, plus you get the added benefit of enjoying the soft coconut meat from the inside. Each coconut contains close to 8oz of water and tons of meat. Enjoy the coconut meat raw or add it to a smoothie. Coconut flakes are great to cook with as well. Toast them and mix in with bread crumbs to make a coconut encrusted fish dish. You can add raw coconut chips into trail mix to add a bit of sweetness.

All in all, coconuts and its parts, in moderation, are a wonderful addition to a healthy diet. Be creative and enjoy the healthy benefits!

Lazy Girls Butternut Squash

I love to cook, don't get me wrong. And there's nothing more satisfying than making a homemade delicious meal for the whole family. However, last night I was just mentally and physically exhausted and didn't want to spend the time preparing dinner. Luckily, my mom was preparing the brunt of dinner for my dad, sister, niece, nephew and I. But what's a healthy dinner without veggies? That's where I usually come into the picture.

We had a butternut squash on the counter and I decided it was time to put it to good use and roast it! Check out the nutrient profile for 1 cup of butternut squash:

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Ordinarily, when I roast veggies, I'd cut them up into cubes, coat them with a bit of olive oil, salt and maybe some spices (rosemary, thyme, pepper, etc) and cook them in the oven. Not this time. I got my baking sheet out, preheated the oven to 400 and literally stuck the entire squash on the pan and into the oven it went. About an hour later I came back, stuck a fork inside to make sure it was soft and took it out of the oven.

I proceeded then to let the massive squash cool for a few minutes before removing the skin. Cooking squash whole like this makes peeling the skin so easy! This works the same with any squash and even beets. At this point it's up to you how you want to serve the squash. My recommendation is to put the cut up squash directly into a high speed blender or food processor, such as the Vita Mix, and puree to a smooth consistency.

All I did was add a bit of Celtic sea salt and black pepper. I choose Celtic sea salt because it is not processed, contains no additives and retains all of its essential minerals. In just 20 seconds, my dish was complete and tasted oh so delicious!

Try this "lazy" roasting method out yourself and you'll see how incredible of a cook you truly are and how fun cooking can be :)

My Story and Road to Health

For those of you who know me, know I am a health and fitness fanatic. I was a competitive gymnast for 10 years, AYSO Soccer player, and played volleyball, soccer, tennis, and ran track and cross country, in high school. My older sister was a gymnast, mom was always an avid tennis player and my dad, when he turned 50 (14 years ago), ran his first marathon. Yes, an active family we are and I feel so blessed to have been brought up this way.

As a gymnast, I never had to worry about my weight and what I ate. My mom always cooked very healthily, but I remember eating taco bell, McDonald's and lots of soda and sweets. But I was doing gymnastics 3-4 hours a day, so I would burn everything off. After I quit gymnastics, my body changed and I put on a little bit of weight. I new at this time, I needed to do something about it. My mom started running marathons shortly after my dad started and they both inspired me to start training, at the age of 15, for my first. I changed my diet significantly at this time, started running with my mom and dad and ran my first marathon in Disney World, when I was 16.

Something else happened when I was 16. My period stopped. At this time, I was still training for my first marathon, but I was a healthy, normal weight. Nine months later, my ob/gyn put me on birth control to make me menstruate again. She associated it all with my running and said that wasn't healthy to go months at a time with no period and that I would be at risk for osteoporosis later on in life. Seven years later, during the Summer of 2008, I decided it was time for me to go off the pill. I really had no good reason to go off it other than the fact that I was just sick of taking it every single day and didn't like putting fake hormones into my body. Well, to my surprise (or not) my period never came back.

In December 2008, I went in for my annual physical and my doctor said I had iron deficiency anemia. My iron levels were very very low and there was good explanation for this. I've always been a good eater and ate a wide variety of foods, red meat and tons of greens, included. I had been struggling with my marathon training for some time and it had made sense why my energy levels were so low. My internist was concerned and she referred to a Gastroenterologist for further testing, as she suspected I might have an autoimmune digestive disorder called Celiac Disease.

A couple dozen blood tests later, a colonoscopy, glucose tolerance test, Brain MRI, pelvic ultrasound, bone density scan, and an Endoscopy, I was diagnosed with Celiac disease, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), and Osteopenia. I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease on February 19th, 2009.

I was an emotional wreck on Feb 19th. Although the mystery had been solved as to why I had unexplained iron deficiency anemia and secondary amenorrhea (no period), I had to completely change the way I ate starting the moment I got home from the doctor. Celiac Disease is the only condition in which diet is the only cure. One must adhere to a strict 100% Gluten-Free Diet for life. Although I was saddened by all this, I considered myself lucky for a few reasons. First off, I was on a road to finally becoming healthy again. And secondly, I majored in Public Health/Nutrition at Berkeley and was working at UCLA's Clinical Research Center as a Nutritionist. So, nutrition and health have always been passions of mine, so I suppose I was the ideal person so have the diagnosis.

The Celiac diagnoses was honestly such a blessing in disguise. I was inspired to go back to school and become a Certified Holistic Health Coach and work with individuals who have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease, food allergies, or just want to improve their health and wellbeing.

While at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, in NYC, I noticed that so many students were starting their own natural food companies. Raw Chocolate making was a popular one! It was then that I decided that I wanted to pursue my lifelong passion of becoming a professional baker and owning my own business.

Baking was always a hobby of mine. I was the official birthday cake maker for family and friends and fell in love with it even more after culinary school. However, with all the hundreds of cupcake shops sprouting up all over the US, I didn't think I had a chance to compete with them. However, things were different now! I had a specialty - Gluten Free! I knew with a lot of patience, research and experimentation, I would be able to create the most delicious gluten-free creations, just like I had done before with my other baked goods. And I did!

Fast forward to 2011, I have never felt better. I eat better than ever before, cook most of my meals at home and still enjoy eating out with friends! I've become a better and faster runner and I got my period back! (sorry if that's a little TMI :D )

But best of all, I've been embarking on my dream - to become a successful Health Coach and run my very own Gluten-Free Bakery. I can already tell that this is going to be one great and exciting year, full of lots of surprises! Please follow me on my journey :)

visit www.xohealthco.com to see what I do!

Thanks for reading

XO

Linds

Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread

I was heading home from karate last night when my friend Stacey calls me and screams "Ron made the best gluten-free bread". Stacey is one of my good friends from work who also has Celiac Disease. Gluten-Free bread has a bad reputation. Texture wise, some can be gummy and hard like a brick. I was starving and headed over to Stacey's house. The bread Ron made was from this Gluten Free Pantry mix.

Ingredients: White rice flour, brown rice flour, potato starch, skim milk, whey, corn starch, brown sugar, guar gum, salt, and a packet of yeast.

Ron did everything in his bread machine. Per instructions on the package, he added 2 eggs, 1 cup water, 3/4 cup milk, 2 Tablespoons earth balance and 2 tablespoons oil.

The bread took 1:15 minutes from start to finish which is incredibly fast for bread. Unlike regular glutenous breads, gluten-free breads don't need to rise much, so prep time is quicker! +1 for gluten-free!

One thing you should know about me is that I absolutely LOVE bread, especially Challah, a delicious jewish egg bread. I'm a professional baker and every year I would always make the Challah for Rosh Hashana and Hanukkah. This has truly been the one thing I really missed since being diagnosed with Celiac Disease ..... until last night! See photo below of my breads.

Ron cut me a slice, I took a bite and was in HEAVEN. For the next 10 minutes, as I continued eating it, I was speechless. This bread tasted just like what I remember my beloved Challah tasting like - soft, light, flavorful and just utterly decadent!

I am so excited to experiment with this bread mix. I think it could definitely work as a challah and would make a beautiful braided loaf. Just a little egg wash on top for some shine and it should come out looking like the original thing!

My First Post! About the XO Blog

Hello Readers! Welcome to my blog. This is something I've been wanting to do for quite some time now, but have not mustered up the courage to write. Well, it's January 2011, and I can happily say that the XO Blog has officially launched and I hope you will enjoy reading!

This blog has a few purposes:

1. Share healthy gluten-free recipes

2. Gluten-Free product reviews

3. Share new restaurant discoveries

4. Share photos and stories of my personal life as a healthy, thriving individual

In the next post, I will share my story

XO

Lindsey