Help Support Gluten-Free Labeling for Medications

This is huge.

Currently, drug companies are not required to disclose gluten ingredients in medication. (Because, you know, it's not like you swallow medication, or anything. Oh, wait...)

Want to help change that? Then click here and let your representative know that you support legislation that will require drug companies to disclose their inactive ingredients.

It's really easy, and just takes a minute. Again, click here to ask your representative to support this bill.

Please do this by May 8. Thank you!

New Beginnings... Happy May!

Welcome to May!

I get excited when I flip over the calendar to a new month. I know it’s just an arbitrary day, but the start of a new month gets me giddy with anticipation and promise. I know, it’s a little weird… but hey, it gets me going.

Accordingly, there are new things happening in May around here.

First of all, you may have noticed I haven’t been around here much. Sorry! My new freelance business, Kismet Copywriting, took off this year, and happily, I’ve been swamped with work. Unhappily, I haven’t had a lot of time to work on personal projects. But that’s going to change, because…

Secondly, I want to announce that I’m working on major changes for Li Loves David. I’m in the process of revamping the site into more of a gluten-free reference site. All of the recipes and articles will still be there, plus some new features. I’m very excited about these changes, and I hope you enjoy them, too! I’m looking to roll this out at the end of the month. Don’t worry, there will be a big announcement, so you won’t miss anything.

Finally, I’m tackling a month of sugar-free, low carb goodness. Or, as we’re jokingly saying around the house, May is Meat Month!. Okay, I know, I lost you. Let me explain.

Basically I was having diet issues again, and some nasty processed foods were creeping back into my kitchen. So I decided to go hard core. What I’m doing is cleaning up my diet even further than I already had. I’ve eliminated all sources of sugar (aaack!), am concentrating on eating quality meats, eggs, vegetables, some dairy, and a tiny bit of fruit. I’m loosely basing this on the Whole 30 program, which you can read about here. Only I’m including dairy, because #1 - as of my latest elimination diet, dairy still doesn’t bother me, making it one of the few foods I can eat, and #2 - see #1. I am, however, cutting back on it and staying mostly with fermented dairy.

I’ll be posting a lot this month, talking about how I’m surviving and (hopefully) thriving on this plan. You will be seeing recipes, rants, and many of my lessons learned.  If you’d like to join in the fun, start any time and chime in! I hope to hear from you throughout this process.

Kinnikinnick New Soft Breads - Review

I was recently offered a free sample of Kinnikinnick’s new Soft Breads. (Remember the Toss Your Toaster campaign? This is what they were talking about.)

Have you tried these yet?

If your local stores carry them, it’s worth picking up a package. I’ve tried the hot dog and hamburger buns, and my husband had the multigrain bread.

The verdict is that yes, it tastes like gluten-laden bread. If I were served this bread in a restaurant, I would make them bring me the package to prove it was gluten-free.

What I liked about it was that it tastes good untoasted, even after being in the freezer for a while. Just thaw by microwaving it for a few seconds, and you’re good to go. I thought the flavor of the hotdog buns was pretty good, although the hamburger buns seemed a bit bland. My husband said the multigrain bread was very tasty.

What I didn’t like about it was that it doesn’t toast very well. The crust burns, and the bready part stays soft. Which I found kind of funny… I guess if you really want toast, you need to keep a different kind of bread on hand. Another thing I wasn’t crazy about was the ingredient list. True, it’s not nearly as bad as some Kinnikinnick products. A lot of the ingredients, like rice flour and potato starch, are ones you might find in any gluten-free kitchen. But three different types of cellulose? Just how much wood pulp do you really need in bread, anyway?

The final verdict is we’ll probably keep a loaf of this in the freezer for those rare times my husband is just dying for a sandwich. I had a bad reaction to the potato starch, so I won’t be eating any more of it. But my hubby really enjoyed it.

I’ve checked a few stores in my area, but haven’t found the new breads anyplace yet. They may be available where you live by now. If not, you can order them directly from Kinnikinnick.

By the way, other than the free sample, I received no compensation for this review.

Gluten-Free Beer - or is it?

I was a little disturbed to read the following article:

Some Gluten-Free Beers Really Aren't

Basically, it says that independent testing showed that some beers labeled gluten-free actually contain gluten. And some beers labeled as low-gluten actually contain as much as regular beer.

(Seriously, no one is really drinking "low-gluten" beers and thinking they are okay for celiacs, right?)

But what was really disturbing is that not only do some gluten-free beers still contain gluten, but that the study didn't name them!

Come on!  We need this information!

So basically it comes down to this: trust your gut. If a food product is labeled gluten-free, proceed with caution. If you have a reaction to it, DON'T CONTINUE EATING IT JUST BECAUSE IT SAYS IT'S GLUTEN-FREE. Yeah, companies make mistakes, mislabel things, and (rarely) commit outright fraud. But your gut knows.

If your gut says it's bad... Don't eat it!

Gluten-Free Beer - New Planet Off Grid Pale Ale

To paraphrase Ben Franklin, "Gluten-free beer is proof my Hubby loves me and wants me to be happy."

David got me 2 four packs of New Planet Gluten-Free Off Grid Pale Ale for Christmas. We polished off the first four right away, and I'm saving these for a special occasion.

If you like a rich, hoppy pale ale, this is the beer for you! It's has a nice citrus and spice flavor, and the hops, while pronounced, don't leave you with a bitter finish. Really, the only thing I don't like is that it contains caramel color. I try to avoid additives like that. Otherwise, it's a great beer.

If it's not carried locally, your favorite liquor store should be able to order it for you. Enjoy!

More gluten-free travel tips

Busy?

Traveling for the holidays? Need to stay gluten-free?

Like you didn't have enough stress already...

I just read an article from NFCA on gluten-free traveling tips. Since I'm running a little ragged too, I'm just gonna give you the link and let you enjoy it yourself.

Tips for Traveling Gluten-Free by Plane, Train, and Automobile

Safe travels, everyone!

Gluten-Free Party Tips for a Safe Holiday Season

It’s holiday party season! Everybody rejoice!

Okay, if you’re a person with food intolerances or allergies, or are on a restricted eating regimen for whatever reason, you’re probably not rejoicing at the moment. In fact, if you’re like me, every party invitation brings its own special little package of dread.

“What the hell will I be able to eat there?”

"None for me, thanks!"

Don’t you just love how the winter holidays revolve around food? Yeah, me neither. What ever happened to just getting together because we liked each others company? But that’s a topic for another post…

Over the past several years, I’ve learned how to navigate these holiday gatherings with a bit of class, and generally I don’t have any issues. I do the usual…eat before I go, take something to share that’s safe, and – when there are no safe options – politely explain that while everything looks lovely, I’d rather not take the risk (while encouraging my husband to eat my share).

Generally, those tactics work and everyone stays healthy and happy. The only problem I’ve had with this is when I have to deal with the type of person I’ll call “the Feeder.”

You know the Feeder. That’s the person that is always trying to get you to eat something. They operate out of the goodness of their heart, but they are mostly clueless when it comes to nutrition. And if you’re dealing with intolerances/allergies, well, forget about it. (Just be thankful they aren’t in charge of your grocery shopping.)

The Feeder is not happy unless you’re eating, and they always seem to be trying to feed you something that will kill you. They will offer food to you all night long, won’t take no for an answer, and will be personally offended when you decline, no matter how politely you do it.

This weekend, we are attending a holiday party hosted by a Feeder.

Normally when we visit the Feeder, we just take them out to dinner. Problem solved. This time, however, we’ll be at a party in their home.  But that’s okay, because I have a plan. Here are my devious yet effective party hacks to deal with a Feeder, and still have a fun and safe party experience.

1. Arrive fashionably late. This will ensure the Feeder has plenty of other people to feed, and will divert the attention off of you. It also allows the other guests to have completed the first round of their buffet orgy, so you won’t be the only person standing around not eating. People will just assume you’re already done, or simply in between rounds, like they are.

2. Keep a drink in hand at all times. A drink is an ideal prop to fill your hands, and will give you an excuse if the Feeder corners you. “Oh, I’ll get something after I finish,” you say, glass raised. Just be careful to keep that glass full. Also, watch your alcohol intake – or have a designated driver.

3. Mingle away from the food. Stay on the other side of the room and talk to everyone over there. If you’re not right next to the food, people are less likely to offer you some. Plus you’ll get to talk to a different group of people that are there for the same reason you are – the company, not the food.

4. Carry a plate of safe foods. Okay, you ate before you came and you’re really not even hungry. But if the Feeder keeps pushing food on you, create a camouflage plate and keep it with you for the rest of the night. Load it up with plain carrots and celery sticks (no dip!), and find a place to set it within arm’s reach. I only use this as a last resort – I hate hauling a plate around while I’m socializing. But it’s an option.

5. Only go to the parties you want to go to. I saw this tip in an article about how not to overeat during the holidays, and it made sense. Every year we are inundated with invitations. Many of us feel obligated to attend each and every event, to the detriment of our diets as well as our emotional well-being. After a time, every party will become a chore, instead of the fun event it was meant to be. Avoid burnout by only attending a few select events. That way you’ll be social, enjoy yourself, and minimize food catastrophes.

Enjoy the holidays!

Do you have any tricks for managing your eating during the holidays? Please share them in the comments section below.

New gluten-free product from Kinnikinnick

Kinnikinnick is launching a new gluten-free product in January 2012. Here's the video promo:




What do you think it is? 'Cause I don't know. Write your guess in the comments below.

Seriously, I don't know what it is, either. They just sent me the video, not the answer! But I have a pretty good guess...how about you? And while we're at it, what other products would you like to see from Kinnikinnick? Leave your comments below!