•July Favorites•

I cannot believe that July is over! This summer has just flown by. Now that I am living in a new state I have really been trying new gluten free things. With all of the new food and drinks that I have been testing, I thought I would share my favorites this month. These are in no specific order, all of these items are what I have just been constantly consuming.

1) Annie Chun's Maifun Brown Rice Noodles

When I make stir fry I used to always use rice. I saw these in Whole Foods a couple months ago and picked up a box to try out. I have become so addicted to these noodles. While learning what I can and can't have, I have been making a lot of stir fry. These noodles are very thin. They just absorb all of the flavors that you cook them with. They only take about a minute it two to cook. With how hot it has been this summer I have started to make cold stir fry salads. Instead of cooking the veggies, I have been chopping them up cold, putting them in a bowl with these noodles and a peanut butter/tamari/tahini/lemon dressing. It is soo amazing! I probably make this twice a week.

2) Victoria's Kitchen Almond Water

I kid you not, this stuff is incredible! The coconut flavored almond water is great, but the original with vanilla and rose is my hands down favorite! If you ever had southern style sweet tea, I would say that these waters are about as sweet, maybe a little less. They are so much better cold than at room temp. They are very light and hydrating. Ever since I cut out soda I have been trying flavored beverages. While I love my coconut water, this is just a great summer treat. They are gluten, dairy and GMO free. I absolutely love these when it is cold, but I don't really want something as heavy as a smoothie.

3) Snoqualmie Ice Cream

I first bought this ice cream around the end of June. The first flavor I tried was the French Lavender. Ever since I tried it I always have a pint in my freezer. I have also tried the flavors Ginger and Hiney Cinnamon. They are all sooo unbelievably good. I think the lavender flavor is my favorite so far. I also want to try the green tea flavor. I am hoping that it tastes like the green tea ice cream at Bennihana. (I hope I spelled that right :D) From the flavors that I have tried, this ice cream does not have the fake flavor that most ice cream has. The flavors are true to name.

* A little hint- when it is hot out and I have a stomach ache, a couple bites of the Ginger flavor will settle my stomach :D

4) Garden of Eatin Blue Corn Chips

In general I really love blue corn chips. I first bought this brand a couple of months ago. With the big move I wasn't cooking as often as I usually do. I was mainly snacking throughout the day. I made the stir fry salad I mentioned because I could eat it for s few meals at least. Mainly I was eating chips and salsa or hummus. I love these chips because they are not super thick or so thin that you just have a bag of little pieces when you get home. They are lightly salted which I prefer to the overly salted chips. I have just been enjoying them this month and I make sure to always have a couple of bags in the pantry. 

5) Coconut Juice/Water

This summer has been so hot and sometimes I want something hydrating other than water. I am a fan of coconut milk, but I had not ever tried coconut water. When trying to cool down This month I have been reaching for coconut water. It is so easy to find coconut water without all of the added sugars that most other flavored waters have. It is so hydrating and I love drinking it cold and in my smoothies. Great hydrating alternative to water and other sugary beverages.

These are the products that have really stood out to me this month. I love them all and I hope you give them a try if you haven't. Please share your favorites with me in the comments.

Hope everyone had a Great July and will have an even better August! Lots of love from me to you:D

July Tips

This is a series I am starting on my blog that just tells you what tips and tricks for surviving a new gluten free lifestyle, that really worked for me that month. Being diagnosed with Celiac disease and having to change your lifestyle so drastically is a difficult adjustment. I seem to be living a trial and error life right now. 

Ever since I was diagnosed 4 months ago I have had trouble with my eating habits. I have been avoiding gluten, but sometimes it is hard. When I am at work my co workers bring in donuts, cake and other treats all the time. I know that I cannot have the sweet treats, which totally sucks because I can practically hear the sweets calling my name :) Not gonna lie, I have hollow sweet teeth...(plural not singular.) 

I have gotten in the habit of always keeping snacks on me. I keep Kind Bars and Lara Bars in my purse. I have chips, pretzels, chocolate, nuts and other snacks that I keep in my desk at work. I have grapes, veggies and flavored water in the fridge at work. I do this to keep a variety of snack choices, sweet, salty, cold... I find that if I have snack choices I am less likely to have that maple bar donut that is sitting in the lunch room. I know it is weird to always carry your own snacks but when you are so sick and tired of being sick and tired, this is a lifesaver. 

Another tip/trick that has really helped me is never going anywhere hungry. When I leave my house to meet up with friends or go shopping, I will always eat something so that I don't find myself starving while I'm out and about without gluten free options available. By doing this I don't feel the need to stop at the food court or run through the drive through. 

I hope that these tips and tricks work for you. If you have any other suggestions for me to try please let me know :) I am always open to suggestions!

I hope you all have a great day! Lots of love from me to you :)

Snack Attack

So I have this problem that when I am bored at work I snack. Now that I have Celiac I had to change my snacking habits. I can no longer just go to the vending machine for some crackers. (When I snack I usually like something crunchy) When I lived in Idaho one of my co workers always had pretzels on her desk for everyone. I got addicted to those little buggers real quick! 

While I was out shopping for something to keep at work for my crunchy snack craving, I came across some gluten free pretzels. Now, I know that most gluten free breads have a reputation of being dense and...let's be honest not very good. I bought the Glutino brand pretzels and let me tell you... They are THE best pretzels ever. I never go anywhere without them. I keep them at work, home, a small bag in my purse and I ALWAYS travel with a bag. 

These pretzels are crunchier and lighter than regular pretzels. I know, sounds crazy right. But they are amazing. One thing that I had heard when I was first diagnosed was that I should always keep gluten free snacks on hand. It makes it easier not to reach for the foods that you really should not be having. I highly recommend these. These are so good that I have even gotten my non Celiac friends addicted to them!

If you go out and try them leave me a comment telling me what you thought of them and any other gluten free snack ideas that you have :)

My Symptoms & Diagnosis

About 4 months ago I was diagnosed with Celiac disease. My diagnosis was a long time coming. I first started to get sick 10 years ago when I was about 16. I was getting sharp abdominal pains, migraines, fainting spells and vomiting. The doctors I would frequently go see never had many answers. I have been diagnosed with iron deficiency, diverticulitis, hypoglycemia and so many different digestive issues that it is ridiculous to even think about.

Back in march I ended up hospitalized twice in a month. I was getting so sick that I wasn't able to keep water down for days at a time. When it got to that point I went to the ER and was given fluid to treat the dehydration. I was then discharged with nausea meds. When it happened again only about a week and a half later I was very scared. Same thing happened as before. I was given an IV to replenish my fluids then released with anti nausea meds. 

A few days later some friends of mine were telling me about how they or there child had the same symptoms as me and once they were diagnosed with Celiac and stopped eating gluten they felt so much better right away. I had no idea what gluten was, I just thought is was some Hollywood diet fad. I went to my doctor and asked about it. I was tested and the results came back positive for Celiac. I started a gluten free diet and I immediately started feeling better.

Now my challenge is learning what I can and can't have. I couldn't believe that there was gluten in so much of what I eat. I had to buy special soy sauce, chips and salad dressings. That is really what this blog is about. My journey living gluten free and learning what I have to avoid or substitute.