Read this if you take an over the counter medication for acid reflux

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/25/combating-acid-reflux-may-bring-host-of-ills/

If you currently take one of the popular over-the-counter medications for acid reflux or GERD disease you should read this article. It addresses what many of us in the holistic community have known for years. That these drugs may be useful for acute conditions but are very dangerous for chronic long-term use. As with many drugs on the market today, they wind up causing a more extreme version of the disease they were designed to treat.

Before you start a regimen of protein pump inhibitor drugs, have your doctor test your enzyme levels to see if you truly are overproducing acid because many times an undeproduction of acid mimics the same symptoms.

 

Savor This!

With the fairly recent popularity of gluten-free products, it seems like a new GF products hits the market every couple of days. As a result, it is hard to keep up. That’s why I was happy to hear about a  new company called Savorfull. Savorfull is the brain-child of Nutritionist CEO and Founder Stacy Goldberg, MPH, RN, BSN. The idea behind Savorfull is to introduce you each month to new wheat, dairy and peanut free products.  When you join Savorfull you will receive a monthly tasting box with 5 products hand picked by Stacy and her team and a username and password which gives you access to all sorts of information about the products including nutritional information and recipes using the products you receive. Kind of like a healthier version of cookie or cheese of the month club catering to those with food sensitivities. Each Monthly Tasting Box includes small to full size samples of products that the folks at Savorfull think you will love. I received a free sample box recently and it reminded me of when I used to receive gift boxes from my mom full of my favorite foods. Part of the fun is that you have no idea what you will receive. You can choose a 1, 6, 12 month or gift subscription.

The box that I received included

 Jessicas Natural Granola- this was a sample bag and just enough for breakfast or enough to top 2 yogurts. The granola had a nice vanilla/maple flavor and just the right amount of sweetness. Their granola is made with certified gluten free oats.  When you join Savorfull and log into your account you will see recipes utilizing the sample products i.e….they have a very yummy sounding gluten free apple crisp that is made with this granola. I can’t wait to try this easy-delicious sounding recipe.

Funky Monkey Jivealime- Funky Monkey uses a freeze drying process that somehow turns a piece of fruit into a crunchy snack, almost like a potato chip. The sample included in the box was JacaLime (pineapple with lime). I love pineapple and I love lime and the two together were very tasty, although maybe slightly too sour for me. But I loved the crunchy texture and the fact that there was no added sugar. Each ounce contains  3 servings of fruit, a very easy tasty way to get your servings of fruit in for the day.

 Jovial Brown Rice Pasta- I have reviewed this product before. A sample bag of this pasta was included. Jovial pasta is made in Italy where they have lots of experience with gluten free pasta.  Most gluten free pasta is not very good. Jovial pasta can go up against any wheat pasta on the market. It is fabulous.

 Live Smart Bar Fit Cookie- My friend tested out this cookie for me and really liked it and said it was very filling. She was tired of the bars on the market and said it was nice to eat a wholesome healthy cookie for a change for breakfast.

LiveSmart Flax bar in original flavor and chocolate flavor- the main ingredient in these flax bars are…..you guessed it…flax seeds. Flax seeds are loaded with healthy Omega 3 fatty acids and high in fiber. I usually add ground flax to my yogurt or cottage cheese and even soup but this is another tasty way to eat your flax.  The taste of flax takes a little getting used to but I love and crave it now. These bars are high in fiber and relatively low in calories (under 100)

Home Free cookies- the box included a sample bag of their vanilla cookies. I have not tasted a bad gluten free cookie lately and these are no exception. Small and round and very crunchy they taste almost exactly like a Nilla vanilla wafer but much crunchier. Actually they taste exactly like animal crackers to me. I really liked them and was kind of glad the bag was small because I could have eaten 3 times as many.

I really enjoyed my sample box overall and each of the sample foods in it. They are foods I will probably include in my diet from now on. The boxes are just $15 a month and the shipping is free.  I think signing up for a monthly Savorfull box is a great way to try out new allergy/wheat free products and at $15 it is priced just right for what you get. You will definitely look forward to receiving your box every month full of tasty goodies. Stacy mentioned to me that next month they will have a strictly gluten free box. If you give the service a try for one month I think you will be hooked!

http://savorfull.com/

Just a Hint…..

Occasionally when I am at the supermarket I find myself standing behind a mom with her kids.  I like to sneak a peek in their shopping cart to see what they are buying. Usually I am appalled and have to hold my tongue. Even worse than their food choices are their drink choices. Their carts are filled with sodas and juices. I think in a lot of cases, some moms think that juice is a better choice than soda for their kids. In some ways they are, as juice does not contain phosphoric acid (in soda) which is said to leach calcium from our bones or caffeine… but some juices contain preservatives and added sugar as well and most contain very little actual juice. And then there is the fact that the juice was probably extracted weeks or months ago and has lost its vital enzymes. That leaves water and fructose , which is another name for sugar.

So what should you drink? The best choice would be filtered water or freshly squeezed juice. However, most people do not like the taste of water or have the time or money to spend on a juicer.

As far as water goes, there are a ton of choices out there. The waters that contain vitamins are not necessarily a good choice because the vitamins most likely are synthetic. Bottled water tastes like……bottled water. Not too exciting.

I recently recveived free samples of Hint Premium Essence Water. The concept behind the product is basic:  pure water with just a “hint” of natural flvors. They do not contain any added sugar or sweeteners.

They come in an interesting plastic bottle with a great label. The bottle has a wide mouth which is nice for a change. And I love their choice of exotic flavors like watermelon, raspeberry-lime and pear. Now this product is called Hint for a reason. The flavoring is very subtle…you can smell it, but you can barely taste it. Less is more in this case. If you like the taste of plain water you will like this because it gives it a tiny burst of flavor, like slightly jazzed up water. It tastes like water with the essence of the fruit for flavoring. You can buy a variety pack of (12) 16 ounce bottles in various flavors. When cold they are very refreshing. I took them along on a hike with friends and everyone really liked them.

I saw at their website that they are introducing a new sparkling version called Hint Fizz. I look forward to trying this as well. One of my favorite ways to enjoy sparking water is with a little bit of stevia mixed in so it almost tastes like a healthy version of a soda.

I recommend this product as a healthy alternative to most drinks on the market today.

http://www.drinkhint.com/

The Ultimate Comfort Food

Whenever I feel ill and my appetite is suffering, I always go for rice pudding. To me, it is the ultimate comfort food.  And even better than rice pudding….tapioca pudding. Yum!

I received some free samples of Kozy Shack’s rice, tapioca, and chocolate and vanilla puddings to try. They make an original,  lactose-free and  sugar- free version. I tried them all. They come in cute little individual cup servings which I love because when it comes to any kind of pudding I could eat a few containers of this stuff and still want more. I have one small snack cup a night before bed. The sugar-free version has only 70 calories and about 11 net carbs. It satisfies my craving for something sweet and comforting.

I could barely tell the difference between the regular and sugar free variety. The sugar free version was slightly less sweet but still sweet enough. The pudding was smooth and creamy and the rice was soft, not chewy. I love tapioca. It has such a cool mouth-feel/texture to it and this was definitely my favorite. The original version has more calories (about 130) which is still fine for a snack. The lactose-free pudding was a little darker in color but tasted just as good as the original. I loved them all. I tried adding raisins and a little cinnamon to the rice pudding which just made a good thing even better. They are all delicious! I also tried their regular chocolate and vanilla puddings which were awesome as well.  All of their puddings are gluten-free and kosher. Highly recommended!

http://www.kozyshack.com/

Great For Eating, Not Packaging

Rice cakes…bleh! If you have ever eaten one you probably think …styrofoam texture and no taste.Great for packaging, not eating.

Corn cakes however are another story. Real Foods company makes a product called Corn Thins. They look like a thinner version of a rice cake but the similarity ends there.

The kind folks are Real Foods were nice enough to send me a few free samples to try all the way from Australia.

Made from sun-ripened corn, they are extra crunchy and slightly salted. They are fantastic on their own but even better with a little almond butter and sliced banana or tomato and avocado. With only 23 calories and 4 grams of carbs per slice they are a great low cal/low carb treat. The flaxseed/soy, sesame,original and flavored corn thins are gluten free.  I had the pleasure of trying devouring an entire bag of the tasty cheese flavor. If you love a salty/cheesy flavored snack you will love these as much as I did.Oh, they are also GMO free and made with all natural ingredients. The cheese flavor are a little hard to find but so worth it if you do find them.  Highly recommended!

They also make a version of rice cakes. Because they are sliced thinner and use brown rice instead of white rice, they are also quite delicious and have a slightly nutty taste. Also highly recommended!!

Gluten Free Baked Goods You Will love!

Taste of Gluten Free Pumpkin Cake and Shortbread cookie Mixes-

I love TOGF’s simple packaging. The mixes come in a bag with a pretty label on the front which includes a picture, instructions and ingredients (5 ingredients).  I was sent a free sample of their gluten free pumpkin cake and shortbread cookies to try. I first tried the pumpkin cake. It could not be simpler to make. You mix eggs, oil and a can of pumpkin and then add the dry ingredients and pour into a 9 inch greased pan. I baked it for about 25 minutes. I also made the recommended cream cheese frosting and spread it on top of the cake after it cooled. A friend and I tried it for dessert and loved it. The pumpkin taste is subtle and you also detect a hint of cinnamon.  Some gluten free cakes are not sweet enough for me but this was perfect. The cream cheese frosting was delicious as well and a really nice compliment to the cake. The next day I brought it into the office and it was really good the next day as well. Everyone who tried it thought it was delicious. Highly recommended!  The shortbread cookies require a little more effort than the cake because you mix the dough and then need to roll it out and cut the cookies with a cookie cutter. But we are talking maybe an extra 5 minutes. I could smell the cookies baking in the oven and could not wait to try them. After they cooled I sprinkled powdered sugar over the top. They are crunchy, buttery and delicious. I love shortbread cookies and these were the bomb. I brought leftovers into the office and everyone was surprised they were gluten free. I guess these days people expect gluten free to taste awful, but we have come a long way in that regard. I will definitely be making these cookies again. The company makes many other cake, cookie and bread mixes, all of which sound yummy. I can’t wait to try their fig cake recipe.

www.tasteofglutenfree.net

 Immaculate Baking Company Gluten Free Chocolate Chunk Cookies:

Immaculate Baking Company now has 2 certified gluten free products in their line. They are dairy free as well. I was sent a coupon to try one of their products and I tried their gluten free chocolate chunk cookies. The cookies come in a bag that you keep in the freezer. What I loved about these cookies is that they are ready to go into the oven. No mixing, no fuss. And if you want to be good and just make yourself one or two cookies at a time (so you don’t eat the whole bag) you can break off one or two.  They come 12 cookies to a bag. I tried baking about 4 to try and they are really good chocolate chip cookies. They are plump and gooey fresh out of the oven and very satisfying. The website suggested using the cookies to make ice cream sandwiches and I had some coconut ice cream in the fridge and decided to give that a try. The cookies really complimented the ice cream…what a delicious treat! They also make gluten free ready to bake brownies.

www.immaculatebaking.com

 Sof’ella  Gluten Free Cornbread:

The folks at Sof’ella sent me a free box of their cornbread mix to try. I LOVE cornbread but I can’t tell you how many times I have made it from scratch and it comes out thin and hard as a rock and too gritty. Their mix is really easy to prepare…a few wet ingredients and the mix and that’s it. Took about 5 minutes to prepare. My mouth was watering when it came out of the oven. Cornbread fresh out of the oven with a pat of butter…what could be better. And this is amazing cornbread! I was really surprised to see freeze dried corn kernels in the mix which, when baked, gives it a nice chewy texture. The cornbread is moist with the perfect texture…..soft and not gritty. It is on the sweet side as well which I like. It freezes well but I guarantee it won’t be around for long. I love this product and give it a big thumbs up. I look forward to trying their chocolate cake and all purpose baking mix as well. They have a recipe for gluten free cornbread stuffing mix and I can’t wait for Thanksgiving to try this.

http://www.sofellafoods.com

Bad Medicine

No one would argue that we live in a pill popping society. Given the choice, most people prefer to pop a pill then to make major lifestyle or diet changes. I personally do not know a single person who is not on at least one prescription medication.  In the name of full disclosure, I am one of them. I occasionally need to take a prescription medicine for migraines. When I was younger migraines were a daily occurrence. Now, I have a migraine maybe 2-3 times a month and I attribute the improvement to my diet.

I do not advocate drugs for chronic conditions, but if someone is in pain, then by all means they need to do what is necessary so they can get through the day. I hope one day that my diet will correct whatever imbalance exists in my body so that I can  be completely drug free. I wish more people were willing to make diet and lifestyle changes in order to heal themselves. I feel this way especially when it comes to the issue of children with ADHD.

If you have a child with ADHD I urge you to read this article and consider eliminating any foods in your child’s diet that contain these ingredients:

http://www.foodmatters.tv/articles-1/which-food-additives-make-children-behave-badly

And another eye-opening article to read in which the statistics have been obviously swept under the rug:

http://www.ritalindeath.com/Doping-Kids.htm