The FABULOUS Girls Are at it Again!

The FABULOUS GIRLS break out into song and dance in Boston at the Natural Products Expo East!!

YIIPEEEEE!!!!!

I am SO excited to bake! 

If you know me, you know how much I love to bake. In the past few months, I've baked some gf brownies, muffins, and cookies- all disastrous. These experiences left my heart heavy but determined to one day find that perfect recipe for a gluten-free/dairy-free recipe. I knew it would take a lot of experimenting with xantham gum, different flours, and lots of patience. 

However, someone must have heard my prayers, and that someone is BETTY CROCKER!

That's right- Betty Crocker has come up with FOUR different gluten-free mixes: Brownie, Chocolate chip cookie, devil's food, and chocolate cake. Remember Betty Crocker from your pre-gf days? The fluffy, moist, melt in your mouth recipes that went hand in hand with holidays, birthdays, and special occasions. Well, now us gluten-free folks can rejoin that bandwagon along with Betty's new mixes. 

Betty Crocker is truly an admirable organization. General Mills is proud CSA Benefactor Members of the Celiac Sprue Association. They have done an excellent job at reaching out to their special audience of those with celiac disease and other related disorders that require a gluten-free diet.

Go Betty! :)

Gluten-Free: It's not GREEK to Me!

I'll admit that some of the things that I most remember my first year of college in Missouri: Domino's Pizza, Spaghetti-O's, and beer. 

You might be wondering why these three things stand out as some of my boldest memories among others like sorority life, Greek week, Bearcat football, and my first year ever living in the snow. The fact of the matter is that although I was living in what should have been the best year of my life (FREEDOM!), I was literally dying inside. Those three things, which were staples among my freshman diet, were contributing to my celiac disease, and only making things worse.

Celiac disease is often dormant throughout a certain period of one's life until it is finally exposed due to many things, one of which can be stress. Living across the country from my family for the first time in my life was definitely a contributor to awakening the celiac disease inside of me. Not only did I gain the freshman 15 this year, but I ended up losing double the amount by the end of the year. The rapid weight gain, and even more extreme weight loss, left me at below 100 lbs. by final exams. Little did I know that this was all because of my celiac disease.  

Thankfully, science is becoming quicker at diagnosing those with celiac disease. 

ABC has a show called Greek, and one of the actors on the show Michael Foster, is raving about losing his freshman 15. 

According to a recent post on People.com, Foster says his life on the set was similar to college life. "I was so happy about having a job and not having to worry about paying the food bill, I ate anything on set," says Foster, 24. "Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, you name it. I got sucked into craft services and, yes, it was just like college!" 

However, The 6'3" actor, who plays Cappie on the hit show, quickly reached 200 lbs. Around the same time, he also found out he was allergic to gluten. "It runs in my family," says Foster, whose symptoms included a bloated stomach and extremely dry skin on his hands. "It just got worse and worse and I was like, 'This can't be normal!' " 

After being diagnosed about three months ago, Foster cut out wheat and flour products from his diet. "I can't eat bread, anything fried or even drink a beer," he says. People.com further states that his diet now consists of protein, vegetables and fruit. He also eliminated most milk products, including cheese. 

Foster goes on to say that eating better makes him feel great, which reassures him that he will be fine this time around on set. 

I completely understand Foster's attitude. I used to go through withdraws on my new gluten-free diet, however now I embrace it. I feel so great about the fact that I eat so healthy. I don't drink soda, eat fast food, and rarely indulge in sweets. I also don't eat dairy products or eggs, and rarely eat red meat as well. Overall, being diagnosed with celiac disease is a blessing. It has taught me so many things such as persistence, patience, and to always trust your "gut"! 

The View's Elisabeth Hasselback Gets Creative With Gluten-Free

A gluten-free diet, or "G Free" as she calls it, doesn't stop Elisabeth Hasselback from copying her grandma's famous recipes. 

"My grandmother was giving me her meatball-and-sauce recipe," The View co-host, 31, says in an upcoming issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray. "When she got to the part about adding breadcrumbs, she looked up at me and said, 'Elisabeth, you can add whatever you want here.' I thought, if my Italian grandmother can understand being G-free, anyone can." 

According to People.com, it's been a struggle for Hasselback to live gluten-free since she was diagnosed with celiac disease a few years ago. Now, though, she's written her own book, The G Free Diet, which is a guide to those living gluten-free. 

It is so uplifting to see celebrities embracing the gluten-free diet. This ultimately raises awareness of celiac disease, which is something that is so crucial in widespread diagnosis. According to The Celiac Sprue Association, the oldest nonprofit association dedicated to raising awareness for celiac disease, 1 in 133 people in the US have celiac disease, but only 3% of these people have been diagnosed. This means that over 2.1 million people are living with celiac disease and are undiagnosed. Those of you with celiac disease (and are aware of it) are probably cringing right now! The thought of their poor little intestines slowly being damaged and not knowing why hits so close to home. 

Thankfully, we have celebrities such as Hasselback who are using their fame for a good cause: raising awareness for celiac disease! If you are interested in her book, The G Free Diet, check out the website.

APRIL is AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH!

Hello April!

According to Autism Speaks, in 2007 the UN General Assembly officially recognized April 2 as "World Autism Awareness Day" (WAAD). WAAD's goal is to further educate and improve the world's knowledge on the disease that effects so many people around the globe. Additionally, it seeks to shed light on the magnificent things that those with Autism are doing, such as their unique talents and accomplishments! It also highlights events that are occurring in conjunction with WAAD. 

Many parents have put their children with Autism on a gluten-free/casein free diet to improve their dietary conditions as a tactic to cure their Autism. Many have seen results, although for some it has been hit or miss. However, the notion that dietary changes can "reverse" the effects of Autism is still prevalent on the list of methods to curing Autism. Many people embrace the GF/CF diet, such as actress/Autism spokeswoman Jenny McCarthy. 

Another fabulous woman who swears by the GF/CF diet is Shari Cole of Gluten Free & FABULOUS! Shari's own daughter was diagnosed with Autism when she was younger. Now she is in high school and participates in a competitive choir program and is a successful equestrian! Shari gives thanks for her daughter's achievements to the GF/CF diet. With Autism being an issue that is near and dear to her heart, as well as Celiac Disease, Shari and her father Larry decided to create GLUTEN FREE & FABULOUS just a few years ago.  

Celiac Disease & The Economy: How You Can Help!

If you have Celiac Disease, you can probably relate to me when I say a good majority of my life was spent routinely in doctor's offices for stomach aches, sinus infections, reoccurring strep throat, migraines, and constant pain. My parents must have spent thousands and thousands of dollars each year in my medical bills (wouldn't that be something to get a hold of that figure?) before I was diagnosed and became healthy again.

I often wonder what life would have been like if I had been diagnosed earlier. So many things would have been different, yet I never hang on to that thought simply because I am thankful of where I am today. However, this leads to a much more serious conclusion that is currently affecting many Americans today (whether they know it or not!). According to the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University Medical Center, it is apparent that there would be an economic benefit to the diagnosis of Celiac Disease in a national managed-care population of the United States. 

Peter HR Green, M.D., Professor of Clinical Medicine & Director, Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University Medical Center, had this to say about the study (Journal of Insurance Medicine, 2008; 40:218-228) and the economic benefits of increased diagnosis of Celiac Disease: "We now have evidence that the increased awareness and diagnosis of Celiac Disease would benefit not only the patients but would result in health care costs savings."

According to the study, those in whom it is diagnosed have a long duration of symptoms prior to diagnosis (they're preaching to the choir here!). Celiac Disease has been associated with Osteoporosis, Anemia, and a multitude of associated autoimmune conditions. The recent study that examined a large managed-care database revealed reduced health care costs after the diagnosis of Celiac Disease, such as the reduction of office visits, lab tests, diagnostic imaging, and endoscopy procedures.

"There needs to be greater physician education in the carious modes of presentation and manifestations of Celiac Disease and more use of the widely available screening blood tests that detect the disease," Dr. Green said.

Hopefully, this will spark an interest with organizations such as the Celiac Sprue Assocation. Goodwill organizations like theirs can help with awareness at places like doctors offices and schools in order to inform people that they could have Celiac Disease. 

To find out more about legislation and government links on Celiac Disease, visit CSA's health links.

GET GLUTEN FREE & FABULOUS AT A STORE NEAR YOU!!

If you haven't checked the website, please do so! We're working so hard to get our cookies and pizzas all over the country! You won't be disappointed, in fact, you'll be overjoyed! 

If Gluten Free & Fabulous is NOT in your store, don't worry! Just use THIS SHEET to send a request to your grocery manager. They are happy to order whatever you request!

Gluten-free is taking over! : )

Please take a moment to read about the amazing strides in the gluten-free industry!! Thankfully, there are companies like GLUTEN FREE & FABULOUS who make products in a DEDICATED GLUTEN FREE FACILITY. You can feel safe and sound eating the delicious cookies, pasta, and pizza that they have so carefully created with you in mind!

CONSUMERS FIND RELIEF IN GLUTEN FREE MARKET

Gluten Free & FABULOUS Cooking Segment: Marinara Bolognese!

This just in: The beautiful Shari Cole, along with her handsome son Matthew, are at it again! Check out their new cooking segment for the delicious marinara bolognese, made from our Gluten Free & FABULOUS Quinoa with Marinara!

I had this pasta tonight with sauteed zuchini, it was amazing!

To see the new video, simply scroll down and click on the top video on the right side of my blog. 

Enjoy!!

Natural Products Expo West 2009

Natural Products Expo 2009 was a great success for Gluten Free & Fabulous!

Not only did we do well as a company, but it was my ONE YEAR anniversary with Gluten Free & Fabulous!

We had some excellent visitors at our booth. Our brokers who were in the area made sure to stop by- it's always wonderful to see them! Crowds of visitors, vendors, and brokers crowded our booth around lunch time each day to get their share of our gluten-free pizza. Our pepperoni pizza is now ORGANIC, which was a huge hit! 

Also, the beautiful ladies from Delight Gluten Free Magazine stopped by for some pizza and to catch up. It was great to see them and to hear about the fantastic direction that Delight is going in! Be sure to check it out!

Gluten-Free & FABULOUS compliments!

Ever have a co-worker, friend, or perfect stranger pay you a compliment? It's like an instant energy boost to your day.

Recently, a classmate of mine did exactly that for me. She approached me before class started and asked me what my secret was: did I work out, eat very well, or both? Apparently, she had noticed that I seemed all around like a happy, healthy person, and she admired how I carried myself. She wanted to know what my secret was; she event went as far to say that in previous semesters, her friends noticed me as well.

Not only did this make me smile, but made me feel proud as well. After all of my dedication towards my Celiac Disease and my gluten-free, practically vegan diet, someone had noticed!

I take every opportunity that I can to educate people on Celiac Disease and gluten-free, so naturally I was humbled, yet overjoyed, to let her in on the scoop: I just eat VERY well. She laughed, because as she and I were speaking, she was munching on a cheese danish, and then something came to me- hardly anyone eats well these days. I started to look around the classroom, only to discover that my classmates were fufilling their late afternoon hunger with candy, bags of chips, cookies, and to-go bowls of chowder from the on-campus convenient store. Little do they all know that quite possibly the reason they're so hungry at 4:00 in the afternoon is that they're filling their stomachs, and brains, with food that is not far off from the chemical properties of plastic! That might be stretching it, but then again, it's not far from the truth, considering the nutritonal content packaged foods these days.

She then asked me what I eat on a daily basis. I explained to her that my daily meals are pretty much the same, with the exception of dinner. My daily feast is as follows:

Breakfast: Quinoa flakes, banana, blueberries, honey
Snack: Envirokidz peanut-butter crisp bar
Lunch: Whole Soy & Co yogurt, banana
Snack: Apple with hummus
Snack: Enjoy Life bar

Dinner usually consists of chicken or fish with quinoa or rice, and vegetables, or gluten-free sausage with gluten-free pasta and vegetables, or a gluten-free tortilla with black beans, grilled zuchini or squash, and vege-cheese.
For dessert, I have nothing but the best: Gluten Free & FABULOUS cookies!

My thoughts? Why not try a gluten-free diet for one meal per day. Recently, I came across an article in the New York Times, "Vegan Before Dinnertime" , where one man eats vegan all day, and dinner is free game. It seems doable, and gives you incentive to eat well all day so that you can indulge at dinner. However, when choosing to diet gluten-free, you must remember to get plenty of protein and fiber in other ways, and of course remember to take your vitamins!

Organic AND gluten-free!

After taking a break from the blog, I'm back- and with exciting news!

Gluten-Free & FABULOUS pepperoni pizzas are now topped with ORGANIC gluten-free pepperoni! Just another reason to indulge in a delicious gluten-free, and GUILT-FREE, pizza!

To see a full list of ingredients, and check out what Gluten-Free & FABULOUS is up to, please visit glutenfreefabulous.com

Bon Apetit! 

Follow up post: Mislabeling on "gluten free"

"Enjoy Life", leader in allergy-free foods, has said that the investigation done by Chicago Tribune was LONG OVERDUE. 

Please read up on this informative article.

~Laura

Looking out for MORE than just "Hidden Gluten"

A recent article in The Chicago Tribune shed light on a disappointing topic regarding our trusted Whole Foods Market. 

According to an investigation done by the newspaper, Whole Foods brand "365: Organic Everyday Value" chocolate bars had misleading labeling on their wrappers. The wrappers stated that "good manufacturing practices" were "used to segregate" potential allergens such as tree nuts, soy, and milk. However, in 2007 a child who ate the candy, which had traces of tree nuts, had a reaction. The bars were then recalled and lables were changed.

However, the same label still exists on many other products of the 365 brand. Many customers like you are left wondering if the brand can be trusted.

There is no definition in the FDA regarding "gluten free";  yet they have proposed adopting the "20 parts per million" standard. An article on Celiac.com explains the benefits of this for Celiacs.

 

For example, the FDA just recently found gluten in 3 WELLSHIRE FARMS gluten-free products: Chicken Bites, Chicken Corn Dogs, and Beef Corn Dogs. Scary stuff!

The culprit: CROSS CONTAMINATION!

Alright, please read the full article from the Chicago Tribune in order to get the entire scoop. 

Take a deep breath: inhale and exhale slowly. 

Now, on a much happier note, you can rest assured because GLUTEN FREE & FABULOUS PIZZA products are made in a DEDICATED GLUTEN-FREE FACILITY!

That's right: all of the GLUTEN FREE & FABULOUS pizzas are made in a completely gluten-free facility. There will never be "wheat dust" floating around looking to contaminate our dough! We are the ONLY gluten-free pizza that we know of that can claim this.

Amy's, a well known gluten-free pizza brand, has high risks for cross contamination. As you know, they not only make gluten-free pizza, but regular pizza as well. They make gluten-free entrees, and regular entrees. Therefore, there is no way that their products can be guaranteed gluten-free. Their website FAQ clearly states this.

Although all of this cross contamination news is disheartening, please remind yourself that there are companies who care about the health of those with food allergies, and go above and beyond with their precautions. You can feel safe with Gluten Free & Fabulous!

THE THANKSGIVING CHRONICLES: CHAPTER ONE- GLUTEN FREE STUFFING

Within the past month or so, I've found myself really enjoying food.

To some, this may not seem like such a bold statement, but as a Celiac, it is. 

From the time I have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease, I have turned into a picky eater- almost paranoid- and enjoyed everything on the plain side. I realized that it was out of fear. Knowing that my entire life thus far has been a painful one, thanks to GLUTEN, I developed a fear of food. I did not want to take the chance again of going through the pain of ingesting gluten. So for the past year or so while I've been trying to heal my intestines, my main diet consisted of plain quinoa, bananas, plain steamed veggies, sushi (vegetable rolls) Lactaid milk, cereal, plain rice, EnviroKidz rice bars, etc. You're probably thinking, "How boring!"- but to me, I actually grew to really enjoy those plain things because deep down, I was scared to venture out again. Perfect example: my boyfriend and I go to PF Chang's because they feature a gluten-free menu with plenty of choices. He orders a decadent shrimp dish, I order Buddah's Feast (plain steamed veggies) with a side of plain brown rice.  This has been my life for the past year.

Yet recently, my diet has become more colorful! I've been enjoying different wines, pastas with veggies and italian sausage, pizzas with garlic (I've become obsessed with garlic!) tomatoes and basil, quinoa with diced tomatoes and garlic, and most importantly DESSERT! 

With that in mind, I am SO excited for Thanksgiving this year. I can't wait to enjoy all of the flavors! I will be making my own gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan pumpkin pie (more to come on that one) and also this FABULOUS Gluten-Free STUFFING!

Supplies:

(If you're stuffing a chicken or turkey it's best to double the ingredients so that you have plenty)

• 2 packages of GLUTEN FREE & FABULOUS Sweet Savory Bites (a delicious bite filled with brown sugar, flax seeds, pumpkin and squash kernels, & rosemary)- which I recommend buying in your local store
  
• 1/2 cup of chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped mushroom
• 2 oz. butter (use Smart Balance if you don't do dairy like me!)
• 6 oz. gluten-free Italian sausage (I prefer Aidell's Sausages)- make sure you cook this before you add to the stuffing
• 1 tsp. sage
• 1 tsp. Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup gluten-free chicken broth (can be found at your local grocery/Trader Joes)

First of all, watch the video to your right while you're cooking! It's a cooking tutorial done by Shari Cole of Gluten Free & Fabulous!

Secondly, Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Sautee vegetables with butter until desired readiness. Add cooked and drained sausage, broth, and combine all together. In a separate bowl, crumble Gluten Free & FABULOUS Sweet Savory Bites slightly along with adding sage and salt. Take first mixture (vegetables and sausage) and pour into baking dish, and add the Sweet Savory bites to the top. Place in oven for 45 mins (or until desired texture is reached).

Voila! A gluten free & FABULOUS stuffing that everyone is sure to gobble up! 

Shari, VP of Marketing for Gluten Free & Fabulous, says that at her Thanksgiving family dinner, everyone eats her dad's turkey instead! Her dad, Larry (CEO of GFF) has Celiac Disease, so this is the recipe that they use for his turkey stuffing.

Formal introduction

2004: The year it all began.

I was finishing my first year of college at University of Missouri Northwest. The whole year I had enjoyed everything that I was supposed to: new friends, sorority life, sleep overs, football games, and my new diet of pizza and beer. Sound familiar? Well, it eventually lead to the dismal "freshman 15"- every nineteen year old girl's worst nightmare! Yet, as final exams rolled around, I started to lose all that weight without any help; I was not dieting and I hardly exercised. I eventually began to sleep through my morning classes and became depressed. For as long as I could remember, my stomach had always hurt, but this was worse. The migraines and sinus infections only came more often too- I was an all around mess. My physical health interfered with my studies, so my parents and I eventually decided that I would come home to California after finishing the year.

 

When I finally came home, I weighed 100 lbs. Everyone said that I looked like a skeleton, yet nobody knew what was wrong with me. Was it stress? Possibly, because doctors now say that a stressful or traumatic event can lead to the trigger of Celiac Disease. This is what I was diagnosed with: Celiac Disease. After handfuls of tests and misdiagnosis, a few trips to the emergency room for dehydration and kidney infections, my mom's endocrinologist had finally diagnosed me.

My mom is one of the most generous women that I know. Immediately after my diagnosis, she took me to Mother's Market and bought me everything that I could find that was gluten-free. At the time, we really had no idea what we were getting ourselves into, but we were so relieved to have a glimpse of hope: maybe this gluten-free diet would finally put me on a healthy track. She even joined the Celiac Sprue Association, the largest non-profit support group for Celiacs in America. My dad has also been a huge support, trying all of my gluten-free goodies and assuring me that they taste great :)

For a while I tried the gluten-free diet, with little success, so I got fed up and quit. Now I know that I did not feel 100% better because of all the hidden gluten and cross contamination- you Celiacs know exactly what I'm talking about! I had no idea that gluten was in my toothpaste, my soy sauce, my salad dressing, etc. It was not until another year later that I would fully accept the responsibilities of living with Celiac Disease. I had finally had enough with the chronic sinus infections, painful acne, stomach aches, all of which completely cramped my lifestyle!

I can happily and successfully say that I have embraced my Celiac Disease and have been gluten-free for over a year, which brings me to my internship with Gluten Free & FABULOUS! Almost one year ago, my boyfriend's parents told me about an article they read in their local Arizona newspaper about Larry Schneider, CEO of Gluten Free & Fabulous (GFF). Larry's company had created a new gluten-free (gf) pizza that was also created in an entirely dedicated gf facility: the first pizza company to do so! This was a big deal because one major discrepancy between a healthy and unhealthy gf diet is cross-contamination, which can easily occur if a company makes their gf foods on the same equipment as regular food. When they told me about the article, I decided to check out the website. It turns out that Shari Cole, VP of Marketing for GFF, lived and worked out of Los Angeles, although the corporate headquarters were in Phoenix, AZ (where the pizza factory is). On a whim, I decided to e-mail her and tell her a little about myself and ask if she would be interested in having an intern. I was interested in a career in the Public Relations/Health industry, and I was a junior in college with a major in Journalism and PR and had Celiac Disease, so I thought I'd fit right in. Not 15 minutes after I sent my e-mail did Shari call me back saying, "Laura, I think it's a fabulous idea! That'd be phenomenal!"- later I would learn that those are her two signature phrases!

So that's how the story goes, and leads me to today. I am going into my last semester of college and have been an intern for Gluten Free & FABULOUS for almost one year. 

Curious about how gluten-free food gets in to grocery stores, or how we get the word out about the need for gluten-free food? Ever wonder which products are the best in each category? Want to know some phenomenal tips, recipes, and insights into the gluten-free industry? Or what it's like to be a college kid surrounded by cocktail bars (filled with beer), college food (gluten filled pizza, sandwiches, and everything microwavable) and group outings (mainly to places without gf menus!)? 

You've come to the right place: I am a gluten-free girl, living and working in a gluten-free world- and I'm here to let you in! 

"A girl should be three things: classy, fabulous, & gluten-free!"

-Coco Chanel (with a Laura twist)

Cheers,

Laura