CD is linked to breast cancer…Huh?

I was bumming around on Twitter the other day (you can follow me @nickyhamila) and I came across an article saying that Celiac Disease might prevent breast cancer…And that really got me thinking and asking a lot of questions to an unresponsive computer screen.

The Swedish study showed that women with Celiac had a 30% reduction of getting the cancer, citing that they generally had less breast tissue. But is that also assuming that these women with Celiac weigh less and thus have less breast tissue? I know, for myself, that I gained weight when I was diagnosed with Celiac and started avoiding gluten (that was almost 6 years ago!) Yes, eventually things went back to normal, but does that mean I have less breast tissue now?

The study also said there is a lesser chance for ovarian cancer. What was even more impressive was the study surveyed 17,852 women with CD. Now that would be a lunch bunch dream come true.

-N

Paleo & Loving It!

I got so bored, I went Paleolithic. Now I am never turning back!

You know how sometimes you get bored with your eating routine? Maybe this is not for some people, but for me I usually get in this food rut, where I am eating essentially the same types of foods everyday. My logic is that if I am eating the same foods, then it loosens up some stress in my life….I don’t have to worry about what I am eating for dinner because it will probably be much like my dinner the night before. Well, with this reality comes some problems; I get so terribly bored! I was eating way too many gluten-free meal replacement and protein bars. I was getting lazy with my food, really.

When I get this bored, I usually end up changing my diet drastically to switch things up a little bit. I don’t do it for weight loss but more for a lifestyle change and a learning experience. I googled “Diet” and the first thing that popped up was the diet I am currently doing now called the “Paleolithic Diet.”

Don’t get me wrong now, it’s not like I am outside in my backyard hunting quail! But basically, the Paleo diet, which is also called the “hunter/gatherer” diet, is where you can only eat the foods that were available and eaten during the Paleolithic times (ahem, caveman times.) So it’s basically any meat, fish, poultry, fruits, vegetables (not potatoes or legumes though) and nuts (except for peanuts.)

I am basically doing a variation of the diet because I do enjoy a glass of wine or a piece of chocolate ( and the occasional vodka soda) every once and a while. But I try to follow it for the most part. My mom actually started doing it too. Without even realizing it or trying, I have lost 10 pounds already from being on the diet for almost two months! Okay, that’s a lie…it is more like six pounds. But still!

It’s truly all about substitutions with the Paleo diet. If you are curious about it, you should definitely try it!

I’m chocolately, but I am not made of chocolate, I am low-carb but you would never know…WHAT AM I?

Why, you are a Lydia’s Organic Raw Cacao Crunch Bar of course! So chocolatey….so decadent…so low-cal…so low-carb..so…well, you get the idea.

I can’t find a decent sized picture of the bar, so the next time I buy one I will have a photo sesh with it and post it! It is soo yummy.  Also, I can’t help but love that it is gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, grainless and raw!

 

Here are the facts:

Serving size: 1 Bar

Cals: 160

Carbs: 19 g

Total fat: 7 g

Protein: 6 g

For how carb-tastic it tastes, the fact that it is under 20 grams of carbs is quite surprising! There are many different flavors besides this one.

I pick mine up at my local Whole Foods next to all the other raw foods and bars.

Go try one today!

<3 N

GLUTEN-FREE DAIRY-FREE Vanilla Cupcakes…

So I decided to attempt to make some cupcakes! They are not low-carb by any means, don’t get me wrong. But my birthday is coming up soon and I was feeling festive! So I documented my baking adventure with pictures so other celiacs (and non-celiacs) can follow along and make them too! Here goes nothing…

First, put your oven on 350 degrees F! Must do that first!!

What you need:

1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups (310 mL) Bobs Red Mill GF All Purpose Flour
1/4 tsp (1.5 mL) salt
1 1/2 tsp (7.5 mL) baking powder
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) xanthan gum
1/2 cup (125 mL) canola oil
1/2 cup (125 mL) Almond milk
1 tsp  vanilla extract

Step 1: Beat sugar and eggs in large bowl of electric mixer at medium speed for one minute.

Step 2: Add flour, salt, baking powder, xanthan gum, oil, milk and vanilla; beat at medium speed for one minute.

Step 3: Add some pretty sprinkles for fun!

Step 4: Place cupcake baking liners in a 12-cupcake baking pan. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Step 5: Place in centre of oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until centre springs back when touched and cupcakes are very lightly browned.

Step 6: Remove cupcakes from pan onto rack and cool completely before icing. Top with your favourite frosting.

 I decided to make them cute with sprinkles but that is completely up to you! I did a basic vanilla frosting but instead of confectioners sugar, I mixed some GF flour and some sugar together with butter and vanilla extract. Pretty simple but there are a ton of different frostings you can make that are GF!

Happy Birthday to me!

<3 N

Starbucks is GLUTEN-Free…for the most part.

I called the Starbucks information call center to ask which of their beverages weren’t gluten free and the list wasn’t that long! Which is very exciting. Here is what you NEED to watch out for!

-Dulce de Leche syrup- NOT GF, don’t get it..don’t put it in your mouth..stay away.

-Cream base- This is in their cream frappuccino’s…so the vanilla bean one and the Green tea one…those are all on the No No list! NOT GF!

-Java chips- Also on the bad list..NOT GF!

-Malt- Well duh…NOT GF!

Let me know if you guys hear anything different from that.

 

<3 N

SACS Gluten-Free Food Faire is TOMORROW! MAY 9!

The Southern Arizona Celiac Support Group is having a Gluten-free Food Faire on Saturday, May 9, 2009!

What: SACS Gluten-Free Food Faire

Where: Christ Community Church Gymnasium, Tucson Arizona

When: May 9 from 9 AM-2 PM

Why: Umm, because us celiacs deserve a food faire too!

You can see the official SACS flyer here: http://www.southernarizonaceliacsupport.org/2009foodfaire/FoodFaire2009-rev.pdf

This will be my first year going but it is open to the public and totally free. According to the flyer, there are samples of yummy GF foods, raffles, silent auctions and blood screenings! I am definitely going tomorrow and will take lots of pictures for y’all!!

Have a happy Friday!

<3 N

Get the most Omega-threes!? Oil packed v. water packed tuna

It is common to put canned tuna into the healthy category, but there are also ways to get the most out of this little guy!

Imagine you are in the canned tuna aisle, ready to take about 5 or 6 cans of it and toss it in your basket. You stop yourself. Packed in Water? Packed in Oil? Which one is healthier? Albacore? Tongol? Oh my!

If you want to get the most out of your tuna and get your omega-3 fats, there are some tunas that are better than others.

Step 1:  Get tuna packed in water, not oil. The oil mixes with the natural fats in the tuna, so when you drain it, you drain some of those omega-3s too! And we all know oil is just not that good for you anyway. BUT if you like oil-packed, opt for it in olive oil, and don’t drain it.

Step 2: Try to get organic canned tuna, which can be found at most health food stores like Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Sunflower Market, Sprouts etc. I say this because those big brand named tuna companies, like Starkist, cook the shit out of the tuna two times and put a bunch of additives in it too. No joke! Go to Whole Foods, get a can of their 365 Tongol Tuna, open it right next to a can of starkist tuna, and just see the difference in color and texture. The starkist tuna looks like something the tuna fish ate that day before they killed it. Here is a little summary from whfoods.com as to how Starkist cans their tuna:

…they bake the fish whole on a rack, which results in a loss of natural beneficial oils. Then the fish is de-boned and put into the can, along with flavorings like vegetable broth, and additives such as pyrophosphate or hydrolyzed casein. The cans are sealed, and the fish is cooked again. This process allows the companies to de-bone the fish fillets faster and produce a higher volume of product.

Ew, right? Specialty organic tuna is usually canned raw and only once. My fav tuna is 365 Organic Tongol Tuna:

It tastes and actually looks like tuna, whadda ya know! My sister, who used to be an avid Starkist tuna eater, would swear by this stuff too. It’s the best!

I have also gotten the Trader Joe’s brand, and it’s pretty good too. I usually mix it with organic mayonnaise w/ salt & pepper, or sometimes I mix it with a balsamic vinegar and some tomatoes!

Happy Friday all!

<3 N