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Friday, March 5th, 2010

Casein Free and Palm Shortening!

 

It’s been discovered that organic, non-hydrogenated palm fruit shortening is a fabulous, natural way to make delicious baked goods without butter, and without heavy processing or trans-fats. It’s also high vitamin E.
You can find this product at Whole Foods, and at many health food stores and food co-ops.
By the way, if you are OK with butter and prefer to use it, substitute 7 tbsp. cold butter for the palm fruit shortening in many of your recipes.
I use the Spectrum brand personally yet know there are many good brands available.
Tina Turbin

 

 


Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

Healthier Without Wheat by Dr. Stephen Wangen, The Gluten-Free Doctor


Author Dr. Stephen Wangen has presented wonderful in-depth research at one’s disposal in identifying if one has a problem with wheat or gluten or not.

With over 10 years in this field, working in his clinic and testing thousands of patients, Dr. Wangen speaks from a position of experience and immense respect for others working in this field as well. He recognizes the need for increased awareness, teamwork, and sharing knowledge.

This incredible book has a significant amount of independent research (cited in the bibliography), shared where applicable to assist the reader with greater understanding and shedding new light on areas possibly unknown.
Conveying a full grasp of the history of wheat and clearing up any confusions regarding wheat, gluten, gliadin, and gluten allergies and intolerances, Healthier Without Wheat then covers the multitude of problems and symptoms in infants, children and adults, all conveyed in clear, concise verbiage, unlike the manner in which many doctors convey knowledge. While this book covers a broad range of topics, each and every one of these operative points is well-written with the readers’ understanding and ability to apply the knowledge in mind.

My highest respect goes to Dr. Wangen for his straightforward approach to clarifying the test available for determining celiac disease as well as the testing for non-celiac forms of gluten intolerance.

In the end, anyone reading this book will have a full understanding of how wheat can affect one’s life and will be able to determine if what is indeed affecting one’s or a loved one’s health and then how to go about addressing it if this is indeed the case. An excellent handbook—buy it, share it, and learn from Dr. Wangen.

Dr. Wangen is also the author of The Irritable Bowel Syndrome Solution and founder of the IBS Treatment Center.

This resource book is given a thumbs up and is very HIGHLY recommended by me to have in every house-hold.

Tina Turbin


Monday, March 1st, 2010

Gluten-Free Company – Uli Mana

 

Uli Mana is a successful company with nothing but positive energy in every handmade product, founded by single mom Theresa Green. My L.A. and Florida gluten-free test group and I had the wonderful opportunity to test these delectable little morsels of yum. Each and every product has the capability to tease one’s taste buds and offers a smooth taste. They are a delicious treat for anyone needing a gluten-free chocolate fix. Who doesn’t have one of those cravings now and then, especially us women! Sorry men, I don’t mean to leave you out of this but there are just those times of the month- “Hey honey, don’t you dare touch MY Uli Mana.”

Not to side track you, but take a peek at the video review of their company.

Theresa Green started her career with Nirvana Manna (renamed later Maca Manna) after expected success with a home recipe passed to a friend at the Natural Foods Expo 2005. Word spread, and she could only grow and expand to incorporating UliMana. Her made-up name is semi-Huna—a Polynesian and Hawaiian science practiced by the aboriginals of those regions. It means asking the goddess Uli, the “Goddess of Serenity,” for the blessings of life force, energy, and vibrant health—“mana.”

All the chocolates used are raw as well as all of her ingredients, offering the raw food community the opportunity to take advantage of the many health benefits of raw chocolate, which reduces blood pressure, contains antioxidants, relaxes muscles (due to the mineral content), and increases insulin activity.

Theresa’s initial products were all sweetened with raw honey, and she featured many Cacao mixes. Two years ago she developed new products as a result of introducing agave into her test kitchen. The result was new versions of truffles, such as Goji Cherry Truffles, Dark Cacao Truffles, and her to-die-for Truffle Butter.

The new truffles were an immediate hit. As Theresa explains, they were an “eat-now” food and did not require any mixing or processing by the consumer except the process of hand-to-the-mouth-and-enjoy. Sales soared.

The  manufacturing facility is generously supplied by Blue Ridge Food Ventures, founded by Advantage West, funded by the State of North Carolina to help business. She has access to storage space, a loading dock, shipping and receiving, and even legal and accounting advice. She credits much of her ease in the business’s evolution to the opportunities her state offers through this facility, stating she’s never needed to take out a loan or sell shares of the business.

With the incorporation of UliMana strategically placed on a positive astrological day, Theresa continues to hire only positive people with positive energy, and all products continue to be raw and made by hand. I asked her what we can expect in the coming future, and she openly said a rice syrup version of new delectables to cater to the needs of the macrobiotic consumer, who will be very pleased, she’s sure.

We testers are still raving about Uli Mana and all the handmade treats which passed our palates.

Tina Turbin

This food company is given a thumbs up and is HIGHLY recommended by my entire team here at www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

Don’t forget to look at this company’s video review.


Sunday, February 21st, 2010

Planning a Gluten-Free Vacation for Your Child

    The trick is planning ahead. Call the local health food stores where you’ll be staying well ahead of your trip and ask them about their selection of gluten-free foods. If there aren’t enough gluten-free choices, usually the store will be happy to order your favorite gluten-free foods for you.

     If there aren’t any health food stores around, some grocery stores have health food sections and may be able to order gluten-free foods for you as well. You can always bring along your own supply of gluten-free foods, such as gluten-free flour and pasta for instance, or you can order online from your favorite gluten-free sites and have the gluten-free goodies delivered straight to where you’ll be staying. If you won’t be staying with friends or family, I suggest you rent a condo or get a hotel room with a full kitchen for your gluten-free cooking.

     If you’ll be staying with family, particularly during the holidays, tell them ahead of time about your celiac child’s gluten-free diet needs so they can stock up gluten-free foods. You can also send them some gluten-free recipes for the family’s favorite holiday foods. Oftentimes you’ll find that your family will be more than happy to make your celiac child feel at home with gluten-free goodies and a generous stock of gluten-free foods for your gluten-free cooking.

     Learning how to meet the gluten-free dietary needs of your celiac child has required some planning and a few adjustments, but in the end it isn’t very tough to successfully adopt a gluten-free lifestyle. Similarly, keeping your celiac child well-fed on gluten-free foods during travel and vacations requires some work and planning ahead, but you’ll find that you’ll get the hang of it in no time.

Tina Turbin


Saturday, February 13th, 2010

Celiac Disease and Scoliosis

 

Many people have wondered if there  happens to be a correlation with scoliosis and celiac disease, I was one of them.
I was suddenly diagnosed with mild scoliosis and presented with my X rays after my third child. I had previous X ray and they were never ”crooked”. It just so happens that a number of years later I was finally diagnosed celiac as well. Very interesting, is there a connection here?
Marion’s ( from Oregon) had asked the same question and gathered some information which she said I could share with you. Here are her results:

Thank you to everyone who responded to my question.  I received 28 responses.  23 people said either they or someone in their family had both cd and scoliosis.  1 person said they are not associated, but are hereditary.  1 person said there’s no connection.  Several people mentioned malnutrition as being a possible factor in scoliosis.  A few people suggested that I do a Google search on the topic, which I have extensively done.  I’m convinced that there’s a connection, and I’m factoring that into my daughter’s treatment plan.   

 

Websites to check:
http://www.scoliosis-world.com/old_polls.htm

I sure hope this helps answer your questions about this too . Tina Turbin

 

 


Sunday, February 7th, 2010

Gluten-Free Cruise with Holland America


 
The below information regarding Holland America cruise line was shared and Bonnie in NYC has approved me to share this broadly with all of you:
 
“I just came back from a one week Caribbean cruise on Holland America and had
no food issues.    They are set up to GF and really do it well:  they stock many GF options and I  had no cross-contamination issues.   

“Each night, they provided the GF passengers with the next day’s menu, which was modified for us.  Even made us special soups and a flourless chocolate cake.  

“We  had pre-ordered breads, muffins, etc and they had them waiting for us.

“I’m pretty sensitive and react to the slightest amount of gluten.  For the
first time in a long time, I was able to travel and eat with relative ease. Would do it again in a heartbeat.”

“If you go: call their Special Diet people at least 30 days in advance.  There’s a GF form, where you make your bread and dessert requests.  And eat your dinners in the main dining room and stay with the same waiter.  That’s what made it much easier for us.”

Bonnie in NYC


Friday, February 5th, 2010

Secret Tip On How to Avoid GMOs at the Grocery Store

 

Many of us are eating Genetically Modified Foods (GMOs) whether we realize it or not.  Do you know how to tell the difference?

It turns out that you can easily tell whether the produce you purchase at the grocery store is a GMO simply by reading the PLU (price look up) code.

Here’s what you need to be aware of:

1. If the PLU is 5 digits and begins with an 8, then it a Genetically Modified Organism.

2. If the PLU is 4 digits, even if it contains a symbol at the beginning, then it is not a GMO.

Regarding your purchases of processed foods, keep in mind that according to Wikipedia, as many as 75% of ALL processed foods on American shelves contain at least one GMO.

Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a way to discern if a packaged item contains GMOs or not.  Yet another reason to avoid the entire middle section of the grocery store as much as possible. 

For wholesome, nutritious and delicious recipe ideas, be sure to visit my gluten-free recipe page.

Best,

Tina


Thursday, February 4th, 2010

GLuten-Free and Starbucks!

Good news ! We have gluten-free options at Starbucks.

When Starbucks announced the cancellation of their cake via Twitter this started a petition to bring back the cake. They listened and acted upon this petition and the many calls they received.

All of the gluten-free items they now have offer a longer shelf life. This they hope will  lead to less waste and less profit loss. For the full Starbucks gluten-free product list, check out Gluten-Free Philly’s post. There are nut free and dairy free options this time around too.

Starbucks has shared that after the discontinuation of their Valencia Orange cake the gluten-free consumers really expressed a desire for  more healthy snacks so they decided to accommodate this need. Yay Starbucks!

It’s is a smart move for Starbucks to accommodate gluten-free, vegan and organic minded consumers with these new food options. Many people will enjoy these products.

I have stopped at a few Starbucks to check them out. I have found ones that do not have the GF items yet. I was told they are getting them, the one in Texas airport told me that it has to do with the heightened security on getting new products in and the one in Clearwater, Florida at Barnes and Noble just did not have them delivered as of yet.

Let me know what you guys find out and if they have Oats or not as I know that Lucy’s ( above) does have oats, be it gf oats though. I still prefer to stay off the oats as much as I can.

ENJOY! Tina Turbin


Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

Gluten-Free Book Review: Everyday Grain-Free Gourmet

Watch my video of the JK Gourmet food and book review by clicking here.

Everyday Grain-Free Gourmet is a cookbook offering a clarification to and simplification of the grain-free diet and its health benefits. It also clarifies some specific points regarding the Specific Carbohydrate Diet and offers some well-researched and documented history and evidence concerningthe diet.

Bestselling authors Jodi Bager and Jenny Lass met one day while on a trip to meet with then author Elaine Gottschall, creator of the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, and started talking recipes and food. They soon collaborated and found that their individual styles complimented each other perfectly.

Jodi says her style is simple and she’s a mom and on the other hand Janet is more scientific and a medical writer. They even like opposites. Jodi prefers family meals and recipes to serve her kids, while Jenny has a bit of a sweet tooth and loves ice cream—hence, the basis of a wonderful assortment to not only satisfy the palate, but an array to fill the many basic needs from breakfasts to dinners, desserts, and kitchen staples, all with a great homemade taste.

For anyone wanting to absorb the premise behind the SCD, this is the book for any reader. You are presented with just what you need to grasp the concepts. I, for one, now understand Elaine’s original book as a result of Everyday Grain-Free Gourmet’s well-written explanations.

The recipes produce without a doubt top-of-the-line, high-quality foods. (Try the cashew butter cookies—with almond flour!) They are packed with nutrition thanks to Jodi’s interests and loaded with “yum” thanks to Jenny.

Don’t forget to watch my video of the JK Gourmet food and book review by clicking here.

Please read more about JK Gourmet at http://www.glutenfreehelp.info/review-food/gluten-free-food-review-jk-gourmet/

Tina Turbin

 

Bestselling first book

Delicious recipes for healthy living

Everyday Grain-Free Gourmet by Jodi Bagers and Jenny Lass


Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

Tampa Area Celiacs a Support Group- Janet Heitler

 

There are many ways we with celiac or gluten intolerance can help others. One way is to head a group. Jane is an exceptional woman with her story and running a group for many years now. Here is her story and a link to a news article about her and her experiences. Really worth reading. Janet has recently attended my GF taste testing party to assist in my Reviews. She is FUN!

Janet Heitler joined a pre-existing group (Tampa Bay celiac Support Group) in 1995 two weeks after she was discharged from the hospital with her celiac diagnosis. She had a long time of misdiagnosis and no diagnosis. Things did not look good up to that final day of being correctly diagnosed.

Two women initially founded the group and Janet ended up in the group after they resigned from being Co-chairs. A husband and wife team took it over and I wanted to contribute because everyone was so wonderful – so Janet said she would be the Treasurer, easy to do. Everything was fine until two months into their “reign” I got a call that they were moving to Nevada.  Bam – she got in 1998 and I has had it ever since.

The meeting calendar was all over the chart and the first thing she did was announce to meet on the second Saturday of every other month – Feb/Apr/Jun/Aug/Oct and Dec.  We meet at 1 – 3 PM at the Jimmy Keel Library on Bears Avenue in Tampa, unless a luncheon is arranged.

They have done 2 GF Beer and Pizza Parties, when Pei Wei first opened they had a luncheon, and a luncheon at Trang’s Viet-Nam Cuisine — 90% of the menu is GF – it is not a GF restaurant it just works out like that, she says.

There are 200 people on her mailing list, but the most she has ever had at meeting (Beer/Pizza luncheon) was 70 people yet normally there are 20-25 people attending.

According to Janet, a lot of times newbie’s come once and think they know everything there is then fall aside. Then she gets a call and they talk as they are in trouble. She reminds them of the meetings and she tells them the new things that are out there and having the emails has helped people to reconnect and stay connected.

Janet’s email –  jchtbc42@tampabay.rr.com

Janet’s latest article: http://www2.newsadvance.com/lna/lifestyles/food_cooking/article/sifting_through_the_options/4033/

Thank you Janet!       Tina Turbin

 

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Tina Turbin

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Tina Turbin became extremely interested and involved in the subjects of gluten free, gluten sensitive and celiac disease a number of years ago as a result of...

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