Gluten-free-for-all

Thanks to goodnessknows for sponsoring this post and encouraging me to refocus on healthy living goals!

I remember once proclaiming that I’d rather date a vegetarian than someone who was gluten-free.  I said “vegetarian” like it was something utterly disdainful, the penultimate compatibility failure.  Fast forward a few years, and I’m the (most-of-the-time) vegetarian touting a gluten-free fellow.  Oh, how the tables turn!  Starting this blog 6.5 years ago was sort of like my healthy living “puberty” — back then, I was dipping my toe in the internet’s complex, often conflicting, never-ending pool of health-focused information.  I was intrigued, excited, and totally misguided.  But, just as our bodies physically mature over our lifetimes, our tastes, preferences, and views shift and expand, strengthen and sag too.  And thank god for that.  Otherwise I’d still be eating fat-free dairy for snacks and microwaved broccoli for breakfast every day. goodnessknows

Near the time I started blogging, I learned about the gluten-free diet from my friend Tracy, who, after an onslaught of tummy troubles, found that dairy-free, gluten-free foods made her feel “normal” again.  At the time, “gluten” was a word few people knew or cared much about, and this whole gluten-free diet thing sounded MISERABLE to me.  So, I made it my mission to find Tracy a decent gluten-free, dairy-free pizza so that her new GF life wouldn’t be completely devoid of joy.
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6 Year Bloggiversary

Dang, guys.  It doesn’t feel like a whole year has passed since I wrote my five-year-bloggiversary post, but here we are.  SIX WHOPPING YEARS of blogging under my belt.  Last year, I reminisced on starting the blog and how over the past five years my blog has become my wing man of sorts.  A support system, really.  A crutch.  Who woulda guessed year six would be one for the record books?

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I had a few cool media spotlights this year, including being listed as one of Charlotte’s 16 food accounts to follow on Instagram on Charlotte Agenda, and a fun introduction on #weloveclt written by my pal Vanessa Smith Have you met Mary?

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I was also selected as a Design Charlotte Influencer and got to talk all about how cool Charlotte is in this video:

My most popular post over the last 365 days was my Buffalo Chicken Dip recipe (originally posted in 2010, most popular blog post, six years running), dangit… Followed closely by my Charlotte Foodie Guide and this HIGHLY informative post on how to make leftover pizza taste like it was just delivered.

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Whole30 – Notes from the Other Side

In my whole 30 years, I’ve never gone on a diet.  Actually, come to think of it, there was that one time, back in college, when I challenged myself to eat nothing but raw fruits and vegetables for three whole days.  SO.MANY.GRAPES.  I also had a brief stint as an uncompromising calorie counter, and while that helped me limit the amount of food I consumed, it was more about calorie give-and-take, like having a sensible lunch so I could calorically finagle a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch for dessert.

Diet is a dirty word.  It makes me think of limitations, restrictions, sacrifices and, ultimately, unhappiness.  And thus, I’ve avoided all of them.  Because food is my THING.  My everything, really.  Without it, I don’t know who I am.  And I mean that literally, in the least dramatic way.  Without food, I don’t know how I’d spend my time or my thoughts.  I’d feel empty, physically and mentally.

Over the Christmas holiday, my mom asked my thoughts on the Whole30.  I’d never heard of it, but a little bit of research told me it was basically an extreme 30-day version of the Pal1969415_10102575857932084_8226543047997873534_neo diet meant to help participants nutritionally reset–to find the mix of food and nutrients that made their bodies feel and operate optimally.  This “nutritional reset” idea resonated with me because I’ve been on downward spiral since my big 30th birthday in July.  Lots of travel, lots of fun, and lots of eating with reckless abandon have accumulated in a 7-pound gain I’m not planning to keep.

And so this self-declared carbohydrate connoisseur said yes to the Whole30, and gave up grains, sugar, beans, soy, dairy, and booze for thirty whole darn days.  I was scared at first, mostly because it had taken me a lot of time and effort to find a mix of foods that kept my low-blood sugar in line throughout the day, and I was hesitant to mess with that “magic” formula.  But I went forth and swapped my normal egg and Ezekiel toast for a veggie frittata and roasted sweet potatoes.  Oatmeal got the axe in favor of coconut milk chia seed pudding.  My lunches weren’t all that different–a salad with protein, just no cheese or quinoa as I’d normally use.  Buh bye mid-afternoon protein bar, H-E-L-L-O roasted broccoli and cauliflower rice (OBSESSED).  Dinners weren’t much different either.   Meatballs and marinara over zucchini noodles, mixed greens topped with carnitas or baracoa plus guacamole, stir-fry with ALL THE VEGGIES, burger-salad-what-have-yous.

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America’s Barbecue Battle: An Eater’s Guide

Fervent Foodie is a contributing writer for the official Urbanspoon blog.

Make no bones about it: Americans are passionate about their barbecue. Much like grandma’s potato salad and dad’s lasagna, regional barbecue triggers feelings of nostalgia and deep-rooted hometown pride. The word barbecue here is used as a noun, not a verb. It’s not a casual backyard get-together or hot dogs and hamburgers grilled in the driveway over a propane flame. Barbecue in this context is meat cooked low and slow, usually over wood chips, in hand-built smokers and converted oil drums, till it’s fall-off-the-bone, melt-in-your-mouth tender.

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What’s a whole grain, anyway? {plus a humongous whole grain goodies giveaway}

These days, as gluten intolerances become increasingly common and more folks are pledging the Paleo diet, the healthfulness of whole grains is a debated subject.  I cannot speak for a globe of eaters on this (or any other) issue, but I can share what works best for me.  Over the years, I’ve struggled with blood sugar issues (mostly low sugar crashes) and through trial and error, I’ve determined my body functions at its best when its has several small meals spaced throughout the day, each consisting of protein, fat, and carbohydrates.  It’s no secret I love carbs.  Say it with me: CARBS ARE NOT THE ENEMY!  (In fact, carbs are ENERGY.)  Not all carbohydrates are created equal though, and that’s where whole grains come into play.

 

What’s a whole grain?

WholeGrainKernel_WGC_0In their natural state, grains consist of three parts: endosperm, germ, and bran.  When a grain is processed or refined, it is stripped of its bran and germ, leaving only the endosperm.  This gives the grain a smoother texture and improves shelf life, but leaches nutrients in the process.  Food manufacturers often add fillers (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, iron, etc.) to enhance the nutritional stats of the processed grains.  The resulting “enriched” products are grossly inferior to whole grains.

According to WebMD (and a million other sites and research studies), a diet rich in whole grains has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and some forms of cancer PLUS improve bowel health (thank you very much!).

 

Some common types of whole grains:

*starred whole grains are gluten-free

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  • Barley
  • Buckwheat*
  • Corn* (including cornmeal & popcorn)
  • Millet*
  • Oats

 

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  • Quinoa*
  • Rice* (brown, wild)
  • Rye
  • Sorghum*
  • Wheat (includes spelt, farro, bulgur, wheatberries, and more)

 

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What am I eating?! Navigating the nutrition panel

Shopping for whole grains can be really challenging.  It’s great to shop with intention and desire to purchase whole grains, but cryptic nutrition labels can easily confuse a buyer.  The Whole Grains Council chart below is an excellent tool to assist you in finding whole grain products.

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