What is Gluten?

Gluten is part of a protein from wheat and other grains that is considered generally harmless…unless you are part of the 1% with Celiac Disease (specific malabsorption syndrome) or part of the increasingly growing population with gluten and/or wheat sensitivity.  The real issue is that it is very difficult to identify how large that latter population is; however, it is reported that gluten sensitivity affects at least 15% of the U.S. and is rapidly increasing with no apparent relief in sight.  Based on my clinical experience, I expect that number to be closer to 40%.

What are the signs of Gluten Sensitivity?

Many people have grown to accept the symptoms as “normal” since many of us experience these symptoms for very long periods of time.  Post-dinner bloating is a classic example.  As often as this occurs, it is still a symptom. 

Outside of the ongoing debate whether or not agave nectar is “good” or “bad” for you, drinking raw milk comes in a close second on hot food debates.  I, for one, have always shunned at the thought of drinking raw milk, let alone, allowing my kids to drink it for many years.  But, I was also highly uninformed of what raw milk is and how it differs from mainstream pasteurized milk.   I was raised in a suburb of Chicago where my mom shopped weekly for Coke and Wonder Bread.  Eating a bowl of Frosted Flakes cereal was how I started my day before school.  I never even knew there was such a thing as raw milk. 

Ah, the question that never fails to come up during any given lecture I do, "What do you pack your kids for lunch?"  The question of the decade.  How do we, as parents and caregivers feel when we pack a lunch for our kids filled with brightly colored, cartoon decorated and nutritionally dead food?  Lousy, I suspect.  With summer camp in full swing by now, school not so far off, let today be the day to start fresh.  There is an art to feeding our kids healthy and still get a hug!  How do I know this?  I have five of my own. 5 sets of tastebuds, 5 opinions, 5 mouthes to fuel.  Today, however, I am handing over the virtual mic to another voice on the topic.  Meet Heather, author and founder of the blog, The Gluten Free Cat.

This past Father’s Day celebration was my inspiration for this post.  Do we, as a culture, overindulge on our holidays?  Do we break all the healthy foodie rules we try to follow during the week on the weekends?  How do we feel that sense of indulging without really indulging?  I love a celebration just the like everyone else.  Celebrating one’s birthday, a graduation, a promotion, a father or a mother.  What I don’t like is the following day feeling like a Mack truck just hit me.  It could take me two to three days to feel well again from an overindulgent meal.  A cheat meal is one thing, which I am a fan of, but a cheat buffet is another story!  This post is dedicated to allowing each and every one of us the feeling of indulging without the painful aftermath.  No more bloating, headaches, lack of focus or fatigue.

Gluten-Free “Clean Food”

Created by: Amie Valpone, HHC, AADP and author of The Healthy Apple is a Manhattan based Culinary Nutritionist, Personal Chef, Professional Recipe Developer and Food Writer specializing in simple Gluten-Free ‘Clean’ recipes for the home cook.

What is ‘Clean’ Food? It’s about eating to complement all five tastes through a colorful rainbow of fresh produce, healthy fats and lean proteins.  It’s about training your taste buds to rid themselves of processed food flavors and sugar we face every day. It's about eating minimally processed foods with maximum nutrient value.

Here are a few helpful tips for how to create flavor within my ‘Clean’ Food parameters: