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enjoylife grain and seed bars

Enjoy Life Grain & Seed Bars | Product Review

January 5, 2019 — Leave a comment

With 2018 in the rearview every one is slowly getting back into the swing of the New Year and with that setting goals for cleaner, healthier, and better ways of being. Here on theglutenfreechef blog we promote whole plant based foods processed as minimally as possible but this doesn’t mean that busy active lifestyles don’t need a supplement here and there.

This is where our favorite gluten free snack brand; Enjoylife comes into play. As a brand Enjoy Life is all about taste-FULL worry-free snacks that are full of whole ingredients but free of the most common allergens; gluten, wheat, soy, dairy, and more. They have a huge product line that includes baking chocolate, cookies, snack bars and more. Currently, we’re snacking on their newest flavors of grain and seed bars; cranberry orange and lemon poppyseed.

Enjoy Life Grain & Seed Bars

enjoylife grain and seed bars

The Cranberry Orange Grain & Seed Bars re packed with purity protocol certified gluten free oats, three types of sorghum, plant-based protein, and fruit including tangy orange and sweet cranberries. They are the perfect am pick me up right as you get up in the morning or a lovely mid-morning snacks with a serving of greek yogurt or almonds. Even better this flavor or one of the other five including:

can fill the sneakiest late night sweet tooth craving. Each bar has only 5 grams of suga, 4 grams of protein, and only 120 calories. Whats’ better is you can literally see the real whole ingredients that make up each bar and with a simply ingredient list you can know what you are putting into your body.

Top 10 Most Viewed Blog Posts of 2018

January 4, 2019 — Leave a comment

2018 was a whirlwind year for theglutenfreechef (read more) and the first time since its inception that the blog had little original content for much of the year. Fortunately, the blog has been blessed with amazing international readers and supporters that kept the website vibrant via Facebook and Instagram activity. Keeping to tradition, we found it vital to share the posts that received the most views throughout the year even though original content was kept to a minimum

So without further adieu… The Top 10 Most Viewed Blog Posts of 2018

Top 10 Most Viewed Blog Posts of 2018

10. Turkey Meatballs | Recipe 

9. Dole Quick & Easy Broccoli Slaw | Recipe

8. Chocolate, Banana, Apple Smoothie | Recipe

7. Vegan Sweet Potato Cabbage Soup | Recipe

6. Gluten Cutter, Digestive Enzyme | Product Review

5. The Honest Company | Product Review

4. Sorghum Biscuits | Recipe

3. Alexia Crispy Seasoned Potato Puffs w/roasted garlic | Product Review

2. Vegan Sorghum Pancakes

1. All About Graham Flour

A Wellness Cycle Keeps the Flu Away | Guest Blog by Kseniya Popov-Huang

November 28, 2018 — Leave a comment

Does it feel like your winter wellness strategy is limited to crossing your fingers, and holding your breath when walking through crowded buildings?Winter wellness is a lifestyle that starts with minimizing stress and germs, while maximizing nutrition, connection, outdoor life, and sleep. These interconnected lifestyle pieces can make you more resistant to the flu and other diseases throughout the winter.

My family of six has kept the flu away for four years – here are six tips to help you do the same by building your immune system and creating a cycle of wellness.

6 Ways to Keep The Flu Away This Winter

Tip #1: No stress is best 

Stress lowers our immune response, but it also interferes with sleep, appetite, and our ability to handle daily tasks. We’ve worked hard to reduce stress in our lives by streamlining household chores and reducing outside commitments. Most importantly we listen to our bodies – if stress is creeping in to ruin activities that should be fun, perhaps we’ve over scheduled or over stretched our family, and it’s time to dial back the activities even more. We also add extra hugs and eye contact – studies have shown that physical touch and eye contact reduce stress and increase levels of dopamine – the feel good hormone.

Tip #2: Hands washed often

Germs are everywhere, and in the winter, when we have so little sun, and so many sniffly noses, you can almost feel them crawling all over you. We fight them by having firm hand washing rules at home, and by not wearing our outdoor shoes inside the house. My husband enjoys wiping things down with disinfectant wipes when things get really out of hand.

Tip # 3: More sleep 

Sleep is so important to the immune system! We have regular bedtimes, even for the adults. Any time I rob myself of sleep for a week or more, I’m guaranteed to pick up a cold or stomach bug out of nowhere. Sleeping well (at least eight hours in a dark, cool room) also helps to reduce stress response in the body, and control cravings for carbs and sugar. This means that a good night of sleep and white space in your calendar helps you choose the nutritious food that will protect and fortify your immune system.

Tip # 4: Five servings of fruit

We try maximize vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and proteins, and minimize refined sugars and empty carbs. We aim to have at least two vegetables available for dinner – and fill half the plate with veggies. This can be hard for the kids, so we include prepared salads, and Indian, Russian, or Chinese style veggie dishes that are more flavorful.

Tip # 5: Outdoor Fun

There have been a lot of studies done about the effects of nature on humans recently, and most conclude that beings outside lowers stress response, increases appetite for healthy foods, and helps regulate the circadian rhythm, which helps us sleep! I try to find interesting ways for the kids to enjoy taking walks or working in the yard – they may ride on bikes while we walk, or we play games to see who can find the most interesting nature item.

Tip # 6: Vitamin D is key 

Our last line of defense is supplements – we take vitamin D and multivitamins. If I hear that kids at school or work are getting sick, I double up on raw garlic in our cooking, and cook more Indian dishes – I believe the combinations of spices help fortify our immune systems.

Conclusion

It has taken us years to put the above cycle in to practice, and some times we still struggle. We’ve felt the difference in our family, and I hope you can create a wellness cycle in your life as well.

About Kseniya Popov-Huang

Kseniya is a community member, parent, and professional passionate about health and wellness. 

Five Tips to Survive Summer While You’re Gluten Free | Guest Blog by Jamie Costello

July 24, 2018 — Leave a comment

Summer is here and that means more time in the sun and less time in the comfort of your own gluten free safe kitchen. Eating out and eating with friends and family can be stressful enough without needing to worry about cross contamination and well meaning friends using the right ingredients.

Fortunately, Guest Blogger Jamie Costello offers plenty of handy tips for you to stay safe and still enjoy yourself while being gluten free.

#1. Use Small Talk As An Opportunity To Teach Your Guests

Gluten can conjure up many surprises and there’s plenty of points to consider about it. Where you can, maybe use the free-flowing conversation as a chance to teach your guests about being gluten-free. There are many foods out there that one may not consider as containing gluten but providing them with some information on what you can and can’t eat may help them when they host any future parties. For example, many people might not know that you can’t drink beer. This is because it contains malt which is a source barley, and barley, of course, contains gluten.

Tip #2: Offer To Host The Event

It’s understandable to be a bit hesitant to eat at someone’s else’s house. So, why not host the party yourself? If you’re in control of what happens in the kitchen then you’ll find it much easier to make sure that the food is safe for you to eat. There’s plenty of recipes available that can be made gluten-free whilst still enjoying the scrumptious taste of your favorite dinner party foods. There’s a range of dishes to choose from including corn on the cob, hamburgers and gluten-free pasta salad.

Tip#3: Suggest Ideas To The Dinner Party Host

All you’re trying to do is make sure that you’re safe at the dinner party and it’s understandable that exceptions need to be made. Make some minor requests to the dinner host so that you can be sure your food doesn’t come in contact with other foods. For example, a nifty trick is cooking food on foil rather than directly on BBQ grills or ask that the food is prepared separately from where the main food is being prepared. This way the food’s protected and you save the risk of it coming into contact with something else.

Tip#4: Bring Your Own Dish

If it’s not possible to host the event at your own house there are always other options available. Why not prepare your own dish at home and bring it to the party with you? This way you can still get involved with everyone else and are less likely to feel left out. Contact the host to find out what they’re planning to have on the menu and then prepare your own accordingly. You can choose to either do it for everyone else or just do it for yourself, it’s entirely up to you.

Tip #5: If You’re Unsure, Just Don’t Eat It!

If you ever have doubts about any food you’re looking to eat, just listen to your gut and don’t do it. The last thing you’d want is to fall sick from eating it, so save yourself the hassle.

Jamie Costello is a nutrition student based in Manchester. He writes about many topics ranging from health supplements to dietetics research. When Jamie’ isn’t studying he enjoy swimming and keeping up to date with the latest sport news.

 

Top 5 Best Hemp Protein Smoothies | Guest Recipe by Scott Reid

July 3, 2018 — Leave a comment

Hemp protein is the perfect ingredient for making healthy, vegan and gluten-free smoothies which can be enjoyed by anyone. Whether you are on a health boost or looking to make your diet more plant-based, adding hemp protein into your diet is a great starting point.

Hemp protein powder is created at the very end stage when hemp seeds are being processed. The seeds are pressed for oil, and the remainder of the seed left behind is then ground down into a kind of hemp flour.

This flour is then processed further to create hemp protein powder. Hemp seeds contain virtually all the amino acids which are found in meat and dairy making them a pure source of protein and a really good addition to any vegetarian or vegan diet.

The protein found in hemp seeds is also really easy to digest and for our bodies to absorb, making hemp protein powders a really great beneficial ingredient for any diet.

Hemp protein powder is perfect for adding to smoothies because it tastes good and can come in a number of different flavoured versions as well. Check out this one from Focus Performance for a very good flavoured option https://www.focusperformance.co.uk/products/hemp-protein

You can try them in a number of different types of smoothies so try out these five great recipes as a starting point:

Hemp Protein with Peanut Butter Smoothie

If you love chocolate and peanut butter then this is the perfect smoothie for you, with a combination of nutty and sweet flavours. Packed with goodness, flavours and energy, this smoothie makes a great breakfast, providing a powerful and energising start to the day.  

Ingredients

  • Eight tbsps. of chocolate flavoured hemp protein powder
  • Two tbsps. of peanut butter
  • Two chopped, frozen bananas
  • Two cups of almond milk
  • Ice

Directions

Put all of the ingredients apart from the ice, into your blender and blend well. If required, add more ice and blend again. If you want to reduce the amount of sugar, then you can remove the bananas and increase the ice content. It will be a more watery consistency but still tastes good.

Hemp Protein with Pear Smoothie

If you are a fan of green smoothies you will love this combination with the bitter flavours of spinach sweetened up by the pear and banana. Packed with vitamins and healthy nutrients, this smoothie will set you up for the day.

Ingredients

  • One frozen banana
  • One chopped pear
  • One cupful of spinach
  • One tbsp. of ground almonds
  • Two scoops of hemp protein powder
  • One cup of water

Directions

Add all of the ingredients into the blender –as a quick tip put the spinach in last so it doesn’t get tangled around the blades. Blend until smooth and then serve.

Hemp Protein with Spirulina Smoothie

Renowned for its health benefits, spirulina works perfectly with hemp protein powder to create a tasty and incredibly healthy nutritious drink, for an extra boost.

Ingredients

  • One and a half cups of almond milk
  • One banana
  • One tbsp. of spirulina powder
  • Three tbsps. of hemp protein powder
  • One tsp. of maca powder

Directions

Combine all of the ingredients into a blender and blend well until smooth. Serve immediately over ice to taste.

Hemp Protein with Cacao Smoothie

Perfect for chocolate lovers, this smoothie combines cacao powder with the nutty flavour of almond milk and all the goodness of hemp protein powder, providing a sweet tasting energising smoothie.

Ingredients

  • One and a half cups of almond milk
  • One chopped pear
  • Two to four tbsps. of organic raw cacao powder
  • Three tbsps. of hemp protein powder

Directions

Combine all of the ingredients together in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately over ice to taste.

  1. Hemp Protein with Blueberry and Mango smoothie

For fruity fans, this smoothie recipe is perfect, with the unusual combination of mango and blueberries providing a tangy, tasty experience.

Ingredients

  • One and a half cups of almond milk
  • One cup of frozen blueberries
  • Half a cup of frozen mango
  • Three tbsps. of hemp protein powder
  • One tbsp. of coconut oil
  • One tbsp. of ground flax seeds

Directions

Combine all of the ingredients in your blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately over ice to taste.

Hemp protein powder is packed full of goodness and is particularly beneficial for those on a vegan or vegetarian diet, as a great source of almost pure protein. Including it into tasty smoothie recipes is an easy and delicious way to include it into your daily diet.

Whether you opt for a peanut and chocolate rich smoothie or a lighter, fruitier version, you are sure to find a recipe to suit your taste buds. We have selected five classic choices here but you can combine any ingredients. Why not experiment and see what kinds of combinations you can come up with by trying out different fruit, vegetables and other flavours?

Scott is a sports and fitness writer and writes full time for Focus Performance. When not in front of his computer or spending time in the gym you can see him hanging out in his favorite coffee shop devouring the latest Stephen King novel.

Photo credit: Kitchen Nutiva //  The Healthy Family & Home

Gluten Free Book Review: Blend: Artisanal Smoothies for Food Lover’s (REPOST)

May 22, 2018 — 2 Comments

Spring is finally here in Rochester, NY and I’m breaking out the summer fruits and my tried and true e-copy of Faith Gorsky & Alyssa Brantley ‘s Blend: Artisanal Smoothies for Food Lover’s . This is one of my favorite cookbooks of all time

The moment I learned about the release of Faith Gorsky & Alyssa Brantley ‘s Blend series I knew that these e-cookbooks would become part of my collection. Already an avid follower of Faith’s stunning food blog: An Edible Mosaic the combination of artisanal, fresh, natural and whole ingredients mixed with stunning food photography and meticulously crafted flavor combinations delighted the foodie in me.

 Blend: The Basics

&

Blend: Artisanal Smoothies for Food Lover’s

For several years now , I have been dipping and dabbling in fresh/organic smoothie creations as well as raw juices. Since being diagnosed with several chronic illnesses including IBS and celiac disease for several years now; simple, fresh, whole and organic juice and smoothie blends have become regular part of my diet.

Blend: The Basics is a well crafted smoothie how to guide. In an easy to read user friendly fashion Alyssa and Faith give you a college 101 smoothie crash course. In this first book you learn how to select the freshest most succulent fruit to give you the highest quality smoothie, how to wash your fruit, prepare your fruit, flash freeze your fruit, and cut your fruit. This is in the first six pages alone. You learn how to prepare in advance and create individual smoothie kits so that you always have the ingredients ready and on hand to make the perfect smoothie in just five short minutes. Who knew that there was such an art and science to smoothie building? But make no mistake, this science course is simple yet fun to learn and you will find yourself immersed and taking notes as you read through this well written tutorial.

Blend: Artisanal Smoothies for Food Lover’s Summer Volume 1 is the second part of the series and really where the real fun begins. Four sections of mouth watering, expertly photographed smoothie blends fill your screen in this section. The recipes that were built using Faith and Alyssa’s expert advice are there in all their glory for you to re-create. The recipes are divided by type: Indulgence, Fruit, Green, and Coffee + Tea. It took me a day or so just to decide where I wanted to begin and once I started, I was instantly addicted re-creating each of their recipes day after day over a two week time span. Just when I thought I had found my favorite the next smoothie I would try trumped the flavor of the last.

(kiwi lime+kale)

These chefs spared no expense when it came to building these recipes. Their time, attention to detail and flavor combinations is displayed upon first sip of each one of these smoothies. It is evident that they built their recipes from the ground up so to speak and the depth and richness of each taste titillate your tastebuds and tickles your senses. This being done using simple, sensible, and everyday ingredients found in most food markets across the country. Their emphasis on fresh, whole, and seasonal ingredients speak to the type of chefs they are and was a welcome point as I read each recipe.

The Blend series are an excellent addition to the collection of any novice or expert foodie or smoothie maker with just enough information to keep an expert interested but not too much to overwhelm the novice. Most recipes contain six ingredients or less with three directions or less; and if you follow the guidelines presented in Part I you reduce your prep time to even less.I have made it my mission to try every single smoothie in the book and with six down I am well on my way. Blend is a must have collection for anyone interested in improving the quality of their smoothie creations or for the casual cook looking to try something new. Either way this is one collection you don’t want to miss.

For more information on how to purchase your copies of Blend: The Basics & Blend: Artisanal Smoothies for Food Lover’s visit Faith’s blog An Edible Mosaic & Alyssa over at Everyday Maven

Rating 5/5

Celiac Awareness Month | May 2018

May 3, 2018 — Leave a comment

May is National Celiac Awareness Month

Can you believe it’s May already! Time sure does fly when you are having fun and if you anything like me you are having tons of fun this year.  Per usual spring has just finally bloomed here is Western, NY but May marks the official celebration of: National Celiac Awareness Month.

The National Foundation of Celiac Awareness and life-long gluten free(ers) like myself dedicate the entire month to casting a wider net in our mission of educating, highlighting, and teaching everyone about celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, and other gluten related illnesses.

Gluten free living continues to be a major industry in the US and globally. According to Statista, by 2020, the gluten free market is projected to be valued at 7.59 billion U.S. dollars. In 2015 gluten free sales amounted to over 2.79 billion U.S. dollars. Despite its omnipresence and the awareness there continues to be a national lack of knowledge about celiac disease as well as stigma, stereotype and mockery of this chronic disease. However despite what the comics say; celiac disease is a real autoimmune disease with real life changing effects.

As prevalent as the “term” (and label) is there are thousands of people diagnosed and even more that a). Don’t know what celiac, gluten, or gluten free means; b). Don’t consider it to be real c). Have a bevvy of misconceptions and false impressions about the illness and the term ” gluten-free”.

Stay tuned for more articles, personal stories, and blogs from celiac disease survivors and more sharing and telling how celiac disease affects their life every single day.