You may remember me talking about the Gluten Freedom Day conference recently held in Rogers. It was a one-day conference sponsored by the Celiac Sprue Association and geared to those who live a gluten-free life.
I was eager to see what an event like this would be like and wondering what I would learn, who would I see, and (no surprise here) what would I eat! Plus, I read the agenda and I saw there was going to be a cooking demonstration by Robert Landolphi, the Gluten-Free Chef.
The thing that struck me about the event is that there were so many learning’s that can apply to anyone… whether or not you live gluten-free.
So I am hoping you will indulge me as I share my top 5 tips I learned from this event!
1. If you come across someone who is gluten-free and their health is rosy, vibrant, and healthy, get to know them. Why? Because they are doing something right with managing their health! You can learn from them and then be an advocate to help someone else.
Not gluten-free? It’s still a good principle! Healthy, vibrant, rosy people most likely are doing something with their physical or mental health that you can learn from.
2. Dr. Craig Brown with The Eye Center in Fayetteville gave a great speech titled “Help Me, I Was Glutened!” This was an eye-opener because people with celiac are super-super-super sensitive to even just one crumb of gluten-filled product. The gist of his talk was about ways to get the gluten to leave a celiac’s body as fast as possible.
Not gluten-free or celiac? It made me realize how extremely important it is to be as close to 100% sure of everything you serve to your celiac friend or family member. If you think something may be contaminated, let them know as soon as possible. They would rather know than be sick for the next week. Yes, it takes that long and more for them to get it out of their system.
3. Fiber is a gluten-free person’s best friend.
Not gluten-free? C’mon, we all know that fiber should be everyone’s best friend! This is my friendly reminder.
4. Gluten-free products are becoming more and more mainstream. Fantastic? Yes, but… it is important to remember that just because a product is labeled gluten-free does not mean it is healthy for you. During the conference there was an exhibit hall with multiple vendors such as ScharUSA, Udi’s, Isabelle’s Best, and The Hain-Celestial Group. Products that are gluten-free, tasty, and healthy.
Not gluten-free?
has a portfolio of natural products that you may or may not be aware of. I know that when I walked up to the booth with Chris and James (see photo, below), I was surprised and thrilled to see so many of my favorite items: Gluten-Free Café, Spectrum oils, Rice Dream, Soy Dream, and Terra Chips. I had no idea that such great brands were all under the same roof! And there are many more brands they sell that I cannot wait to try them all out and share my thoughts about them with you (click here to see the list for yourself). Chris and James were so wonderful to provide me with sample products that day so I can try them out and share them with you! Keep coming back as I blog about these items and I figure out ways to incorporate them into our every day lives. Thanks Hain-Celestial!
5. Robert Landolphi, chef and author of Gluten-Free Every Day Cookbook, did a fantastic cooking demonstration that included a tasting of gluten-free onion rings, chicken pad thai, and peach pie. I bought his book and it’s really good. Oh, and the chicken pad thai was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!
Not gluten-free? Here’s a tip that the chef shared with us that can be applied everywhere: “When cooking gluten-free, it is important to really think about the layers of flavors. You have to be more creative when cooking gluten-free because so many commercial seasonings include gluten. For example, when cooking pad thai, each ingredient needs to be treated separately to think about what is the best way to bring out its individual flavor(s).”
I hope you found these tips useful and a healthy reminder to share vibrant living tips with each other, be more aware of how gluten can really impact the lives of our friends and loved ones, realize that natural and healthy products can be delicious, remember to read the label on gluten-free products, and when we cook, try to think about each and every ingredient separately to bring out its best!
Happy insightful eating!
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