Preparation! I can’t stress this enough.  It was my biggest mistake so far. These are all things you MUST do before your diet starts. Have your mind right.  FOCUSED Set goals. Surround yourself with motivators. Plan your diet with an expert. Buy your foods. Know the nutritional values of each. Set up a tracking plan in Excel or with an online service. Get your sleep pattern established if you are getting up earlier. Precook & package your foods. Buy your supplements. I failed on the majority of these items and it set me back a day or two.  It takes a couple days to figure out a...

As you know, I have many gluten free people in my family that have celiac- at least 9 diagnosed, and many more in D’Nile, in Egypt(right, uncle Dave?).  Usually the gluten free people are left out when it comes to desserts… but not this year! This Christmas, Earth Cafe sent me two great gluten free cheesecakes!  The package came to my parents house, where we were having Christmas Eve, and my mom couldn’t even wait for me to open them.  She told me they were packaged really well and with dry ice. Read this list, and you wouldn’t believe that they still can taste good: Wheat...

I was privileged to receive a bottle of Bombora & CooranBong Vodka to try.  I am impressed, and so are many others. First, I have to say, while it is still an open debate on whether or not certain liquors are gluten free, it is a huge relief to absolutely know that Bombora and Cooranbong are gluten free!  I’m sure many of you can relate to that, and depending on how sensitive you are, stand on one side or the other of that dilemma.  Here is a solution. Both vodkas are made from grapes grown in the Barossa Valley where many of the great Shiraz and Cabernet wine grapes are grown.  They...

Here are the videos from all of my beer tastings: Gluten Free Beer Tasting: Episode 1: Part 1 of 2 Redbridge Bard’s Tale New Grist . . Gluten Free Beer Tasting: Episode 1: Part 2 of 2 Green’s St. Peter’s Hambleton Please see the full gluten free beer review article HERE.

OK, Who has one? Anyone switching to the gluten free lifestyle? Anyone committing 100%? Anyone vowing not to ever cheat again? . . January 1st, 2010, will be my 1 year 100% committment to being gluten free! Now that I think I have mastered the gluten free diet, I plan to set some new health goals including the GF diet. My 2010 resolution will be to lose weight on a gluten free diet.  I have a relaxing trip planned to Costa Rica at the end of March, so that is my main motivation for losing weight.  I have set the goal of losing 30lbs in the 12 weeks prior to our departure.  My diet will start...

digg_url = 'http://switch2glutenfree.com/gf-recipes/gluten-free-raviolis-recipe/'; digg_title = 'Gluten Free Raviolis Recipe'; digg_bodytext = 'Here is the Gluten Free Raviolis recipe you\'ve all be asking about!  This is my great grandmother\'s recipe, so I am divulging family secrets with my well-being at risk.  I don\'t know if it is anything special, but if both of my knees are broken by the St. Louis Italian Mafia, we will know.\n\nA month before Christmas, some of the family gets toge'; Here is the Gluten Free Raviolis recipe you’ve all be asking about!  This is my...

digg_url = 'http://switch2glutenfree.com/misc/celiac-four-times-more-common-than-1950s/'; digg_title = 'Celiac Four Times More Common than 1950s'; digg_bodytext = 'Watch this video and let me know what you think?  I\'m not sure if I agree with a few things, but ya gotta trust people who are smarter than you are...\n\nVideo from the DoctorsChannel.com\n\nHere is the entire article:\n\n\nNEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Celiac disease is 4 times more common now than it was in the 1950’s, according to researchers'; Watch this video and let me know what you think?  I’m not sure...

I have some personal good news and bad news for you: I am no longer addicted to gluten, although I am now addicted to Chipotle. “I want to avoid gluten. What can I eat at your restaurant? Most people wanting to avoid gluten can eat anything we serve except for our wheat burrito tortillas, our soft wheat taco tortillas, and possibly our hot red tomatillo salsa (there is a small amount of distilled vinegar in it which some gluten-oriented websites still say might be problematic, although most don’t). Everything else is fine to eat for most people wanting to avoid gluten, including our crispy...