A woman looking over a long windy road. "A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." -Lao Tzu I, like many other celiacs, have had ongoing stomach problems most of my life. I thought when I was diagnosed with celiac disease, that I found the answers I needed. It took me over a year to feel better on a gluten-free diet. However, the truth is, I still have problems with my stomach. To be honest I don't remember ever not having a problem with my stomach. This is m

Purple Hyacinth Spring has always been my favorite time of year. The days are getting longer, it's light outside when I wake up and light later in the evening. The weather is getting warmer and the sun is shining. When you look out the window the grass is green, the leaves are coming out and the flowers are blooming. Spring view of the mountains Spring brings things back to life including me! I feel energized. I can get back on my bike and spend time outside without free

Image of a vaccine Beyond Celiac is working hard to find a cure for celiac disease by 2030. Here is the link to Beyond Celiac where they discuss what they are doing to work toward a cure. I admit that I'm afraid to be excited about this possibility. The hope is a vaccine-like therapy to train the immune system that gluten is not the enemy. To learn more about future therapies visit the Celiac Disease Foundation. A cure for celiac would change both my celiac daughter's li

Living gluten-free, whether due to celiac disease or gluten intolerance, can feel overwhelming at times. But with the right tools, it becomes so much easier. Today, I’m sharing my favorite gluten-free apps, expos, and social media communities that help make gluten-free living and travel safer, simpler, and more enjoyable. Expo Event 1. Best Gluten-Free Apps for Shopping & Traveling GF Scanner: Your Grocery Store Lifesaver The GF Scanner app is one of my top essentials. When y

Gluten-free waffle with whipped cream and blueberries. As you know gluten-free products are expensive. There is nothing more frustrating than spending money on a product and finding out it is not good. When my daughter and I were first diagnosed we'd go to the grocery store and see these amazing products. We would put them in our cart and couldn't wait to try them. I'd cringe at the price but if we could eat something and feel "normal" it would be worth it. We'd get home

5 Exercise Benefits-for Autoimmune Disease If you asked me if I enjoy exercising, I would honestly say, no. However, I realized as I got older that I needed to exercise. Diabetes runs in my family and I do not want diabetes on top of celiac disease. I already have foods that I can't and won't eat. As we all know having one, or more, autoimmune disease/s puts us at risk for others. My Electric Blue Racer A few years ago, I realized I had to reframe my thinking. Exercise

Beth Vital, Assistant Brewer at B.C. Brewery & Noreen Wheeler, Gluten Free Life & Travels at B.C. Brewery Shortly after Christmas, I was able to go to Hunt Valley, Maryland, and visit B.C. Brewery. They have a great location! Their business is located about 30 minutes north of Inner Harbor. The Light Rail is just across the street, and can bring you from B.C. Brewery to Inner Harbor and many stops in between. There are also several hotels nearby if you go for a weekend ge

A Little Bit About Me I thought this would be a good time to tell you a little about myself. As I have had some new followers. I am married and have two children. I'm terrible at selfies, I just don't think about taking a picture of just myself. I have two dogs who are a very large part of my family. I enjoy traveling and having fun. Getting Diagnosed I was diagnosed with celiac in 2013. My four-year-old daughter, who had stomach issues from the time she started baby cereal,

Gortnalughoge, County Donegal, Ireland There is No Time Like the Present As this year comes to a close, I’ve found myself reflecting not just on the usual highs and lows but on how quickly life can change. If the past few years have taught me anything—especially living through COVID—it’s that there truly is no time like the present. Don’t wait to see the people you love. Don’t wait to explore new places. Don’t wait for the “perfect time” to go after what you’ve been dreaming

This is one of my favorite Christmas songs. It reminds me of being a little kid in our old 16 passenger van driving with my parents, siblings and cousins to Pennsylvania. We used to all sing songs together to make the long trip go more quickly. Many of us will be traveling this holiday season. This year, "There's no place like home for the holidays," will be me. Well for the most part, I can't stay in one place too long. The holidays are a wonderful time of year, but

Plan-as with everything, when you have to be gluten-free, you need to make a plan. If you are going to someone's house make sure there will be food there you can eat. If not, make yourself a wonderful meal and bring it with you. When you eat it, savor every bite! Enjoy-It's easy to get overwhelmed. Sit back and enjoy spending time with those you love. If you have children, watch them enjoy the holiday, they grow up too quickly. Sit by a fire and read by yourself. Whate

Banquet Table Picture it you are at a professional conference, everyone is in a large banquet hall. There are eight people to a table. At each place there is a salad, water, and what looks like an iced tea. You sit down amongst your colleagues to eat. If you have Celiac anything you eat or drink will either nourish you or…will make you feel like you have a terrible stomach bug. I don’t think anyone can understand this until they live it. As you know it’s terribly stress

Christmas sugar cookies My daughter was diagnosed right before Thanksgiving when she was just 4 years old. I was diagnosed a few months before her. I remember being totally overwhelmed! A big part of the holiday is baking. Every year for as long as I could remember I made various Christmas cookies and treats. How was I going to do this gluten-free? I did not know anyone else that had Celiac or had to eat gluten-free. I have baked with my girls since they were little. My Nan

A person walking up steps "The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." -Lao Tzu When I began blogging this May, I started on a new journey. Sometimes we think we know where our journey will lead but we have unexpected surprises. This has been a new challenge for me and something I really enjoy. I began blogging because I want to help others with Celiac, or dietary restrictions, that require them to eat gluten-free. As we all know following a strict gluten-free

Thanksgiving Dinner Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. There is no stress about finding the perfect gift and making sure the holiday meets high, sometimes unattainable expectations. This is how I often feel about Christmas. However, a gluten-free Thanksgiving can feel overwhelming when you are newly diagnosed. A few facts about me, I’m not a huge fan of cooking. I enjoy baking but I also enjoy shortcuts! When you must eat gluten-free you almost have to be able

Carving a turkey 1. Host-If you host Thanksgiving you have full control over what is cooked and how it's prepared. You can either cook the whole meal or have others bring food and keep your gluten-free food separate. This allows you to have control of everything that you make and ensure it is safe for you and/or family members. However, it can be overwhelming especially if you don't like to cook. 2. Bring your own food -If you are concerned that your host will n

Pumpkin with fall trees and leaves Tips Not all candy is created equal… · Some candy is safe, but their seasonal shapes are not! Make sure you double-check. · The Tootsie Company deserves a shout-out as their candy is peanut, tree nut, and gluten-free. · Dove chocolate is great about calling out allergens. · Hershey keeps a list of their GF candy on their website · Candy Corn-some love it! I’m not one of those however, here are some safe G

Making a wish on a dandelion I recently asked students if they could have any wish, What would it be? You learn a lot about someone when you ask this question. It made me think about what my wish might be. Here are a few wishes… 1. We could eat out at restaurants without worries. 2. All restaurants had to be trained on food allergies/intolerances & Celiac. 3. Having to eat gluten free did not cause so much social isolation. 4. Gluten (and top allergens) were banned f

Wegmans Wegmans-bottom left gluten free symbol 1. Grocery Store-The grocery store will be a very important part of living gluten-free. My favorite grocery store is Wegmans. All Wegmans brand items are clearly marked if they are gluten-free. Each grocery store does things a little bit differently, so you need to find one near you that is easy to navigate for your gluten-free shopping. 2. Buy fresh, plain fruit, veggies, and meat- Fresh fruit, veggies, and meat are always sa

Gluten free symbol 1. Celiac is an autoimmune disease-your own body starts to attack itself if you eat wheat, rye or barley. Other types of autoimmune diseases that people may be more familiar with are type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto thyroiditis, and multiple sclerosis. There are 80 different types of autoimmune diseases. 2. Treatment-The only treatment for Celiac is a strict gluten free diet. There is no medication. This is why when people with Celia