How to make dairy free yogurt

What can I eat...and the curious case of the belly button

Hmmm...Fiddle Faddle.  So, your tummy is your nemisis, your belly button feels like it's on fire and you have this knawing sensation that something is not right within that body of yours.   Sounds like the curious case of Ibs or better known as, I Better Surrender...to change!
I have to say that many of my friends and family sit the fence when it comes to going completely gf.  I think the thought of having to do without, pervades the senses with senselessness.  Who ever said you have to go without?  So, it takes some work and you have to clean out your pantry of all the food offenders, including those Twinkies (that will survive the next Millenia).  You may even learn to like being in the kitchen and trying out your newly found chef skills.  Regardless, you will be better off.  Not only will you like the way you feel, you will love the way you feel.  So...here are some oldie but goodie pointers to help you down the road to awesomeness!
1.  Be a label reader!
2.  Stay away from Wheat, Barley, Rye and Spelt and their derivatives.
3.  Stay away from pre-packaged foods (hamburger helper, processed meats, etc...)
4.  Unless something is made in a gluten free facility, you can still have gluten in that food.
5.  Manufacturers are not required to list all ingredients, however, they have gotten better at listing the main food offenders on their lables.  I'm finding that just because it says it's gluten free, does not mean that it is!
6.  Know which manufacturers are reliable with their labeling.
7.  Ask questions.
8.  Start a food diary.(I'll have to upload this as a new post so that you can make the most of it.)

How much water should we drink???

According to some physicians, drinking 8-10 glasses of water is debatable depending upon certain conditions, body mass and activity.  Not to mention the fact that we can also include high water content foods such as, watermelon, peaches, cucumbers and oranges.  Many of these are high in needed potassium.  In addition, one of the best forms of hydration can be found in coconut water.  This can be found in the white husked coconuts.   Regardless of our choice of hydration, it's important not to overdue our consumption, because of certain health risks associated with excessive fluid consumption.  My thoughts are, if you are exercising, you need to rehydrate a sufficient amount to replace fluid loss, this is outside of your normal 8 glasses of water per day.  If you are thirsty, drink!  We need to listen to our bodies and pay attention to the quantities we consume each day.  Many times, if we are busy, we can go all day without so much as a pint of water.  Our bodies are 70 percent water, and our muscles, tissue, blood and organs need the fluid to perform sufficiently.  In addition, if we want to stay regular our water intake needs to be adequate.  So, remember not to get water logged and to stay afloat of what your body is telling you...by remembering quality & quantity of fluid intake.

1 in 13 have food allergies...go figure!

Is it any wonder, with all of the pesticide use and genetically modified foods that our children are becoming more sensitive to what they eat.  Knowing that seeds are genetically modified to contain the pesticide is alarming.  Parents have to be vigilant to know what is going into their child's body and be aware of any potential reactions.  Statistically speaking, 1 in 13 children have food allergies.  Check out  this link for more information.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/43472109#43472109

Best Gluten Free Foods...You be the judge!

Over the years I have tried many gluten-free products.  Some of my favorites have been included in this post.  Tell me what your favorites are.  http://www.shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/the-best-gluten-free-foods-2486894/

• BobsRedMill-  Love his flours and grains.  I order in bulk from his shop in Oregon.
• EnerGFoods.  Great foods as well.  Pastas, grains.
• Thai Kitchen.  If you love oriental foods, this is a great place to start.  I've tried many of their tried and true recipes from their website.  Check them out!
• Prego.  Yes, it's gluten-free!
• LaVictoria.  Again it's gluten-free!
• Alfresco sausages.  Love them!
• Tinkyada rice and pasta!  This is a staple at our house.

• Annies pastas, salad dressings, snacks.  Wonderful!  My daughter loves their gluten-free mac and cheese.  Delightful!  

Hope this helps direct you a bit.  These are all great food suppliers for the gf diet.

Sweet Potato Spice Cookies

Delicious Canned Yammie Cookies:

Flour Blend:

1 Cups Sorghum Flour

2/3 Cup Millet Flour

1/8  Cup Potato Starch

1/8 Cup Arrowroot Starch

1/2 tsp. Sea Salt

2 Pinch of Cloves

2 tsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp. Ginger

1 ½ tsp. Vanilla Extract (Pure)
1/4 C- Dark Agave or 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 C- Honey or Molasses

¾  Cup of Mashed Sweet Potato or Yams (canned) * may substitute 1 Cup pureed carrots, yams, or pumpkin

1/4-Cup Grapeseed Oil  (use smaller amount if reducing fat intake or if you like a dryer cookie)
*1/4 Cup Almond Milk (optional)  If you find that the batter is too thin, you may omit this ingredient.
*1 egg or 2 egg whites (optional)

Optional mix-in’s:  2/3 Cup Chocolate Chips, 2/3 Cup Raisins, 2/3 Cup Almonds, walnuts or pecans. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Drop cookie batter onto cookie sheet.  Bake for 12-15 minutes until soft but firm.  This recipe will make 24 mini cookies or 12 larger cookies.  Enjoy!

HealthyLittleNIche

I'm amazed at the last 4 years and perplexed at the same time.  For one, my health issues began many years ago however, serious symptoms started to rear their ugly head in 2007.  My realization that gluten was not in my future, started me on a path to find my happy place and my happy tummy.  After years of research and hundreds of doctor visits, yes hundreds!  I can say that my doctors did not reveal any one of my health issues.  I found them all, well, the Lord and I found them all.  From Celiac, food sensitivities, liver and reproductive health issues, they all come down to an unhealthy liver. 
Those numerous epiphany's really made me re-think the role of doctors in the care of the patient.  I've realized that today's doctors do not know how to treat the whole person.  The whole person being, spiritual, physical, and environmental.  They treat symptoms only and if something doesn't show up on a test that deem you a hypochondriac or send you on your way...either way...you lose!
So, self healing and self helping is the pathway for me.  Chinese and Western herbal medicine appears to be the best way to treat the whole person.  For we are not only a physical being, our bodies often become ill for numerous reasons, that if the traditional medical community would pay attention, would realize that they aren't trusting their instincts enough or that of the patient.
I've discovered my acute sensitivity to phytoestrogens in plant sources, but further than that, isoflavones found in soy products that mimic estrogenic hormones.  Through much research I've also discovered that the liver has to filter out these hormones and all the other junk that we expose our bodies to either through ingestion or environmental contact.  However, my liver doesn't do this job very well and it has seen better days.  After years of being told that Tylenol was the safest thing around, I found myself curing my pain with this toxic stuff for years.
Funny enough, I considered myself a health nut and Tylenol was in my opinion okay, since the doctors said so. I've always been very cautious about what goes into my body, and thank goodness!  If I were to have abused my body, I couldn't say that I should even be alive today.  Happy day! I've learned not to pull full trust in modern medicine, that plant and herbal medicine is best and that our bodies weren't designed to take the full capacity and overload of what modern medicine deems as "healthy."  Moderation in all things and reservation where modern medicine is concerned is my mantra.  I'll keep you posted on my journey to healthy meals that take into account all my needs.  And, if my hopes are validated, I will be successful in finding my happy, healthy little niche in life.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=47
http://fanaticcook.blogspot.com/2006/08/isoflavones-in-soy-foods.html
http://www.wellness.com/reference/healthwellness/isoflavones-in-foods/

http://www.sensiblehealth.com/Journey-01.xhtml