Wheat, Barley, Rye, Oh My!: The 411 On What Gluten Really Is

“Does dairy have gluten?” “Oh, you can eat fries?” “Are you really allergic, or are you just into this gluten free fad?” “What even is gluten?”

If you have celiac disease or a gluten intolerance, I’m sure you get questions like this all the time. I know I do! It surprises me how there are a lot of people who are unaware of what gluten even is, let alone what celiac disease is. In today’s blog post, I’m going to clear it all up for you!

Gluten is a protein composite found in wheat, barley and rye. In Latin, gluten literally translates to “glue,” which makes sense because gluten is what gives baked goods and breads that elasticity to hold it all together and rise to make such fluffy goodness. That explains why some of gluten free products tend to fall apart and taste so bland.

Many people tend to think potatoes and other starches have gluten, but that is not the case at all! Even rice is gluten free, and rice flour is usually what is substituted for wheat flour in GF products.

Let’s talk cross contamination. If a gluten free pizza is prepared on the same counter space as a regular pizza with flour, it’s extremely likely your “gluten free” pizza will have traces of gluten in them. Even ovens can create cross contamination. It’s crazy to know that even the smallest amount of gluten can make someone with an intolerance super sick.

Now moving on to celiac disease. 1 in 133 people have celiac disease. If you have an immediate family member with celiac, your chances jump to 1 in 22. This is my case, because my mom also has celiac. The most basic way I can explain it is this: celiac disease is an autoimmune disease in which gluten acts as toxin and poison to the body. When someone like me eats gluten, my immune system reacts by damaging, and sometimes destroying villi, the small hair like follicles lining the small intestine that are supposed to pull in the vitamins and nutrients to allow food to be absorbed. Without these villi working, it’s likely to become malnourished, no matter how many vitamins I take or how much food I eat.

In result, this leads to other issues, most commonly extreme stomach problems, chronic exhaustion and a completely lowered immune system. The list of other symptoms goes on from ADHD, to tingling in hands and feet, to ulcers in the mouth- all things I myself have faced more than any normal person should.

If someone with celiac continues to eat gluten, they can face major problems in the long run. My doctor gave me an example of a woman who had over 5 miscarriages in a few years before meeting with her. After being diagnosed with celiac and switching to a gluten free diet, she became pregnant and carried a healthy baby full term. Other long run risks include high chances of cancer.

I hope this blog post helps inform anyone who is curious to know more about gluten and celiac disease. I’m not a doctor, but having celiac disease myself, I’ve become very interested in researching all about it. If you have any questions, feel free to message me or comment below!  I’d love to spread my knowledge on the subject!

Check back later next week for some yummy GF recipes and products I love!

xoxo,

Al

Falling Into New Habits

Hello, readers! Happy First Day of Fall!

It’s been too long.

I haven’t blogged in about a year, and I truly miss it. Sometimes I get random spurts of creativity, and then life happens and I tend to lose focus. Maybe it’s the Gemini in me, or maybe it’s my ADD kicking in, but I intend to write more often, and I hope it’s still topics you guys enjoy reading about!

In the past, this blog has been dedicated to my wide range of interests. From the fashion trends I love, to people around me who are doing great things, I love to write about it all. While I still plan on writing about those same eclectic passions and inspirations, I am now going to include a new type of category: eating gluten-free.

Since I last wrote, I have been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, celiac disease. Basically, celiac disease is a condition that damages the small intestine and stops it from absorbing the vitamins and nutrients I need to stay healthy. Digesting gluten, a protein found in wheat, is what causes this to happen. The good news is, switching to a gluten-free diet is just the ticket to staying healthy. But for me and many others, this “good news” comes with a price. It has been a real adjustment for me to stop eating gluten, especially since it is found in all of my favorites: breads, cookies, cupcakes, brownies, beer, spaghetti, fried food, pizza, burger and hotdog buns and more.

While cutting gluten out of my diet has been hard, I feel so much better when I eat right. I’ve found some easy recipes, and have made a few of my own as well. I’ll be sharing these, as well as any products I’ve found that I like and are gluten-free. Celiac disease affects 1 in 133, and gluten intolerance is found in around 1 in 20. Hopefully these types of blog posts will help others with celiac disease, gluten intolerance or just anyone wanting to switch to a gluten-free diet!

Keep in mind, all of this is new to me too! If any of you out there have any advice or recipes you’d like for me to share, I’d love to hear from you! Feel free to leave a comment or message me!

Xoxo,

Al

Skinny Love

Skinny Love

With our magazines filled with stick thin girls and movies featuring beautiful and thin women, it’s no question why so many girls have such strong body image issues. We compare, idolize and obsess. Some obsess so much they take drastic, deathly risks to fit in that size 0 dress. From juicing for weeks, to skipping meals daily, it seems that people will do anything to have their hip bones stick out and their thighs not touch. I feel that being sexy is about being healthy, not scrawny. The women who don’t change their eating habits to be stick skinny, but to be healthy and nutritious are the ones we should admire, and that’s exactly what this post is about.

Meet Ally

Ally Bruner, a native of Mandeville, La, is someone we should all be looking up to because of her dedication to a healthy lifestyle. Over the past 9 months, Ally has focused on eating clean and has lost 17 pounds. I sat down with Ally and asked her all about her journey and how she did it.

Interview with Ally 

Al: Why and when did you decide to change your eating habits?

Ally Bruner: I decided to change my eating habits right after Mardi Gras in February to originally hope to lose a few before Spring Break of 2013.  I wanted to change my habits because I knew I was living an unhealthy lifestyle that involved pizza, fried food, beer, etc.  I knew it was time for a change when I got home from Mardi Gras and realized how many unhealthy things I had consumed throughout the week without a care in the world.

Al: How did you do it?

AB: I did it in baby steps.  I started by slowly eating in smaller portions and creating more self-control for myself.  Whenever I found that I was having a bad food craving for something I clearly did not need, I would constantly remind myself of the end result.  I wanted my self-confidence back.  I downloaded an app called "My Fitness Pal" on my phone that helps you track your calories every day.  I followed it each day and after about two weeks, I began seeing changes in my body.  Once I started seeing results, everything became a thousand times easier.

Al: You look different! Do you feel different, too? How so?

AB: I feel so different from what I used to be/what I used to look like.  I feel so accomplished already and my journey is still not over.  I feel more confident than I have in years, and it feels amazing.

Al: Where are you at in your transformation process? What else do you plan on doing?

AB: I would say that I am now more aware than ever of what food I am consuming and how healthy it is for your body.  I do splurge every once in a while, but not at all like I used to.  I have made my body adjust to healthier foods over the process and it makes me feel healthier all together.  Even though I have come along way, I still plan on continuing to live a healthier lifestyle by eating the foods that I love, but in moderation.

Al: What is some advice to give to girls who want to lose weight, but take the starvation route?

AB: The most important thing you can do for yourself is take care of you body.  Your body needs proper nourishment in order for you to live a healthy life. When I hear of girls taking routes that involve starvation, binging, over-exercising, etc., I can't help but think how much harm is being done to them.  Most of these girls don't even have a clue because they are so determined to lose a crazy amount of weight in a short amount of time.  When you actually lose weight by eating healthy and exercising over an extended time, the weight will actually STAY off!  When women resort to starvation and/or over exercising, this actually slows down your metabolism.  This means that you may lose weight more quickly initially, but eventually your body will go into starvation mode and begin storing fat because it knows that it can't get this fat from food.  In the long run, your metabolism will slow down altogether resulting in less weight loss.  It is an extremely unhealthy route for your body that many women don't understand/care about.  Why wouldn't you want to look skinny AND healthy?

Here Comes the Sun....

Here Comes the Sun.... by aldome91 featuring brown lenses sunglasses

Ah, sunglasses! One of my most favorite accessories. They can totally make an outfit, depending on what vibe they give off. Think about it! A simple black dress with circle sunglasses give you a 60's boho look. Now take that same black dress and throw on a pair of cat eye lenses- you're a chic business women ready to take on anything. Just ask Kourtney Kardash. 

Tom Ford oversized cat eye glasses
my-wardrobe.com

Prada brown gradient sunglasses
$445 - net-a-porter.com

Ray-Ban clear glasses
net-a-porter.com

Vintage 80s sunglasses
etsy.com

Mossimo brown lenses sunglasses
target.com

Urban Outfitters heart glasses
urbanoutfitters.com

Vintage black sunglasses
target.com

Forever 21 sunglasses
forever21.com

Makeup Bag Monday: Pucker Up

Makeup Bag Monday: Pucker Up by aldome91 featuring lips makeup

Rosebud Perfume Co lip treatment
Al's Tip: With winter approaching, you’ll need something to keep your kisser nice and smooth. This stuff is awesome. It isn’t sticky or colored, but it’s the perfect clear gloss/chapstick. For $6, you could find this anywhere from a drug store, Urban Outfitters or Sephora.

Benefit lip stain makeup
Al's Tip: This is my favorite stain. It smells like roses, and gives you a red hint of color on your lips without being overdone. It looks really natural and you can add as many coats as you want to get an ever “redder” look. At Sephora this stain is $30, but it will last you forever!

Smashbox lip gloss
Al's Tip: This lip gloss is really good because it gives you a nude lip tint with a nice glossy finish. I like it a lot mostly because of the color. You can find this at Sephora for around $19.

Revlon Super Lustrous lip gloss
Al's Tip: This is my new favorite lip gloss. I was trying to find one similar to Blair Walfor’s look, and this is the closest I have found. It looks much brighter in the tube, so don’t be afraid to buy something a little out of your comfort zone! You can find this at any drug store for around $7.

Maybelline Baby Lips Moisturizing Lip Balm
Al's Tip: I love the Baby Lips collection. This clear one is great, but I am a fan of all of the colors. They give your lips a smooth, pretty, plump look without the stickiness of regular gloss. You can’t beat the price, either! You can purchase this at any drug store or Ulta for only $4!

Light the Fire

Light the Fire by aldome91 featuring soy candles

I’m obsessed with candles. I really am. My roommate, Catherine, and I always have one burning in our living room. After trying a bunch of different types, I have narrowed it down to 3 of my favorites. Al’s Tip: If you want to try a new scent, great places to buy them are boutiques. I don’t really know why, but that’s where I have stumbled across all of these different candles!

Rain by Capri Blue. This one is number one for a reason. It is amazing, with scents of gardenia floral. I found it when I was shopping at Posh in Baton Rouge and fell in love, as did Catherine. Unfortunately when I went back, they had the Capri Blue brand, but not the rain scent. I then looked at stores in Perkins Rowe and the Mall of Louisiana, but I couldn’t find rain. I did, however, find that rain is still being sold online, if you want to try it. I highly recommend it!

French Cade Lavender by Volsupa Candles. This candle is the perfect scent for relaxing. When burning it, anytime I had friends or family over, they always commented on how fresh and great the smell was! I found this at Rodeo in Baton Rouge, and then later bought a larger size at Anthropologie. This scent is a “refreshing blend of French cade wood, lavender, verbena and moss.”

Sauvignon Blanc by Rewined. I got my Rewined candle at Niche in Mandeville. Each is made of a repurposed wine bottle, and the scents are named after, and smell like, each type of wine, red or white! As a wine lover, I thought these were so cool, and the Sauvignon Blanc scent was my favorite. These candles also burn for a long time!