Some examples

Gluten Free eating can be daunting here is a start of a menu, Im not feeling well so I will put more details later...
Gluten free buying tips-

Each week take the circular you shop at and find the fresh items you would like to buy, then look for the coupons associated with it. A lot of times you will have to go directly to manufacturer websites to view the coupons for gluten free items, however I have found several on coupons.com

Now make a meal plan for the week based on what is on sale/coupon.
I buy a lot on amazon with their coupons, or price match amazon with the stores.
Amazon Prime now a lot of times has cheaper produce then my grocery store and it comes to my house!

Now meal ideas-

Monday- Cauliflower crust "Pizza" with your favorite toppings, ham and pineapple, if you cant have cheese see here for alternative cheese like subs- http://paleoleap.com/dairy-free-paleo-cheese-substitutes/

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/katie-lee/cauliflower-pizza-crust.html  or
http://www.healthfulpursuit.com/recipe/keto-mini-pizzas/


Tuesday- Steak and veggies (you can use canned, frozen, or fresh whats on sale?)  Salad- lettuce, cucumbers, craisins, walnuts, peach slices with a lemon squeeze dressing with olive oil or balsamic

Wed- Spaghetti- Zucchini noodles - use a spiraler- There are cheaper ones but here is what I use:

http://www.amazon.com/Paderno-World-Cuisine-A4982799-Tri-Blade/dp/B0007Y9WHQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1463516382&sr=8-2&keywords=spiraler  
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/233453/low-carb-zucchini-pasta/

Thursday- Burgers in lettuce wrap with sweet potato fries

Friday- Chicken fingers ( sliced chicken dip in bowl of cornmeal then egg wash then again in meal then  pan cook) Salad of your choice, veggies of your choice

Sat- Gf/DF lasagna http://www.healthfulpursuit.com/2014/10/paleo-lasagna-dairy-free-grain-free-melty-cheese/

Sunday-  pork loin in crockpot, if you are doing potatoes then in tin foil cut in cubes season with sea salt, basil, oregano, and thyme with some olive oil and bake for 15 minutes until cooked   Add carrots in crockpot

Monday- Crockpot chili - ground turkey, spices, red beans, black beans, tomatoes

Tuesday- tacos with lettuce wrap, guac, try goat cheese, corn, tomatoes, black olives, ground beef or turkey use real spices not packet

Wed- Soup http://www.healthfulpursuit.com/2015/01/8-of-the-best-low-carb-soups-you-should-be-eating/

Thursday- http://www.healthfulpursuit.com/recipe/warmed-pesto-shrimp-zucchini-pasta/

Quinoa Stuffed peppers

I'm not the hugest fan of quinoa but this turned out SO good! :)

1 lb Ground beef/turkey
1/2 onion
1 cup Quinoa (I used organic, cook it as directed on package)
2-3 garlic cloves
1 can diced organic tomatoes
1-2 cans of tomato sauce
1tsp of red pepper flakes (honestly I don't measure I do a couple shakes)
Salt/pepper
1 can or package of corn
4-6 peppers (I used one orange, one yellow, one red, and one green)
1/2- 3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (I used Dublin cheddar cheese)

optional:
1 drop thyme young living oil
1 drop basil young living oil

This made a lot! You could use the leftover meat/quinoa as another meal or stuff extra peppers. My kids ages 7 and 10 loved this, and they are picky eaters!

First, cook your ground beef and diced onion in pan, as its cooking I add in seasonings.When meat is completely browned add in red pepper flakes, corn, tomatoes,, cooked quinoa and tomato sauce. simmer together for a few min while you clean and cut the peppers.

Now, you want to clean the outside of peppers thoroughly and cut the top around the stem out. Clean out the seeds and then fill it with the quinoa mixture. This serves as a bowl. You could also cut them in half then put in glass pan. Before placing in the oven take your shredded cheese and sprinkle it over the tops of the peppers. I love cheese! So you made need more or less if you like it less cheesy etc.

Now tent the tin foil over the top so sides are closed but not touching the peppers. Bake 350 degrees for 20 minutes, then take the tin foil off cook for another 5 minutes. I like my peppers crunchy but if you want them softer simply cook for 25-30 min then take the tin foil off and viola!

Safe Local Gluten Free Joints

The hardest times are when Im sick and my husband is gone and I need to feed the kids, and myself preferably, but at least the never ending kids stomachs. I have found several places in the area to be great for when you go out to eat at least, but there is not many that deliver to where we live. Here is a list of some safe places to eat gluten free when you have celiac.  There are many places that offer gluten free options. These are the ones I have personally been to and would eat at again. As we go out I will update with my experience. I've been to others but I personally wouldn't eat at some again.

Zoes Kitchen 

Ask for the menu they will show you clearly labeled gluten free and let them know to change gloves etc. for the gluten free food. They will substitute the bread. :)

1912 Landstown Centre Way #100, Virginia Beach, VA 23456

(757) 301-6119

zoeskitchen.com

Chick-fil-A

Most places you let the staff know gluten free order they will make grilled nuggets and fries and change gloves.

877 Lynnhaven Pkwy, Virginia Beach, VA 23452

(757) 468-1003

chick-fil-a.com

Cheeseburger in Paradise

Ask for gluten free menu.

739 Lynnhaven Pkwy, Virginia Beach, VA 23452

(757) 498-1518

cheeseburgerinparadise.com

Whiskey Kitchen

2149 General Booth Boulevard, Virginia Beach, VA 23454

(757) 689-8860

thewhiskeykitchen.com

FIREBREW Bar & Grill

1253 Nimmo Pkwy, Virginia Beach, VA 23456

(757) 689-2800

fire-brew.com

Texas Roadhouse

4309 Silverleaf Dr, Virginia Beach, VA 23462

(757) 497-7427

texasroadhouse.com

Red Robin

They have a gluten free fryer!

1088 Nimmo Parkway, Virginia Beach, VA 23454

(757) 427-6900

redrobin.com

Azar's Natural Foods Market & Cafe

108 Prescott Ave, Virginia Beach, VA 23452

(757) 486-7778

azarfoods.com

Boston Market

3981 Virginia Beach Blvd, Virginia Beach, VA 23452

(757) 498-7900

bostonmarket.com

Burtons Grill

741 1st Colonial Rd, Virginia Beach, VA 23451

(757) 422-8970

burtonsgrill.com

The Melting Pot

1564 Laskin Rd #182, Virginia Beach, VA 23451

(757) 425-3463

meltingpot.com

Gluten Free Zesty Chicken and potato Soup for crockpot

I love the meals you can throw in a pot or crockpot, leave and go do other things. No one has time to be standing at the stove all day. 

My girls loved this! It was a tad on the spicy side for my kids without the chiles, I believe we added too much seasoning. It made a TON and was great leftover also! Also didnt break the bank to make :)

3-4 split chicken breasts (free-range organic, if possible), rinsed, patted dry

8 cloves fresh garlic, chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 heaping cups thinly shredded cabbage (we used a whole head)

1 green bell pepper 

1 red pepper

1 yellow summer squash 

2 zucchini squash 

6 to 8 baby Yukon Gold potatoes, cut up

1 4-oz. can chopped green chiles- mild or hot, to taste ( I didn't use)

 1-2 teaspoon each of: dried basil, oregano and parsley

1 14-oz. can Muir Glen organic diced tomatoes

2-3 or more cups of organic chicken broth
Cook 4-6 hours on low

https://chronicillnessrecovery.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=192

Mexican Quinoa Slowcooker

I've been trying to incorporate sneaky ways to put Quinoa into our diet, its more healthy has lots of fiber and can be filling. Although its more expensive than rice the benefits outweigh those of rice as well. 

• 1 pound ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken

• 1 and 1/2 cups uncooked Organic Quinoa (Rinse well strain with paper towel)

• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans

• 1 cup frozen corn or canned corn

• 1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes  

• 1/2 cup salsa

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 1/2 cup onion

• 1/2 cup sweet bell peppers 

• 1 cup water

• 1 enchilada sauce (I use Ortega 16oz) 

• 2 cups cheddar or Mexican cheese

• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

• Dallops of sour cream on top before serving

• Additional Options: 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, green onions, 1 small jalapeno

This a great meal for days when you want something easy, different and want it to be ready around a certain time frame. This takes about 3hrs on high or 5-5.5 on low. 

Cook meat first, drain if needed and place in crockpot or slow cooker.

Rinse the quinoa very well to deter the bitterness.

Add all addition ingredients except for cheese and cilantro in the pot, mix together, and set to desired time frame:) 

When its done add in cheese, scoop out into servings and add sour cream on top 

Even my girls loved this dish! 

September was Interstial Cystitis month- The journey to diagnosing Interstitial Cystitis

Ive had people ask me questions over the years about why I have to go to the bathroom so much. This will explain one aspect of this which I hope may help some other people as well. To understand the full person, you must understand where they have come from.

When I was a teen I constantly had bladder issues, which the doctors didn't really understand. I always felt pain and even though I drank tons of water and ran cross country this pain was always there. When I moved down to VA at  the ripe age of 18 the pain was getting so bad I went to the ER several times. It was beyond the ER  doctors comprehension. I kept having blood in my urine and so they would prescribe me antibiotics thinking I had bladder infection/ kidney infection. As the months passed frequent trips to ER, I finally found a new gyn to listen to me. The other ones told me to "go home and take Tylenol". Thanks doc.

I knew there was something wrong, no one else I knew had the pain, frequency constantly, if I had a drink I was peeing knives, and had to go to the bathroom sometimes 5 minutes after just going because urine in my bladder hurt so bad. At the same time I had severe pelvic pain which was thought to be related. I knew that my issues were far from normal. The normal woman didn't have the debilitating pain, severe bleeding, etc that I had. It was getting worse. I was constantly embarrassed, working was hard waiting tables when you need to go to the bathroom so often. School during my teen years and then college was hard because teachers don't want to let you out of class when you just were out of class. I knew something had to give because I needed a reason for why and I'm a "how do I fix this" person so I was on a mission to fix this and get over it.

 I found a new gyn who listened to me and said he knew what I had. I was not convinced but I was so ready to find out that I would do just about anything. One test which is very rarely used now was the potassium test. He would catheterize me, fill my bladder with saline first then empty it then fill it with potassium. As the potassium started going in I screamed at the top of my lungs and cried. It was one of the most painful things I had ever experienced. He stopped and let me pee, it was straight blood. He said you have interstitial cystitis. I was in horror crying my eyes out. There is no cure for IC just painful bladder treatments, medications, surgeries etc. The only way to test and see if you have this for certain is to do a cystoscopy and biopsy and since I was scheduled for my first of many surgeries because of the endometriosis I also had this on top of other tests. I had no one to take me to surgery when it was scheduled. My fiance and I had broken up and so one of my friends I worked with ended up taking me. He even called my doctor and go me more medications when the meds weren't working. He got me food and helped me when I couldn't walk. He was a good friend. I was in school and a waitress at the time so I was very low on money. The bladder medication cost was outrageous and I also had to start weekly bladder treatments at the age of 18 this was not very fun, in fact they are painful especially when you have bladder ulcers getting anything injected into my bladder was like lemon juice getting poured onto an open wound but I went for months and had it done. I wanted nothing more than to feel better. I was never one to take pain pills so I needed to get myself back I wanted to run again which had become so painful. What I didn't realize was that IC is a condition you have for the rest of your life.

 I'm 30 now and have been on this journey for so long I dont remember ever having days without pain. I've had many many surgeries, some to check for bladder cancer which can develop from the constant inflammation and ulcers, and also very invasive surgeries to clean out the endometriosis wrapped around my bowels, ovaries, tubes, peritoneum, adhesions etc, and finally had to have a hysterectomy. Some people notice a temporary improvement in symptoms after undergoing cystoscopy with bladder distention. Bladder distention is the stretching of the bladder with water or gas. The procedure may be repeated as a treatment if the response is long lasting, but in my experience its very short lived, painful, and after surgery I end up with catheters for days in hospital and IV antibiotics because of infections. Other surgical options include:

• Fulguration. This  invasive method involves insertion of instruments through the urethra to burn off ulcers that may be present with interstitial cystitis.

• Resection. This is  invasive method that involves insertion of instruments through the urethra to cut around any ulcers.

• Bladder augmentation. In this procedure, surgeons remove the damaged portion of the bladder and replace it with a piece of the colon, but the pain still remains and some people need to empty their bladders with a catheter many times a day.

I was told I wouldn't be able to have kids because I had such bad endometriosis stage 4 at the age of 18 it was everywhere all over my bladder etc as I mentioned the worst the dr had seen at my age. I had been also told that earlier on in my life as well when a Pediatric dr had seen me at Childrens hospital in Philly because at 14 I was diagnosed with several things, and Raynauds and unspecified arthritis, but I brushed it aside because essentially raising my siblings, neighbors kids, some cousins... made me want to concentrate on school and my nursing degree, kids were not on my mind, God has a funny sense of humor... This is a short condensed version of my journey to my interstitial cystitis diagnosis.

Since 2004 I have been on Elmiron except when I was pregnant (the journey of my pregnancies very complicated will do later). Its now deemed safe during pregnancy but during the times I was pregnant no Dr would give it to me and I suffered in intense pain on top of life threatening conditions. Sometimes people go into remission during pregnancy with autoimmune conditions, I wasn't that lucky. Through the years I've battled many things and this is still one of them. Getting up every half hour at night sometimes more and not sleeping. When going out or on car rides I have to know where there are bathrooms and when most can sit through a movie I have to get up 2+ times at least to go to the bathroom. I'm not as embarrassed as I was when I was first diagnosed, but this condition has still proven to be a difficult journey. This alone is a very hard condition to have and the people I know who have this fight daily hard but then I got diagnosed with life threatening  battles on top of everything else I have,but this was the start of the list....the autoimmune damage would add on as the years have passed. Currently, Im still on Elmiron and have had to re start twice a week catheter treatments for my bladder which is very painful, on top of IV treatments I get for other battles Im facing. Ive also been battling ongoing kidney infections on top of the IC which aggravates the IC worse as you can imagine. The inflammatory response kicks up my other autoimmune conditions and complications along with the genectic immune defiency that has made me septic several times.

If you have or know someone who suffers with this help them figure out good treatment, without elmiron I would be in a lot more pain and have a lot more ulcers. Following the IC diet is also key for low inflammatory foods. Until your bladder starts to heal especially stay away from juice, soda, tea, etc. Find a uro/gyn that is knowledgeable about this condition. IC can also be coupled  with some other conditions which are not fun that made my list as well. To find good treatment make sure you research. Some people take prelief on top of the Elmiron. One of the side effects of Elmiron is hair loss but God knows I can deal with that if I'm in less pain. Also a side note when I got diagnosed with Celiac in 2011 (after suffering years on end= for another time) going gluten free decreased my pain and for a period of time my IC was somewhat in remission. It was short lived but during that time I was very thankful to have days of less pain. Make sure to do food journals and drink journals to help you find out what your triggers are and don't stop till you find a Dr who will listen to you.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/interstitial-cystitis/basics/definition/con-20022439