| To this day, I would not have a diagnosis of Celiac Disease, if I wasn’t sent to a Haematologist because of my consistently low iron levels. I always have had low iron from when I was a young child and as I grew older, it was almost an expected retort, “oh well you are a woman,so that’s why you are iron deficient”. Even as woman,we should not just be low in iron because we have a period. Doctors need to stop dismissing woman and their problems. If only someone had dug a little deeper. Looked at my fatigue,my “IBS” and my ill health and joined the dots! Unfortunately Celiac Disease is still seen as something rare,when in fact 1 in 100 people have it. I was always really pale,really ,tired,prone to constant infections and not well. My iron was consistently low,but whenever I took iron tablets,I got really sick from them and my iron levels never improved. In fact one of the common indicators of iron deficiency anemia in a person with Celiac is refractoriness to iron replacement. This means that your serum iron levels and Ferritin (stores of iron) do not improve on iron tablets and other supplements containing iron. It stands to reason that if you cannot absorb iron from the food you are eating, you will not absorb it from your iron tablets. So it doesn’t matter how many vitamins and supplements you take, if your intestines cannot digest it and assimilate it into your body properly than you body cannot utilise it. Another reason doctors should be more vigilant in checking their patients with low iron and no response to treatment. Insist in a test for Celiac!! Celiac Disease prevents absorption of nutrients from the intestines,to the bloodstream,among these is the vital nutrient iron. Iron is a key component of haemoglobin,which carries oxygen around the body. So if there is not enough oxygen in you cells, not only will feel exhausted by also your cells cannot function optimally. Before the celiac diagnosis, when my iron levels were virtually non existent, I was even given iron intravenously by a drip of Venofer. It was the first time I felt really great and full of energy. The thing is my levels still did not improve drastically and it was at that time,my GP sent me to a haemotologist. Even once I was diagnosed with Celiac and began cutting our gluten,I still was very aware of including more iron rich foods in my diet. I had to make sure I ate a small amount of red meat daily (yes daily). I had to either eat a meat meal,or a slice of cold meat,or some biltong ( the South African delicacy of dried meat sticks). Eggs are also a rich source of iron,as are raisins,dried apricots and liver (which I unfortunately don’t like so don’t eat it) and beetroot,one of the most gorgeous veggies to eat and so easy to grow. Also check out this salad for good iron rich food. Even a year later now, my iron levels have improved dramatically,but the stores are still taking a while to build up. Don’t forget that the process of healing with Celiac Disease only begins with cutting out gluten; that is only the start of the journey. The body will take time to correct the years of damage. Do you have low iron levels or did you have them before being diagnosed with Celiac Disease? How did you get diagnosed? Was iron the clue,or was it your thyroid or you digestive problems that were the key? How much did your doctor know about it. I now tell my doctor things and what’s gluten free and whats not 
The heat is quite unbearable here at the moment. It has been hot and dry for months now as we all await the summer rains. There is nothing quite as magical as the first thunderstorm of the summer in Jo’burg. The heat builds up all day. The sky clouds over and in the afternoon,the thunder rumbles and the huge streaks of lightning flash across the vast expanse of sky,just before the sky opens and the huge droplets come falling to the ground and release the smell of freshness,optimism and joy. I am very sensitive to the weather and am really struggling with this dryness. Everything is dry and cracked from my skin,to the soil in my garden. The garden is desperate for water. I am watering every day now,just to keep everything alive. I love being in my garden. To me that is the best place in the world. My organic veggie garden that I started a month ago is flourishing beautifully. I can’t believe how quick it was before my lettuce was ready to pick and eat. To me there is nothing quite as wonderful as stepping out into the garden and picking my own lettuce from my own patch,that I have tended. I have been waiting to start a vegetable and herb garden for ages and it is now happening. I thought it was going to be so difficult,but it is actually so much easier than I thought. The most important thing is to have good soil and I prepared the bed for all through winter with lots and lots of compost. One of the most valuable things I got was a book By Jane Griffiths,called Jane’s Delicious Garden. Check out her page here it is full of some great growing tips. To me we are meant to get our nutrients from the food we eat,but with the commercial use of pesticides and herbicides and the genetic engineering of plants to make the more resistant to disease,the irradiation of food to make it last longer on our shelves,the depletion of our soils from no crop rotation and the length of time from ground to plate,there is virtually nothing left of nutritional value in our meals. Yet the prices of food is getting much higher. I hope everyone that is conscious of what they put in their mouths has by now seen, Food Inc. The must see movie of the year regarding the food business. I have always been aware of food and what I eat and eating well,but since been diagnosed with Celiac and becoming so label aware,I have become even more conscious of eating well and being a conscious consumer. It is so important for our health that we look at what we are eating and become aware of additives and E’s other nasties,as well just gluten. A big proponent of this of course is Jamie Oliver,who I hold my hat off to in educating and making people aware of eating healthily and preparing their own food. His Food Revolution was both inspiring and moving for me to watch. His organic garden that inspired his Jamie at Home series is also amazing to see and his passion for cooking and for food just amazing. So that’s just my little say on food and healthy eating,subjects close to my heart. I’m off now to pick some veggies for supper.
There seems to be a lot of information out there about what to eat and what not to eat for someone suffering from Fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that causes body wide pain and bone weary fatigue. It can often come about after a trauma,such as an accident or severe illness. For me it began when I was 12 years old. I was a very active kid, that played tennis and did ballet, swam,ran cross country, walked and played. Then I got struck with this ‘mystery illness’, where every single part of my body was in the most excruciating pain that I had ever known. I ended up on huge amounts of medication and did recover ,but was never quite the same again. I never slept well and was always sick and always in pain. I had pain in my muscles,joints,tendons and fascia almost all the time. Something was sore on a daily basis.I didn’t have to do anything to end up being in pain. I would have such bad pain in my legs at night,it was as if I had just climbed Mt Kilamanjaro,but I had just had an ordinary day,going to school. This continued through my whole childhood. I was always sick with every little infection going around,always tired,constant stomach problems and just immense frustration at being so helpless to an illness,no-one really knew anything about,never mind how to cure it. I felt very misunderstood. I tried every medication,every alternative therapy,every elimination diet but nothing really worked. My thyroid was always very under-active and I was always very anemic. It was only when I changed doctors,when I moved,that she suggested I go see a Heamotologist because she wasn’t happy with my iron levels,that my Celiac Disease was first picked up. That was last year. I was 28. I am not for one minute suggesting that every person that has Fibromyalgia has Celiac Disease,that would be naive. There are many people who have it,without having Celiac Disease. It is still a misunderstood illness. I do however see on many forums and many google searches and through lots of reading,that many people find that if they cut out gluten they feel so much better. They begin to cut it out and have a drastic response. They feel full of energy,their pain is lessened and they digestive problems all go away. My issue is that very few of these people are being tested for Celiac Disease. It is one of the most under-diagnosed illnesses of this Century! You might say to me,what difference does it make,if they are cutting out gluten anyway and feeling better from it? To me that is a huge problem. If we are to understand the origin of autoimmune diseases and find cure for Fibromyalgia,Celiac Disease, Hashimotos Disease and the myriad of other auto-immune illnesses out there,how can we do it,if we do not have clear diagnostic criteria and patients that are not fully tested? How many doctors out there test for Celiac? Did you now that you do to even have to have stomach problems to have it? There are many people who are asymptomatic. It would help us immensely to know if there is a link between Fibromyaliga and Celiac Disease, or even the effect of gluten on Fibromyaligics. Maybe when we armed with more knowledge only then can we find a cure! I still am on medication,although not as much. I still see a physio monthly and I still get headaches and I still sometimes get really tired. But I also can go to gym 3 times a week and I do Pilates weekly. My muscles are getting stronger,for the first time in my life there is improvement. I sleep very well at night. I have more energy and enthusiasm in the day and life is so much better. My stomach never worries me at all (unless I have gluten by mistake which is very rare). I am not sick all the time. I am not on antibiotics all the time. If I have a cold now,it lasts 3 days,not 3 weeks,with secondary infections. So yes there is a lot out there about what to eat diet wise. Yes eating well and healthily is important but a Celiac Diet is the key and Gluten may hold the key to research of the future. Please let me know if you have had similar experiences or what you think about the connection between Celiac Disease and Fibromyalgia. For a fantastic website on Fibromyalgia,check out Women to Women. I especially love the hormonal diagram on this page.
Its still quite funny to me that exactly a year ago,my Gastroenterologist told me that I might have trouble keeping my weight down now that I knew I had Celiac Disease and I laughed and said “may that be my biggest problem”. Well be careful what you wish for… I was severely underweight and gained 14 kilos and have people all the time telling me how good I am looking. I no longer look like a pale,thin waif. However,now that I enjoy my food and everything tastes wonderful and no longer makes me sick,now I have to watch what I eat. I have started to get too overweight and I am especially carrying weight around my tummy. Because my thyroid is also underactive,I also tend to have a slow metabolism,so now I have had to have a complete change in the way I eat and can’t just stuff my face with desserts ! ahhhh . I am trying to rev up my metabolism and lose some inches. I also have an incentive to lose weight,I am a bridesmaid at my cousins wedding in December and the dress fitting is coming up soon,plus it is my own wedding next year and I want to look great for that! I am now cutting out most of my carbohydrates,except for yoghurt,fruit,brown rice and vegetables. I eat an egg for breakfast and then fish or chicken or meat and cooked veggies or salads for lunch and supper,with snacks of nuts,fruit and other high protein snacks,like seed bars and these cookies. Proteins help keep you feeling fuller for longer and don’t cause a surge of insulin that carbs do,which leaves you feeling lethargic and sluggish. At first I felt very deprived and hungry,but now a few days in,I am actually feeling good and have more energy. Strangely I also feel less ravenously hungry and my appetite is less,which actually surprised me,I thought I would be more hungry! So try these cookies,they are easy to make and totally divine,high in protein and you don’t have to feel guilty for eating them. Healthy Choc-Chip Cookies: Preheat oven to 180C
Cream Together:
2T Butter
2T Peanut Butter
½ cup of Brown Sugar Add 1 egg
1tsp Vanilla Essence Then Add ½ cup ground Almonds
¼ cup of Whey powder
1T Corn flour Then Fold in:
½ cup coconut
Chopped almonds
Handful of choc chips Roll into big marble sized balls and place on a baking tray at least 5cm apart (they grow in the oven) Bake for 10 minutes and then leave to cool.
I can’t believe when I look back,how much my life has changed in one year. I can’t believe it was August last year I went for blood tests and the gastroscopy that would change everything. A diagnosis of Celiac Disease,so overwhelming and confusing and wonderful all at the same time. Scary and terrifying,not knowing what in the world I can and cannot eat,knowing somewhere in the back of my mind,that one day if I travelled to Italy,I would’t be able to eat platefuls of pasta,and beautiful,warm fresh baked bread! Never again can I eat doughnuts or hamburgers or cookies and cakes out. No more pizza! I guess it’s human nature that we always think of all the worst things first,the ideas of what we are missing out on. Of course,I was thrilled that I had finally solved the mystery of my constantly being sick and tired. I was 28 years old and had always had something wrong with me. I was always the sick child,told I had a “spastic colon”with all my stomach problems and stomach bugs,always tired with my thyroid problems,all sick with every little cold and cough,with my virtually non-existant immune system. Aways in pain with my Fibromyalgia. Always too thin. Always Anemic. Just tired of being sick and tired. Wow could something as seemingly simple as cutting out Gluten change all that?? Well the answer amazingly enough is YES YES YES! I started by reading every label of every single item of food that went into my mouth and was in my grocery cupboard and fridge. I become a little obsessed and cleared out my whole kitchen in a massive gluten clear out. I went every few weeks to be weighed by my dietician and delighted in every new kilo that added on. I was finally starting to feel well. I was told by my doctors that it can take up to a year for your gut to heal completely and I believe that depending on the damage to your intestines,that is true. I still had a few stomach problems,but those also started to become ironed out as the months went on. I became even more label conscious and even more aware of gluten containing products after a mishap with “gluten free bread”that was made with spelt ( a wheat product) made me very ill. Slowly slowly the energy I felt every day was amazing. I would no longer wake up exhausted. I was starting to have more energy and my iron levels and stores began to build up. My body had filled out and I actually was starting to look well and normal,no longer emaciated. Everywhere I went I was constantly told how well I was looking. Anyone who thinks that cutting out Gluten cannot seriously make big changes in their life,is seriously mistaken. Today I am so much better than I ever was. I am no longer constantly on antibiotics,constantly full of sinus problems,I am well and energetic and excited that I can now make all my own gluten free stuff. Food is no longer a challenge,but a thrill. I don’t ever feel I am missing out on things,I feel that I am lucky I have an opportunity to know each and every ingredient that goes into my mouth. Food has become a complete passion and educating people about Celiac Disease and eating gluten free a Calling. One year gluten free and counting
I always like to see new research happening in the world of Celiac Disease and how great would it be if here could be a “cure”as opposed to just gluten avoidance,which is our only solution at the moment. More research,lets demand it! Check out this article here.
Here is an easy weeknight supper,made with all gluten free ingredients and high in protein and omega 3 fats (tuna). Add any other veggies or tasty ingredients you enjoy. It can also be made in advance if you are limited for time or feeling just too tired to cook  Easy Tuna Pasta 250gr gluten free fusilli pasta
2 tins tuna
2T chutney
5 cherry tomatoes,halved
6 mild peppadews
150 gr grated white cheddar
Italian Spice Mix Boil pasta according to packet instructions
In an oval baking dish,flake up the tuna,add the chutney
Add tomatoes,chopped up peppadews. Add spices ( Italian mix)
Add cooked and drained pasta. In pot ,make a simple white sauce. Add a little butter,2/3 T of flour ( I use Rice Flour or maize or potato) stir until forms balls. Add +- 250ml milk,stirring until thickens. Add cheese and pour over tuna and pasta.
Mix altogether and Bake at 180 for 30 minutes.
It can be made easily in advance.
It’s the last weekend of the World Cup in South Africa and I have to admit that I am sad. It’s the been the most amazing time for the country. It has been incredibly unifying and uplifting at a time when things were going pretty badly in the country. Crime still is a huge issue as is corruption and ineptitude in the civil service,but for 4 weeks,it all seems to have been forgotten about and there has been such enthusiasm and excitement,from all of us wearing our ‘Bafana Bafana’jerseys on Soccer Fridays to everyone having flags and side mirror flags on their cars. I can already feel the lull and I know it will all go back to normal but it has been so amazing while it lasted and I can only hope that it will push up the tourism to this beautiful country. On that note,I am including a very special traditional South African dish,adapted to make it gluten free of course. It is a traditional dish that was brought to the country by the Cape Malay slaves in the early days of the Dutch Settlers in the Western Cape).(only just realised the irony with Holland in the final on Sunday;) ) It is a dish that is so mouthwateringly good,it will make you wish you were in Africa! Gluten Free Bobotie: 1 cup of raisins ( soaked in chai/rooibos tea)
1kg mincemeat
1 onion finely diced
1 carrot finely diced
1 T Garam Masala
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp turmeric
2 T Worcestershire sauce
2 T white vinegar
4 T Mrs Balls hot chutney
Salt and Pepper
1 tsp of baking powder
2 slices of gluten free white bread soaked in milk
2 eggs
½ cup of milk
3 bay leaves Preheat oven to 180C
Fry onion and carrot,til golden,add spices and then meat to brown. Add Worcester sauce,chutney ,vinegar and baking powder. Simmer for a few mins,then add soaked bread and raisins,with a small amount of the tea. Taste,add more seasoning if necessary.
Place meat in greased large pie dish,flatten it out.
Mix egg and milk mixture and pour over ( only add at the end if you prepare meat in advance,or else it soaks it up)
Place 3 bay leaves decoratively on top
Bake for approx. 30 min,til golden and bubbling on top.
I have never made a pumpkin pie before,but I wanted something yummy and slightly different to eat. I mostly made up this recipe so I’m not even sure if this is the real ”traditional”pie that is made in the US,but it still tasted very good. I wasn’t sure what is normally served with it,I assume turkey or meat or something like that?? Anyone know? I had mine first by itself and then with some scrambled eggs,which tasted great together. So give this a try and let me know how you make your pumpkin pies please Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie:
500gr cut up butternut,with a little brown sugar and cinnamon,boiled until soft and mashed with a fork.
In a separate bowl,Mix together:
2 eggs
½ cup Brown Sugar
1 cup corn flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice
2 tsp bicarb
Add Mashed up Butternut and mix well
Pour into a pie dish and Bake at 180C for about 45 mins.
I have been feeling a bit down the last few weeks,mainly due to intense back pain and leg pain. It’s just one of those things that unfortunately I cannot pin point an exact cause for.There is a small problem in my disk in my lower back an it flares up often for no reason at all,but often when I am under stress. I had quite a stressful week,one of my long time regular patients passed away unexpectedly last week. It was a real shock and very sad. I always seem to hold my emotions in my body and the grief and general strain has made me feel quite down. Its always the smell and taste of good comfort food that manages to cheer me up and so I thought let me do some baking To me there is nothing better than the smell of a ginger or spiced cake baking in the oven. There is something so comforting and reassuring about it. If anyone could name the smell of home,I think the warm,spicy smell of ginger cake would be it.. I always made a really yummy gluten filled ginger cake and have been a little reluctant to attempt to make my tried and tested recipe gluten free,but this really worked. I adapted it and it worked so beautifully,in fact it worked so well,there was no telling it was gluten free!! Now that to me is the best accomplishment I can achieve when baking gluten free:it mustn’t taste dry and floury to me,it must be light and fluffy. I find that a lot of bakeries use rice flour to bake with and I must admit that I find that’s what makes it have a slightly “gluten free”taste,that so many people are put off by when baking gluten free. Have fun making this one and please let me how yours turned out. Gluten Free Ginger Cake: Sift Together:
300gr Flour comprising of
100gr of Quinoa Flour
50gr Maize Flour (creamy meal)
½ cup of Brown Sugar
1tsp xantham gum
2 tsp ground ginger (vary according to your taste)
2 tsp mixed spice
2 tsp cinnamon
Add
¼ cup oil
½ cup of syrup (add the oil first so that the syrup easily slides off after the oil)
2 eggs
½ cup of warm water
Mix well together
Add 2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda mixed with a little water. Add to a greased loaf tin,lined with baking paper and bake for approx 1 hour at 180C.
Page 3 of 6«12345»...Last » | Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef  A must-have for those who need to eat gluten-free,this cookbook offers irresistible stories and plenty of mouth-watering meals. From the authors of the much-loved food blog,Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef,the book includes evocative photos,cooking techniques,and 100 chef-tested recipes that are sure to give joy in the belly.
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