What’s a gal to do when she has carrots coming out of her ears and a compulsion to experiment in the kitchen? My friend generously volunteers each week at the farmers’ market and brought me a magnificent bunch of carrots. That same week carrots were in our CSA (community-supported agriculture) vegetable box. A situation like this calls for carrot soup (I’ll wait to share that recipe early this fall) and my Paleo carrot muffins.
Read MoreKember's Gluten-Free Baking Mixes
I usually make baked goods from scratch because I think they are tastier and are better for us. But there are times when I want a convenient baking mix, which is difficult to find because our family doesn’t eat gluten, dairy, oats, buckwheat, or quinoa.
I’m happy to have discovered Kember’s Gluten Free, a family-owned business that produces baking mixes that are gluten-, dairy-, and soy-free, with rice flour as their main ingredient. The company started because the mother in this family, like so many households in the gluten-free community, discovered food intolerances and has led the way for her family and others.
I recently spent an entire day baking up a storm with the help from Kember’s Gluten Free.
Read MoreYeast Overgrowth (Candida) Diet
I felt fabulous when I stopped eating gluten, and I thought I was home free. But, about nine months into a gluten-free diet, I stopped feeling so great. My face starting breaking out again, my intestinal system was offbeat, and my brain fog slipped back. After a few tests, I was diagnosed with a yeast overgrowth. This was not a piece of good news.
As is the case for many people who are gluten sensitive, I had a leaky gut. When I stopped eating gluten, the leaky holes in my gut started to heal and close up releasing the toxins that had been trapped for so long. Some people even have bacterial infections and parasites also. My toxins were an overabundant amount of yeast, which is much more significant than a yeast infection.
My naturopathic doctor prescribed a medication, supporting supplements, and a rigid diet to rid my body of the yeast overgrowth. I had to eliminate all sugars for nine weeks. This meant no sugar, no fruit (except a few blueberries), no root vegetables (including carrots and potatoes), no starchy vegetables like peas, no condiments, no alcohol, only one-half cup of rice per day, no corn, and no dairy. I wasn't dairy-free yet, so that was especially difficult. I didn't even eat bacon or ham because they contain sugar. It's the sugar that feeds the yeast, so if I cheated and had just a tiny amount, I would be erasing all the work I had done up to that point. I put my head down with blinders on and plowed through the nine, very long weeks.
I took this photo of the lemon water two years ago during my "yeast overgrowth summer." The first few weeks I was feeling cranky and sorry for myself. Then, I turned over a new leaf and embraced the many foods I could eat during that time. I discovered coconut and bean flours. I colorfully plated my meals, used cloth napkins, and savored every bite. I embraced the simplicity of food, went to bed early, sorted and purged contents from closets and boxes from over the years, and started to feel better.
I successfully conquered my yeast overgrowth by the end of the summer. My tastes had changed, and I no longer had that compulsive craving for sweets. I felt such a sense of relief and accomplishment, and my body was back on track.
If you have gone gluten-free and some of your symptoms have returned, consider being tested for yeast overgrowth. It's worth the effort to overcome it. There is light at the end of the tunnel! Here are a few menu ideas I relied on and that satisfied me.
Breakfast
Brown Rice Hot Cereal with Toasted Coconut Flakes
Chia Seeds with Nuts, Cinnamon, & Toasted Coconut Flakes
Scrambled Eggs with Parsley & Chives
Leftover Curried Red Lentils Served Over a Hard Boiled Egg
Lunch
Coconut Flour Pancakes
Garbonzo Bean Flour Griddle Cakes
Chicken Salad in Lettuce Cups
Snacks
Coconut Butter
All Nut Butters
Macadamia Nuts
Roasted Sunflower Seeds
Cucumber Sticks
Dinner
Curried Red Lentils served over Zucchini
Sole with Lemon, Herbs, and Olive Oil
Roast Chicken with Olives
Grilled Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
Fudge Pops, Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free
We are heading into the long days of summer, and I’m looking for ways to beat the heat. This recipe is for those afternoons when the pool decks are too hot for bare feet. And, here in California, the kids can no longer run through the sprinklers to cool off because our lawns of soft, green grass are now brown, brittle spikes.
There are a few surprise ingredients that make these gluten-free and dairy-free fudge pops decadent.
Read MoreXanthan Gum: Is it really gluten-free?
There always seems to be a new layer of learning when it comes to gluten-free. Just when you think you’ve got it all covered and are safe, out pops another fact that complicates matters. I've recently learned that xanthan gum may be a problem, and here's how it plays out.
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