going gluten free forever

Last month I celebrated one year of eating completely gluten free and totally transforming my eating habits which has completely changed my life! Since my mid twenties, I've battled all kinds of mystery symptoms that often appeared to be related to food- crashing after I eat, heart palpitations, tons of inflammation, joint pain, frequent headaches, stomach issues, hair loss, exhaustion, mysterious rashes & the list goes on. I never thought these issues were anything more than normal ups and downs of just being me! But over the last couple of years, I had three miscarriages in a row, my body was rocked, exhausted from all the hormones, stress, grief and all of my "mystery symptoms" were even worse.

I started my journey with a Naturopathic doc and began getting my hormones and my body back on track. A big part of this was looking at my diet, I started tracking everything I was putting into my body and while we were eating healthy, what I noticed was that I felt 100% amazing when I removed gluten from my diet and then I would add it back in and have a terrible reaction- the only way I can explain the feeling is like having the flu-achy body, stomach issues, brain fog, dizzy, heart palpitations, rash and I would end up in bed for days. Up until this point, I am embarrassed to say that I thought gluten intolerance and celiac disease was not a real thing...BOY WAS I WRONG! When I removed the gluten, I would feel like a new person! Typically when it comes to Celiac Disease or gluten intolerance, a biopsy can give some more definitive answers but for me I didn't need any more answers, the writing was on the wall- me and gluten, we don't get along! 

So after a few months of back and forth removing and introducing gluten, in October of last year, I made the decision to go completely gluten free.  And let me tell you it was one of the hardest things I've done! I had no idea how much I loved foods with gluten and I had no idea how it would change everything! I also had no idea how much I love crappy food! But over time, I pushed through the cravings and kept eating a gluten free diet and slowly my body started feeling very different!

My cycle changed, my skin changed, my hair stopped falling out, my extreme back pain nearly disappeared, my brain fog was gone, my bouts of hitting a wall were gone. Now I am one year into this journey and I eat a primary paleo diet and I feel so very good- I've lost 10 pounds over the the year (which was not desired or in the plan) but my body is now free of bloating and inflammation. I honestly feel like something miraculous has happened and I can't believe how long it took me to listen to my body and make these big changes. I wanted to share a little bit about my journey just in case someone out there is experiencing mystery symptoms or feeling a little whisper about their health or diet. While it is never easy to change habits or diet and removing gluten is not the answer for everyone, I can say without a doubt it has changed my life!

purple potato salad

I fully believe that colorful food tastes waaaay better or maybe it's all in my head! And while I love potato salad, there is something so fabulous about PURPLE potato salad. Did you know that purple potatoes contain four times more antioxidants than white potatoes?!? I love incorporating purple potatoes into my meals and today I've got one of my favorite easy recipes vinaigrette purple potato salad.

INGREDIENTS:

1-2 lbs of boiled or roasted purple potatoes, cut into quarters

1/4 cup of olive oil

2-3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

2 or 3 garlic cloves chopped

1/4 cup of chopped parsley

pinch of salt and pepper

Boil or roast potatoes and remove from heat.

In a bowl mix the olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, chopped garlic, salt and pepper.

While the potatoes are warm toss them with vinaigrette and then add the chopped parsley.

crispy cabbage and quinoa salad

Salads are a BIG part of my daily meals and lately I am on a cabbage kick! Did you know that cabbage is a great source of vitamin C, vitamin K, B6, fiber, potassium and more?!? Since going completely gluten free eight months ago, cabbage has been as a really important part of my meals and I love using it in a variety of salads. 

INGREDIENTS:

Cooked quinoa

Shredded cabbage

Shredded carrots

Shaved red onion

Dressing:

2 tablespoons avocado oil mayo

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1/2 lemon- squeezed

salt and pepper to taste

healthy salmon chowder

Living on the Oregon Coast we are surrounded by wild, fresh fish and it's a big part of our family diet. One of my favorite meals in the winter is a big hearty bowl of chowder. But these days, I am eating very clean and healthy with zero gluten and very little dairy so I've come up with my own version of a salmon chowder. It's not the same as that heavy chowder loaded with butter, cream and sodium that I can get at my local fish market. Instead it tastes light, crisp and totally satisfies my chowder cravings.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of fish stock (homemade stock is even better)

2 cups of coconut milk

2 poached wild salmon fillets

2-3 tsp coconut oil

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

5 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

3 stocks of celery, chopped

3 potatoes, cubed

1bay leaf

1 teaspoon of fresh dill, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cook the vegetables in coconut oil on low for about 20-30 minutes.

Pour the coconut milk and fish broth over the vegetables and bay leaf and bring to a simmer.

Add cubes of salmon to the vegetables and broth and cook on low heat.

Dish and serve with fresh dill and parsley sprinkled on top.

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spiced cranberry mule mocktail

I don't drink alcohol but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy a fancy beverage! During the holidays I like to come up with non alcoholic drinks that feel fancy and are yummy! One of my recent favorites is a twist on a Moscow Mule.

INGREDIENTS and INSTRUCTIONS:

Fill a mule mug with ginger beer

Add 3Tbsp of cranberry juice

Add a handful of fresh cranberries.

Add a small squeeze of lemon, a pinch of cinnamon and 2tsp of honey.

Mix together.

Add crushed ice.

Last, add a cinnamon stick and rosemary for garnish.

coconut nog

These days I don't consume a lot of dairy but I still like to enjoy yummy food and beverages that remind me of the days when I ate and drank dairy. Egg nog is one of things that I love the taste of but I just can't handle the ingredients. So during the holidays, I enjoy creating my own dairy/egg free version. It is simple, healthy and super delicious!

1 can of full fat coconut milk

1 cup almond milk

4 tablespoons of maple syrup (add more if you like it sweeter)

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

1 pinch of cloves

1 handful of ice

Blend ingredients in a blender until smooth and creamy.

Serve cold and garnish with a cinnamon stick and sprinkle with spices.

gluten free fish taco salad

Eating gluten free has changed my life and while I am not strict about cutting out gluten (I cheat once in a while), I have really enjoyed all the great alternatives out there when it comes to eliminating gluten from my diet. 

One of my favorite meals is a fish taco salad- it's kinda like a deconstructed fish taco. I've eliminated the tortillas and the rice and replaced them with quinoa, added my favorites veggies and fresh seasonal fish.

INGREDIENTS:

Butter lettuce

Quinoa

Black beans

Grilled corn

Tomatos

Purple cabbage

Avocado

Grilled salmon

Cilantro and lime juice for added flavor

rainbow veggie bowl

Lately I've been making some small changes to my diet and for the last month, I've been trying to eat more of a plant based diet. And so far I am feeling amazing! While I still eat fish and chicken once in a while, I've found that loading up my meals with a crazy amount of vegetables and whole grains has really agreed with my body. 

One of my favorite things to do is to "eat the rainbow". I load up a big bowl and challenge myself to include veggies with all the colors of the rainbow. Here is one of my favorites-

INGREDIENTS:

Scoop of rice

Tomatoes

Carrots

Cucumbers

Yellow peppers

Pea shoots and mixed greens

Avocado

Roasted purple potatoes

Purples cabbage

Scoop of spicy green hummus

blackberry mojito mocktail

Summer is right around the corner and nothing says summer like an ice cold drink! I don't drink alcohol but I still love a tasty beverage. One of my favorites is a virgin mojito with blackberries.

INGREDIENTS:

A handful of mint (10-15 mint leaves)

1 teaspoon of honey

Juice of 2-3 limes

Sparking water

Coconut water

Blackberries

Ice (blackberry ice cubes- optional)

Begin by adding the mint leaves and honey to a cocktail shaker or mason jar.

Using a muddler, muddle the mint leaves and honey.

Add the lime juice, sparkling water, a dash of coconut water and a few blackberries.

Shake well.

Pour the mixture into two tall glasses and fill the glasses with ice. I used blackberry ice cubes for some extra flavor.

Garnish with lime, mint leaves and blackberries.

I added blackberry sugar (cane sugar with a few drops of blackberry puree) to the rim of the glasses.

fruit pizza

We love our sweet treats around here so I am always trying to make things that are a little bit more healthy! One of our favorites is fruit pizza. It's yummy, colorful and fun to get creative with.

INGREDIENTS:

Toppings:
Favorite fruit- I used dragon fruit, strawberries, raspberries, kiwi and black berries
Yogurt

No bake crust:
1 1/2 cups of crushed graham crackers
1/3 cup of melted butter or more depending on the 
1/4 cup brown sugar

Mix graham crackers, sugar and melted butter.
Press mixture into a round plate.
Chill for 1 hour.
Add all those toppings and enjoy!

beet hummus

I love colorful food, there is something even more pleasing about eating food that is beautiful! One of my favorite colorful and healthy treats is beet hummus. It is easy to make, delicious and super pretty!

You can use homemade hummus or if you don't have lots of time, you can even use store bought hummus.

MY FAVORITE HUMMUS RECIPE:

Typically hummus has tahini or sesame paste but I like to make a nut free version.

1 can garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 clove garlic, crushed
1-2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
dash of ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Next, you will need to roast a couple of beets.

Once the roasted beets have cooled, puree them in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Next is the fun part! Slowly begin adding the beets to the hummus. The fun thing about beets is that the color is DYNAMIC and it doesn't take much to transform that hummus into someone colorful.

Keep mixing the beets until you've achieved your desired shade of pink.

The result is beautiful and a great way to brighten up a vegi plate.

sweet potato nachos

I've got a terrible love of junk food. One of my favorites is nachos and I crave them like crazy! And while there was a time when I would gobble up a pile of chips smothered in canned cheese sauce, these days it's really important for me to eat healthy. One of my favorite ways to "recreate" a healthier version of nachos is to substitute those chips with sweet potatoes

INGREDIENTS:

Thinly sliced sweet potatoes

Grated cheese

Black beans

Corn

Variety of peppers

Avocado

Green onions

Start by baking the sweet potato slices until crispy on the outside.

Add your favorites toppings and Enjoy!

healthy ramen

I have a love (and a weakness) for Ramen and while I may have lived off Ramen in college, these days I try to make better decisions with the food I eat. One of my favorite things to do is recreate my favorite meals and create a healthier option. 

One of the most important things for my body is try and stay away from gluten and processed foods and while sometimes this feels confining, I've figured out a lot of ways to recreate my favorite yummy recipes!

INGREDIENTS:

Gluten free Rice Noodles- I love the Lotus Foods Forbidden Rice Ramen noodles

Chicken broth

A variety of favorite vegetables

Cooked chicken breast

Homemade ramen seasoning- This is where you can create your own flavors for your broth!

Here is my favorite combo which you can mix up and use to flavor (according to your taste) the broth:

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1 teaspoon of ground cloves 

1 teaspoon ground fennel 

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion and parsley powder

Bring bone broth and seasoning to boil and then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for a few minutes.

Add vegetables, chicken breast and noodles and bring to a boil. Then let simmer for about 5 minutes or until the noodles are soft.

Transfer the soup into a bowl.

I like to add a big handful of chopped spinach, hot sauce and top with an egg! 

sushi bowls

I have a serious love of sushi but our budget can't always handle spending money on going out to for lots of sushi meals. Instead I really love making deconstructed (vegi) sushi bowls. The flavors totally satisfy my cravings and are a healthy salad alternative.

INGREDIENTS:

Brown rice

Spinach

Purple cabbage

Half avocado

Shredded carrots

Diced radish

Cucumber slices

Chopped nori sheet

Crispy tofu (could also replace with fish)

Pickled ginger

Sesame seeds

There are all kinds of things you can add for more flavor- soy sauce, sriracha, wasabi but I like to mix up a little batch of sesame ginger vinaigrette.

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup sesame seed oil (or favorite oil)

2-3 tsp honey

1 tsp minced garlic

2-3 piece of pickled ginger

blackberry mint s'mores

The end of August in Oregon is blackberry season and when you have a backyard full of blackberry bushes, you find all kinds of ways to enjoy them! One of my favorite summer treats are s'mores but I love putting a twist on this sweet treat.

Ingredients:

Graham crackers

White chocolate

Marshmallows

Fresh mint leaves

Make your s'mores the traditional way and after the marshmallows and chocolate melt, add a handful of blackberries and top with a mint leaf.

This treat is a perfect combo of sweet and fruity and CRAZY delicious!

avocado toast

I pretty much live on avocado toast. It's a fast and healthy meal that I eat just about every day for lunch. Grab a slice of your favorite bread, mash up some avocado and then get creative with toppings. Here are some of my favorite ways that I prepare my avocado toast!