It’s not that I have celiac disease and can’t tolerate any gluten. I feel fortunate that my body isn’t sensitive to that degree. However, years of eczema, especially as a teen and young adult, have made me hip to the reality that avoiding wheat makes a big difference with my skin.  Can I eat some? Yes, but when I’m truly being careful about what I put into my body, it’s reflected in clearer skin. 

I was excited when I recently came across a fantastic gluten-free resource, Living Without Magazine.  This magazine and website is geared toward people with allergies and food sensitivities so it’s broader then just gluten-free issues. In fact, there are ample resources and recipes for people who are dairy-free, soy-free or have food allergies to things like nuts and seafood.

I was initially drawn to a recipe I saw for gluten-free turkey noodle soup.  I haven’t made it yet but it looked so good that I’m going to add it to my meal plan for next week.  It looks warming (fresh ginger root), flavorful (lemongrass) and healthy (I love anything with kale!), not to mention perfect for a snowy winter day like today (just wish I already had the ingredients).

In checking out the site, there are a host of gluten-free recipes and resources. Many of the recipes for baked good are probably things I would never make because they have far too much refined sugar (I like to keep it to a minimum and only use natural sweeteners) and just aren’t clean eating versions.  But I definitely got some great ideas for soups and other gluten-free recipes that I would give a spin.  You may also want to take a look at the gluten-free quick start guide that they have on their website.

What’s your favorite gluten-free resource? What do you do to build gluten-free foods into your diet that can still make cooking and eating simple and fun?

The truth of the matter is that bitter greens like dandelion greens are highly cleansing and give our systems a fabulous spring kick-start.  Bitter greens help our liver and kidneys to detox, a key phase of “spring cleaning” after a winter of heavy, fatty foods to help us stay warm (or of course we could actually avoid some of those heavy, fatty foods and just put on a sweater).  

Like a lot of other dark leafy greens, dandelion greens are rich in antioxidants and important minerals like calcium, iron and potassium. But did you also know that these potent greens are a natural anti-viral and aid in digestion? Given my recent shingles outbreak, I’m eating lots of raw, dandelion greens to help me on the road to recovery.  And did you know that they help prevent PMS? (Hello ladies! what better a natural prescription than this?)  They also help prevent breast tumors, support clearer skin (as someone with eczema, I’m all over this) and can aid in relieving jaundice, gout and edema. Wow, that’s one potent vegetable!

But here’s the thing, if you’re not naturally drawn to bitter foods, how do you consume them in a way that’s palatable. Here are a few ideas:

• Juice them along with other fruits and veggies to balance the taste. Today I juiced the dandelion greens along with celery, cucumber and a few apples. It was still a bit bitter but lightened the flavor.
• Add dandelion greens to your favorite fruit and veggie smoothie. I regularly add them to a mix of banana and an orange or a pear, to make a healthy and delicious morning drink
• Chop finely and add to your salad along with other, more mild greens and your favorite salad fixings
• Simmer them for about 5 minutes to remove some of the bitter taste (but drink the water that’s full of nutrients)

Are you a fan of dandelion greens? Tell us about your experiences and what you do to get the nutritional benefit while balancing the sharp flavor.

It’s that notion that our doctor can tell us we need to improve our health in some way, but until we decide that it’s important enough and that we really want to do it, we often meet with mediocre results, if we try at all.  Sometimes it even takes a diagnosis or serious medical condition to convince us we need to take our health more seriously.

What is that inspires you to better health? Do you want to be able to be more active? Have more endurance? Prevent certain diseases that may run in your family? Are you motivated to get into action without the threat of serious disease hanging over you?

Because I’ve had a long history of less than perfect skin and still get eczema flareups, I’m motivated to really watch my diet and practice quiet exercise like yoga. For me that means avoiding wheat, soy, sugar, dairy products and certain nuts, just to name a few.  Instead, I need to focus on certain whole grains, more fruits and vegetables, lots of water and a healthy dose of fiber. Is it hard? Sometimes, but because I’m motivated, it’s easier. My wedding is just four weeks away and that’s an even more compelling reason for me to be jazzed about this and make an effort! This clearly a case where I have the desire and motivation to stay focused on my goal.

What is it that you really want to do or change about your health? What will help you get there? How can you create a healthy lifestyle that really sticks and not just in the short term?

I’d love for you to share your thoughts and ideas here.

I’ll admit that I’m a life long thinker. By that I mean that I’ve become a pro at spending copious amounts of time “in my head.” Thinking, analyzing, worry, intellectualizing, being wracked with anxiety, over-thinking, you name it and I’ve probably done it. And during that time, it definitely took a toll of my health. For years, I suffered from chronic eczema that was made worse by stress and worry. Through lots of different work over the years, I’ve been able to improve my ability to quiet my mind but this training took it to a new level. It gave me an opportunity to more fully tune into my body and learn strategies to get out of my head when I feel myself getting in a loop. And i really tuned in to being present in the moment, not just physically being present and mentally reviewing my to-do list.

I love the connection we can make when we get out of our heads and into our bodies – it’s so closely linked to knowing when something is wrong and improving our health. When we slow down and tune in, it’s much easier to feel what’s going on. When we stop our breakneck pace, we can hear those words of wisdom that may be telling us it’s time to see the doctor or get some other kind of help. When was the last time that you slowed down, got out of your head and really listened to what your body has to say?