November: Diabetes Awareness Month

November is Diabetes Awareness month so I wanted to take this opportunity to shed some light on common myths associated with Type 1 diabetes.  A majority of the information about diabetes in the media is referring to Type 2 diabetes not Type 1 diabetes. There isn’t a lot of information provided regarding Type 1 diabetes OR they are just lumped together as the same disease.  The distinction between the two kinds of diabetes is EXTREMELY important! They are both very different as is the management of these chronic conditions.

Basic definitions you should know before getting started:

1. Pancreas: the organ that houses beta cells which secrete insulin
2. Insulin: a hormone that allows our bodies to turn our blood glucose into energy by allowing it to enter our cells in muscles, organs and the brain so our bodies can function on a day to day basis. EVERYONE needs insulin-not just people with diabetes
3. Blood glucose: Our body’s main and best source of energy. Glucose enters our blood stream after we eat and digest carbohydrates
4. Glycogen: the body’s stored form of glucose that is slowly secreted by the liver 24/7 so we always have a source of energy even when we are not eating
5. Hemoglobin A1c: an average of your blood glucose* over the past 2-3 months measured in percentages. A very general A1c goal would be 7% (an average blood glucose of approximately 150mg/dL) can prevent complications from occurring. Your own A1c goal will be determined between you and your healthcare provider

*Blood glucose and blood sugar mean the same thing

COMMON MYTHS ABOUT TYPE 1 DIABETES

1. ALL TYPES OF DIABETES ARE CREATED EQUAL: FALSE

There are two main types of diabetes: Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes. In Type 2 diabetes the pancreas still secretes insulin but blood sugars remain elevated for a few different reasons. One reason is that the cells can’t utilize glucose as well as they once could because they are resistant to insulin. Another reason is that the liver is secreting too much glycogen throughout the day and the pancreas can’t keep up with the demand of insulin needed to lower blood glucose.

In Type 1 diabetes there is an auto immune response where the immune system views the beta cell as a foreign object and destroys it. As a result the beta cell can no longer secrete insulin and it needs to be supplemented from the outside of the body via multiple daily injections (MDI) or insulin pump therapy. Exogenous insulin is currently the only way to manage Type 1 diabetes (and checking blood sugars). Oral medications do not treat Type 1 diabetes. 

Other autoimmune conditions you may be familiar with include Celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis, hypothyroidism, ulcerative colitis, psoriasis, alopecia and vitiligo.

2. A DIET HIGH IN SUGAR OR JUNK FOOD CAUSES TYPE 1 DIABETES: FALSE

Whereas with some people, a poor diet and obesity may cause Type 2 diabetes, this is absolutely not the case with Type 1 diabetes. We know that there is a genetic component to Type 1 diabetes and then usually there is an environmental trigger that will set the immune system response into action to destroy beta cells in the pancreas. This could be a stressful event such as an illness. There is no one person or food to blame for the onset of Type 1 diabetes.

3. PEOPLE TYPE 1 DIABETES MUST FOLLOW A “DIABETIC DIET” AND CANNOT EAT SUGAR OR CARBOHYDRATES: FALSE

As I mentioned earlier, carbohydrates are our body’s best source of energy so we do not want to restrict them. As a dietitian working with people living with Type 1 diabetes, my goal is to make sure they are eating a diet full of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and healthy plant based fats. Treats in moderation are perfectly acceptable (birthdays, holidays, special occasions, etc).

These are foods that should be the basis of EVERYONE’S diet-not just because you have diabetes.

The only foods that are truly off limits are concentrated sweets such as juice, regular soda, “sports” waters, pure sugar candies, syrup, etc. These so called foods are nutritionally bankrupt and are just pure sugar. Again, regardless of having diabetes or not, no one should be including concentrated sweets into their diet.

I do teach people how to determine how many grams of carbohydrate they are eating at a meal or snack. This is solely for the purpose of being able to dose their insulin properly to prevent elevated blood sugars after eating carbohydrates.

4. SUGAR FREE MEANS CARBOHYDRATE FREE: FALSE

Sugar free foods commonly found in super markets such as cookies, cakes, chocolate and ice cream still have carbohydrates and can still raise your blood sugar. These are foods that should be eaten in moderation so if you are going to indulge have a real piece of chocolate or a real scoop of ice cream. Don’t waste your time or money on something that has 42 ingredients you can’t pronounce!

The one type of food where sugar free is important is with food products that would be liquid sugar i.e. drinks. One or two artificially sweetened beverages should be okay to have throughout the day but remember water is best!

5. TYPE 1 DIABETES ONLY OCCURS IN CHILDREN: FALSE

Type 1 diabetes can occur at any age. Sadly many adults are mistakenly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes just because they are over 18. Healthcare providers need to keep an open mind when it comes to diagnosing diabetes and screen for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

6. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PERSON WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES AND A PERSON WITHOUT IS THAT A PERSON WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES TAKES THEIR INSULIN FROM THE OUTSIDE AND PEOPLE WITHOUT DIABETES MAKE THEIR INSULIN ON THE INSIDE OF THEIR BODIES: TRUE!!!

Please remember that a person living with Type 1 diabetes is not a sick person-they are simply supplementing their insulin supply from the outside because they are not producing insulin on the inside. There are no limitations as to what a person living with Type 1 diabetes can do!!!!

I hope this information helps you understand a little bit about Type 1 diabetes and how different it is from Type 2 diabetes. The next time you read an article about diabetes you'll know which type the author is referring to;)

Happy Diabetes Awareness month!!!

Xoxo, Devon

Sans Gluten Sis Gets Hitched

As you know Dina and I took a bit of a hiatus this summer as we were preparing for Dina's wedding this past weekend.  The planning of a wedding is serious stuff (for the bride and matron of honor!) and one of the most important events leading up to a wedding is the bridal shower.  Dina had a perfect Saturday in July at the beach for her shower and all of her closest friends and family were there. In my opinion the menu was perfect for a perfect summer day. Some of the hors d'oeuvres included honeydew and cantaloupe with prosciutto and fresh basil, crab cakes and bacon wrapped scallops.

For the appetizer we had fresh tomato and mozzarella salad, ham and gruyere quiche for the main and key lime pie (Dina's fave) for dessert served with fresh fruit. Being the fabulous sister that she is, Dina requested that a sans gluten version of the quiche and key lime pie be prepared for me. The chef did not disappoint! I feel like I should preface every picture with "The picture doesn't do it justice..." but see for yourself below.

Ham and gruyere quiche

Key lime pie (fresh fruit not pictured)

On Dina's big day this past weekend she was absolutely stunning (and her new hubby Chris looked quite dapper too)!!!  It was such a flawless day and we had fantastic early fall weather at the beach. For those of you who are beach bums you know exactly what I mean.  As much as I loved being the center of attention at my wedding it was kind of nice to be out of the spotlight as the matron of honor and watch my big sis shine. I was also very happy to be able to sample ALL of the delicious hors d'oeuvres! 

Just like at my wedding I had my own gluten free attendant which is such a luxury. Many of the hors d'oeuvres were naturally sans gluten such as cucumber slices with lobster salad, potatoes with caviar, bacon wrapped scallops, melon with prosciutto and fresh basil and shrimp cocktail. The piece de resistance was the gluten free mac n' cheese served in shot glasses. This dish was specially prepared from scratch and executed perfectly!  It is really hard to master gluten free recipes from scratch as most of you know and I think it says a lot about a chef's skills when they create a "perfect 10" dish the first time. I ate about 4 of the mac n' cheese but easily could have eaten A LOT more!

Sans gluten mac n' cheese (best thing I have ever had in a shot glass)

For dessert my sister requested that I have my own sans gluten smoosh cake. I loved walking back to our table and seeing my very own cake at my table setting-how indulgent! 

Marney White from Marneycakes Inc. (http://www.marneycakes.com/) created my sister's wedding cake and my smoosh cake. We are huge fans of Marney as she also created my wedding cake over one year ago (see previous posts).

Sans gluten smoosh cake

Sans gluten smoosh cake before being devoured

As you can clearly see all of the planning resulted in an extra special day filled with dear friends and amazing food. In my book I think those are the two most important things that anyone can ask for.

I am so happy for Dina and Chris and wish them nothing but happiness!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!! xxoo

Welcome Back!

Welcome back everyone! As you may have guessed I took a bit of a hiatus this summer from the sans gluten scene. I hope all of you had a happy, healthy and safe summer full of beach time and bbq's! A lot has been going on at Sans Gluten Sisters and I'll be writing about it very soon. A Sans Gluten Sister is getting married this weekend so the festivities are about to begin and they are going to be fabulous! From what I hear there is going to be sans gluten mac n' cheese shooters at the reception. Wow!

See you soon!

xo, Devon and Dina

Bare Naked Bakery is Turning One Year Old!

One of my absolute favorite sans gluten spots on Long Island-Bare Naked Bakery- is turning one year old this Saturday, July 23^rd. This is not your run of the mill gluten free bakery. In addition to cakes, cupcakes and cookies they also offer savory treats like panini sandwiches, salads, bagels, breakfast sandwiches, pizza, NYC hot pretzels and so much more. You can eat in the bakery or take it to go. 

I was lucky enough to catch up with Bridget Brennan, Founder and President of Bare Naked Bakery to find out what inspires her. If you are on Long Island this weekend try to stop by BNB for some fabulous festivities and guest speakers (myself included). Go to www.barenakedbakery.com for more information. See you there!

1.     What inspired you to open Bare Naked Bakery, the gluten free restaurant and bakery in Long Island New York?

Six years ago my sister got diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and then later with crohns disease. Before the doctors finally diagnosed her, I watched her go through living hell with her body. She went to doctors over and over and none of them made the connection between what she was eating and how she was feeling. It became clear to me that her outbreaks would be less frequent and more manageable with the absence of gluten in her diet. Now, I am not a doctor but I do believe that our bodies are the most sophisticated pharmacies in the world...  we just have to listen to it!

I had always believed in the power of nutrition and was fascinated by the ability of food to heal the body and also to destroy the body.

During this time I was dealing with my own digestive discomforts. Although my symptoms were on a much smaller scale and mainly involved bloating, cramping and increased appetite, I made the decision to eat gluten free as well.  The feedback from my body from the removal of gluten was astounding and enough to send on a mission.

I learned quickly that although there were gluten free options, no one offered a gluten free “normal experience”.  I feel this is extremely important for people (especially children) to have at least one place in there life to go to and feel “normal” around food. That was the inspiration that started it, but I get inspired every day when I see the positive impact it has had on others (especially children).

2.     What other types of food allergies do you accommodate at BNB?

Our facility is 100% gluten free and 100% nut free. And 60% of our menu is also dairy free.   Our Executive Baker Jaclyn Messina has had a tremendous hand in creating our dairy free items among many other things in the bakery.

3.     How long did the process take from BNB being an idea until the day you opened BNB’s doors one year ago?

I started the original Bare Naked Bakery at my mom’s farm in East Meadow. I had a small space with tons of fresh ingredients to experiment with. At the time there were a lot of nay sayers who were unfamiliar with gluten free and skeptical about the growing need for it (those people still exists but much less now or maybe I’ve just gotten really good at tuning them out...lol).  I kept it a secret until 8 months later when I opened the Bellmore, New York, Bare Naked Bakery.

4.     What has been the most rewarding experience for you over the past year of business?

Our guests without a doubt. There is nothing like seeing a kid come in screaming.. “Oh my God mommy can I really have anything on the menu??? Really???? Anything?” On my hardest days, when I witness this, I’m reminded of how important what we are doing really is.

5.     What is your favorite savory menu item at BNB? Favorite sweet treat at BNB?

I love our Rueben Panini, Pizza (by the slice), or Grown Up Grilled Cheese on a salt bagel. I also love our NYC Soft Pretzel warmed with a side of honey mustard dressing. Our Black and White Cookie and brownies are phenomenal.

6.     How do you determine which items make the daily menu? Specials menu?

Our Executive Baker, Jaclyn Messina plays an incredible role in our menu and bringing it to the table.  When her and I get together we get super creative. It usually starts with the foods we miss the most and then we create magic from there. We started doing a farmers market every weekend in our parking lot, so now our inspiration comes from whatever produce they have fresh that day.

7.     What do you see in the future for BNB?

We are working towards becoming a national franchise and landing some pretty huge wholesale accounts as well as distribution. Since most of what's being done is brand new to the industry, I think the sky is the limit!

Life's Little Luxuries

Hi Everyone! I hope you are all having a fabulous and safe summer! 

Life is pretty crazy these days. It seems like everything is on full speed without any signs of slowing down. From the daily news about world and local affairs, Mother Nature’s outrageous ways and balancing work, family and friends- it can be overwhelming! Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the simple things that make me deeply happy. I think it’s really important to take the time on a daily basis to do something for yourself, someone else and/or appreciate something someone has done for you. It usually doesn’t cost much and feels quite good. These are some of life’s little luxuries that have been making me deeply happy on a daily basis in no particular order:

Cucumber salad w/ yogurt dill sauce-thanks Chris!

 -Walking in the door and having a homemade meal prepared for you by your husband, wife, partner, roommate or parent

-Homemade cucumber salad from our garden (must give full credit to my husband Chris-I have no green thumb)

-Fresh broccoli and cucumbers from our garden

-First Southside of the summer with warm peanuts and corn chips watching the sun go down on the beach

Fresh cucumbers and broccoli from our garden

Lobster salad with mango and fresh fruit

-Ripe avocados

-Fresh lobster salad with mango at the beach 

-Gazpacho 

-Breakfast for dinner 

-Instant sans gluten oatmeal that is good for you

-Running the track and bleachers at your old high school and being in better shape now than when you were in high school 

-Going to your friend’s house for a barbeque and everything is naturally sans gluten, fresh and delicious! 

Sans gluten and sans egg spread at the Hegs' barbeque (chicken, steak, egg free potato salad with chorizo)

Hegs' barbeque: Summer corn salad with tomatoes, avocado, fresh mozz, olive oil and lemon-yummmmm!

Track-the best free workout there is!

Heaven:)

Happy Anniversary!!!

            What a year it’s been!! In three days my husband Chris and I will be celebrating our one-year wedding anniversary.  Chris and I still reminisce about what a fairytale day we had when we became husband and wife.  We were married in our hometown with our closest friends and family members by our side on a perfectly clear day in June.  After we declared our vows of marriage we headed to the beach for our reception where the real fun began!

            The beach where we had our reception is an incredibly special place to us where we can be found long after the sun sets during the summer. Not only was the weather perfect so we could stroll along the beach, the food and the drinks were delectable. From what I hear from our guests their glasses were never left empty!

            Many of the foods that were picked for the reception were naturally gluten free. I worked very closely with Kathy planning the menu.   Kathy made sure the staff was educated on what gluten free means and they were all fantastic.  Some of the hors d’oeuvres that were passed included:

• Shooters of gazpacho
• Lobster salad on sliced zucchini
• Bacon wrapped scallops
• Endive with guacamole
• Beef skewers
• Cherry tomatoes w fresh mozzarella and basil
• Filet mignon w horseradish sauce

To top it all off I had my own personal gluten free attendant that stayed with me during the cocktail hour with all of the sans gluten hors d’oeuvres right at my disposal. I had no idea Kathy was going to provide that- it was so incredibly thoughtful!

Our entrees were Chilean sea bass or filet mignon-it’s hard to describe in words how delicious these choices were although I can say that Chris had seconds of the filet mignon (I easily could have had seconds of the sea bass but wanted to save room for the cake).

Marney White of Marneycakes Inc. created our wedding cake. It truly was a work of art! The main cake did have gluten but I had my own mini version sans gluten smoosh cake. We chose the Neapolitan flavor-one layer chocolate cake, one layer vanilla cake with strawberry butter cream in the middle. All I can say is wow! Big thanks to Marney for her masterpiece. You can see her magnificent creations here http://www.marneycakes.com/

Our first year of marriage has flown by-we can’t wait to see what the future holds. Chris and I feel incredibly lucky and fully appreciate how special and rare it is to marry your best friend. We’re looking forward to spending this summer at the beach in the place where we started our life together!

Spring and Summer Soirees

Vegetable fritatta w/ mushroom and tomato

Quinoa cakes

Chickpea salad w/ peppers and onions

Key lime pie 

Dark chocolate covered macaroons-whoa!!!!

May is one of my favorite times of the year (can’t believe it’s almost over). So many fun celebrations happen: Mother’s Day, Memorial Day-the official start of summer in my book and Celiac Awareness! One of the best things about spring and summer is being outdoors. The days are longer which gives you more time to spend at the park, beach and backyard barbeques.  Social gatherings can be tricky to navigate in terms of food selections if you’re not prepared. Luckily there are many easy ways to resolve this issue:

• Bringing a host/hostess gift that everyone will enjoy (a gift is just good manners regardless of being sans gluten). Some of my favorites include:
• SAVORY:
• Chickpea salad with chopped onion, sweet peppers, feta cheese tossed with fresh lemon dressing (or any combo of  your favorite flavors works)
• Lobster salad on sliced zucchini
• Roasted shrimp cocktail
• Greek yogurt dip with fresh vegetables
• Gazpacho
• Vegetable fritatta
• Quinoa cakes
• SWEET:
• Chocolate covered macaroons
• Key lime pie with sans gluten ginger snap crust
• Summer fruit platter with freshly whipped cream
• Frozen bananas dipped in chocolate
• Always having some of your favorite sans gluten crackers or snacks with you.  At barbeques it is usually pretty easy to find sans gluten choices that you can pair with your crackers for a somewhat balanced meal: chicken, burgers, steak, grilled veggies (if marinated make sure marinade is safe)
• Call the host/hostess ahead of time to see what will be offered. If you aren’t comfortable calling the host/hostess because you don’t know them very well that’s okay too.  Have a light meal or snack before you go so you won’t be starving if there aren’t safe options for you (it’s smart to do this regardless to prevent overindulging).

What are some things you do to make social gatherings easier to navigate?

I hope everyone reading this has a great kickoff to spring and summer... Don’t forget your sunscreen!

Easter Feast!

Table set, ready to go!

Sans gluten lasagna

Choco cream pie before fresh whipped cream

Choco cream pie after fresh whipped cream

Maggie says "Happy Easter everyone!!!"

On Sunday we celebrated Easter at my in laws and it was pretty fantastic. My mom in law, Ann, is an amazing baker and creator of many delicious dishes.  Each holiday we celebrate together there is a new sans gluten dish she creates for me based on her original masterpiece that contains gluten. Two of the best so far have been sans gluten lasagna and chocolate cream pie. The chocolate cream pie was low in added sugar so it was very easy to count the carbs and dose my insulin appropriately (for those of you carb counting you know how hard that is without a nutrition label).  The rest of the menu was as follows (notice all the naturally sans gluten foods-excellent host/hostess gifts when attending soirees;)

Appetizers:
Shrimp cocktail
Sliced pears
Cashews
Fresh mozzarella topped with prosciutto
Brie cheese

Main entree:
Honey glazed ham
Green beans with almonds
Mashed yams (could have eaten the whole dish!)
Lasagna (avec and sans gluten)
Sans gluten ciabatta rolls

Dessert:
Chocolate cream pie with corn flake crust.
Homemade whip cream (made seconds before hitting the table!)

Writing about this meal is making me very hungry all over again. The best part about it was of course how delicious it was, but also the thoughtfulness of making sans gluten dishes-I know it's a lot of work making two versions of one recipe. The leftovers aren't too bad either;)

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter and Passover this year......

Thank you Ann!

xoxo, your best daughter in law;)

Sans Gluten Stuffed Portobello

Portobello mushrooms are one of my favorite 'shrooms to work with.  They are versatile, hearty and of course delicious. Slice them up and saute as a side dish or keep them whole and create a main dish. I like to make this dish when I'm looking for a quick and easy week night dinner.  If you have kids in the house this is a great meal for them to help you prepare!

As usual I encourage you to experiment with other ingredients that you love but see below for the version I'm quite fond of.  Feel free to adjust quantities to your liking.

Ingredients:
4 large portobello caps (remove the stem)
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes (optional)

For stuffing:
3/4 cup part skim ricotta cheese
3/4 cup shredded part skim mozarella
1/2 cup of your favorite sans gluten breadcrumbs*
3/4 cup baby spinach (optional-I just tried adding spinach this week and it was great)

*If using unseasoned breadcrumbs try adding some of your favorite fresh or dried herbs, i.e. oregano, garlic, dried red pepper flakes,etc

Place the portobellos gill side down on a baking sheet and bake at 385 degrees for 5-10 minutes while you prepare the stuffing.

Remove the mushrooms from the oven and flip over, gill side up.

Place enough stuffing on each mushroom to almost cover the whole thing (I like ALOT).
If using cherry tomatoes place them on top of the stuffing and put mushrooms back into oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy this dish as a vegetarian main over a salad or with some sans gluten grains. IF there are any leftovers enjoy for lunch at work the next day!

NICE MATIN

Sans gluten bread with herbed butter and olive oil

Almond cookies:)

Last week my sister and I went to Nice Matin on the Upper West Side of New York City for an early dinner before a concert at the Beacon theater. We picked Nice Matin because of it's proximity to the Beacon and the menu looked great with naturally sans gluten options.  Little did we know they have an actual sans gluten menu.

When we were ready to order I did my usual "I have a wheat allergy-is there flour in the sauce, breadcrumbs sprinkled on this, etc." -you know the drill....The waiter Nick responded "Are you Celiac?"  Although I have Celiac disease and AM NOT Celiac disease I was so happy to have a knowledgeable waiter. I love it when this happens! It's an instant assessment of the intelligence of the wait staff. Of course I replied yes and Nick was incredibly helpful with the rest of my order (Arugula salad with parmesan cheese and steak au poivre with spinach-delish!). This type of interaction is somewhat standard but then.....

My sister and I asked them to remove the bread basket to which Nick replied "Do you want gluten free bread?" I think I may have screamed YES!!! This never happens so as excited as I was I was also a bit skeptical. What kind of sans gluten bread would Nick bring? As you can see for yourself above the bread tasted as good as it looks!

The rest of our dinner was delicious. I received a side of mashed potatoes without having to ask because normally the steak au poivre comes with fried onions on top.  For dessert I had almond cookies (see above). I'm not usually a big dessert girl but had to try them and they were awesome!

Overall this was a fantastic dining experience and my sister and I let the manager know before we left.  I think it's important to let people know when they are doing a great job (and when they're not-in a nice way of course).  It's nice to dine out and have naturally sans gluten options to choose from but when you have sans gluten replacement foods it really makes all the difference.

Happy Sans Gluten Valentine's Day!!!

Valentine's Day is on a Monday this year so my hubby and I decided to stay low key by having dinner at home. One of our favorite dishes is turkey tacos. Super quick, delicious and sans gluten. I wanted to spice things up and get creative so I decided to make Turkey Taco burgers. Whenever I make taco I always mix the essential spices myself because a lot of the pre-made taco seasoning mixes have flour or some type of wheat derivatives in them. Argh!

The essentials spices I love to use for tacos are:
-Paprika
-Cumin
-Red pepper flakes
-Garlic powder
-Ground red (Cayenne) and black pepper

Instead of adding these spices to the ground meat as it cooks, I mixed them first then incorporated them into the turkey meat and formed burgers. Feeling especially creative tonight I also added in some mashed chickpeas. I thought black beans would have been delicious too but they weren't in the pantry.

As far as I'm concerned tacos are never complete without some guacamole! To 3 avocados I added some cherry tomatoes, salt, pepper, garlic powder and lemon juice. Yum!!!

Taco Turkey burger with guacamole and baby portobello mushrooms

Guacamole!!

Sans Gluten Mac n' Cheese

Everyone has their favorite food that has to be replaced with its sans gluten (gluten free) version. One of my favorites was mac n' cheese.  Yes there are fantastic pre-packaged mac n' cheese mixes but the nutritional value leaves little to be desired. An easy way to amp up the nutritional value in the sans gluten version is to add your favorite vegetable or two (make it vibrant!), part skim shredded cheddar and some non fat plain greek yogurt (excellent sources of protein and calcium) to the sauce. Adding more sans gluten pasta is a great way to double your volume and have leftovers for school or work the next day.  The mac n' cheeses pictured here have the broccoli on the side (top) and zucchini and shallots mixed in (bottom). So delish!