Ali’s Intern Speaks
July 13, 2009
Ali’s note: Due to the busyness of my schedule, I asked my intern Kristina to write a blog post about her experience working with me this summer. I find that I can write and talk all about healthy eating but it’s in my client’s stories (and now Kristina’s) that people grasp the power of nutrition. Below is Kristina’s entry – I only made minor grammatical edits (and her review isn’t dependent on this either!).
What a crazy summer it’s been. Between the weather and the nice winning streak the Phillies have been on, (cross your fingers!) time is flying by.
Let me introduce myself. My name is Kristina and I’m Ali’s Intern. I found this opportunity through the business school at Temple University, where I’m studying marketing and public relations. Since this is going to be my third year there, I thought it was time to get some real world experience, which lead me to find the business development internship in the Health Counseling field. I thought this summer I would assist Ali in whatever she needed but never thought she would be able to help my health along the way.
Starting when I was young, I’ve always had health issues. At 13 I found out I had cysts all over my kidneys and ovaries that caused me extreme pain. Since the age of 15 I’ve been going to a chiropractor for my back. Starting dance at a young age added to the strain on my back and even affected my knees causing me to see a physical therapist so I could walk without pain. On top of that, I always believed I had arthritis in my hands and was allergic to random items like rhodium, purple dyes, and tree nuts that I thought gave me rashes. I’ve lived with it all, always exercising and eating right, and at 140 lbs. and 5’8, I thought I was healthy.
When I turned 20 by body stopped producing periods. Going from doctor to doctor, the only thing they could tell me was that the cysts on my ovaries and kidneys were not the cause. After a year of searching for answers, I thought I was just infertile and would have to live with the idea that my body could not have children.
After explaining this all to Ali one day in her office, she looked at me and said, “You’re allergic to gluten and most likely have Celiac disease” I didn’t even know what gluten was. Being Italian, I had eaten bread, pastries, and pasta all my life. Was I really allergic to the “healthy” food I had been eating all these years? Apparently in my case, whole grain doesn’t mean it is good for you. This was just the start of things I learned from Ali.
Since meeting with her I have stopped eating bread and pasta, switching to a Gluten-Free diet. Many college kids my age just care about their image and weight but for me it was much more than that. I was looking at facing infertility, arthritis, back pain, headaches, the list went on and on for me if I didn’t change my diet. Living on a limited budget has been hard to stay on track but I truly think if I can change my nutritional decisions, there is no reason why someone else couldn’t. I’ve even gone as far to make a Gluten-Free alcohol guide so I knew what my beverage options were instead of beer and cheap wines.
After being off gluten for a few weeks, many of my symptoms disappeared. I went home to my parent’s house and was really missing my Mom’s baking. I thought, “what if this is just making me feel better because all I eat is insanely healthy foods and I’m not really allergic to gluten?” I conducted my own experiment that weekend and ate as much gluten as I could in 24 hours after being gluten-free for two weeks. I’m talking about pizza, hoagies, bagels, cookies, pasta, and even a few beers. By noon the next day, I didn’t want to move. The arthritis in my elbows, hands, and knees were back. My head and back hurt, along with crazy stomach pains. I’m not a licensed doctor but I then decided I am without a doubt allergic to gluten. (Ali’s note: what Kristina did without realizing it is an Elimination Diet – removing the suspecting food allergy for 2-3 weeks and then adding it back in to see the effects. It’s the best way to test for food allergies, especially gluten and dairy.)
I appreciate medicine and all that doctors do to cure disease. But throughout my experience, I don’t need to go to one every time I think I have a problem with my body. Taking a pill and wanting an instant cure is not the answer. We as consumers rarely read the side effects of the medication we’re given and more often than not, the doctors don’t explain them to us. When I have a headache now, instead of reaching for an Advil, I think, am I hungry or tired? Your body is telling you something and in order to keep it in pristine condition, you need to listen to it.
Every day is different for me, and I still have yet to get used to going to a restaurant and asking the waiter if anything on the menu is Gluten-Free. I want a healthy life, free of disease at all cost. Being gluten-free doesn’t affect who I am but without it I’m happier. I actually feel 20 again, without the pain.
So my summer had turned out to be life changing, who knew? I joined Ali to help her expand her business but she gave me the life I didn’t know I could have. That’s pretty awesome to me.
Why don’t you ask yourself, how great do you feel today? If the answer isn’t fabulous, what are you waiting for?!
When I first met with Ali, it was an emergency situation. At 26, my cholesterol was over 280 points, my triglycerides were out of control, and I was 40 pounds overweight. I had stomach problems, migraines, and a variety of other issues. I had seen doctor after doctor, but none could give me an explanation or relief.
Ali almost immediately recognized a pattern in my symptoms and suggested I try cutting gluten out of my diet for 2 weeks. Since I eat out for pretty much every meal every day, it was hard at first. But then I started to feel better, and I realized I had a lot of food options. After 3 months I had gone completely gluten-free, and I never felt better. I dropped 4 dress sizes and 96 points from my cholesterol with just that and some exercise. Now I don’t even go near anything with gluten and I feel great. I’m an entirely new person who looks forward to eating, buying clothes, and living a healthy life – all thanks to Ali!
~ C.O., Philadelphia, PA
Gluten-Free Restaurants in Philadelphia
April 27, 2009
When you have a gluten sensitivity or Celiac disease, dining out can often be a game of Russian roulette you’d rather leave to the Russians. But in the spirit of Quakerism, it looks like Philly restaurants are becoming more tolerant and inclusive for those of us trying to keep our intestines happy. Happy intestines = clear focus, great moods, flat stomach, feeling optimistic, strong immunity and then of course, no itchy skin, no headaches, no obsessive thoughts, no GERD, the list can go on.
Check-out this article, complete with some Gluten-Free recipes, highlighting the growing understanding of the sticky wheat protein that gets many of us into sticky situations. And where you can eat and feel great afterward.
Gluten-Free Granola
April 22, 2009
Add 2 tablespoons of Grade B Maple Syrup
Apple and Berry Crisp
March 11, 2009
Here’s another delicious recipe from the Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Cookbook by Susan O’Brien. I made this last weekend and plan on whenever I’m craving something sweet with some crunch. It is delicious! And to make this recipe easy, use whatever fruit you have in the house. That’s what I did. It all worked out!
Ingredients:
Fruit
4 cups apples, peeled,cored and slice
5 cups strawberries, fresh or frozen
3 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 T arrowroot (you can use cornstarch too)
1 T o.j. (I used lemon since I didn’t have orange juice)
Topping:
6 T agave nectar
2 cups oats or rice flakes (I used Eden’s rice flakes – my first time, turned out great!)
1/2 cup brown rice flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp all spice
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup butter (calm down, it’s for the entire recipe!)
Preheat oven to 350
In a large bowl, combine fruit, cinnamon, nutmeg and arrowroot. Squeeze the orange juice over the fruit and toss again. Place the fruit in a 9 x 13-inch pan that has been lightly coated with olive oil (I used the biggest dish I had that would fit all the fruit and it still turned out for me)
Cover with foil and bake for about 45 minutes, until hot and the fruit is beginning to bubble (I don’t like to use aluminum so skipped this too)
While the fruit is baking, mix together the agave nectar, oats, flour, cinnamon, allspice and walnuts. Cut in the butter until mixture is crumbly.
Remove the pan of fruit from the oven and spread the topping over the fruit. Return the pan to the oven and continue baking, uncovered, for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until the topping is browned.
Serve hot or at room temperature. The crisp will thicken as it cools.
Corn-Quinoa Muffins
January 21, 2009
These muffins are Fabulous! They go great with winter soups and the chili recipe I posted last week. And they don’t come out crumbly like many gluten-free baking goods. I always make the entire recipe and then have them for at least two weeks…if no one else gobbles them up!
A variation I want to try is adding blueberries. I think that would taste delicious. If anyone does, let me know. Or if you have your own ideas on recipe twists, I’m open.
Enjoy!
Quinoa-Corn Muffins
1-1/3 cup quinoa flour (you can grind quinoa in a coffee/seed grinder)
2/3 cup corn meal
2/3 cup applesauce
2 Tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. Celtic sea salt
1 egg
1 cup milk, buttermilk, almond milk, or unsweetened soy drink
¼ cup grape seed oil
Mix dry ingredients together.
Mix wet ingredients together.
Pour wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until lumps disappear.
Put into greased muffin pan or muffin cups in muffin pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 17-20 minutes until a toothpick pushed into muffin comes out dry
