Use Chia Seed Powder as an Egg Replacer

Just like Flax Seed Only Better

Ground flax seeds are becoming a common and very successful replacement for eggs, but did you know that you can also use chia seed powder?

I've been experimenting with this for the last several months (recipes coming soon) and the ratio of chia powder to liquid is 1 to 1, just like ground flax seed. In other words, 1 tablespoon (TBS) of ground chia seeds + 1 tablespoon (TBS) of water = 1 egg.

You can also use coffee or clear apple juice instead of water to add a little recipe appropriate flavor if making muffins or sweet breads.

Can you use whole chia?  You can, but chia seeds soak up a ton of water, so your bread or muffins will be more like pudding - very, very moist. So if you want your muffins to turn out like muffins, grind your chia seeds in a coffee grinder or food processor first, then measure.

Using chia seeds rather than flax also helps increase the ratio of non-fish-derived Omega 3's in your diet, since chia is heavier in Omega 3's than is flax seed.

Snowbound w/o any allergen-free soap to shower with?

Snowbound w/o any allergen-free soap to shower with? Use baking soda &/ or olive oil. Baking soda is a wonderful exfoliant & cleanser for you entire body, you can even use it on your head and hair. You can also use olive oil, too. Why? fresh oil dissolves the oil & dirt that has packed into your pores. Cover your face and body w/olive oil, then take a warm, wet cloth and wipe it off. The only drawback here, is that if you do this regularly in the shower, the oil could clog your drain a bit. I also use olive oil as a moisturizer after a shower. Smooth onto wet skin and dab your sweet self w/ a towel.

Thanksgiving Tip: How to get a gluten-free turkey

As you get to your local grocery or local farm to pick up your turkeys, remember that your gluten-free guests need a turkey that is gluten-free. "What?" There has been a common, yet declining practice of injecting the turkey or chicken with a broth or saline solution that contains gluten (in order to plump the bird). This is especially true for pre-prepared and pre-roasted birds. If your bird is pre-herbed, or has a seasoning package with it, pass on it. Seasoning mixes often contain gluten as well.

Make sure to double check with the processor of your turkey or chicken to make sure it is not injected with broth. Your best bet is to find a local farm who is in charge of the complete processing of the turkey, but there are more and more mainstream processors who are offering gluten-free turkeys.

Jenni-O Fresh Whole Turkey

Butterball Frozen Whole Turkey

Read more about the Most Surprising Places for Hidden Gluten

Charcoal Briquettes Can Contain Gluten - Opt for 100% Pure Wood Charcoal

Becky, from a local Celiac Support Center in Grand Rapids - which also runs their Gluten-Free Food Fair, let me know about this. Many charcoals have a form of starch, usually wheat-based (but also could be corn, rice, or potato), that holds the charcaol in the briquette form, and allows a controlled burn. There is a risk that the gluten from the briquette could be inhaled, as well as get on the food cooked over it and digested. Your best bet is to use a 100% wood charcoal (lump charcoal) that can be found at major hardware store chains and some grocery stores.  It looks like lumps of burnt wood, not the pillow shaped briquettes. It might be a little harder to light, but what's a little BBQ adventure, as opposed to taking a risk with your health?

Read more about the most surprising places for hidden gluten, here.

Check Your Retainer (& other Dental Products) for Gluten (Really)

Do you have a retainer? It might contain gluten. Yes, a new study is finding that gluten, a common additive in plastics (particularly plasticized methacrylate polymer), can keep a celiac patient from going into full remission. Check with your dentist to see what your retainer and/or bite splint contains and research every ingredient that is not in plain language. 

Here's the direct study link:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/24137038/?i=1&from=celiac+disease

Also check these other dental products - and please note that because these products do not fall under the regulations of "food", gluten may not be listed in the ingredients:

• Minted dental floss
• Toothpaste
• Polishing paste
• Flouride
• Topical Anesthetic

Read more . . .

Update 3/4/2014: Here is a post on Triumph Dining indicating that the study findings were not conclusive - that the plastics in the retainer material may not leach out enough over time to cause alarm.Two dieticians, Amy Jones, MS, RD and Tricia Thompson, MS, RD, contacted the lead author of the study and came to this conclusion:

Amy Jones, MS, RD and Tricia Thompson, MS, RD

The original study led the dietitians to contact the lead author. After discussing, both were still not convinced of the retainer’s guilt in the diagnosis. Due to the half life of tTG (which is 6 months) and an outdated report on the contents of methylmethacrylate (from 1971), Amy Jones and Tricia Thompson concluded that “enough gluten would leach from the retainer to cause an increase in tTG levels seems a bit extraordinary.” - See more at: http://www.triumphdining.com/blog/2014/03/04/is-there-a-link-between-orthodontic-retainers-and-gluten-intolerance/?utm_source=Triumph+Dining+List&utm_campaign=c4ab154054-Newsletter+7%2F23%2F13&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c9c15f454b-c4ab154054-122078121#sthash.PFDy2d3Q.dpuf

 The original study led the dietitians to contact the lead author. After discussing, both were still not convinced of the retainer’s guilt in the diagnosis. Due to the half life of tTG (which is 6 months) and an outdated report on the contents of methylmethacrylate (from 1971), Amy Jones and Tricia Thompson concluded that “enough gluten would leach from the retainer to cause an increase in tTG levels seems a bit extraordinary.

This may put some fears to rest, but this will be an interesting study to follow.