Monday Motivation 03/31/2014

"I've always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come."

~ Michael Jordan

Breakfast On the Road

Frequent stays in hotels have their perks, but what do you do if you have food allergies and the breakfast selection is gluten-filled, even in the concierge lounge? This morning was one of those mornings. My platinum status at Marriott put me on the concierge floor with access to the lounge, which is a great perk. The breakfast included lots of cereal, pastries, breads, non-gluten free oatmeal, yogurt, and eggs, all of which I am allergic to. I did find a small selection of fruit and some bacon... slim pickings. Fruit and bacon tides me over for about two hours tops, so I grabbed a travel blender I brought with me and my favorite protein powder. I found my small blender at Walmart and I use Nature's Pearl's NP Pro Vanilla Protein Powder. I was able to find ice, orange juice, and pineapple to mix with my protein powder to make a filling smoothie that will keep me going on the course, field, or court. You can use any fruit you can find (I was hoping for strawberries and banana) and any juice available to help keep you fueled until your next meal. I have even seen small peanut butter packets that would be great with chocolate flavored protein powder. Safe travels, road warriors!

EAT: Lunch at 2Good2B, San Diego, CA

Ok, so after I raved about 2Good2B Bakery in my last blog post, I found myself with a day off and in downtown San Diego in the Gaslamp District. It was lunch time and I was right down the street from 2Good2B's San Diego location that just opened. What a great chance to check out something besides their sweets (ok, ok, I had dessert too!). The San Diego location is a gluten free, corn free, and soy free bakery just like the Encinitas location. 

I tried the Roasted Turkey Panini. Yum! It came with a huge side salad. I got the panini without the Ceasar spread and it was great without it. The bread was soft with a nice crunch from the grilling, not crumbly like a lot of gluten free breads. I added a Mexican Coke, made with sugar, not corn syrup. It was my first Coke in three years! 

Back to what 2Good2B does best, desserts! I tasted a slice of their carrot cake. Wow, so good and moist. Their San Diego location has a good variety of cupcake choices, but not as many as the Encinitas location. They also make wedding cakes and had a sample on display. 

I really liked the vibe of the 2Good2B San Diego location. Sleek and modern with fun colors and a nice outdoor seating area, it is a great addition to the Gaslamp District. Check it out if you are in the area!

2Good2B Bakery and Cafe

423 F Street

San Diego, CA

EAT: 2Good2B Bakery, Encinitas, CA

Are you in the San Diego area and need a yummy, allergen free treat? Head over to 2Good2B Bakery and Cafe in Encinitas. 2Good2B is a gluten free and corn free (including corn syrup free) bakery. They can also do egg free and dairy free on request and offer several cupcakes that are egg and dairy free. The staff was super friendly (especially Luis) and very knowledgable about their products. 

2Good2B makes a variety of cupcakes, muffins, brownies, breads, and bars, as well as chicken pot pies, Mac and cheese, sandwiches, and pizzas. They also make wedding cakes to local customers. I stuck to the sweet treats during my two trips and everything I tried was delicious! Do you know how many years it has been since I have had red velvet cake?? Years! And, 2Good2B did not disappoint. My favorites were the red velvet cupcake (of course!), the chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting, and the lemon bar. 

With limited hours of operation (Tuesday - Saturday 7am-6pm, Sunday 8am-2pm), 2Good2B offers take home meals of pizza, chicken pot pies, soups, salads, and Mac and cheese, which looked great. I wish they were open for dinner, as both my trips were right before closing time and I would have loved to eat dinner there. 

It is great to be able to walk into a cafe and bakery and not worry about wheat gluten and corn!

2Good2B Bakery and Cafe

204 N El Camino Real 

Encinitas, CA

Dairy Free and Missing Your Yogurt?

Since I have gone dairy free, I have missed yogurt as a quick snack and great source of protein. I recently found So Delicious Cultured Almond Milk and Coconut Milk at a Whole Foods in the Los Angeles area. Yum! Each is Greek yogurt style and gives a slightly different texture, so try both to see which one you like best. I found the Cultured Almond Milk Strawberry flavor to be my favorite. So Delicious Cultured Almond Milk and Coconut Milk is a great quick snack for the course, field, or court.

Monday Motivation 3/24/2014

You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them. 

~Michael Jordan

Tomorrow is game day! How am I fueling for it?

Since tomorrow is game day, how will I be fueling my body? Not with a bowl of cereal, not with scrambled eggs and biscuits, but a hearty breakfast of lean scrambled grass-fed beef, onions, mushrooms, and spinach topped off with freshly diced tomatoes and a protein shake. You certainly would not want to eat this right before teeing off, tip off, or kick off, but with a 30 minute ride to course and an hour warmup, it is the perfect breakfast to have me ready for the course. It is a breakfast that will stay with me and keeping me going until the first snack of the round. Protein bars, fruit, protein shake, and coconut water will keep me fueled on a warm, but breezy day and get me through the five hour round. 

Quick and Easy Sports Food!

Need a quick snack for your sports event that packs in the protein and is easily digested? One of my favorite on the golf course snacks is tuna. It is a great source of protein and fuels me throughout the round. 

I use tuna packed in olive oil. I find that it is less dry and many others contain vegetable stock that could contain wheat or corn. I also add kalamata olives and artichoke hearts for flavor. I really like the Trader Joe's brand of the tuna, olives, and artichoke hearts. 

4 Individual Cans of tuna with olive oil

1 Jar of kalamata olives

1Jar of Marinated Artichoke Hearts

Makes 4 ample servings

EAT: In-N-Out Burger, A West Coast Treat!

Every trip to the West Coast includes at least one visit (ok, lots of visits) to In-N-Out Burger! In-N-Out is awesome for those of us with food allergies, and they use high quality ingredients, even though it is a fast food chain restaurant. 

The hamburger patties are never frozen and are 100% American beef, no preservatives or fillers. Each burger is made to order. The fries are cut fresh daily and the shakes are made with 100% real ice cream. 

To accommodate my food allergies, I tell the person taking my order that I have allergies, each of which are noted on my order and on my receipt! He or she even announces that an allergy order has been made so your order can be prepared in a special station.  I order my double-double burger protein style, meaning no bun and gluten free. Protein style is when the burger is wrapped with lettuce. I also request no special sauce. The fries are also gluten free, since they are the only fried item in the restaurant. 

I love to be able to grab food at a fast food restaurant and be able to get as safe a meal as possible. Now, In-N-Out needs to go nationwide!

Cold Weather Got You Down?

 

Cold weather got you down? Are you ready for your sport season to start or are you preparing for your season in this cold weather? Even though you are focusing on your sport, your diet and food allergies still come into play. Maintaining your core body temperature is vital when you are exercising in cold weather. It is tougher for your body to keep your core warm when you are not properly hydrated or nourished.

With food allergies, it can be harder to nourish your body. Be sure to eat foods that are easy to digest before and during athletic competitions to keep blood sugar levels up. Eat one hour before events. Sports nutrition foods usually contain hard to digest ingredients, such as high fructose corn syrup and lactose or whey. I like to eat an allergen free protein bar or a plant based protein shake. You will want to eat a mix of protein and carbohydrates to aid in muscle recovery during and after a workout or sports activity.

The saying goes: You are what you eat. This is definitely true for people with food allergies. Eating something you are allergic to can leave you tired, foggy thinking, in pain, or even worse, in the hospital. Be sure to carefully choose your sports snacks to fit your allergies and eat throughout the activity, even if you are not hungry.  As a professional golfer, I am out on the course for up to six hours at a time.  I make sure I eat several times during my round, even in colder temperatures, to make sure my body is well nourished.

Be sure to check back soon, as I will share some of my favorite sports snacks and drinks!

Monday Motivation 3/17/2014

"If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can dream it, you can become it."

~William Arthur Ward

Gluten & Allergen Free Wellness Event Charlotte, NC March 29, 2014

The Gluten & Allergen Free Wellness Event will be in Charlotte, NC March 29, 2014 from 10am to 4pm at the Harris Conference Center. This is the largest Gluten Free event in North Carolina and an opportunity to try amazing Gluten Free products and meet other GFAF people like you!

The speakers include: Carol Kicinski, Dr. Anne Lee, Lisa Stimmer, Dr. Stephen Wangen, Dr. Akiba Green, Beth Mincher and Pam Jordan! Check out the GFAF Wellness Event Web site as the vendor list is growing daily.

The tickets are only $10.00 per adult and children 13 and under are free!  

Saturday March 29, 2014
Harris Conference Center
3216 CPCC Harris Campus Dr
Charlotte, NC 28208
10am-4pm

#GFAFEvent

Monday Motivation 3/10/2014

"Many people are unable to prepare for the future because they're too busy reliving the past."

~ Dr. Nido Qubein

Have You Checked Your EpiPen Lately?

Have you checked the date on your EpiPen lately? An out-of-date EpiPen can prevent you from getting the medicine you need in an emergency. Even though I don’t have an anaphylaxis response to foods (my food allergies produce an autoimmune response), I am severely allergic to bee stings and carry my EpiPen in my golf bag.  Be sure not to expose your EpiPen to extreme heat and cold, and don’t leave it in a hot car in the summer or in the refrigerator. I try not to leave my golf bag in the car in extreme temperature conditions anyway because extreme temperatures can affect the epoxy on my clubs. Although not recommended, if your symptoms are severe and you must carry one in your car, wrap the EpiPen in a towel to prevent freezing in cold temperatures and park in shaded areas and use a sun shade on the front window in hot temperatures. You will have to replace EpiPens stored in cars more frequently.

It is difficult to always have your EpiPen handy, so be sure to keep several in locations you frequent, such as a purse, home, school locker, sports bag, and friends and family’s homes. Make sure if your child needs an EpiPen that school administrators have them available on trips and outings. Also, make sure your child’s teacher and any sports coach is aware of your child’s allergy, knows his or her symptoms, and how to use the EpiPen in an emergency. Consider investing in a medical ID necklace or bracelet for your child in case he or she is unable to communicate the emergency or loses consciousness.

Check to make sure the EpiPen is in date and that the solution shown in the injector’s view window is not discolored or lumpy. Mine recently expired and even though the solution is not discolored, I will put a new one in the golf bag for the upcoming playing season.

EAT: Camino Bakery, Winston Salem, NC

I always try to find hidden gems on my travels that cater to people with food allergies.  It is a pleasant surprise to find one in your own hometown. Camino Bakery is not "hidden," it is located in the middle of downtown Winston-Salem on 4^th St in the Nissen Building across from a/perture cinema. Camino is expanding its "flourless" line of baked products to accommodate those with gluten allergies. Although, Camino is not a dedicated gluten free bakery, they take great care to prevent cross contamination.

Wednesdays are my favorite days to stop by Camino, as it is half price 3-layer cake slice day and they always have a different flourless cake each week, in addition to their flourless quiche, flourless Queen of Sheba cake, flourless chocolate dipped coconut macaroons, and flourless almond horns.

In addition, for those with a dairy allergy, they can also use almond or soy milk as a replacement in their coffee drinks. The chalkboard listing the syrups for crafted coffee drinks states which syrups contain dairy. 

Camino is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but don’t be surprised to find a line between meals or late at night. It is a great place to meet up with friends for lunch or a glass of wine.  You will always see people working on their computers, reading books, knitting, or just people watching.  It has a great coffeehouse vibe with soft music playing in the background. I always find the staff very knowledgeable about their ingredients and happy to answer any questions.

Camino Bakery
310 West 4th Street
Winston-Salem, NC
336.721.9990

Monday Motivation 3/03/2014

"Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!"

~ Audrey Hepburn

Is Your Medicine Making You Sicker?

 Everyone takes medicine in order to get better. However, for people with food allergies, that may be more difficult than it sounds. Most people with food allergies are aware that foods can contain ingredients that they are allergic to, but medicines can also contain these same ingredients.  In fact, if you have a wheat, corn, or dairy allergy, there is a good possibility that the prescription and over the counter medicines you currently take are making you sicker.

The binders that keep the medicine together in the pill form are usually a starch.  The starch can include: 

dextran (corn or potato)
dextrins (corn, wheat, potato, or rice)
dextrates (corn, wheat, potato, or rice)
dextrose (sugar from corn starch)
lactilol and lactose (dairy)
maltodextrin (corn, wheat, potato, or rice)
pregelatinized starch (corn, wheat, potato, or tapioca)
sodium starch glycolate (potato, wheat, or corn)

Pharmaceutical companies are required to list the inactive ingredients in medications, but not their source. I have found that even asking a pharmacist about binders in medicines receives a blank stare. Since I am allergic to corn, I have found very few medicines that are corn free. My gluten allergy has not been as hard to work with for medicines, even though companies are not required to label their medicines gluten free. No matter what, your best bet is to call the manufacturer to find out the source.

What do you do if you are allergic to the medicines you need to take? Check your local area for a compound pharmacy. I have a terrific one in my hometown that will make my medicine for me without my food allergens. It is so great to know that I can eliminate my medications as a possible cross contaminate if I get a reaction. I have found that many doctors are unaware of compound pharmacies, but just ask them to write you a prescription like they always do and add your food allergies to the prescription. The cost will be more for compound pharmacy medications, but many health insurance companies will allow you to apply it toward a deductible or cover the cost.