Monday Motivation 06/30/2014

"Every breakdown has all you need to create a breakthrough.”

~ Lori Harder, Fitness Expert

EAT: Milestones Grill and Bar, Canada

Last year, when I spent a month in Canada traveling for golf tournaments, I was concerned if I would be able to eat safely with my food allergies. I was really excited to find Milestones Grill and Bar, a restaurant with locations in Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario. Milestones has a gluten free menu and each location I visited, and I have been to several, was knowledgeable about gluten free and ingredients.

My trip last week to Niagara Falls included several visits to the Milestones, located in the Marriott Gateway with a great view of the Falls! 

I usually order my favorite gluten free menu item, the burger with California topping (bacon and guacamole). The burger comes on a gluten free bun (I order mine without the bun) and a side salad. 

Be sure to save room for dessert! The gluten free Chocolate Ganache Torte is to die for and I even tried to recreate it when I got back to the States. It has the perfect amount of sweetness. 

It is great to find a safe "chain" restaurant in Canada that accommodates food allergies. 

Milestones Grill and Bar

www.milestonesrestaurants.com

EAT: Organic Bliss Gluten Free Deli and Bakery, Toledo, OH

Looking for lunch in Toledo, OH? I was and came across a great gluten free place called Organic Bliss Gluten Free Deli and Bakery. With interesting array of gluten free salads and sandwiches, Organic Bliss can cover just about any craving. However, their specialty is the vast selection of yummy desserts on display when you walk in the door!

I was excited to see an ingredient list displayed for each dessert to address any other food allergy concerns. Cupcakes, cookies, bars, sweet breads, and scones were all on display the day I stopped by. I picked out dessert before even looking at the lunch menu! The red velvet cupcake was super delish, one of the best gluten free red velvet cupcakes I have ever had!

For lunch, I had the Mediterranean Salad since I seem to be on a hummus kick recently. My mom, who was traveling with me, had the Almond Grilled Chicken Salad. The restaurant had a steady stream of customers, sitting both inside and outside, as well as people stopping in to pick up lunch and use the drive-thru. Yes, they have a drive-thru! It opens at 7am serving breakfast wraps, sandwiches, and smoothies. The storefront is open from 10am-6pm Monday - Friday and 10am-5pm on Saturday. 

I can't wait to return on my next trip to Toledo. Hopefully, I can try a sandwich, as the bread options available the day I stopped by contained some of my other allergens. Organic Bliss can also do custom orders depending on your allergies. 

Organic Bliss

3723 North King St. 

Toledo, OH 43617

419.517.7799

Monday Motivation 06/23/2014

"You can't put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get. "

~ Michael Phelps

EAT: Dinosaur Bar-B-Que

Don't let the Harleys scare you off!  This place is awesome and caters to families, business people, and of course, bikers!

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, based in Syracuse, NY, has now expanded to Brooklyn, Buffalo, Troy, Harlem, Rochester, Newark, and Stamford, CT.  A typical wait at 2pm on a weekday at the Syracuse location for a table can be as long as 30 minutes. Being from the South, I know my BBQ, and this place serves the best I have had out of the South. Their BBQ was voted the country's Number 1 BBQ by Good Morning America and has been featured on many travel and food shows. Stop by late in the evening and enjoy live music with your meal.

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que offers an extensive Gluten Free Menu and also provides detailed allergen info for gluten, dairy, nuts, shellfish, garlic, and tomatoes on their Web site. My favorite meal is the Big A$$ Pork Plate. All that is missing is the sweet tea!

To my delight, I recently found several of their bar-b-que sauces on the shelf at my local Harris Teeter grocery store! The Sensuous Slathering Sauce is all natural, gluten free, no artificial ingredients, and no preservatives.A yummy addition to any meat.

I can't wait to check out the Buffalo, NY location next week on my way to Canada!

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
www.dinobbq.com

Monday Motivation 06/16/2014

"Practice isn't the thing you do once you're good. It's the thing you do that makes you good."

~ Malcolm Gladwell, Author of Blink and Outliers

PLAY: GolfersSkin Sunscreen

Being out in the sun all the time for my sport, I am always looking for a sunscreen that provides great protection from the sun, while not transferring onto my clothing, especially onto dark clothing. I found GolfersSkin at last year’s PGA Show and it has found a permanent home in my golf bag! 

While being specifically designed for golfers, GolfersSkin works for all outdoor activities.  It is the most used sunscreen on the PGA Tour, racking up 21 tour wins thus far in 2014! It is non-greasy, so it will not run into your eyes or cause your golf club grips to get slick. Reapplying sunscreen in the middle of a golf round is a hassle, but getting my golf grips slick in the process is worse. I like that I don’t have to worry about GolfersSkin getting on my equipment or my clothes.  

GolfersSkin was developed in New Zealand and is backed by a team of international athletes. It offers total UVA/UVB protection from the sun and is sweat and water resistant. It is free of paba, nano-particles, and paraben free and contains Aloe Vera and UMF 18 Manuka Honey, an ingredient that prevents free radicals and has antioxidant and anti-bacterial benefits. Being in the sun as much as I am, I am concerned about the possibility of skin cancer and skin aging. With GolfersSkin, I feel comfortable that I am protected from harmful rays and hopefully, repairing any current skin damage.

The sunscreen is available in lotion, a hands-free stick, and lip balm to make applying as easy as possible. Visit www.golfersskin.com for more information or to order a supply for your next game, match, or round!

EAT: Southern Soul BBQ, St. Simons Island, GA

Looking for a yummy allergen free lunch or dinner in coastal Georgia? Look no further than Southern Soul BBQ, on St. Simons Island, GA. Made famous by Guy Fieri's TV show, Diners, Dives, and Drive-Ins, Southern Soul is ranked the #2 Best Rib-Stickin' Joint by Readers of Southern Living Magazine.

I ALWAYS order the Weekday Worker (on the lunch menu, but can be ordered at dinner), which is a pulled pork sandwich that comes with fries and drink. I ask for no bun (gluten), no slaw (dairy), and sub the fries for collard greens. 

I recommend going to Southern Soul at off-peak times, since the rustic interior has limited seating. There are several picnic tables located out front with the smoker grill. 

Southern Soul

2020 Old Demere Rd.

St. Simons Island, GA 31522

Monday Motivation 06/09/2014

"Your present circumstances don't determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start."

~ Nido Qubein

EAT: Zoe's Kitchen

Zoe's Kitchen just opened in my hometown. A chain of Mediterranean food located in 15 states, mainly in the southeast.

I was pleasantly surprised that Zoe's not only has detailed nutritional facts, but their gluten free items are listed on the menu! A large portion of the menu items were gluten free minus the pita bread. I tried the Greek salad and hummus combo minus the pita bread and extra veggies for dipping. Yummy!

The atmosphere was great with a large and inviting outdoor seating area. It is a popular place for lunch. The long line did not lead to a long wait with the staff quickly and efficiently taking orders. The young lady taking my order was knowledgeable about the gluten free menu (a plus!), and a staff member quickly brought out our order, even fixing an incorrect order with efficiency so no one in our group was sitting without food for any length of time. 

I am excited to return soon to try another yummy gluten free Mediterranean meal!

Is Your Water Making You Sick?

Whenever I travel, I am always apprehensive about drinking the local water. Yes, there could be harmful chemicals in the water.  Yes, there could be E. coli in the water like in Portland, OR recently. Even if there isn’t, I still don’t drink the water. My body is not used to different chemicals used in other cities to purify their water, and I certainly don’t need an upset tummy while I am trying to play my sport. I always try to stick with the same bottled water as well to keep consistency (different types of foods in different parts of the world can make a tummy unbalanced enough as it is, not to mention avoiding any food allergens on the trip). It can be difficult when flying to a tournament, but when driving, I will take a case of water with me. My favorite is Le Bleu Water. It is one of the highest quality bottled waters on the market. They use a special steam distillation process and a process called “corona discharge” to purify the water and rid it of contaminates. Le Bleu water is sodium free, lead free, and chlorine free. It is even bottled in my home state of North Carolina and was named “Best Non-Alcoholic Beverage in the Western Hemisphere” at the International Food and Beverage Trade Show in Miami, FL!

It is important to be safe and healthy when traveling. Being consistent in what you eat and drink on the road can make traveling much easier.

Monday Motivation 06/02/2014

"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world."

~ Harriet Tubman

Travel Tip: Farmers Markets

Sometimes, my travels land me in a town with no Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Fresh Market, or even a decent grocery store (yes, Vidalia, GA, I am talking about you with Big Lots listed as one of three grocery store options in town besides a Walmart and an ancient BiLo!). Instead of feeling deprived during the trip and hoping I thought to pack some treats ahead of time, I check out the local farmers market. With fresh veggies, fresh fruit, grass fed meats, cheeses, and even gluten free treats occasionally, farmers markets are great places to stock up for a trip. 

A couple of years ago, there was a farmers market literally right next door to my hotel for the week in Harrisburg, PA. It had a great selection, and I stopped by every day it was open.  

One of my favorite farmers markets is right in my own hometown. The Cobblestone Market takes place in Old Salem every Saturday in the summer and vendors from all over the state of North Carolina pitch their tents first thing in the morning.  The variety of options is amazing, and I love how the market runs all morning, so even the late sleepers can take advantage of it. There are fresh veggies, fresh herbs, fresh fruits, various types of antibiotic free poultry and grass fed meats, handmade soaps, baked goods (still waiting for some gluten free options), and live music.  Local favorites, Camino Bakery has baked breads and pastries, while Krankie's Coffee prepares their well-known coffee to sip on while you stroll.  People gather to chat, catch up with friends, and bring their families and their dogs. I think it is a great opportunity to get a taste of the local culture and score some deals in the process.

A quick Internet search can give you an idea of the local farmers markets for your next trip. I have already mapped out my visits to the local farmers markets in Illinois and Indiana for my next trip!