Our family owns a Nima gluten sensor and we love it. It has come in handy so many times while traveling, eating at restaurants and even at friends' weddings! You can get your Nima HERE. We were at the ribbon-cutting for Laguna Beach Brewery & Grille, a Modern Mexican Restaurant, as they were celebrating their new brewing system they built from the ground up. It's beautiful, but obviously it's not gluten free beer (they brew after hours while the restaurant is closed); however, they do have a great gluten free beer selection. Their food menu is amazing, but the best part is that if you need something made GF, due to Celiac or allergies, they will take special precautions necessary to accommodate you. Their staff is trained well to know the menu and they also involve the manager to ensure that there is no miscommunication from the server to the kitchen, since passing along this information can be difficult to catch when the chef and his staff are reading it off a small printed ticket. The manager's involvement with my order has been, in my personal experience, an extra safety precaution unlike most other restaurants.  

     Our order consisted of vegan oyster mushroom ceviche, a mixed green salad with a house made cilantro vinaigrette, vegan tacos with a side of  black beans and plain steak tacos for my 8 year old daughter. The corn tortillas are made in house, they also make their own corn tortilla chips that are NOT GF. We were told that they are fried in the same fryer as other non-GF products, but they are nice enough to provide you with gluten free tostadas (but your more than welcome to bring your own as I do). You can find their MENU HERE

     All our food was deemed safe by our Nima, but we also took all the necessary precautions needed like: alerting the staff that we had Celiac disease and food allergies. We didn't just rely on our Nima to make sure our food was safe, we spoke up, alerted the staff upon our arrival and handed the manager an allergy chef card that was passed onto the chef. We took all our normal steps to do the best we can to safely eat out, but having Nima to reassure us that our food was safe is a huge relief. That means no waiting and retracing our steps back to what might have made us sick. The Nima app has hundreds of restaurants and packaged foods that have been tested with Nima. Nima has made a huge difference in our life.

     Insulin resistance, which often has no outward symptoms, is a hallmark of both pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes. When muscle, fat and liver cells ignore insulin’s signals, blood sugar levels rise. Find out what food substitutions you can make to better manage blood glucose. Find the full article Via Delicious Living. 

I have found this information very helpful even tho in not pre-diabetic but I loved all the information find the full article HERE. 

Beets are great for: Folate, which increases blood flow to the brain and relaxes blood vessels.
Use in a recipe: Beet-Raspberry Lentil Bowl (modify as needed for you food allergies)​

Berries are great for: Promoting mental clarity.
​Use in a recipe: Berry Crisp ​(modify as needed for you food allergies)

Cabbage is great for: This cruciferous vegetable provides tryptophan and selenium, which relax your body and mind
Use in a recipe: Chinese 5-Spice Shrimp with Mango-Carrot Slaw (modify as needed for you food allergies)

Lentils are great for: Blood-sugar moderating fiber, energizing iron and calming magnesium.
Use in a recipe: Nutty Lentil Burgers (modify as needed for you food allergies)

 Mushrooms are great for: Providing a source of vitamin D, which is linked to a cheery mood.
Use in a recipe: Kale-Stuffed Portobellos with Millet  (modify as needed for you food allergies)

Switching to a vegan diet isn’t easy—especially when you’ve been used to the taste of protein-rich and flavorful meats. Not to worry; you can have your meat substitute and eat it too. Try these vegan protein trades to quell meat, egg and dairy cravings. Read more over on Delicious Living. Here are some of my Vegan dishes I have shared through my Instagram (check daily for inspiration).

Low carb pizza made with CALI'FLOUR FOODS CRUST 
(Discount code: UNIQUEHEARTBEAT), I used Violife mozzarella, parmesan cheese and feta vegan cheese. Baked asparagus and butternut squash. I added Tofurkey Tempeh, half an avocado and topped with dried crush chili and pink salt. Delicious, and yes I ate the whole thing!

My plate stack begins with, baked cauliflower sprayed with avocado oil spray by  Primal Kitchen (discount code: UNIQUEHEARTBEAT) the cauliflower got spread with Follow your heart vegan mayo. Then a layer of baked butternut squash, broccoli, and Tofurkey tempeh. This delicious vegan dinner was finished off with Violife vegan feta cheese.

Again Baked veggies (you see a pattern here.lol) Baked cauliflower, butternut squash and sautéed mushrooms. Topped with half an avocado and sprinkled sesames seeds and dried chili.

Vegan bowl goals! I just thew this together last minute. I made zucchini noodles, cut up the last of my purple cabbage (about 3/4 cup) added arugula and some baked veggies I had in the fridge (cauliflower, butternut squash and 2 grilled mushrooms. I added one whole tomato, lemon preserve and finished it off with pink salt, everything but the bagel seasoning and it was delightful to eat and very filling!

When starting vegan or taking a break from meat eating due to health or just because you might get the cravings for meat, dairy or eggs. You can find out more on how to curve your inner caveman desire on Delicious Living, where they have a great article on what substitute you can use to curve those cravings!

     My Bread's Bakery- MyBread is a 100% dedicated gluten-free and nut-free wholesale bakery located in Racine, WI. Pita bread never tasted so good, they where serving it warm with olive oil. I will be honest and say I went back many times during the 2 days. You can read more about their story and where to buy them: www.mybreadbakery.com
     Here is their Allergen Information- gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soy-free
     Ingredients- Water, Brown Rice Flour, Tapioca Starch, Potato Starch, Resistant Corn Starch, Quinoa Flour, Dextrose, Non-GMO Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Yeast, Vegetable Fibers, Modified Cellulose, Salt, Xanthan Gum, Sorghum Syrup, Fermented Syrup, Enzymes

     Rob's Vegan Chips- Probiotic Dragon puffs where a grate find and certified gluten free. I remember eating hot cheetos growing up and all threw my pregnancy with my oldest child, but I had to give them up after my daughter was diagnosed with Celiac and shortly after I was diagnosed too. So yeah I missed them and now there is a substitute guys!!
​     You can buy them on Amazon and on their online store-                www.veganrobs.com

Bio-K+ Probiotic just came out with a non_dairy and soy free drinkable probiotic with 6 grams of protein per bottle. It's a fermented pea and hemp, yes to probiotics and to protein all in one! Will be out in stores soon!! Find there other products HERE!

Petitpot just launched their Dairy free Organic coconut rice pudding and its delicious. Find out more about them HERE.

Manini's gluten free pizza was an amazing find. Some of their products do contain dairy so please check labels. They have all types of pastas, bread, baled goods and mixes.. It's a one stop shop find out more HERE.

Namaste Foods just launched their cake in a cup. I find them to be super convenient for when your traveling with your kids and they want a piece of cake! We always have a microwave in our hotel room and carry milk and oil too! You can find Namaste foods just about anywhere now a days, but check out all their products HERE!

Maxine's Heavenly was probably one of my favorite finds as these bad boys have no dairy, are VEGAN and refined sugar free! You can learn about all their products HERE. They do have nuts in other products and their chocolate chip cookie does contain cane sugar.

BFree just launched their sweet potato wraps that are freaking amazing! They are only 100 calories each, high fiber, vegan, high in antioxidants and vitamin E. FInd their whole line of yumminess HERE.

     Erica Dermer- She was one of the first Gluten free bloggers I found. I met her from afar a few years ago at a bloggers conference. I have had the pleasure of speaking to her, getting to know her, and let me tell you she is freaking awesome. Erica is an amazing advocate for those with Celiac Disease, is an editor and writer for a magazine and her own book called Celiac and the Beast: A Love Story Between a Gluten-Free Girl, Her Genes, and a Broken Digestive Tract
     This book is humorous if you don't have it buy it.. HERE
Erica shared with us how to prepare to travel when you have Celiac.

• Take you snacks and protein shakes.
• Take your safe skin care, shampoo, conditioner and hair products.
• Wipes.
• Nima and capsules.

Nima is a staple in our home when we travel and are out of the home. They just launched their Peanut sensor too! Nima’s antibody-based chemistry was developed by MIT scientists to be faster, cheaper, and usable right at the dinner table. Nima is optimized to detect 20ppm of gluten, the FDA standard for gluten-free. I can't wait to get it. You can order yours now HERE. (affiliate code) 

Zego is a staple in our home from their fruit bars to their new Mix-in's. All Zego snacks are tops 12 free and are free of refined sugars, they also only have what they need and nothing they don't. You can order online HERE. I promise you will love them!! 

     I'm going to share my journey of 30 ways to sugar detox in the month of June. I'm doing this to help my family live a stronger and longer life. Aside from the great benefits it will bring I have done some research that shows that cane sugar or refine sugars should be removed from the diet of those who are on the spectrum. To show support to our daughter we have decided as a family to read the labels and not consume processed sugars. Make sure to follow me on Instagram to get a chance to win one of 4 prizes during the month of June.
     During the month of June I will be sharing on my daily journey (ups and downs). I have partnered with Zevia and Delicious Living to help you get the best support and alternatives you might need. The good news: High-sugar foods and drinks are truly discretionary (we don’t need ‘em!) and they have minimal nutritional value. Make a clean break starting now with our 30 Days, 30 Ways Sugar Check Challenge. The task at hand? Simple: Follow these tips for keeping sugar in check, or reducing refined sugars entirely for 30 days; then track your progress and let us know how you feel by using the hashtag #sugarcheck in your posts and tagging both Zevia and Delicious Living (@zevia and either @deliciouslivingmag on Instagram or @deliciousliving on Twitter). Best part is that their will be prizes! So make sure you follow me on Instagram. 

Here are some reasons why you should avoid the sweet stuff (added refine sugar):

• It provides fuel for cancer cells
• It impairs the function of white blood cells
• It promotes weight gain
• It makes the body produce less leptin (needed for appetite regulation)
• It disrupts how amino acids transfer to muscles
• It spurs insulin resistance, which can lead to Type II diabetes
• It induces oxidative stress

Not all sugar is terrible for you. Natural sources like that from fruit, honey, and maple syrup aren’t as bad as from processed sugars and HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) but it’s still possible to overdo it. There’s no reason to cut all fruit out of your diet in an attempt to remove all sugar; you’d be giving up all those antioxidants, phytochemical, fiber, minerals, and vitamins at the same time. So let's start with the first step by learning how to read your label and if you see any type of added sugar to you product don't buy it or if you already have it at home don't eat it. The less added sugar you eat the less you will carve it, I promise. 

                                       So join the fun!

     Here are some food pictures of some of my to go meals which are Keto friendly. Remember i'm NOT on the Keto diet! I'm just sharing for those who are interested in the Keto diet.

      The Ketogenic Diet, more commonly referred to as Keto, is quickly gaining popularity among the health and wellness community. The Keto Diet involves a dramatic reduction in the consumption of carbohydrates while simultaneously increasing the amount of dietary fat a person consumes. This combination shifts the body’s metabolism away from burning carbohydrates and sugar for it main source of energy and instead uses fat for fuel. Once this stage has been reached, a person is in “Ketosis,” due to the ketones produced by the liver, hence the “Keto” diet.  If you are thinking of trying the Keto diet for yourself, here are seven things you should know before tying Keto yourself.
     The Keto diet isn't for everyone I find myself eating less carbs and more fats unintentionally. I actually try to stay away from processed carbohydrates, but don't get me wrong I do eat veggie carbs like sweet potato and butternut squash.
                  Here are 7 steps to consider if Keto is for you
1. Quality fats matter
2. Eat fewer carbohydrates
3. Pair fat with greens
4. Eat moderate protein
5. Be conscious of calories (since some keto- friendly foods are easy to over eat and high inn calories)
6. Intermittent fasting
7. Consider other lifestyle factors
                            READ MORE ABOUT IT ON VIA DELICIOUS LIVING