What Celiac Disease Awareness Month means to me

This is a face of too many misdiagnoses. This is me before I finally had an answer.

My body was wracked and in shambles. Nervous system stressed to the point of strong shaking episodes. I could no longer drive myself more than ten minutes without experiencing massive dizziness and bouts of blurry vision. No food would stay down no matter how much I ate, which resulted in a scary weight of less than 95 pounds. ADHD ruled my everyday, my mind raced constantly, and then there was the pain. A lot searing pain. These things were the norm, and the norm was becoming worse and worse--fast. I thought I would never function in society normally ever again because of what seemed to be eating me alive from the inside out. But I couldn't find an answer. And I knew I couldn't go on like that.

I remember feeling incredibly frustrated and ready to give up after doctor upon doctor brushed off my debilitating symptoms, whittling them down to things like stress, "being a college student", irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, depression,  just "getting older", and even an eating disorder. Well of course I had an "eating disorder"; food just went in and came right back out...unintentionally! The fact that I saw half a dozen doctors that misdiagnosed me and failed to look for the root cause, (one that isn't "solved" with a pill) frankly scares me. It scares me more today than it even did back in that moment because at the time, I didn't realize that I really could have died from this.

Luckily, my parents were able to help me find a doctor who finally listened to all of my symptoms. That doctor turned my life and health completely around in a matter of weeks with the first mention I'd ever heard of Celiac Disease and gluten. While grateful, I questioned why I was not correctly diagnosed when my first symptoms showed as a toddler. I was nearly 21 years old when the diagnosis came, and it came at the breaking point. This is not acceptable to me, and shouldn't be to anyone.

May is Celiac Disease awareness month. I see it as my moment to shine and be proud of what I've overcome. I'm healthy and alive today, living in harmony with my lifelong disease. While I often advocate for awareness throughout the year, I'm taking the special opportunity today to share my story again in hopes that the more we share, the shorter the diagnosis time will become. According to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, the average time it takes for someone to be correctly diagnosed with the disease is 6 to 10 years. Misdiagnosis and no diagnosis can cause permanent damage, cancer, and can kill.

Healing can only begin after answers are found. Talk to someone about Celiac Disease today. Read about Celiac Disease on the NFCA website, or follow the links in my Resources page. And don't forget to hug a lovely Celiac near you ;)

Happy Celiac Disease Awareness Month!

Classic Gluten-free Blueberry Pie

Sometimes when I embark on something new and big, I usually crave something comfortable and familiar to keep things feeling balanced. Like gluten-free blueberry pie. Warm, juicy and naturally sweet, it pairs perfectly with a scoop of sugar-free vanilla coconut milk ice cream. One of my favorite blueberry pie recipes is gluten-free and dairy-free from The Spunky Coconut. I'll be indulging in a similar blueberry cobbler (above) today, as I just finished a two-day long overhaul of my blog (as you've probably come to notice). I'm now completely self hosted and couldn't be happier with the new design! To top it off, my fiance just finished graduate school and starts his new job next week. He'll be spending more time at home this summer, something I know we'll both cherish. So what's not to celebrate? I hope you're looking forward to the long days of summer as much as I am.

On the Wild Inner Self and Breakfast Quesadillas

I used to be a wild child of sorts. I say of sorts because somewhere in my excitable nature, that lively and unfiltered strain of myself still lurks. You know, the part that spontaneously dances like mad with the grace of an uncoordinated five year old. Well, I suppose you don't know but rather my sister does. Or the part that picks the most obnoxious catchy parts of songs and sings them loudly and repeatedly without thinking twice (Sorry Lindsey). Or the part that occasionally likes to split a bottle of wine on a Wednesday night and frolic around in the park and play on the playground. Yes, that slightly wild and silly part that I suppress sometimes (a lot more than I should) not only exists, but reels like crazy deep down. And I'm okay with that, now more than ever.

The past few months of this winter really had me feeling older than my years. I found myself suppressing my inner happy go lucky self in order to be taken more seriously and try to be more productive. Over the last few years actually, that has been the trend. After college graduation, I thought it was time to "grow up". But I think the opposite of what I wanted to happen, happened. And I didn't expect it. I became less interested with myself, more tired, and frankly more boring. I was working hard, and had some successes, but wasn't really happy. I felt like a stifled, shushed, whiny, and tired-of-it-all woman. At my own hand no less.

This year, and even more so with the recent coming of spring, I find a familiar feeling bubbling up inside of me; something that makes me take a step back and wonder, "Hang on, where the hell have I been??" The other morning, I woke up with "Another One Bites The Dust" stuck in my head (don't ask), and suddenly found myself belting out some Queen and shakin' it like nobody's business--like it was automatic. And it is, because it's who I am. I'm dancing like crazy. I'm not being overly cautious. I'm not catering to what "they" might think. I'm finding more and more happiness with letting that wild vibrant spirit of mine come to light with the realization that I was perfectly imperfect before I tried to "grow up" too much. Perhaps I tried to suppress that part of me to make up for the time I thought I'd lost. My battle with undiagnosed gluten issues, food allergies, and ADHD made being successful difficult. Really difficult. I managed, but I had to work around these things for a long time and had to work A LOT harder than I do after diagnosis to make it all jive. Maybe I tried to kill that wild, silly, lovely part of myself because it reminded me of more hazy, uncertain, and unhealthier days. But the fact is, I'm not unhealthy anymore. I'm bursting with life and heart and crazy big opportunities that demand my inner vibrancy! It's been a long time coming, but now I'm just finding I've reached that refreshing balance of being young at heart while still being a capable professional gearing up to take on the world. This is my crazy state of grace. Please excuse my rambles.

By the way, this really has nothing to do with gluten-free Breakfast Quesadillas, other than the fact that they're also quite bold and pack a punch of spicy flavor. Oh well. I feel like my own authentic self now more than ever before. There's something to be said for that.

And no one said it better than Pink Floyd... so shine on you crazy diamond.

Remember when you were young, you shone like the sun.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Now there's a look in your eyes, like black holes in the sky.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
You were caught on the crossfire of childhood and stardom,
blown on the steel breeze.
Come on you target for faraway laughter,
come on you stranger, you legend, you martyr, and shine!
You reached for the secret too soon, you cried for the moon.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Threatened by shadows at night, and exposed in the light.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Well you wore out your welcome with random precision,
rode on the steel breeze.
Come on you raver, you seer of visions,
come on you painter, you piper, you prisoner, and shine!"

Gluten-free Breakfast Stuffed Quesadillas

This recipe is free of: Gluten, Soy, Lactose (contains Casein), Peanuts, Legumes, and Refined Sugar.

Yield: One large Quesadilla

• 2 brown rice tortillas, or gluten-free tortillas of choice (I use Food For Life brand).
• 1 cup grated almond jalepeno jack cheeze (contains casein, but no lactose. I use Lisonatti Foods brand)
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 eggs, scrambled
• Salt, Pepper, and Cayenne (optional) to taste
• 1/4 cup green onions
• Salsa of choice for serving (I use Mrs. Renfro's Medium Salsa)

1. In a small fry pan, saute diced onion and green bell pepper with spices.
2. Add 3 eggs and cook until it becomes scrambled. Remove from the heat.
3. In a larger fry pan over low/medium heat, add the first tortilla to the pan and cover with shredded almond cheeze. Add the scrambled eggs on top and sprinkle with a bit more cheese.
4. Add the second tortilla on top and press down until the cheeze starts to melt. After about 3 to 4 minutes, carefully flip over the quesadilla and allow to cook the rest of the way on that side. The edges may get a little crispy, but just keep them pressed down with a pancake flipper or spatula.
5. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with chopped green onion and salsa. Serve hot.

Contest Winner, Happy Spring!

Congratulations to Anne H, the contest winner of the Red Apple Lipstick Mint 2 Be gloss giveaway!

Thanks to everyone who entered, and be sure to stay tuned for some other giveaways in the future. I also want to wish everyone a happy spring and share a picture of the beautiful spring flowers my fiance brought home the other day. Have a lovely start to the week!

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Red Apple Lipstick Lip Gloss Review and Giveaway!

Wearing "Hot Mess" Mint 2 Be gloss from Red Apple Lipstick

It seems like spring has finally sprung here (knock on wood!) and what better way to kick it off than with a colorful new line of lip gloss from Red Apple Lipstick? Red Apple let me in on a sneak peak of the new Mint 2 Be Gluten-free lip glosses and after trying them out over the holiday weekend, I was instantly hooked. I love the silky feel of the gloss and it's foolproof to apply, even for those it's-a-red-light-time-to-finish-my-makeup-while-driving-to-work types...not that I ever do that or anything.. The bright hues are amazing and the formula is not the least bit sticky--it really nourishes the lips.

I sampled the "Berried Treasure" and "Hot Mess" glosses, which have a fresh minty tingle, loads of vitamin C and E, and a flattering sparkly sheen. As always from Red Apple Lipstick, these glosses are safe and non-toxic, gluten-free, allergen-free, vegan, paraben free, and of course awesome. To learn more about why toxic free cosmetics are important, check out Mr. Jay Harper's ebook, "Toxicity in Makeup - Silent Killings for a Profit". Jay is the CEO and rocking visionary behind Red Apple Lipstick. I think we should all give Jay and his team a big thanks and round of applause for not only making us all feel a little more gluten-free gorgeous, but for also caring about our health in the process. Now for the Giveaway!!

Wearing "Berried Treasure" Mint 2 Be gloss from Red Apple Lipstick

I'm so excited to be hosting my first Give-away ever on the blog! Red Apple Lipstick will be sending one of the new Mint 2 Be lip glosses to a lucky winner on my blog! To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below letting me know which new Mint 2 Be gloss shown here is your favorite, by Friday at 2:00pm Eastern Time. One winner will be chosen at random from the comments below. Please only leave one comment per entry. All repeat comments will be counted only as one entry. Thank you and Good luck to all to enter!

Giveaway contest ends Friday, April 5th at 2pm Eastern Time!

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