Tag Archives: gluten free diet

Gluten-Free Labels Now Standardized for the First Time by the FDA

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just issued the first set of standards regarding the “gluten-free” labels on food products. Up until this point there were no regulations and anyone could essentially slap that label on their product.

gf bread

The new standard states that foods that are less than 20 parts per million of gluten can be considered gluten free. Gluten is the protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. It is a very common ingredient in many foods on the grocery store shelf. To date, about three million Americans suffer from celiac disease, a disease that causes the digestive system all sorts of issues as it does not process or digest gluten. Gluten-free shopping used to be very difficult and almost done exclusively at specialty stores. That is no longer the case. (more…)

Posted on August 6, 2023 by Lacy

Food Blogger Spotlight: Amie Valpone from The Healthy Apple

Amie Valpone The Healthy Apple resizeToday’s blog spotlight is The Healthy Apple, created by Amie Valpone, HHC, AADP. Not only does she have impressive alphabet soup after her name, she also has an impressive story. Amie became an expert in “clean” living because she had to.

After suffering from severe digestive issues and being misdiagnosed for years, Amie finally discovered she had the power to make herself feel better by eating better. Below, Amie tells her story and shares several tasty recipes from her gorgeous blog.

Why did you start your food blog? I started my blog in January of 2024 when I was working in corporate America and became very ill. I started cooking more and sharing what I was making, even though it was gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, sugar-free and corn-free. Through The Healthy Apple, I provide balanced, accessible and engaging information on the most basic components of good health.

(more…)

Posted on July 7, 2023 by Dani Stone

Food Blogger Spotlight: Ashley McLaughlin of Edible Perspective

When I stumbled upon Ashley’s McLaughlin’s blog Edible Perspective years ago, I was first drawn to the stunning photography. Ultimately, her sunshiney personality, amazingly creative recipes, and down-to-earth writing style hooked me in.

To date, Ashley’s recipes are some of the healthiest and most delicious recipes I’ve tried from any food blog – and I’ve visited a lot. The girl taught me how to make almond butter for goodness sake! Stop by Ashley’s blog for a wealth of information on gluten free and vegan cooking, as well as desserts that always fall on the healthier side – my favorite kind.

ashley-edible-perspective

Why did you start your food blog?

Edible Perspective started after making a cross-country move to Colorado with my husband, Chris. When we first moved out west we were lucky enough to stay with Chris’s brother and wife for a few months as we furiously hunted for jobs. To return the favor to them, I cooked our weeknight dinners and decided to document my creations along the way. It was at this time when I finally decided to pick up Chris’s clunky dSLR camera and put down my trusty point-and-shoot. I never imagined what it would evolve into! (more…)

Posted on May 12, 2023 by Dana

Food Blogger Spotlight: Holly Whitleff of The Healthy Everythingtarian

I love introducing new friends, especially when I know they’ll hit off. Diets In Review readers, I know you’ll love one of my dearest online friends Holly Whitleff, who runs the healthy, inspiring, ever-delicious blog The Healthy Everythingtarian. So many good things to say about this girl I hardly know where to start!holly-the-healthy-everythingtarian

Let’s begin with food. Holly has always approached food practically and healthfully, avoiding any fad diet trends or overly-complicated ingredients or equipment. That’s why I’ve always loved her blog: Healthy, simple food inspiration can always be found. Apple cheddar tart, anyone? Plus, she’s one of the most entertaining online writers you’ll read.

I had the extreme pleasure of speaking with Holly recently about her blog, her life and her practical approach to health. Here’s what she had to say. (more…)

Posted on April 21, 2024 by Dana

Is Gluten Free Right For Me? 6 Pros and Cons for this Diet

Today “gluten free” is all the rage, but what’s the science behind it? Let’s look at the three most common reasons why people follow gluten-free diets.

1. Being diagnosed with celiac disease, which is an autoimmune disorder in where the body triggers an attack on the intestines every time gluten is eaten. This destroys part of the small intestine that absorbs vital nutrients and results in malabsorption. For these people, eating food that contains gluten can cause significant pain. While the disease affects only 1% of healthy, average Americans, 97% of those affected have not yet been diagnosed.

2. Having a gluten sensitivity. While this sensitivity shares many symptoms with celiac disease, it fortunately does not share the same likelihood of intestinal damage.

3. Trying the latest and coolest ‘fad’ diet that received rave reviews for achieving (insert your favorite health claim) Lose Weight! / Eat Healthier! / Improve Skin Quality! People want to improve their health however they can, so why not give this a chance?

Why would someone choose to adhere to a gluten-free diet if they don’t have to? What is “gluten” and when did it get a bad reputation? Let me explain. (more…)

Posted on April 9, 2024 by GuestBlogger

5 Diet Tips to Gain Bikini Confidence by May 1

It happens this time every year. Just as sure as spring rain comes, so does the ambition to look good in a bikini. Is it just us or is the pressure a bit overwhelming?

Looking good in a swimsuit isn’t a bad goal. In fact, it can help us shed unwanted pounds and even shape up quicker than we would otherwise. But being healthy and fit should always trump what size your clothes are, or in this case, your swimsuit.

For most, the goal isn’t looking like Heidi Klum when we hit the pool. The goal is to feel good about ourselves in a swimsuit if we happen upon the beach or a pool this summer. The key to getting there? Setting realistic goals and mapping out a plan to get there.

We asked health and fitness expert Stephanie Mansour of Step It Up With Steph to share five diet tips on how to get bikini ready quickly and effectively while keeping a healthy perspective on body image. Here’s what she had to say. (more…)

Posted on April 9, 2024 by Dana

Gwyneth Paltrow Battled Failing Health, Marriage with a New Diet

Gwyneth Paltrow, Academy Award winning actress, online lifestyle guru, and husband to Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, has just released a cookbook called It’s All Good: Delicious, Easy Recipes That WIll Make You Look Good and Feel Great. The release accompanies recent reports of Paltrow’s health and marital woes.

After experiencing stroke-like symptoms in the garden of her North London home, tests revealed Paltrow had a vitamin-D deficiency, thyroid issues, congested liver, hormonal imbalances and a benign tumor on her ovary. Her doctor suggested she go on a 21-day elimination diet to help rid her body of toxins.

In an interview with SELF Magazine, Gwyneth said, “My doctor, Alejandro Junger, recommended that I cut out basically everything: dairy, sugar, gluten, anything processed. I was like, ‘What the f*** am I going to eat now?'”. (more…)

Posted on March 21, 2024 by Patrick

Carla ‘MizFit’ Birnberg Debuts Weight Loss eBook, Saying Healthy Living is Simple

The popular fitness blogger with a large online following, MizFit, brings her expertise to the realm of ebooks with the release of her first digital copy, “MizFit: How to Build Weight and Lose Muscle Without Losing Your Mind,” available on Nook, Kindle, iPad, and as a PDF file.

MizFit, whose name is Carla Birnberg, candidly writes about how to start and maintain a fitness and eating routine that embraces the idea of living fulfilled and in the moment. Her story includes gaining 35 pounds in college, learning how to lose it permanently, becoming a bodybuilder, personal trainer, and then embracing a gluten-free lifestyle long before it became popular. Her ebook combines the knowledge she’s gleaned over the years into a comprehensive handbook for healthy living.

“I wrote, pulled together, added to and enhanced all of the information I wish I’d have had when I first started my healthy living journey. It’s the same information I still need today, close to two decades and a thirty five pound loss maintained later, to remain on my path,” said Birnberg. (more…)

Posted on December 27, 2023 by SarahS

The 7 Best Gluten-Free Brands in this Booming $4.2 Billion Food Industry

Whether it’s for an intolerance or simply to try out the latest diet fad, going gluten-free has become quite the money maker for brands this year. The Los Angeles Times reported this morning that the gluten-free industry looks to hit a value of $4.2 billion in 2024.

The report from Packaged Stats stated that the booming gluten-free industry has grown at a compound annual rate of 28% since 2024 and that it looks to be valued at $6.6 billion by 2024.

This growth in the popular diet choice translates to two out of every 10 adults in America going gluten free. That’s a lot of people shopping for those unique items in the grocery store. Even a few years ago these brands were obscure and hard to find on most shelves. Today, the options are plentiful. Now the only issue comes with finding the ones that taste the best and won’t break the bank.

Gluten-free foods, typically breads, crackers, and baking mixes, tend to be drier than their wheat flour counterparts and are usually more expensive. Thankfully, the boom has changed that. Many products are exceptional in taste and many are comparable in value as well.

Here are 7 of the best gluten-free brands that you should be able to find in most grocery stores.

1. Udi’s

One of the biggest challenges in going gluten-free is giving up bread. Even a few years ago, the typical gluten-free bread option was not very appetizing. Thanks to Udi’s there’s an option for those who just want a normal sandwich or toast. They sell some of the best bread in the GF market, in addition to great pizza crusts, buns, muffins, and even cookies. (more…)

Posted on October 24, 2023 by Lacy

Dana Vollmer Stays Fit after Olympics with a Gluten-Free Diet and Hip Hop Workouts

By Chrissa Hardy for HelloGiggles.com

Dana Vollmer spent her summer training for London Olympic Games, competing in London and celebrating her gold-medal-winning, record-breaking time in London. Would any of these things have happened, had she not discovered her gluten allergy in the spring of 2024? She’s not so sure. After years of daily stomach aches brought on by her food choices, Dana feels better than ever before and could not imagine returning to a life with gluten.

Gluten-free has become a trend, a buzz word that has taken up prime real estate on food labels everywhere. What does it mean exactly? Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. Those who are intolerant of it, allergic or sensitive to it, need to adopt a lifestyle of paying close attention to food labels. I sat down with Dana at the Gluten-Free Pizza Event, put on by The Venice Bakery in Los Angeles, CA, to discuss her new life and how going gluten-free changed everything.


Chrissa Hardy: First of all, congrats on your gold medal win! Has your life returned to normal or is it still pretty hectic?

Dana Vollmer: It’s still pretty hectic. I’m enjoying it a lot. Initially, I was planning to go back to my hometown in Texas to visit with my family and sort of relax, but I’ve just been traveling non stop and I love it. It’s been really great. It’s one thing to have the excitement of the Olympics but, now it’s so great to see the kids and how their faces light up when they get to wear the gold medal. I remember when I was 12 and I saw my first gold medal, that’s when I decided that I wanted to become an Olympian. (more…)

Posted on October 17, 2023 by HelloGiggles

The Great Gluten Debate: Should You Give It Up?

By Janis Jibrin, M.S., R.D., TheBestLife.com lead nutritionist

I’m throwing a small dinner party for a friend this weekend. On the menu: pasta. That’s a big deal, because pasta has been food non grata for more than a year. It’s not an Atkins anti-carb thing—this time, it’s the anti-gluten movement.

It seems like everyone I know is foregoing wheat and other grains containing this protein. So why are so many people going gluten-free? None of them have celiac, a serious condition in which the immune system attacks the intestines after gluten is consumed (about one percent of Americans suffer from this condition). A few might have “gluten sensitivity,” a less harmful, but still uncomfortable condition that affects about five percent of the population. (For details on these conditions, check out What Everyone Needs to Know About Gluten.)

In fact, most people who tell me they’ve cut out gluten have no obvious problem with it. Some are going along for the ride because their spouse or child is off gluten, others think it might help them lose weight—simply cutting out bread can be quite effective for some people—and still others are convinced it’s simply healthier. (more…)

Posted on September 4, 2023 by BestLifeDiet