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The Celiac Disease Awareness Campaign

The Celiac Disease Awareness Campaign helped me when I was first adopting a gluten free lifestyle. and I want to share this valuable resource with you. http://www.celiac.nih.gov. The Celiac Disease Awareness Campaign of the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse is a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases which is part of the National Institutes of Health.

The awareness campaign began in 2006 and according to the campaign website “seeks to heighten awareness of celiac disease among health care professionals and the public.” As a part of this mission it provides educational materials about celiac disease including symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and management to both medical professionals and the general public. The Celiac Disease Awareness Campaign website is a good place to find research articles as well as practical, general information for living with the disease.

If you have just been diagnosed, the Awareness Campaign website is a good place to start. Of course there are lots of online support groups and people with opinions, but the information is not always accurate. Start with the Awareness Campaign first to get a good foundation of reliable information before venturing out into gluten free cyberspace.

Thought for Today

Over the Mountains Across the Plains to Grandma’s House we Go
Copyright 2013 by R.A. Robbins

“ Inspiration more often comes during the work than before it, because the largest part of the job of an artist is to listen to the work.” — – Madeleine L’Engle, Author [Source:http://www.guideposts.org/inspirational-quotes/creativity]

Thought for Today

“We must not be passive but active agents in this strenuous, challenging world. At the same time, we must not make a fetish out of our self-sufficiency. It is normal and wise for us to rely at moments upon the insights, the courage, and the consolation which our human brothers can give us , knowing full well that they in turn sill rely upon our gifts and strength on other critical occasions. Let us not be too proud to admit weakness at moments and to absorb strength from others in our day of need. The ruthless repression of our common human problems and fears can only make us hard or ill; the sharing of these problems with our human comrades alone can save us from the sin of pride, the idolatry of self-sufficiency.”
― Joshua Loth Liebman

Healthy Living A to Z: K is for Kale

If you do not know what kale is you are not alone. I still have to tell the grocery clerk what it is. That’s okay. It gives me the chance to talk about kale. What’s not to love about a dark green leafy vegetable that is chock full of vitamins A, C and K, minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus. sulphur-containing phytonutrients, carotenoids, flavonoids. lutein and zeaxanthin compounds, fiber and holds up to heat without wilting away to a mass of nothing? These important nutrients provide anti-cancer health benefits, promote eye health, lowers cholesterol levels and reduce risk of heart disease. However if you take anticoagulants such as warfarin talk to your doctor before adding kale to your diet. http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/the-truth-about-kale

Kale can be eaten raw, but some people think it tastes bitter. The health benefits of cooked kale are also higher than raw.

I like to wilt kale in a skillet on top of the stove with a little olive oil, garlic and balsamic vinegar. Kale is also a wonderful addition to soup and can also be added to rice dishes or one pot meals.

Thought for Today

Copyright 2014 by R.O. Robbins

“Joy blooms where minds and hearts are open.”–– Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Thought for Today

Copyright 2013 by R.O. Robbins

A Benediction:

Like a rock, God is under our feet.
Like a roof, God is over our heads.
Like the horizon, God is beyond us.
Like water in a pitcher, God is within us and in the pouring out of us.
Like a pebble in the sea, we are in God.
Let us go out and change our world as God has changed our lives.

John Howell in On the Threshold by Elizabeth J. Andrews [Source: http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/]

A Fond Farewell to Faerieville

Today Bob, Callie and I are on the road on our way to our new home. I will write more about the move with photos (hopefully) in June. We are moving to a beautiful place — but you will have to wait for more details.

Don’t worry, I schedule my blog posts ahead, so things around here will go on as usual while we are moving and getting settled.

Today we want to leave you with a few photos of new faerie houses at the lake near where we have lived the last 9 years. New houses have been popping up as new families have moved into the neighborhood. Enjoy!

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Thought for Today

English: William Shakespeare (1564-1616) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“Love all, trust a few. Do wrong to none.” — William Shakespeare (1564 – 1616), “All’s Well That Ends Well”, Act 1 Scene 1

Ten Reasons I Love the Gluten Free Life

I am gluten free for medical reasons, but I also love the gluten free life. For those who feel forced to live gluten free against their will I offer a few of the reasons I love it so much.

1. Fresh strawberries! Yes, my all time favorite food I have loved since childhood — naturally gluten free!

2. Being able to enjoy going out without worrying about where the bathrooms are.

3. Gluten free brownies. Yes, brownies! Make them from scratch or from the yummy Bob’s Red Mill mix.

4. Feeling better. That one would be enough for me. I was very sick for a very long time.

5. Quinoa, buckwheat, teff, sorghum — all the flours and grain alternatives we might have never met if we could still eat wheat.

6. Actually having a disease where the treatment is food!

7. Learning something new. OK, a lot of new things. But isn’t learning new things fun? And it helps keep your brain young.

8. Steak. Yes, I love a good strip steak seasoned just right and cooked on a charcoal grill. Bob cooks a very good steak.

9. Spaghetti squash. A great way to work in more veggies and a great base for my made from scratch and cooked all day sauce.

10. Life goes on without gluten and that life can be very good.
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Rogene Robbins loves the gluten free life. She is the author of the eBook The Gluten Free Good Life, available in the Amazon Kindle Store.

Thought for Today

Copyright 2014 by R.A. Robbins

“When I read something that rings true and goes straight to my heart, or hear or see it, that aha! feeling comes. I know that I am in the presence of something greater than I am.” — Alice O. Howell, The Web in the Sea [ Source: http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/]