Tuesday, May 21, 2019

The Seriousness of Cross-Contamination



Do you ever find yourself wondering what the right thing to do is in the case of cross-contamination? Do you feel pressured to just give in? Do you find yourself second guessing your decision to completely abstain?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this post is for you! READ ON!

Many years ago when I first went gluten free, I knew nothing about food allergies or intolerance. I simply knew I wasn't feeling well and wanted things to change. My doctor suggested a gluten free diet to help my body heal. I listened to her, did some research and found out about Celiac Disease. I didn't wait to be tested for Celiac, I just went gluten free. Long story short, my life changed drastically! Things weren't perfect, but the difference was huge. I faced the music from friends and family concerning the diet...as I am sure we all do...and began to give in. Just a little here and there. I shared microwaves with them. I would hang out in the kitchen as they were preparing a gluten filled meal, or baking a cake. I would even allow them to bring their food into my kitchen thus contaminating it. I knew it made me sick. I felt it. I really couldn't deny the obvious result was that just a little bit of contamination was all it took to make me SICK! I thought it was just in my head at first and did some serious research. I found that people with Celiac experience intestinal damage by even the tracest amount of gluten ingestion! 

There was no getting around the truth. I couldn't afford to get exposed to even the smallest amount of gluten equaling the size of a crumb. One crumb was all it would take to make me sick.
The truth was devastating at first. But it did confirm my suspicion based on my symptoms. The next step was to completely rid my life of gluten. So I did. My life is so much better now. My kitchen is safe from gluten contamination. My soaps, meds, and even my supplements are free of gluten. But every now and then I get exposed when out of the house. Those infamous cramps, diarrhea, brain fog, inflammation, moodiness, and much more symptoms all come back for a few weeks until my body is able to rid itself of the gluten.

Of course, food allergies are different...but still very serious. One trace amount of one of my food or drug allergies can cause me to go into anaphylactic shock! So cross-contamination is truly a big deal with allergies as well.

The bottom note of this post is this: Cross-Contamination is serious and must be avoided at all cost!

Don't second guess your decision to avoid gluten at all cost, just do it! You know what is best for your body. The Glute Free diet isn't all fun and games but it is a life necessity if you are Celiac or sensitive to gluten. Do the right thing for your body and avoid Gluten!

Have a Happy, Healthy, Gluten Free Day!
~Gluten Free Em~

Monday, March 4, 2019

I'm Hard at Work on Something Fabulous!

I am sorry that I haven't been posting much lately...

But I have been working on some amazing research that will no doubt make a huge difference in my life and the lives of many who are also gluten free! 

Finding healthy sources of nutrition that won't set off a reaction can be daunting and sometimes seem impossible...but with knowledge, there is hope!

I still have a ways to go in this research, but I do hope that you will bear with me as I spend less time on this blog and more time in the books... as I am currently working on a new book that will discuss the different nutrients that our bodies need to work properly and the various food options for obtaining those nutrients.

The idea behind this book is to offer those of us on a limited diet new ideas for ways to maximize our nutrient intake without making ourselves sick with a food our body reacts to.

Please stay tuned for updates as the work progresses... and for new posts, because I am first and foremost a blogger at heart!

Have a Happy, Healthy, Gluten Free Day!
Em Kennedy

Friday, February 15, 2019

Gluten Free Thumbs Up

Just a little Friday Humor!!! Happy weekend, Y'all! Have fun and stay safe!
Have a Happy, Healthy, Gluten Free Day!
~Gluten Free Em~

Monday, January 7, 2019

Why I am Gluten Free Em


Here at Gluten Free Em, we are striving to promote awareness of three major health issues...Gluten Sensitivity, Food Allergies, and Celiac Disease. They are not the same thing, each one is a different issue, but they all involve what you eat, wash with, put on your skin, etc. There is a big need out there for awareness to these three health problems. So many people think that avoiding a certain food just means you are picky. Well, sometimes people do avoid foods for those reasons, but those with these three health problems are avoiding certain food to STAY ALIVE! There is such a big difference!
Let's break each one of these issues up into more detail for you:
Gluten Sensitivity is a term used to describe a health problem where upon ingestion of gluten, or anything cross-contaminated with gluten, the person becomes very ill. Digestive problems, forceful vomiting, itchy or burning rash, brain fog, trouble thinking and remembering, anxiety, depression, failure to thrive and grow (for children), and much much more are all possible symptoms of this issue. It can be related to a delayed food allergy, a insufficient amount of digestive enzymes, or even undiagnosed Celiac Disease.
Celiac Disease is an autoimmune reaction to ingestion of even the tracest amount of gluten proteins (found in wheat, rye, barley, oats, etc) where the body will actually attack itself causing damage to the small intestine. This creates a big problem as nutrients are unable to be absorbed properly due to the damage. It carries much of the same symptoms of Gluten Sensitivity.
For more information on Celiac Disease please visit celiac.org.
Food Allergies are when upon ingestion of a particular trigger food, the allergic person has an allergic reaction (which may be life threatening). This is an immune response brought on by a certain food. The symptoms range from digestive distress to hive, itching, rash, headaches, swollen mouth, tongue or throat, asthma, and even a life threatening situation called Anaphylaxis which can be fatal. There are many more symptoms of an allergy, these are just a few of the most common.
Please visit foodallergy.org for more information on food allergies.
So to sum up this post, if you don't already understand about these health problems, learn as much as you can! You may be able to spread awareness by wearing one of our products as well. Remember: knowledge saves lives, and every life is precious!
Have a Happy, Healthy, Gluten Free Day!

~Gluten Free Em~


Navigating the Sticky World of Sugary Sweetness--Valentine's Day

Do you celebrate Valentine's Day with your kids???
This holiday is like all the rest with candy, and kisses, you must be on the look out for hidden sources of gluten, (and food allergens if you are a food allergy parent).
Most of the time, our favorite trusted brands change things up for the seasonal candy. I learned this one the hard way a few years back when I gave my little one a Reese's peanut butter cup Valentine's version. Of course, I only did it once as the cross contamination was enough to make him very sick.
So does that mean I can't give them candy for Valentine's day? My answer is simple, Of course I can! But I buy them traditional candies that are not packaged or shaped for the holiday at hand. This goes for Christmas and New Years all the way to Halloween. Most seasonal candy is unsafe for those of us with Gluten Sensitivity and Food Allergies.
What about you? How do you handle the sweetness of Valentine's Day? Share your story with us, and how you navigate this sticky world of sugary sweetness. Comment here or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/GlutenFreeEm/!
Have a Happy, Healthy, Gluten Free Day, and make it FABULOUS!
~Gluten Free Em~

Wednesday, January 2, 2019

How my Gluten Free journey began...

Well, we've started a new year!!! I can't help but think back 7 years to the beginning of my own gluten free journey. It all started as a result of an endocrinologist's recommendation. I was dealing with autoimmune thyroid issues which had me feeling pretty worn out. My thyroid numbers had actually gotten back into the "normal" range, but my symptoms had remained. My vitamin D was borderline low. My energy was missing, and my hair was falling out. Nothing that I had tried had helped, and I was beginning to think there was no answer to the chronic fatigue that I had faced for many years.
"Have you tried a gluten free diet?" she asked. Me, I'm like, "What is gluten?"
Her response was pretty lame..."Go home and research it on the internet. I think it may be able to help your fatigue." I was like...whatever....but I did take her advice and looked it up.
I found out that gluten is a hard to digest protein in wheat, barley, oats, and rye which can create digestive issues with those who are sensitive to it. Digestive issues is something I had dealt with since a child, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to try. Boy was I in for a life changer!!!!! The fatigue was relieved, the pain was lessened, the digestive discomfort left, and I felt like a new woman after only a short two week abstinence from gluten. The rest is history...but here I am 7 years later, still gluten free and still researching how I can improve the lives of myself, my family, and others out there who are still looking to find answers when gluten may be at the root of their problem.
The gluten free diet is NOT for everyone, but there are a lot of people out there who do have a sensitivity to gluten and are feeling the negative health affects from it, just as I was. There are also those out there who have an autoimmune disease called Celiac Disease which causes severe intestinal damage, etc. because of gluten ingestion.
To learn more about Gluten, and whether or not the gluten free diet could be for you...Check out this book that I wrote explaining in detail, everything about going gluten free. It is available in kindle and paperback form. (See Below!)
Could it Be Gluten? A guide to understanding the facts about the gluten free diet. by Em Kennedy


Here's to better health!
Have a Happy, Healthy, Gluten Free Year!
~Gluten Free Em~

Do you have questions for Gluten Free Em??? You can reach her by the contact form on the desktop version of this blog, or by her Facebook page... https://www.facebook.com/GlutenFreeEm !!!!! Don't be left in the dark, find out today if you would benefit from a gluten free diet!

Thursday, December 27, 2018

New Year's Resolution

You know, I have never made a new years resolution! In all my years of motherhood, you would expect me to have at least once, but I haven't. Why did I mention motherhood?  Because as mom's we tend to focus on our shortcomings, what we could have done better, how messy the house is, and are we feeding our family nutritionally enough... We can be really hard on ourselves at times, especially us food allergy and gluten sensitivity moms! We stress over all the details of food prep, are the kids getting enough social time around food, is there anything lacking in their diet, and so much more. My biggest concern is, What if my slip up causes an allergic reaction?
Hey, Mom, YOU AREN'T PERFECT, it's true, but all your kids see is a mom that loves them enough to keep trying inspite of failures, inspite of reactions, inspite of the restrictions. They see A MOM THAT LOVES THEM and they want to see you happy. The best way to win is to choose not to grumble about the situation. Instead choose happiness no matter the situation. Choose a smile. Choose confidence. Choose faith. Because the mistakes are naturally gonna happen, that's how we learn. We can't be perfect, but we can continue to do our best! YOU ARE YOUR CHILD'S HERO! Keep up the good work!
~Em~

#GlutenFreeEm #FoodAllergyMomma #GlutenSensitivityMomma #keeptrying #youreahero #smile #NewYear #yougotthis
#bestrong #FoodAllergyAwareness #GlutenSensitivityAwareness #CeliacDiseaseAwareness #EpipensSaveLives #AnaphylaxisPrevention #educatetheworld #spreadtheword