Living with Celiac Disease has its own set of challenges. After being diagnosed in my early 40s during the pandemic, I made several lifestyle changes. One was to focus on eating to live and living to eat.
Looking back on the past few years, I did feel that all of a sudden, my life changed, and not only were certain foods off limits, but I also found myself afraid to eat or try new food items. Being “gluten-ed” is not fun and doesn’t just last overnight when it occurs. For me, symptoms can last weeks. The only safe food for me was whole food.
Growing up with a grandmother who was way ahead of her time when it came to the farm-to-table concept, I leaned on those years for knowledge. We had fresh vegetables she grew in the garden, mostly fish and foul for protein. However, she did have a sweet tooth, which I am sure I inherited from her, and is still a challenge! I remember one weekend when she added broccoli to our pizza, and I was mortified. Now that’s a thing. Who knew Grams was so cool?
The book “Food as Medicine Everyday” has been my guide and is referenced almost daily. To this day, I strive to try new foods, but with a list of food sensitivities that continue to grow every day, it is hard. Here are a few of my safe foods, ones that keep me going and are easy to grab on the go. If you are interested in checking out the book, the link is below!
Blueberries
I gravitate towards these every morning after my early morning walk with Sash. When blackberries and raspberries are in season, those are on the list as well!
Blueberries are full of health benefits, too. Their antioxidants fight cancer, and their polyphenols help with immunity and prevent cardiovascular disease. They are also high in fiber, which is always important but even more so as we age. Blueberries also have flavonoids, a type of antioxidant that assists with balancing mood, improving memory, and protecting the brain.
They also taste amazing. In the winter, the frozen wild blueberries are delicious and help with the sugar cravings!
Avocado
Another favorite. You can eat avocado with almost any other food. Lately my go to has been the avocado mash, it tastes amazing with broccoli, black beans, chicken. The list goes on and one from there. Check out our Pinterest page for food inspiration and ideas on incorporating more avocados into your world!
What are the health benefits of an avocado? There are a lot. They are high in fiber which helps regulate blood sugar, aids in digestion and weight management. A study in 2023 shared that adding one avocado a week to your diet could potentially reduce the risk of cancer. As if that wasn’t enough of a reason, avocados have Vitamins C,E,K, B6, as well as magnesium, potassium, and folate. So not only do they taste amazing, they do amazing things to our bodies. Sold!
Walnuts
These are great for a mid-morning or late-afternoon snack. Breakfast has never really been my thing, grabbing a handful of these keeps me going until lunch. The health benefits of these little guys are substantial.
Walnuts help with gut health, cancer prevention, blood pressure, brain health, bone health and sleep. Toss them on a salad if you aren’t a snack person. For me these are easy to travel with and their shelf life lets me purchase in bulk. When it comes to nuts I recommend eating them without all the crap on them, such as sugar coatings.
And recently I discovered that there is a walnut milk substitute, its been life changing since most coconut milk has a high sugar content and I try to watch that as well. It’s like a little cozy fall flavor in my coffee each morning, sprinkle some cinnamon on top too. It’s an amazing way to start your day!
Green Tea
It took me a minute to warm up to this one. For years, Diet Coke was my caffeine hit; some close friends would say it was an addiction. Breaking it off in my early thirties was hard, but now the smell of any soda makes me somewhat nauseated. Green tea is an acquired taste, with many ways to enjoy it. Some of my favorite flavors are orange spice, blueberry, or hojicha. It doesn’t matter if you drink it hot or cold; the benefits are still there.
Green tea contains anti-inflammatory and anticancer benefits. It can also help with digestion, and anti-aging. It’s very heart-friendly, some studies suggest that it helps prevent stroke and heart disease. Those same studies also shared that the participants drank 4-5 cups per day, which is a little out of my league but no judgements here. If you can do that, great. Currently, I drink one glass in the late afternoon to relax after client meetings or project deadlines.
Lemons & Limes
I love a good citrus flavor. When I drink vodka, which is less often now than in my 20s, lime is always included. Grey Goose, water and 3 limes please! Try it, its so good!
On my recent elimination diet to reduce inflammation lemons and limes played a huge part of flavoring the food I could eat. Squeeze lemon on salads, brussel sprouts, in yor water. There really are no rules and again the benefits from this small diet change are huge.
For starters, these fruits are rich in vitamin C, which boosts your immune system. They also help prevent kidney stones, aid in iron absorption, digestion, and heart health. Oh, and they are full of collagen, which helps with anti-aging!
Ummm yes please add more anti-aging I mean lemon to my life. The natural collagen would have sold me immediately if I wasn’t already in love.