Tag Archive: healthy living

OH, FORKS! Upcoming Event & Important Nutrition Information Disclosure

OH, FORKS! Upcoming Event & Important Nutrition Information Disclosure

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Busy! Busy! Busy! I’m preparing for this weekend big event with the Jorgenson YMCA in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I’ve almost got the taste testing list solidified (yes, there are still a few last minute decisions, I know, shocking!) and I’m waiting on one of the last table decorations to get here today! This process has been similar to preparing for a book event, but so much more involved! Assuring that banners, signage, and social media postings are done appropriate is a LOT of work! And of course, making sure that the treats I’m making for everyone are P E R F E C T. *wipes the sweat from my brow…* I’m excited to reveal the table décor on our Facebook page very soon!

Now for the serious…

And of course, this morning I had a message from a fellow self-publisher that I needed to check out immediately. The article was from another foodie blogger, who has been threatened with a lawsuit by a reader. Why, you ask? Because the nutrition information they posted wasn’t correct to the recipe the person made. Wow. I had to re-read it four times. You may be wondering if that’s even possible….it is. Unfortunately for people like me.

First, let me discuss nutrition labels. I like them, because it gives those paying close attention to calories and fat the numbers they need for their diets. Second, I like being able to show how my recipes fair in the “health” section. Third, I don’t like to be misleading with my recipes. So, I added nutrition labels in to the OH, Forks!! Cook book.

That said, those nutrition labels are for informational purposes only, and are not “scientifically correct.” Yes, I did use the great website to make them all, and many big companies and places use them, too. Yes, their numbers are correct for the brands, amounts, and products I used in my recipes. However, if you omit something, use a different amount, substitute or what have you…those numbers may change a little.

Being completely honest, I don’t pay much attention to calorie counts, fat counts, or the like. I didn’t add in my nutrition labels to claim “complete health and perfection” with any of my recipes.

I felt the need to post a permanent disclaimer on the nutrition label side of things, if for nothing else, my own protection. In the past few weeks, I’ve taken extra precautions to protect ALL of my work, which for this cook book means the labels, pictures, recipes, words and more. There are a group of people out there that just don’t have enough to do with their spare time, and have taken up stealing author’s work and reproducing it under their own names, profiting all the way. It’s disgusting, and I’m NO FAN of pirating sites, or this type of behavior.

I appreciate those who have stuck by me, supported me, and backed this entire cook book endeavor! I’m hoping it brings you happiness, as well, knowing the project you support is indeed making headway in the public, and has begun doing events!! 🙂

Hey, Surprise! There’s Gluten in Your Meds!

 Hey, Surprise! There’s Gluten in Your Meds!

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I know. And I sort of hope you were sitting down before you read that. It happens less frequently now than it used to, but it does still happen. Whether it’s your prescription, or your favorite over-the-counter box of cold meds, if you’re super sensitive to gluten, you should probably call the company or check out GlutenFreeMeds.com to see if it’s on their list, at the least.

Maybe you’re wondering why there would be gluten in your medication? It’s simple, and sort of the same reason why there is gluten in spices, shampoo, lotions, and makeup. It’s a binding agent in many things. In this case, it helps make your pills stay together.

If any of the prescription or OTC medications you take have any of these ingredients, you may want to further your investigating skills and verify for the sake of your body.

  • Wheat
  • Modified starch (source not specified)
  • Pregelatinized starch (source not specified)
  • Pregelatinized modified starch (source not specified)
  • Dextrates (source not specified)
  • Dextrimaltose (when barley malt is used)
  • Caramel coloring (when barley malt is used)
  • Dextrin (source not specified, but usually by corn or potato)

Pharmacists face many dilemmas in the gluten-free world. There are no requirements for companies to label their medicines as “gluten free,” or just what they contain. In the same breath, all gluten sensitivities are different, and that 1 particle of gluten dust may not do much to Suzy, but it was enough to put Tom in the hospital. It is also true that medications don’t work the same way in a body without a gluten issue, as they do in a body that severely reacts to gluten. I just don’t feel it should be left up to the pharmacist to decipher, and I think that put them into a bad spot, as well.

More and more, we’re seeing the push to ban GMOs, and label things appropriately for allergens. I am hopeful that even more labeling will be approved to fully label prescriptions, shampoos, and anything else that is used by humans containing gluten. I’ve learned through my years of personal experience, and that of my child’s, that gluten, GMOs, and the harsh chemicals in our world ARE affecting our bodies, and creating internal disasters that no one knows how to deal with.

So, just a gentle reminder, fellow Celiac sufferers- CHECK YOUR MEDS!!

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Resources Used:

GlutenFreeMeds.com- linked their gluten free med sheet