Barbeque season is in full swing now as we celebrate the 4th of July today.  People across the country will be heating up their grills getting ready to throw on some burgers, chicken or veggie kabobs.  If you are looking for some quick and easy accompaniments to bring along to the cook out, consider Glutino’s new Gluten-Free Pretzel Chips.

INGREDIENTS: CORN STARCH, POTATO STARCH, RICE FLOUR, SOLUBLE CORN FIBER, PALM OIL, SALT, CELLULOSE GUM, SUGAR, CELLULOSE POWDER, SOY LECITHIN, YEAST EXTRACT, SODIUM BICARBONATE, CITRIC ACID, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, ONION POWDER, GARLIC POWDER.

The new Pretzel Chips are great for dipping into salsa, guacamole or peanut butter!  They also serve as a vehicle for toppings such as hummus, cheese or smoked salmon.  I have a friend that makes these incredible goat cheese appetizers on crackers that would be out of this world on these chips!  Simply use spreadable goat cheese on each chip, then top with a drizzle of honey and a dash of crushed red pepper.  I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Glutino’s Chocolate Chip Cookies are perfect for bringing along to the beach or pool for a snack.  Just toss in the cooler and go!

I love what the front of the package says, “Semi-sweet.  Totally yummy.”  So true! 

INGREDIENTS: SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS (SUGAR, CHOCOLATE LIQUOR, COCOA BUTTER, SOY LECITHIN, VANILLA), SUGAR, TAPIOCA FLOUR, RICE FLOUR, PALM OIL, CORN STARCH, WATER, TAPIOCA SYRUP, EGGS, MILLED FLAX SEED, MOLASSES, SALT, SODIUM BICARBONATE, NATURAL VANILLA FLAVOR, SOY LECITHIN, BAKING POWDER, XANTHAN GUM.

These cookies won’t last long once they are opened.  Each cookie is full of chocolate chip goodness!

A great alternative to homemade cookies when you are short on time!  These are also a great option for family and friends to pick up if they are preparing the meal/desserts in a non-gluten-free kitchen.  Glutino products are found in most mainstream grocery stores across the US.

What are your plans for the 4th of July holiday? 

I am running a race in the morning and relaxing all day!

*The products mentioned in this blog post were sent to me free of charge as a part of the Very Important Gluten-Free Blogger Program.  The thoughts and opinions shared here are mine and have not been influenced by anyone or anything.

Okay, not the picture of health food, but hey, it is gluten-free!  It has been a while that I have known that Chocolate Lucky Charms don’t contain any gluten ingredients, but I have never actually been able to find them locally.  There was a point in time where I was able to order them on Amazon.com, but it has been a couple of years.  A couple of weeks ago I caught a commercial advertising Lucky Charms and the Chocolate Lucky Charms.  I thought maybe they would be in our local stores now, so I checked this past week when I did our shopping.  Lo and behold, there it was on the shelf and it was on sale for $2.50/box, to boot!  I knew Jon would be thrilled at this new “breakfast” treat.

Chocolate Lucky Charms is not labeled “gluten-free” like the Chex cereals, but there are no gluten ingredients on the list.  General Mills is a reputable company that clearly labels any gluten containing ingredients.  For example, the regular Lucky Charms version contains oats, which are not considered gluten-free unless they are the certified gluten-free variety. 

The kids wasted no time digging into this cereal and much like I remember my childhood with the original Lucky Charms, both bowls had cereal left because the marshmallows are the real attraction.  This won’t be a staple in our house, but it is nice to have options available for special occasions. 

Stay tuned tomorrow for a review on a new Glutino item that it great for summer picnics and cookouts.

I was offered a unique opportunity to see Spirit of the Marathon II on June 12, 2013, but was unable to make it due to a prior commitment.  I was bummed because I really enjoyed the first Spirit of the Marathon movie.  I asked a fellow MIT coach (Chris Kelley) if he would be interested in attending in my place. 

(source)

Chris was kind enough to do a recap of the movie for us below.

Why do we run marathons?

There are 632 sanctioned marathons planned in the United States in the year 2013. The average runner will log 880 miles in preparation for their marathon. The youngest marathon runner recorded was a three year old and the oldest is 100.

June 12, 2013 the theater was filled with runners from all corners of Columbus. The runners where recognized by their tech race shirts, clear eyes and obvious enthusiasm for a movie about running. We all met to watch the Spirit of the Marathon II.

The Spirit of the Marathon strives to answer this question of “Why are you running a marathon?” The movie follows the training of 7 runners as they train for the 2013 Rome marathon. The runners followed were from around the world from Italy, Europe, Africa, and the United States.

As a marathoner, I have been asked this question from many of the non-running friends of mine. I remember when I announced that “I am going to run a marathon” to a friend of mine, Geoff, who had been a runner before cancer took that option away from him. Geoff replied to me that “Running a marathon will change your life.” Geoff was correct. That was back in 2010 and I have run 5 marathons since.

Every runner that offered their story in the Spirit of the Marathon II changed their life through the marathon. From the elite runners to the first time marathoner from New Jersey, these live where changed.

I expected the change, having recognized it in my own life. The one part about the movie that stuck me was the catalyst for the runners. Spirit of the marathon also expressed the reason that each runner considered running a marathon? What in their lives challenged them to even think about running 26.2 miles? I mean, some people do not even drive that far in a weekend. I know I have heard that after every marathon. From the stress in a marriage to the loss of a son, each runner has a reason to take up the challenge of the marathon. This made me think about what was my initiative?

My daughter asked me about what I thought made a movie good if not great. I told her that it was character development. I like to see the characters grow as a part of the challenge that they have been through. The characters in the Spirit of the Marathon II have grown as they faced their challenges and grew as a result of their own marathon experience.

The movie will show this to runners and non-runners alike. And, and a marathon will test the mental toughness and develop the character of anyone who chooses to run one.

Thanks, Chris for a great write up!  I hope that I am able to watch this movie at some point. 

*The tickets to see Spirit of the Marathon II were provided free of charge for review purposes.  The thoughts and opinions shared on this blog are unique and were not influenced by anyone or anything.

Welcome to July! Humid and rainy here in Columbus today with a similar forecast all week.  The 4th of July holiday is often celebrated with picnics and cookouts.  If you have been gluten-free for any period of time you know this can be difficult to navigate, especially if you don’t know the host well.  Make sure to check out my post on Celiac-Disease.com for some tips. 

Some additional Fourth of July festive recipes:

Patriotic Parfaits

Stars & Stripes Cake (use GF cake mix)

Red, White & Blueberry Lemonade Pops

Red, White & Blueberry Salad

Red, White & Blue Corn Chip Bites

Gluten-free Cheesecake  (top with strawberries, blueberries and whipped cream!)

Jell-O Firecrackers

Weekly Menu

Monday – Rotisserie chicken, baked potatoes, steamed green beans and salad

Tuesday – Taco salads (beef, corn, black beans, tomatoes, cheese, avocado, romaine lettuce and tortilla chips)

Wednesday – Breakfast for dinner and fruit salad

Thursday – Burgers on the grill, baked beans, corn on the cob and watermelon

Friday – Make your own pizza and salad

Saturday – Take out

Weekly Recap

Gluten-free Tips for the Newly Gluten-Free

Jules Gluten Free Introduces Pizza Crust

Word on the Street – Gluten-Free Restaurant News

Have a great week!

Kim

Yes, I am a nerd.  A data nerd, that is.  While I am not a big fan of math, I am a fan of numbers as a way to track progress or motivate myself.  This is one of the reasons I use Daily Mile to track my runs,  My workout data is logged and stored on the website for me to look back at in the future.  This is extremely helpful, especially if I am struggling with my training.

The Fitbit One also tracks daily activity in addition to workouts, making it a great tool to help motivate or do cool things like this:

Or this:

Or this:

And finally, this:

(source)

So not only are the infographics motivating, this last one shows my daily activity and highlights 2 inactive days.  Rest is just as important as my other workouts…runs and strength training.  Not enough rest can inhibit recovery and can lead to overtraining, which carries a whole host of issues.  So even though I may be taking 1-2 “rest” days per week with my training program, being overly active in other parts of my life on those rest days can hinder recovery, too. 

You can create your own infographic at Notch.me (Fitbit, RunKeeper, BodyMedia, UP by Jawbone) or many other websites described here.  If you do create one, I would love to see it!  Leave a comment and share the link below!

*Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Health and Fitness Voices program and have been provided with a wireless device, FitBit One, Verizon Gift Card and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the products.

I am a little behind on my blog reading, but I try to play catch up when I can.  I pick up pieces of information through my reading and then share the good (or bad) stuff with you guys.  Over the past couple of weeks I have heard quite a few bits of information, so I am going to consolidate them all into one post.

P.F. Chang’s added a new dish to their Summer Menu that also happens to be on the gluten-free menu.  GF Summer Vegetable Quinoa “Fried Rice” sounds fantastic!  The dish is made of wok-toasted quinoa with sunburst squash, mango, tomatoes and snow peas, topped with a sunny-side egg.  There also a couple of new dishes added back in March 2013 and a new-ish dessert that I haven’t noticed on the menu before.  In addition to the infamous delectable Chocolate Dome, there is also a GF Chocolate Torte Sweet Treat.  Sounds like an outing to P.F. Chang’s is in order!

Cheesecake Factory has offered gluten-free options in the past, but after I had two bad experiences a couple of years back, I haven’t gone back.  Now it is rumored that Cheesecake Factory will be offering a gluten-free menu with over 70 items to choose from in the near future.  If this does come to fruition, I hope that they do it right, educating staff on procedures to keep cross-contamination to a minimum. 

King’s Island has many gluten-free options available that are sure to please kids and adults alike! 

Dunkin’ Donuts is taking their gluten-free donut and blueberry muffins nationwide!  These products are manufactured in a gluten-free facility and are certified gluten-free.  It doesn’t get much safer than that when it comes to avoiding cross-contamination.  Are these products junk food?  Absolutely.  Am I recommending you eat them on a regular basis?  Absolutely not.  It is great to have yet another option available. 

Last, but not least, I am bumming that I can’t find a few of my new favorite gluten-free foods locally.  I think we have been spoiled in the past with so many different local stores offering amazing gluten-free product selections.  When I can’t find a new-ish product that I am looking for, it is hard not to get frustrated.  Some of those products I am on the local hunt for include:

• Larabar ALT – Larabar + protein = win-win!
• Kinnikinnick Soft Bagels = heaven on a plate.

Sure I could order these products online, but I prefer to avoid paying a shipping cost when possible. Are there gluten-free products you have been on the hunt for and can’t find? Please let me know and I will do what I can to help you try to locate them.

Last Friday we went to King’s Island for Aaron’s yearly company picnic.  Last year was the first time I noticed the theme park offering a decent gluten-free option for patrons – gluten-free pizza.  When planning for the trip this year, I knew I had a higher mileage weekend coming up, so I packed my lunch to make sure I could get the nutrients I needed, but sure wish I would have known about these new options:

The Coney Potato Works located in the Coney Mall section of the park has the following gluten-free options:

• Fresh-cut Thick Fries
• Gluten-Free Chicken Tenders
• Gluten-Free Corn Dogs
• Gluten-Free Soft Serve Ice Cream
• Gluten-Free Beer

I have to be honest, I was bummed that I had finished eating lunch only 30 minutes before spotting this.  I ran up to the counter to verify the entire place was gluten-free and may have done a little dance when the employee behind the counter confirmed that yes, everything was gluten-free.  This is awesome news and I hope that this is a permanent addition to the gluten-free options at the park. 

Weekly Plan

Monday – Grilled chicken fettuccine Alfredo, broccoli and salad

Tuesday – Pulled pork tacos, black beans and salad

Wednesday – Leftovers

Thursday – Burgers on the grills, sweet potato puffs or baked beans and salad

Friday – Make your own pizza and salad

Saturday – Take-out

Weekly Recap

Don’t forget to enter to win a bundle of Glutino gluten-free goods!

Need workout motivation?  See how I stay motivated.

Dunkin’ Donuts to offer gluten-free donuts and muffins nationwide

Have you tried the new Vanilla Chex?  Check out my review!

Have you heard?  Gluten-free Goldfish from Pepperidge Farm!  We found and sampled the Buffalo Wing variety.

Have a great week!

Kim

I have some great news to share with you guys and a special surprise below.  First things first.  Glutino is a strong advocate of the non-GMO movement supporting Proposition 37 in California and the Non-GMO Labeling Act in Washington.  Twelve Glutino products are currently Non-GMO Project Verified and they are working towards making as many of the Glutino products as possible Non-GMO Project Verified.

(source)

• Glutino Non-GMO Project Verified products:
• Glutino^® Gluten-free Apple Breakfast Bars
• Glutino^® Gluten-free Blueberry Breakfast Bars
• Glutino^® Gluten-free Cherry Breakfast Bars
• Glutino^® Gluten-free Strawberry Breakfast Bars
• Gluten Free Pantry^® All-Purpose Flour
• Gluten Free Pantry^® Brown Rice Pancake & Waffle Mix
• Gluten Free Pantry^® Chocolate Chip Cookie & Cake Mix
• Gluten Free Pantry^® Chocolate Truffle Brownie Mix
• Gluten Free Pantry^® Decadent Chocolate Cake Mix
• Gluten Free Pantry^® Muffin & Scone Mix
• Gluten Free Pantry^® Old Fashioned Cake & Cookie Mix
• Gluten Free Pantry^® Perfect Pie Crust

We are big Glutino fans in this house!  Jon single-handedly devoured a box of Strawberry Breakfast Bars in one day this week!  They were one of the first brands I depended on when I began the gluten-free diet over 7 years ago.  When times get tough, the Chocolate Truffle Brownie Mix makes it all better!

Now for the fun part!  Glutino has graciously offered to give 3 lucky readers each a package with a box of Glutino GF Strawberry Breakfast Bars and Gluten-Free Pantry Chocolate Chip Cookie & Cake Mix.  All you have to do to enter is follow the directions in the Rafflecopter box below. Continue reading →

It can be hard to stay motivated.  Motivation is necessary for many aspects of our daily lives from faithfully following the gluten-free diet to staying fit.  We are lucky to have some great resources right at our fingertips these days with our smartphones.  I have been experimenting with the Motorola Razr HD and will share some of the ways I stay motivated below.

The most obvious way the Razr HD can help motivate me to get moving is music.  Whether I am listening to my latest playlist creation, IHeartRadio or Pandora, music gets me moving!

I have been known to play the 80s station on Pandora for my clients during their workouts.  Focusing on music, songs from the past or playing a little “Name That Tune” is a great way to make your workout pass quickly!

Just because I am a personal trainer doesn’t mean I work out all day, every day.  I don’t work out when I train my clients – my focus is on them.  Often times when it comes time for me to work out, I want a great workout without having to put much thought into it.  This is where fitness apps like Fitness Buddy come in handy.

Fitness Buddy has built-in workouts or allows you to create your own from a bank of exercises.  The free version of this app has over 300 exercises, while the paid version has over 1700 exercises!  I tried the free version first, and quickly upgraded to the paid version.

There are also several accessories for the Razr HD to help you stay motivated.  One of the coolest accessories I have been eyeing is the Motorola SF600 Bluetooth® Stereo Headset.  I can’t tell you how many times I have yanked the headphones out of my ears while working out or got tangled in the wires of my headphones.  I would love wireless headphones!  New accessories = more motivation!

*Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Health and Fitness Voices program and have been provided with a wireless device, FitBit One, Verizon Gift Card and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the products.

Good morning blog land!  Hope you all had a wonderful weekend.  I just got back from a humid run with Melissa and am ready to start my day.  I finally located the brand new Pillsbury Gluten-Free Refrigerated Doughs at Giant Eagle last week after a little hunt.  Not all Giant Eagle stores have the products on their shelves yet, so I had to hit a couple stores before I finally found them.  In the Columbus area: 650 North State Street in Westerville did not have the products yet, but I did speak with the manager and she was going to see about getting the products in soon.  The Polaris Giant Eagle at 55 Meadow Park Drive did have all 3 products.

You can read my review of the cookies here.  Watch for the reviews of the pizza and pie doughs later this week.

Weekly Menu

Monday – Quinoa Mac & Cheese, peas and salad

Tuesday – Easy Enchilada Bake, corn and salad

Wednesday – BBQ Pulled Pork sandwiches, Boulder Canyon Kettle Chips and salad

Thursday – Make your own pizza and salad (Using the Pillsbury GF Dough)

Friday – Take out

Saturday – Burgers on the grill, baked potato packets and salad

Weekly Recap

Perdue Simply Smart Gluten-Free Breaded Chicken Tenders

Wellaby’s Mini Cheese Crackers

Chex adds a new variety to their gluten-free cereal line-up!

Nature’s Path Chia Plus Waffles

For the love of Brooks – My love affair with my running shoes.

Have a great week!

Kim