Now, the moment you have all been waiting for….the person who won the Katz Giveaway. 

CONGRATS to:

Tracy· 5 days ago

Already like you on Facebook Kim! I would love a great hamburger bun. Missing them at summer cook outs.

Please shoot me an email at kim@glutenfreeislife.com

Thanks to all who entered!  I’ll be having some more fun giveaways very soon!!!

Kim

With the massive heat wave that has settled in across the country, it is even more important to keep on top of hydration during exercise.  Running earlier in the day certainly helps, but when the temperature is 75 degrees with 85% humidity at 6 AM, it can still be dangerous to athletes. 

I don’t do well with Gatorade or other sports drinks (some versions of Powerade also contain gluten).  I do recognize that on days with extreme heat & humidity, I am going to need more than water.  Enter: Nuun Electrolyte Drink Tabs.  I think part of my issue with sports drinks is the sugar.  I know that the GU gels that I use have sugar and I tend to do better when I use as few as I can.  Nuun doesn’t have any added sugar or artificial sweeteners, making it a good option for me to try.  Also, in addition to being gluten-free, they are vegetarian as well.  Click here to read the FAQ.  More about Nuun:

GREAT TASTING ACTIVE HYDRATION

• Zero sugar
• Important electrolytes
• Under 8 calories
• Easy to use
• 10+ LIGHT REFRESHING FLAVORS

HOW IT WORKS

NUUN ELECTROLYTE ENHANCED DRINK TABS

• Tabs quickly dissolve in your own water bottle
• Easy to take with you
• Absorbs quickly

LEARN ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF SMART HYDRATION

WHO’S USING NUUN?

YOU ARE ALWAYS ACTIVE, YOUR WATER SHOULD BE TOO

• Join us on FACEBOOK and TWITTER
• MEET OUR NUUN AMBASSADORS
• Discover your optimal hydration by sport:BIKE, RUN, GOLF, TRIATHLON, OUTDOOR,WINTER and more.

NUUN—LEADER IN ACTIVE HYDRATION

#1 Selling sports drink tab in running and outdoor specialty

In 2010, Nuun was named one of the 500 fastest growing private companies in America by Inc. Magazine

I purchased a tube of the Nuun tablets at The Vitamin Shoppe last week in the lemon-lime flavor.  They were $4.99 for a tube of 12.  I wanted to try out the Nuun before my next long run, so if my stomach was going to revolt, I wouldn’t be on a 10 mile run.  I tried some last Sunday and Friday at the gym.  I liked the flavor and my stomach seemed to handle it well.  The tablets dissolve quickly in the water with no residue left behind.  I think I may have found something that works for me!  I am hopeful for my 10 miler on Saturday morning with it. 

Nuun can be purchased online or in stores across the US.  Click here to find the store nearest you. 

Have you tried Nuun tablets?

When I began my blog back in the summer of 2008, I had no idea that it would turn into what it has.  I started the blog with the intention of putting my gluten-free recipes in one place.  I wanted to do this not only for myself, but for our family as well.  Jon was diagnosed with Celiac disease in June 2006 at 10 years old.  Family members wanted to know what to feed him when he visited, so a blog seemed like the easiest place to put the information.  I never thought that other people would read it.  LOL!  It is so funny how things turn out. 

I have been fortunate to have been able to stay at home with my kids as long as I have.  I supplement my husband’s income by watching a couple of kids during the day and have gradually added other freelance writing positions to the mix.  Now one of my kids, my goddaughter, is moving onto Pre-K.  I am sad to see her go, as I have spent the weekdays with her for the past 4 years.  I also need to replace that income, but am not sure that I want to do that by adding another child to the mix.  I am busy running our kids around with their activities, and I still watch another friend’s little boy as well.  Before we had Jon in 1996, I was in restaurant management, and before we had Hannah in August 2002, I was in property management.  I don’t have any interest in returning to those industries at this point in my life.  I still want to be home with my kids and Cole, and continue the writing work that I am doing.  I love being able to sample products to share with others, and I also love helping people.  It makes me feel great if I can help just one person to feel better or to find a food that they have missed. 

So begins my brainstorming.  What do I do?  I have come up with a list of things that I could do to make money from home:

• Write a book.
• Sell on Ebay – BTDT and I am thinking I don’t want to go that route again, even though I have over 1950 positive feedback.  🙂
• Wait tables at night – Too old for that…LOL!
• Become a professional athlete (Jon’s suggestion.  I quickly informed him that I would need to win an event to even entertain that idea.)
• Do social media work from home for a business, preferably one that is in the gluten-free or running industry (hint, hint…any companies out there want to hire me?).
• Land another freelance writing position to supplement the ones I have.

Any thoughts?  I figured my blog may be the best place to begin my search for opportunities. 

Last week I shared a post on my training for my upcoming half marathons.  I am pleased to share that I have been diligent about sticking to my training and cleaning up the food that I put in my body.  There has been no ice cream.  I realize that is a travesty, but I have really been trying to replace those calories with healthier ones.  I have cut out the wine/alcohol unless I have a rest day scheduled the following day; it is too hot & humid and dehydration is a real concern that is not to be taken lightly.  Alcohol & caffeine can dehydrate you, so while I still enjoy my morning coffee (much to the benefit of everyone around me), I can’t do the nightly glass or 2 of wine.

I get up at 4:30 AM during the week to hit the gym before my busy day gets started.  I don’t generally eat before I go to the gym – my stomach does much better without food when I am working out.  I do eat before any run of 6+ miles and that is usually a bowl of Kix.  This is what works for me and may not work for everyone.  After I run, swim or lift weights, I head home & quickly shower.  Breakfast & coffee quickly follow.

Below is an example of a day last week.

Breakfast

2 Van’s gluten-free waffles topped with Stonyfield Organic Activia and berries with a side of Lemon Drop melon.  (2 large cups of coffee with Silk Pure Almond & water are unpictured)

Lunch

Grilled dark chocolate PB & banana sandwich, spinach salad w/ French dressing and a mini Larabar for dessert.

Snacks

I have been trying to pay close attention to my hunger and eat before I am hungry enough to eat my own arm off.  I will often be in the fridge grabbing fruit – mostly cherries.  If I sit down with the bag of cherries, I often finish it, which can lead to a very sick feeling that I don’t wish upon anyone.  Now I try to grab a bowl and place what is reasonable in the bowl.  Yogurt, cottage cheese, Silk Pure Almond and nuts are other favorites.

Dinner

Okay, know you have all seen some pretty funky combinations from me before, right?  Buckle up, because this may be one of the oddest combos yet!  Andrea from Food Embrace was on Twitter chatting about eggs for dinner and I knew that I had to have eggs that night.  I also knew that I wanted a sweet potato in some form, so why not combine the 2?  I made hash browns out of my sweet potato, fried eggs, grabbed some fresh steamed green beans from the fridge and then made a big ‘Bowl O’ Breakfast’.  I topped my bowl with sliced avocado and Dos Pistolas jalapeno mango salsa.

I also had a large salad that I didn’t take a picture of because I was too excited to eat my ‘Bowl O’ Breakfast’.

Dessert

Dessert has been healthy – fresh fruit, a square of dark chocolate or the like.  I find it is easier to avoid ice cream all together than to occasionally indulge.  I can see hitting a frozen yogurt place, but keeping it in my house means I will have a bowl after dinner each night regardless of how full I am.  I can be making much better use of those calories with quality nutrients in my meals.   Now, once my races are over, bring it ON!

This is just a sampling of one day last week.  I plan on doing this once a week or so.  This won’t only help me pay closer attention to eating quality foods, but may help you all as well.

Kim

If you don’t run, you probably have no interest in this post, so you may want to skip it.  I would love it if you read it, but I understand.  I am a bit crazy about my passion.  Make sure to check back later today or tomorrow for a new gluten-free post.

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It is true that I am only training for a half marathon (or 2) right now, but I have have trained for a full marathon twice now and actually ran & completed one of those.  In case you are new to Gluten-Free is Life, I will share a little of my running background:

• Ran my first half marathon in November 2009
• Ran my 2nd half marathon in the spring of 2010 in Atlanta.
• Ran my 1st full marathon in May 2010 and suffered a stress fracture – take 90 days off running which included a boot and much patience.
• Trained for The Flying Pig marathon, but after my 20 mile training run, opted to cut my losses & run The Cap City Half marathon instead due to a nagging bout of injuries.

I have also done a couple of smaller races in there, but in regards to the book I am reviewing, I have some experience in regards to marathon training.  The book is written by David A. Levine and Paula Petrella.  I love how the book is laid out, so you can easily pick up where you left off or pick & choose what you want to read & learn about.  More about the book & authors:

According to the rulebooks, a marathon is 26.2 grueling yet exhilarating miles. Millions of people around the world run marathons, and many more dream of doing so. But for every runner—novice as well as veteran—marathons require training, and plenty of it. Certified Marathon Coach David Levine and dedicated marathoner Paula Petrella know how to get anyone in shape for the race and pace beginners through every step of the process. In clear, jargon-free language, The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Marathon Training presents a comprehensive training program, including such key items as:

•       Choosing the race that best suits the runner
•       Understanding applications, fees, and qualifying heats
•       Setting a daily fitness training schedule, stretching, and running to achieve personal goals
•       Dealing with injuries and other physical conditions
•       Selecting the right equipment
•       Staying in peak shape with diet and lifestyle tips
•       Creating independent training strategies
•       Psyching for race day

In addition, The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Marathon Training includes dozens of instructional photos and illustrations, specific strength-building exercises and practical advice for both men and women.
About the authors:

David A. Levine (Los Angeles, Calif.) is a certified Coach, Level Two, with USA Track & Field and Level One with USA Triathlon, both subsidiaries of the US Olympic Committee.  A three-time Ironman and thirteen-time marathoner, Levine coached and organized the City Of Angels Half Marathon training group, now USA Marathon Training, for two seasons, leading 90% of the experienced runners to achieve a personal record (PR).  With triathlon as a passion, Levine coached a Team-In-Training triathlon group, with similar positive results, and proudly helped his Sony Tri Team.  For seven years, he has been coaching weekly track workouts as Coach for the LA Running Club.  For nine seasons, he was a Pace Leader with the 1,600 member LA Roadrunners, where he has helped on the coaching advisory committee, for the past two years.  Levine has also been a published features writer for numerous publications, including magazine cover articles and newspapers.

Paula Petrella (Los Angeles, Calif.) is a writer, photographer, and runner who has trained in both the Galloway method and with the LA Roadrunners for marathons in Washington, DC and Los Angeles.  With over 20 years in the film and television industries, she has served as a script consultant to actors and producers, and as a nonfiction consultant in academia. As a long-time member of the Santa Monica Trail Runners Club, she was invited in 2001 to photograph Trail Running: From Novice to Master, written by Stan Swartz, the club’s founder. She also appeared as a runner in a trail running video for a popular Los Angeles-area cable show. The video is embedded in the club’s home page at trailrunnersclub.com.  Paula’s photographic work has also appeared in Music Connection magazine.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Marathon Training
ISBN: 9781615640584, May 2011, $18.95
Authors: David A. Levine (Los Angeles, Calif.) and Paula Petrella (Los Angeles, Calif.)

In addition to sample marathon training plans, there is also a sample half marathon training plan.  There are 3 levels of plans – beginner, intermediate & advanced.  The plans max out at 20 miles before tapering, where some other plans I have seen max out at 22 miles.  The stretches described in the book have photos to make them easy to follow.  Some people stretch before & after a run; I stretch after.  I heard in a symposium that I attended a few weeks back that there is no evidence that stretching before running helps to prevent injury.  In fact, it can be dangerous if your muscles aren’t warmed up.  So, if you want to stretch before running, make sure to warm up for 5-10 minutes first.  What works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another, so you may have to play around with what works best for you. 

This is a great resource for someone who is just starting to marathon train.  This book can be found online or in many book stores across the US.  It is even available in e-reader format ($9.99). 

I don’t know why that song is stuck in my head.  I am weird and I know it.  My mom and step dad came in town over the weekend.  My mom loves California Pizza Kitchen and was thrilled that they were now offering gluten-free pizza, so we had originally planned on heading there for dinner.  However, earlier this week there was a lot of chatter on the net about CPK having some pretty major cross contamination issues.  We decided it wasn’t worth the risk and headed to Marcella’s instead.

After having the pizza at Marcella’s several times, I knew it was just as good, if not better than CPK.   After we were shown to our table, a manager made his way over to ask if we had any questions about the gluten-free menu.  I was super-impressed that he came over to check in with us before I even had a chance to ask to speak with him.  Big points!  I explained that I had eaten there before and really enjoyed the pizza, but was curious to hear about the kitchen procedures to avoid cross contamination.  From the description he gave me – separate everything, including ovens – I felt very comfortable.  I went on to ask about the utensils, toppings & sauces and everything is separate, like it should be.

I thanked them for going taking all facets into consideration and went on to tell him why I was asking.  I explained the procedures being used in the kitchen at CPK and he was appalled. He continued to check on us throughout our meal to make sure everything was okay.  We had the veggie pizza & the shrimp pesto pizza.  While both were good, the veggie was outstanding!  It was topped with fresh arugula, my favorite!  I think that the crust needs the moisture of the veggies to give it some character.  I have also had the margherita pizza and it is equally as impressive.

I want to back up for am minute to share the amazing martini that I started my meal out with – it was a strawberry balsamic martini and it was phenomenal!

I don’t normally order any alcoholic drinks other than wine, so this was a nice treat!

Kudos, Marcella’s for taking care of us!  Perhaps California Pizza Kitchen could learn a thing or two from you.

Earlier this month I received some new products from Katz to review and the chance to extend the offer of 10 products from Katz to you guys.  Additionally, Katz is holding a Grand Raffle Summer Spectacular to celebrate 40 products where you can enter to win a sampling of all 40 of their gluten-free products!  Talk about awesome, right?

I received the brand new apple pie, coffee cake & snack poppers to review.  Of course Jon was right there, willing & able, to help out.  He is such a great helper!  LOL!

Snack Poppers

The new snack poppers are a combination of cookie & cracker.  When I first sampled these, I was not overly crazy about them, but then I started to like them.  Perhaps it is because I thought they were cookies and they seemed a little dry?  I don’t know.  Jon felt the same way, though I don’t think he ever came around.  Now that I know that they are a combination of cookie & cracker, I can see that.  Probably not something I would choose to eat again, as there are so many other things I would rather eat.  The poppers cost $4.49/pkg on the Katz website.

(source)

Coffee Bundt Cake

Doesn’t this cake just look glorious?  It tastes even better than it looks!  Jon inhaled this cake and literally gushed over it!  He begged me to order him more, as he wanted to have it for breakfast daily.  The cake is worth the $10 is costs on the website and would be great to serve at your next gluten-free brunch.  I guarantee even non-gluten-free eaters will love this, though you may not want to share it with them.

Apple Pie

Who doesn’t love apple pie, right?  What I love about apple pie is that it is great for all seasons!  Apple pie can be served cold with ice cream in the dog days of summer or hot with ice cream on a cold, fall day!  The apple pie from Katz appears close to a personal size, though it says it serves 4.  It served one hungry teenager last night!  I snuck a bite before Jon devoured this treat and it was pretty darn tasty!  The pies cost $7.49 (6 inches) and come in apple, blueberry ($7.99) or cherry.

(source)

Katz is running some specials right now that you many want to take advantage of:  Free shipping on orders over $30 (some restrictions apply).   Additionally, Katz has a free sample pack that customers can order to see how they like a variety of products.  This offer requires the customer to pay shipping and is only valid once per customer.   Editing to add some coupons:  HOTHOTHOT saves 15% thru 7/31, and summerpie1, summerpie2, summerpie3, save $4 on apple, cherry or blueberry pies. Coupons are exclusive.

Now, for the fun stuff!

Giveaway details

1.  The winner of this giveaway will win 10 free products from Katz.

2.  The contest will run until Friday, July 29, 2011.

3.  Visit the Katz website & tell me which product you would most like to try.

4.  Complete one or more of the following for additional entries – leave an individual comment for each one completed to make my life easier. 

Follow me on Twitter

“Like” Gluten-free is Life on Facebook

Follow Katz Gluten-Free on Twitter

“Like” Katz Gluten-Free on Facebook

Okay, ready, set, GO!!!  Good luck!

**The products reviewed in this post were sent to me free of charge.  The opinions posted here are mine and have not been influenced by anyone or anything.  The giveaway is being sponsored by Katz Gluten-Free. 

Kim

Morning glories!  Sorry I didn’t post the winner to the $25 Walmart GC yesterday.  My mom and step dad came for a visit and we got busy.  Thanks to all who entered the giveaway!  The winner is…..

Johannah B· 3 days ago

Liked Gluten Free is Life on Facebook
Facebook name: Johannah Brookwell

For everyone else, there is another giveaway for lots of gluten-free goodies going up tomorrow, so make sure to check back!!  Happy Sunday!!

As a runner I have learned the importance of properly fueling my body.  Skimping on calories & nutrients hurts performance and can hurt your body, too.  Carbohydrates are important to supply muscles with glycogen for exercise and a snack of protein & carbs is important after running to help refuel & repair muscles.  It imperative to begin this process as soon as possible after a run, but absolutely within 30 minutes. 

I have been a little lax on refueling recently, but that has to stop.  My current, soon-to-be history, routine for my long runs involved meeting up with my MIT group, running, socializing, driving home (with a coffee detour) and then eating breakfast.  By the time I was actually sitting down to eat it was easily 1+ hours later.  Not good. 

Last week I shared my plan of action for better training with you guys.  I am taking it seriously and am now going to include these Mix 1 Protein Shakes in the Saturday routine to see how they work for me. 

Mix 1 has two types of protein shakes – all-natural protein shakes & lean performance shakes.  I will be using the all-natural protein shakes.  The shakes come in several different flavors:

• mix berry
• blueberry-vanilla
• mango
• strawberry-vanilla
• chocolate
• vanilla
• peach

Both Jon and I have tried the strawberry-banana and it has a great consistency and flavor!  I like the portability – I can toss this easily into a cooler and drink right after running on Saturday – no excuses.  Check out the nutrition stats:

• 15 grams of superior whey protein isolate
• 2 to 1 carb to protein ratio
• antioxidants = 3 servings fruits & veggies*
• 23 vitamins & minerals

• 3 grams of soluble fiber
• 2.5 grams of heart healthy fat
• free of lactose, gluten, soy & caffeine

A little more about Mix 1:

What do a naturopathic doctor/ironman triathlete who spent some time living in a Nepalese ashram, a Ted Nugent loving beer guy, and a golf-obsessed reggae freak have in common?  We’re the three founders of mix1, and we have a lot in common.  We all live in, or around, beautiful Boulder, Colorado, we all have families, we’re all athletes, and we’re all committed to being as healthy as possible.  It’s these similarities that brought us together to start mix1.

Colorado is a great setting for all of our favorite sports: skiing, hiking, golfing, climbing, running, etc…  We created mix1 because we wanted something that would help us do all the activities we love to do, and improve our performance.  We also wanted something that was healthy and all-natural.  Since we couldn’t find anything in stores that met our needs we decided to make something ourselves.  The result is our mix1 enhanced protein shake formulated by Dr. James.

Our philosophy here at mix1 is pretty simple: we only create products with all-natural, high-quality ingredients that are truly functional.  We believe all-natural products are better than artificially enhanced ones.  Our overall goal as a company is to promote athletic performance and overall health, be an asset to our community and improve people’s lives.
We hope you enjoy our products as much as we do.  Please drop us a line and let us know what you think. 

our mission: to change people’s lives by promoting athletic performance and overall health through all-natural products that deliver truly functional nutrition.

Mix 1 products can be purchased at many stores across the country and online.  Have you tried Mix 1 protein shakes?

The other day I posted a “teaser” photo of the bread that was delivered to my doorstep.  I didn’t want to keep you all waiting for too long, so I got right down to testing the bread in a couple of different ways.  The first way involved an indulgence of sorts.  I was feeling like I needed a chocolate fix, so I created a new sandwich.  Can you guess what it is?

Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter and banana grilled like a grilled cheese sandwich.  I know that Elvis used to eat grilled PB & banana sandwiches, but I don’t think he ever used chocolate PB.  For some reason this almost tasted like a donut filled with chocolate filling, I am not quite sure why.  I don’t think I was aware of anything going on around while I ate this sandwich – it was that good!  The bread held up well to grilling and is a tad bigger than some of the other popular gluten-free breads on the market. 

The next day I decided to make a sandwich using the bread as-is, or untoasted.  I made a deli turkey with cheddar, relish & lettuce sandwich.  This sandwich wasn’t as good as the grilled sandwich I had the day before.  The bread did not hold up well at all in its untoasted state.  It easily broke apart and made my sandwich difficult to eat.  The texture is really light, so it almost seemed like there was nothing to it. 

After sampling the bread both ways, I absolutely recommend toasting or grilling it.  This isn’t a big issue for me, as I rarely pack sandwiches to go anywhere.  I haven’t tried toasting the bread, making a sandwich & then packing for lunch later in the day yet, so I am not sure how that would hold up.  I suspect it would be much like the toasted version, but not warm.  I look forward to making French toast & grilled cheese sandwiches with it this coming weekend.

More information about Genius bread from Glutino:

Glutino’s newest gluten-free bread.
Glutino has partnered with the UK’s popular Genius Gluten-Free, adding
their delicious bread product to Glutino’s long-standing gluten-free portfolio.
Genius by Glutino is a sandwich-ready loaf of bread that is available in White
Sandwich Bread and Multigrain Sandwich Bread. Available for a great value,
Genius by Glutino tastes so good, it doesn’t even need to be toasted. People
looking to live a gluten-free lifestyle can now enjoy full slices of gluten-free
bread with Genius by Glutino.

There are 2 varieties of the new bread – White Sandwich Bread & Whole Grain Bread.  The bread should be available nationwide beginning in August for $5.49/loaf.