Picky Bars.  What a great name for a product, right?  I not only love the name, but the front of the package says “It’s freaking science, dude.”  When I first learned of Picky Bars, I knew they would be a product that I would be interested in.  Not only were they gluten- and dairy-free, but they have the 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein that I am always looking for to refuel with after my runs and workouts. 

More about how Picky Bars came about:

When I set out to make a special gluten and dairy free energy bar for my husband Jesse, I had his health and my nose in mind.  There were specialty bars available that would keep him from starving on his long bike rides, but I couldn’t find a single one that was athletically balanced and tasted good.  If he was going to make it as a Pro-Triathlete, he needed to start getting picky about his diet.  With my nerdy Stanford background in science and athletic performance, I knew what needed to be created, but it wouldn’t be easy.

I wanted a 4:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio, slow releasing carbs for level blood sugar, minimal soy content, and healthy fats making up  25% of the calories.  Oh yeah, and it needed to taste amazing.  No big deal, right?  Good thing my training buddy Stephanie and I were injured and had time on our hands, cuz it was hard work.  Perfecting Picky Bars together became the perfect distraction from the misery of injury, and added the balance we needed in our lives to finally heal.

A years worth of gooey hands and gut-busting laughs results in a product we are exceedingly proud of.  We are picky about the quality of our ingredients, and where they come from.  Everything that goes into the bar has a good reason for being there, and took months of experimenting to earn its place in the recipe.  The finished product is what we trust to fuel us to the highest levels of international sport, to USA Championships and podium finishes.  And now we are thrilled to finally be able to share them with you.

Eat Picky and Prosper,

Lauren Fleshman

2 x USA Champion for 5k, and 5x NCAA Champion

The bars come in four different varieties:

Smooth Caffeinator – 200 Calories = 7g Fat + 28g Carbohydrates + 7g Protein. *Bold Ingredients are organic.  Ingredients: Organic Dates, Hazelnut Butter, Organic Agave Nectar, Rice Protein (Protein from Whole Grain Sprouted Brown Rice), Organic Brown Rice Cereal (Organic Brown Rice, Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Sea Salt), Hazelnuts, Organic Apricots (Organic Apricots, Organic Rice Flour), Cranberries (Cranberries, Sugar, Sunflower Oil), Organic Chocolate Chips (Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Chocolate Liquor, Organic Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin (non-GMO), Organic Vanilla Extract), Organic Coffee, Organic Cinnamon, Organic Safflower Oil, Natural Vitamin E (to preserve freshness).

All-In Almond – 200 Calories = 7g Fat + 28g Carbohydrates + 7g Protein. *Bold Ingredients are organic. Ingredients: Organic Dates, Organic Almond Butter, Organic Agave Nectar, Organic Brown Rice Cereal (Organic Brown Rice, Organic Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Sea Salt), Rice Protein (Protein from Whole Grain Sprouted Brown Rice), Organic Apricots (Organic Apricots, Organic Rice Flour), Organic Almonds, Cranberries (Cranberries, Sugar, Sunflower Oil), Organic Chocolate Chips (Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Chocolate Liquor, Organic Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin (non-GMO), Organic Vanilla Extract), Organic Pumpkin Seeds, Organic Cinnamon, Organic Safflower Oil, Natural Vitamin E  (to preserve freshness).

The Need for Seed –  200 Calories = 7g FAT + 28g CARB + 7g PROTEIN.  *Bold Ingredients are organic. Ingredients: Organic Dates, Organic Sunflower Seed Butter, Organic Honey, Organic Brown Rice Cereal (Organic Brown Rice, Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Sea Salt), Rice Protein (Protein from Whole Grain Sprouted Brown Rice), Organic Apricots (Organic Apricots, Organic Rice Flour), Cranberries (Cranberries, Sugar, Sunflower Oil), Organic Chocolate Chips (Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Chocolate Liquor, Organic Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin (non-GMO), Organic Vanilla Extract), Organic Sunflower Seeds, Organic Pumpkin Seeds, Organic Cinnamon, Organic Safflower Oil, Natural Vitamin E (to preserve freshness).

Lauren’s Mega Nuts – 200 Calories = 7g Fat + 28g Carbohydrates + 7g Protein. *Bold Ingredients are organic. Ingredients: Organic Dates, Organic Peanut Butter, Organic Honey, Organic Brown Rice Cereal (Organic Brown Rice, Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Sea Salt), Rice Protein (Protein from Whole Grain Sprouted Brown Rice), Organic Apricots (Organic Apricots, Organic Rice Flour), Cranberries (Cranberries, Sugar, Sunflower Oil), Organic Chocolate Chips (Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Chocolate Liquor, Organic Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin (non-GMO), Organic Vanilla Extract), Organic Almonds, Organic Cashews, Organic Pumpkin Seeds, Walnuts, Organic Cinnamon, Organic Safflower Oil, Natural Vitamin E  (to preserve freshness).

The obvious question is how do they taste, right?  One word: Phenomenal!  I loved the flavor and texture of the bars.  Similar to some of the other fruit and nut bars on the market, but a little more dense and not as dry.  These are a wonderful way to refuel on the way home for the gym or a run.  By refueling within 30 minutes after a workout, I afford myself the time to hop in the shower and stretch before sitting down to breakfast or lunch. 

Picky Bars can be purchased online or in select stores across the US.  The bars are a little pricey online (3 for $9; 8 for $21; 15 for $37), but shipping is free and you can’t beat that! 

*I received these bars free of charge for review purposes.  The thoughts and opinions shared here are mine and have not been influenced by anyone or anything. 

Oh, and on the topic of how many boxes of gluten-free waffles I purchased when they were on sale: 15. 

Okay, kind of wordless – these are on sale at Meijer this week for $1.50 (half off – 8 waffles in a box).  How many boxes did I buy?

I’ll share the answer tomorrow. 

The Summer Olympics shed a new light on gluten-free athletes.  Over the past year or two there have been several athletes in the news touting the gluten-free lifestyle, though not always due to Celiac Disease. I love to hear about these athletes, not only because I am a runner, but because it always fascinates me to hear about the effects of removing gluten from an individual’s diet.  Of course I always recommend seeing a doctor before starting the gluten-free diet, as testing for Celiac Disease must be completed before removing gluten from the diet in order for the results to be accurate.

“The Gluten-Free Edge” is the newest book from Peter Bronski, Coauthor of Artisanal Gluten-Free Cooking, and Melissa McLean Jory, MNT.  This book is a wealth of information about gluten, why it makes people sick, “The Gluten Intolerance Spectrum” – from Celiac Disease to Wheat Allergy to Gluten Sensitivity to Everybody Else.  The book goes on to share why athletes should care about gluten, even if they are otherwise relatively healthy individuals.  There are stories from many athletes, including one from yours truly:

I was so flattered to be asked to share my story for this book!  I am having a blast reading about these fantastic athletes and their stories.   I have to admit that it is kind of cool to open up a book that one can find on the shelves of Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com and see your very own picture staring back at you!  The end of the book has numerous recipes, including my current favorite: Apple-Pecan Crumble – it just screams fall!

I am going to give one lucky reader a free copy of this book courtesy of little old me!  I appreciate each and every one of you more than you could ever know!  Without readers, my blog wouldn’t be a blog – it would be a diary.  To enter to win, please follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter box below. Continue reading →

It is the last week of September!  Can you believe it?  The first day of fall was this past Saturday and the temperatures have sure seemed to follow the calendar.  Frosty, chilly mornings here!  It was so cold yesterday morning that Jon came in the house looking for an ice scraper for his car! 

In case you missed the post with my menu plan last week, I shared my favorite pumpkin recipes.  This week I was browsing the web for an updated gluten-free candy list.  I found one that was just updated September 22, 2012!  Of course it isn’t all inclusive, but it has a nice wide variety of candy listed.  I can’t seem to get enough of these:

I kind of wish someone would hide them from me.  I know I have the option of not buying them, but you know…

Tuesday – Mexican pizzas, refried beans, corn and salad

Wednesday – Baked Ziti, broccoli and salad

Thursday – Leftovers

Friday – Make your own pizza and salad

Saturday – Perfect pork tenderloin, garlic mashed potatoes, zucchini and salad

Weekly Recap:

NFCA Webinar – “Eating for Two – How-To Tips on Managing Celiac Disease and Diabetes”

Arsenic in rice – Should Celiacs be Concerned?

Williams-Sonoma adds new baking mixes for the Holidays!

Columbus, Ohio Arena District gluten-free options

Saturday, September 15, 2012 was my 9th half marathon. My goal for 2012 was to run 5 half marathons this year and that was #4 for 2012. My last (#5 for the year and #10 total) is on October 21, 2012 here in Columbus.

The Air Force Half Marathon was held in Dayton, Ohio. It began and ended on the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The full marathon began a full hour before the half marathon with a B-2 flyover. Talk about cool! We were still hanging out in the van at that point to stay warm, but were fortunately still able to see it. The morning was chilly – 49 degrees! I couldn’t have asked for more perfect weather.

My initial plan had been to run this as a training run, but after speaking with my MIT pace coach and sports doctor, I decided to try for a PR. In order to PR I would have to run 8:43/mile (to get under 1:53:52.) To get under 1:50, another fall goal, I would have to run an 8:23 pace. I like to have multiple goals going into a race – the pipe dream, the PR and finishing. Going into a race with that mindset leaves no room for disappointment.

We were off at 8:30 AM! The first few miles flew by. I kept the1:50 pacer in sight, but didn’t want to force anything. I had to keep in the back of my head that I still have another half to run in 5 weeks. I fell comfortably into a pace that was around 8:35/mile.

By the time we were at mile 6, I noticed that the course was getting a little more crowded. I had headphones on, so I didn’t hear much at this point. All of a sudden the 1:45 pacer was right in front of me. I knew there was no way I had caught up to him based on my current pace. I took my headphones off and discovered that some of the course volunteers/workers had directed many of the runners the wrong way. The confusion continued as we made our way down several other side streets. I was really upset at first because I was on pace to set a PR and running over 13.1 miles was not in the cards. I had no desire to run any farther. At one point I was hearing that we would end up running 15 miles. Ugh.

I made a choice right then and there. I would continue along my current pace and stop my watch at 13.1. I could then slow down to cool down or even walk, if need be. My pace slowed a little over the next couple of miles and I knew at that point that 1:50 was not in the cards. I quickly did the math in my head and knew that I could slow down a bit and still PR. No need to push it when I was already past the point of running sub-1:50.

I held my pace, even sped up a little and settled in for the ride. Some of the best music was on my playlist as I turned back onto the base and ran along the finishing stretch. Pink Floyd’s “Learning to Fly” seemed like the perfect song at that point in time – I picked up my pace and headed for the final stretch. I stopped my watch at 13.1 and 1:52:18 – a PR! I continued to run for roughly another half a mile or so to cross the finish line.

Turns out I was one of the “lucky” ones – some of the half runners ended up running close to 16 miles! Ouch!

I headed over to the massage tent for a calf/foot massage. I think this was key to my plantar fasciitis not acting up, as I had just started to feel it in mile 12-13 of the half.

This past week has been all about recovery. I may have been a little ambitious last Sunday by doing a 3 mile recovery run and then an intense core class. I took Monday off, ran 3 on Tuesday that ended up being a little more painful than I would have liked, took Wednesday off from running and went to yoga instead. Easy is the name of the game. I have 4 weeks until the Columbus half. I would love to run it under 1:50, but again, that is the pipe dream. I have to be thrilled with my accomplishments over the past 12 months with PRs in 3 of the 5 half marathons that I have run. If I am not in “racing shape” on October 21, 2012, I will just enjoy the ride.

A couple of weeks back I began a series on the Gluten Free Lunch Box.  Today the spotlight is on Do More Bars.  These bars are a healthier gourmet version of the traditional crispy rice treats that you make at home, or the pre-packaged variety that aren’t gluten-free. 

More about Do More Bars:

• Packed with Fruit & Nuts
• Made with Whole Grain Organic Crispy Brown Rice
• No Artificial Colors or Flavors
• No Preservatives or Sulfites
• No Hydrogenated Oils
• No Marshmallow Creme
• No Corn Syrup
• Over 50% Organic and All Natural!

There are five varieties of Do More Bars:

Date Pecan – Ingredients: Gluten free organic crispy brown rice (organic brown rice, organic brown rice syrup, salt), organic brown rice syrup, dates, pecans, light brown sugar (sugar, molasses), butter (cream, salt), hormone free non-fat dry milk (non-fat dry milk, whey solids), dark brown sugar (sugar, molasses), vanilla extract (vanilla bean extractives in water & alcohol), sodium bicarbonate, salt. Contains a trace of soy and sunflower.

Pineapple Coconut -Ingredients: Gluten free organic crispy brown rice (organic brown rice, organic brown rice syrup, salt), organic brown rice syrup, dried pineapple (pineapple, refined cane sugar), light brown sugar (sugar, molasses), butter (pasteurized cream, salt), organic coconut, hormone free non-fat dry milk (non-fat dry milk, whey solids), dark brown sugar (sugar, molasses) vanilla extract (extractives of vanilla beans in water & alcohol), natural pineapple flavor from plant extracts in water & alcohol, sodium bicarbonate, salt. Contains a trace of soy and sunflower.

Raisin Peanut – Ingredients: Gluten free organic crispy brown rice (organic brown rice, organic brown rice syrup, salt), organic brown rice syrup, raisins, roasted peanuts, light brown sugar (sugar, molasses), butter (cream, salt), hormone free non-fat dry milk (non-fat dry milk, whey solids), dark brown sugar (sugar, molasses), vanilla extract (extractives of vanilla beans in water & alcohol), sodium bicarbonate, salt, peanut oil. Contains a trace of soy and sunflower.

Orange Cranberry Pecan – Ingredients:  Gluten free organic crispy brown rice (organic brown rice, organic brown rice syrup, salt), organic brown rice syrup, orange juice concentrate, light brown sugar (sugar, molasses),  butter (cream, salt), dried cranberries (cranberries, sugar), pecans, hormone free non-fat dry milk (non-fat dry milk, whey solids), dark brown sugar (sugar, molasses), orange peel, orange extract (alcohol, vegetable glycerine, natural orange oil), sodium bicarbonate, salt. Contains a trace of soy and sunflower.

Cherry Almond – Ingredients: Gluten free organic crispy brown rice (organic brown rice, organic brown rice syrup, salt), organic brown rice syrup, cherries (cherries, sugar, sunflower oil), almonds, light brown sugar (sugar, molasses), butter (cream, salt), hormone free non-fat dry milk (non-fat dry milk, whey solids), dark brown sugar (sugar, molasses), almond extract (water, alcohol, oil of bitter almond), vanilla extract (vanilla bean extractives in water & alcohol), sodium bicarbonate, salt. Contains a trace of soy and sunflower.

The bars are made in a facility that uses peanuts, tree nuts, milk, soy, corn and wheat products. 

The utmost care and best practices are used to prevent cross-contamination.  Bars have been gluten tested with results less than 10 ppm gluten.

These bars were great!  What a unique twist on an old favorite!  I loved the flavor combinations of all of the bars, and while they do have a “grown-up” twist, they aren’t “too gourmet” for kids to enjoy.  I think my favorite of all five bars has to be the Cherry Almond.  Each bar is priced at $1.59 or $8.94 for a box of 6.  The bars can be purchased right from the website.  They can also be found in select locations across the US.  These bars make the perfect addition to the school lunch box or snack.  If you are an adult, no worries!  Toss these bars into your purse, gym bag or store a couple in your desk to help power you through that afternoon slump.

*These bars were sent to me free of charge for review purposes.  The thoughts and opinions shared here are mine and have not been influenced by anyone or anything.

Waffles make a quick and easy breakfast for both Jon and me.  It doesn’t take much time to toss a couple of frozen waffles right into the toaster over while brewing coffee in my Keurig or slicing up some fruit.  Frozen Guru makes waffles that are free from:

• gluten
• flour
• eggs
• lactose
• yeast
• oil
• preservatives
• gums
• fillers

At first I admit that I was a little skeptical about how these would taste, but I have quickly fallen in love! 

More about the waffles:

Our waffles are made using all-natural ingredients, with Non-GMO Tofu, Fruit, Chia Seeds, Flax Seeds and Gluten-Free Rolled Oats accounting for well over half of the total product weight. 

We produce waffles with the  lowest sodium, calories, carbohydrates and sugar largely because we do not add any sodium, oil or sugar… As much as we normally hate to boast, we probably should mention that our waffles possess some of the highest protein and fiber per serving as well.

Frozen Guru waffles are perfect on the go because they can be tossed into the toaster for a quick and healthy meal, or they can simply be thawed and eaten at room temperature.  To achieve these amazing results, we left out the primary ingredient in all current waffle products: FLOUR.  And voilà!  A healthy waffle product not high in anything at all (well, aside from protein & fiber).

I was very impressed with these waffles!  They were a little on the small side, so I worried about how long they would keep me full.  I ate them the same way that I eat the other gluten-free waffles – paired with the same food, same amounts – to get an accurate feeling of satiety.  I am thrilled to report that I felt full all morning and had plenty of energy to get me through until lunch time!  Each serving (2 waffles) contains 8-9 grams of protein and 5-6 grams of fiber with only 115-125 calories.  I topped my waffles with 1 tablespoon of Skippy Natural and a touch of blueberry fruit spread.

Not only did they keep me full, but they tasted great, too!  I think I liked the Coconut Chia best, but the Sweet Banana was also very good. 

Frozen Guru waffles can be found in select stores.  Hopefully they will be more widely available in the near future!

**These products were sent to me free of charge for review purposes.  The thoughts and opinions shared here are mine and have not been influenced by anyone or anything.

Welcome to another week!  Hope you all had a good week.  The temperatures has been simply amazing here for the past few days making for wonderful running and sleeping weather.  It is astonishing how much better one’s body functions in lower humidity!  Fall is definitely in the air, which we all know means pumpkin.  I have mentioned a few things pumpkin in the past couple of weeks, but I think it is high time to start fall baking.  Some of my favorite pumpkin recipes include:

Glazed Chocolate Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Pumpkin Raisin Scones

Pumpkin Raisin Bread

Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Loaf

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

Creamy Pumpkin Brown Rice

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Pumpkin Cornbread

Pumpkin Blondies

Grandma’s Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

Pumpkin Muffins

I don’t know about you, but after all of that, I don’t really want dinner food this week, I want a bunch of pumpkin goodies!

Monday – Eggplant Parmesan with brown rice pasta and salad

Tuesday – Easy Enchilada Bake, corn and salad

Wednesday – Battered Chicken Fingers, steak fries, steamed broccoli and salad

Thursday – Perfect Herbed Pork Tenderloin, mashed potatoes, steamed green beans and salad

Friday – Make your own pizza and salad

Saturday- Take-out or Breakfast for Dinner

Kinnikinnick brings back Pumpkin Spice Donuts

Jules Gluten Free introduces Pancake & Waffle Mix

Gluten-Free Girl Scout Cookie Pilot Program

Venice Bakery hosts “London 2012 After Party” – RSVP by October 1, 2012

Gimbal’s introduces “Harvest Mix” jelly beans <—- You had to know that I , of all people, would find these, right?

Have a fantastic week!

Today is Celiac Disease Awareness Day.  I thought this would be a great time to share some basic information on Celiac Disease and the gluten-free diet to help those newly diagnosed or looking for a possible diagnosis or answers to their health problems.

One of the best places to start is the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness website.  They have a wonderful symptom checklist that can be completed, printed out and then taken to your doctor with you. 

Once you receive a diagnosis or embark on the gluten-free diet it is often hard to figure out where to start.  Check out these Gluten-Free Tips for Newbies for all kinds of information to help make those first few days, weeks and months a little easier. 

Since we are talking about awareness today, I thought it would be a great time to share the newest piece of information I learned about coffee about Dunkin Donuts from Paula at Celiac Corner:

9/10/12 – She stated that “at this time” ALL DD’s coffees, plain and flavored are gluten-free (includes Barley/Rye). All ground bagged coffees are gluten-free as well. She suggested however that anytime a new flavor is introduced, it should be questioned .. but as of this moment in time, ALL are GF. I recommended they add “barley & rye” to their allergen/nutritional website info and of course, there is always a risk of cross-contamination in an establishment where so many wheat-based items are being handled! Hope this info will be useful to your visitors!

And, last, but not least, if you haven’t found these yet…

Yum!!!  If they weren’t good enough on their own, my friend, Amy Jones, suggested dropping two of these babies in the bottom of your coffee cup!  I know how I am having my coffee tomorrow!

What is your favorite gluten-free food? 

How long did it take you to get diagnosed with Celiac Disease, if you have been diagnosed?

Are you gluten-free for another reason other than Celiac Disease?  If so, please share why. 

If there was one thing you could do to help get the word out & raise Celiac Awareness, what would it be?

Welcome to a new week! I am still recovering from my cold, but I have held true to my plan and have continued to rest. I hope to get back to the training plan tomorrow morning.  I am making it through the day with this sinus headache medication from Walgreens:

Walgreens has always been helpful when it comes to gluten-free medication and maintain a list of their brand medications that don’t contain gluten.  I was pleased to see that the package is labeled like this:

Tomorrow is also the 11th anniversary of that horrible day in America that no one will ever forget. I will never forget where I was when I first heard or how I felt that day and the days and the months following that day. The victims and their families will never be forgotten.

Monday – Italian grilled chicken fettuccine Alfredo, steamed broccoli and salad
Tuesday- Mexican pizzas, corn and salad
Wednesday- BBQ pulled pork sammies, baked potato, zucchini and salad
Thursday- Bourbon chicken, coconut baked brown rice, sugar snap peas and salad
Friday- Make your own pizza and salad
Saturday- Take-out

Week in Review

Weigh in: Would you take medication for Celiac Disease so you could eat gluten?

Gevalia coffee warning

Udi’s has new products set to debut

Lunch Box Spotlight: Kozy Shack Pudding

Back-to-School with Udi’s Gluten-Free