I am now looking for someone to take over this blog – visit the main site for more details.

On their homepage it claims:

There’s a common misconception that ‘free from’ foods lack the flavour and quality offered by ‘regular’ food. At Hale & Hearty we aim to prove that misconception wrong with a range of wheat free and gluten free foods as mouth-wateringly delicious as they are wholesome.

Rich in nutrients and packed with goodness our foods are ideal for anyone looking to adopt a healthy, unprocessed wholegrain diet.

Our products are all free from wheat and gluten and because we love food, we haven’t compromised on flavour or quality. Enjoy our deliciously wholesome products and you too can be Hale & Hearty.

But look at the ingredients! (Note the claim above that their products are unprocessed and wholegrain.)

Rice Starch, Corn Starch, Eggs, Corn Oil, Vegetable Margarine (Sunflower Oil and Palm Fat (80%), Diglycerides of Fatty Acids (Emulsifier), Citric Acid), Vegetable Oil (Corn), Rice Flour, Yeast, Salt, Skimmed Milk Powder, Potato Starch, Thickener: Guar Gum, Dextrose, Psyllium Seed Fibre, Corn Maltodextrin, Raising Agents (Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Pyrophosphate).

Looking at the ingredients of some of the other products the breadsticks seem to be the worst offenders. In my years of being involved in the gluten free business I came across so many people who said they still felt ill after going gluten free so it is no wonder there is confusion! One of the reasons (aside from the hassle) that I closed my online store was that I was not comfortable selling stuff that I wouldn’t touch myself . We don’t always have time to check the ingredients, when I was first diagnosed I just used to assume that if it was gluten free it would be ok to eat but now I know better.

• well at least I know what it is because my grandfather had the condition
• now I know what was wrong with me I can do something about it
• all I need to do is change my diet*

I’ve generally been an optimistic person throughout my life. Like everyone else I’ve had my challenges in life but in the last few years I’ve learnt that the only difference between successful and unsuccessful people is how they view those challenges. Sadly in our education system (I am a qualified teacher too) kids these days aren’t allowed to fail which does not set them up for life.

Yes you can feel sorry for yourself and think ‘Why me?’ or you can take responsibility for your life and health and do something about it! I’ve made mistakes over the years and continue to do so but each time I learn something and it makes me stronger.

There is too much focus from the medical profession and Coeliac UK on what we can’t eat instead of what we can! There are only 4 things that coeliacs can’t eat – wheat, barley and rye and some oats. OK that pretty much cuts out most processed food but no one should be eating that anyway. It’s no wonder that many people have other health issues as well such as diabetes and thyroid problems because many are pushed gluten free substitutes for these foods instead of being given advice on proper nutrition. Sadly the quality of advice people receive from their doctors and dietitians varies greatly on how clued up they are. Through trial and error, doing research, reading books I have learnt so much in the last 7 years about how important good nutrition is for our health.

Yes I know we are all told we need to eat ’5 a day’ and other information is bombarded at us on a daily basis but do you really know? And even more importantly do you do it? Although I knew the basics of good nutrition I wasn’t doing it and I put on a lot of weight after I was diagnosed. I realised then that what is needed as well as a change in diet is a change of mind too. It wasn’t until I changed the way I thought that I really began to see positive changes. As a result I not only lost a lot of weight very quickly but changes in other areas of my life too. I have better friendships, more opportunities coming my way for example. This isn’t just luck or a coincidence it is down to conscious action.

I have been helping people with weight loss following my success and now I want to expand and help coeliacs who have been recently diagnosed to regain optimum health as quickly as possible. Of course this is not intended to replace advice from their doctor or dietitian but in addition to it to enable them to take responsibility for their own health and stop feeling like a victim.

*I have since learned that there is more to it than that of course!

3 cups of walnuts
2/3 cup of cacao powder (or cocoa powder will do fine if you can’t get it)
20 mejdool dates
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp natural vanilla extract

Put the walnuts and salt into a food processor and process until the walnuts are chopped to pieces that are slightly larger than a grain of sand. (Don’t overdo it or it will become too oily) Then add the stoned dates, cacao powder and vanilla extract. Process until the mixture sticks together when you press it. Then put the mixture on a plate and shape into a cake with your hands. You can top it with whatever you like – I used dessicated coconut. I put it in the fridge for about an hour before eating as well. That’s it!

This is where I found the recipe:

Heat the oil and fry the chopped onion until soft. Add 2 crushed garlic cloves and the cumin seeds. Chop the celery, tomatoes and pepper and cook for a few more minutes then add water to your desired thickness and bring to the boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes until the tomatoes are soft then leave to cool slightly before liquidising. Stir in a little of the coriander and re-heat. Serve garnished with the remaining coriander.

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Fresher than ever.

Crunchy numbers

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 1,900 times in 2010. That’s about 5 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 16 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 17 posts. There were 16 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 2mb. That’s about a picture per month.

The busiest day of the year was December 13th with 151 views. The most popular post that day was The will to lose weight.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were facebook.com, glutenfree.blog.co.uk, zzsst.co.cc, twitter.com, and members.glutenfreebloggers.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for starting a gluten free business, how to start a gluten free business, starting gluten free business, gluten free scones, and glutafin site:glutenfreefoodies.wordpress.com.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

The will to lose weight December 2010
3 comments

12 Top Tips for Starting a Gluten Free Business May 2010
7 comments and 2 Likes on WordPress.com

My weight loss (and gain) journey December 2010
1 comment

Savoury Gluten Free Tartlets August 2010
2 comments

Becoming Slimmer Again October 2010
1 comment

• stay well hydrated drinking 3 litres of water a day and for every alcoholic drink make sure you have an extra glass of water.
• make sure you are stocked up on wheat grass before the long bank holiday weekend!
• stick to at least 75% of alkaline foods, no need to abstain from chocolate and mince pies but everything in moderation!
• nuts are a great alternative to things like crisps for snacks
• lemon juice is alkaline in the body and can help ward off colds and bugs
• remember to exercise regularly

This is a comprehensive list of alkaline foods, as long as at least 75% of your diet consists of foods in the ‘green’ category you should not put on any weight and stay well too boot!

It was a relief when I found out what was wrong because I could then do something about it and all I had to do was change my diet.  I left teaching in 2005 to start a business selling gluten free food. My weight had risen again to just under 9 stone which is what I had been for most of my adult life. After starting the business I then had access to a much wider variety of food and was eating a lot more cakes and biscuits. I also felt guilty about throwing food away that had gone out of date so I would eat a lot of that too. When I was teaching I ate a lot of salads and vegetables but having pies and ready meals to hand made it a lot easier to reach for those instead. I knew deep down it wasn’t doing me much good but I had quite a lot of stress running the business as well and wasn’t in a very good place. By 2008 my weight had gone up to over 12 stone which is what I weighed when I was 9 months’ pregnant! I then decided I was not going to put any more weight on but I didn’t lose any either.

Earlier this year my weight crept up again to almost 13 stone so then it was time to do something about it. I started by cutting out sugar and lost half a stone in a month but then I hit a plateau. I had closed my business and was working with a mentor; we did a survey of my clients and found that a significant number of them were struggling with their weight.

I decided to contact a hypnotherapist friend of mine because I knew he helped people with weight loss and giving up smoking and had achieved some amazing results. Although I had cut out sugar, crisps were still my weakness and I knew I also wasn’t getting enough exercise. Andrew taught me about eating consciously and within the space of literally a few minutes I realised that crisps weren’t actually that nice! A few weeks later I joined a gym, which if you knew me a few months previously you would never have believed of me. It was a huge step outside my comfort zone but I have been going regularly ever since.

I then started reading about alkalising after talking to a contact I made through a mutual friend and since I started this diet the weight has been falling off me and in a space of about 6 weeks I am almost back to being a size 10 again. He had been through a similar journey to me so we are now working together to help others achieve the results that we have.

A lot of people are sceptical but once you start eating mostly vegetables you don’t feel hungry any more and you don’t want to eat rubbish. I get up in the morning and look in the mirror and see all the cellulite is gone from my hips and thighs so there is no way I want to go back to being fat again!