Lick the Bowl

As allergy moms, we have to learn how to re-feed our families from scratch.  Ten years ago, this was not a simple task as we did not have the explosive array of allergy free items we have today.  However, just because we have more extensive choices, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s healthy.  In fact, I have noticed that the preponderance of allergy items is snack food, cake mixes, cookies, etc… Moreover, I found it curious that many food allergy parents such as myself, were actually gaining weight, probably because we were always baking for our kiddos so they wouldn’t feel left out at school, family events, birthday parties and playdates.  While I felt good about being able to provide these tasty alternatives, my fitness and nutrition goals were less than stellar and in need of an overhaul. As a trainer and nutrition consultant with a lot of experience in limited diets, I am constantly trying to create healthy alternatives that won’t break the caloric bank, pro...

I am the first to admit, I hate aging. My feet are achy as soon as they hit the floor in the morning, my back sporadically hurts, and my knees sound like a bowl of rice krispies. Throw in some hot flashes for good measure, thinning eyebrows, and more grays than I’d like to admit. Yep, sounds like 50 is off to a great start. Nevertheless, when I backtrack to the shadow of my former, younger self, I realize that 50 definitely has its merits. The Twenties  I use to roll my eyes at women in the salon who were getting their hair colored and I adamantly swore I would go natural when the time came. Of course, when the grays started to come a little more fast and furious than I would have liked, I went straight to the colorist. Clearly, my twenty-year old self had no idea what lay ahead.  While the twenties were fun, I always felt like something bigger yet inaccessable lay ahead. Being on the cusp of creating a life for myself was exciting and nerve wracking at the same...

No matter if you celebrate Valentines day or not, these desserts won't break your caloric bank and have a nice antioxidant punch from the berries and the dark chocolate. They are great anytime and are dairy,egg, gluten and nut free.  EASY HEART HEALTHY DESSERTS FOR VALENTINE’S DAY  Dessert #1-CHOCOLATE STUFFED RASPBERRIES (Approximate Calories 100 ) 20 Raspberries 20 Dark chocolate chips-roughly one tablespoon DIRECTIONS Stuff individual raspberries with chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life Chunks) Dessert #2-VALENTINE FRUIT SALAD WITH CHOCOLATE SHELL DRIZZLE ( Approximate Calories: 140 per cup) 1 Blood Orange, or Cara Cara 20 Raspberries 2 Tbsp. chocolate chips ½ tsp. coconut oil DIRECTIONS Divide orange and raspberries equally between two goblets/wine glasses. Melt chocolate chips and coconut oil in microwave (approximately 1 minute) Stir until combined. Drizzle over fruit. Place in freezer for 2 minutes-chocolate will become a ha...

Here is a cookie that is not only safe for those with food allergies, but you won't break the caloric bank with them either (especially if you don't ice them).  No matter what holiday you celebrate, or if you are just in a mood for a really good sugar cookie, try this one out first.  Here's what you won't get in these cookies! Loads of sugar No egg No butter Here's what you get No guilt holiday Healthier cookie Great taste Makes approximately 18 cookies Ingredients 1/3 cup canola oil ½ cup Florida Natural Crystals 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce 1-cup whole- wheat pastry flour 1-cup unbleached flour 1 TBSP milk of your choice (I use So Delicious Coconut) ½ tsp. baking powder ¼ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. nutmeg 1 ½- tsp. pure vanilla 2-3 drops lemon extract Directions ·          Combine oil, sugar and applesauce. You can use a hand mixer or a whisk until it looks creamy and color is uniform...

Thanksgiving is typically the portal to guilty holiday overeating, resulting in New Year's resolutions which are routinely broken by January 15th. Sound familiar? It's a vicious cycle. Moreover, for those of us with food allergies, these types of holidays are landmines. We are constantly surrounded by string beans almondine, pecan pie, walnut brownies, stuffing with egg, and the list goes on.  As a writer about nutrition, a recently appointed trainer at ThePerfectWorkout , and a mom with children suffering from multiple food allergies, I am trying to balance holiday consumption and safety-not always an easy thing to juggle especially when it comes to dessert. This Thanksgiving, try this recipe for "Cheesecake Cuties." They are nut, dairy, egg and gluten free. They are petite,creamy and incredibly easy to make. They won't break your calorie bank (unless you eat all 24) they are safe for those allergy challenged, and they really taste great. There is no reason ...

Hey everyone! This past Sunday my son and I worked one of the tables at the local FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education) walk in Maryland. It was a beautiful day and a great event. What struck me the most, however, was my 11 year old's metamorphosis. Most of the time, I'm telling him to "cut it out," "calm down" or "stop being so silly and focus." I know, these are typical statements used in reference to most 11 yr. old boys! Nevertheless, what I witnessed this past Sunday was eye opening. Here was a boy full of poise, maturity (always relative) showmanship, salesmanship and totally being in the moment. For the first time in a very long time, he was able to be himself without worrying that someone was judging him as "weird" for having a food allergy. He talked to little kids and shared his experiences, and just as easily conversed with adults, impressing them with his allergy acumen and his passion. Who was this kid? I have alwa...

When our 20 year-old television started cutting off tops of heads, my husband and I decided to purchase a flat screen. We didn't need a lot of reasons to make this investment. The culminating factor was when  my 11 yr. old had to start wearing his glasses specifically to see the Netflix descriptions because they were too small-OMG tragedy!  Sure, it was an expense, and yes, we researched it for weeks, poring over Sunday circulars and stalking Amazon until we found the right size at the right price. Press the button-CLICK-and a new TV comes to our door through Prime magic. TADA! Now, could we have waited a while longer? SURE. Did we HAVE to get a new one? NO. Could we have survived? ABSOLUTELY! The television is a luxury, a frivolous source of entertainment. If it's on the fritz or it cuts off tops of heads or the news crawler at the bottom of a newscast, I can pretty much live, or find another gadget like my phone or Ipad. On second thought, it's probably better that I...