food – Page 6 – Personal Euphoria: Pilates & Fitness Classes in CT

Thanksgiving Goes Gluten Free

This year after a small debate I stayed G-Free for Thanksgiving. I thought I would hate it and while I’ll admit I took an long sniff of the stuffing (my favorite part of a Turkey Day feast) as I passed it to my Grandma, it really wasn’t that hard.

I could eat everything except stuffing, gravy, pie and cornbread. That might seem like a lot, but what it means is that I got turkey, turnips, carrots, peas, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce. It was a delicious meal. And here is the best thing about being G-Free on Thanksgiving: I was never stuffed. Normally at the end of Thanksgiving I’m so full I feel sick. This year I didn’t stuff myself with three pieces of pie and extra stuffing so I never felt that full.

That really made it worth it. At the end of Thanksgiving I always regret how much I’ve eaten. It was really nice not to this year. I wish I could just have […]

Thanksgiving Goes Gluten FreeMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:34:30-04:00

Gluten Free Not Getting Easier

We celebrated birthdays at my Grandma’s house the other day. Celebrations always seem to involve food. Dinner is fairly easy to make gluten free. Provide a meat, veggie, and potato and you’re all set. Dessert is a whole other story. I felt a little sad when my mom’s favorite carrot cake came out and I knew I couldn’t have any. My grandma had gone to the trouble to make me a gluten-free cherry cobbler. It was nice to have something for dessert, but I find that gluten-free desserts tend to lodge in your stomach like a lead brick where they linger for hours.

Some days it’s hard to know that there are things you just can’t eat. Occasionally I drive by Dunkin Donuts and I just want to grab something quick. It feels like the rest of the world (or at least the rest of New England) can do it. I tell myself that it’s probably better this way. There is not benefit or reason for me […]

Gluten Free Not Getting EasierMaggie Downie2014-08-04T18:02:19-04:00

Smoothie Challenge: Do It With Friends

Though I didn’t set myself a deadline, I’m falling behind on my smoothie challenge. I set a goal of making all 30 smoothies from a new cookbook I got. Right now I doubt I’ll have tried 30 by the end of the year, which was definitely my intent at the beginning. I’m only on number five. I thought I’d try three a week. I’m lucky when I make two.

I’ve started recruiting my friends to make it more fun. This week I made one for me and Matt’s sister and then I made a group of friends try one on our regular Survivor night get together.

The one I had with Cindy was my favorite so far. Survivor night’s was bland, but refreshing. It takes a real trooper to try the smoothies. I like to play a game where you guess what’s in it, so there is a bit of trust […]

Smoothie Challenge: Do It With FriendsMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:34:31-04:00

Stop Cravings Fast

The older I get the more cravings I seem to have. Chocolate and salt show up a tad too often in my daily life. But it turns out clenching your fists might help you keep from grabbing that late night snack. New research showed that when people tensed a muscle for 30-seconds they were more likely to control impulses. Does it work? I’m not sure, but it’s worth a try. Maybe just trying will be such distraction, you’ll forget about your carving.

So next time you feel like binging, try clenching your fists instead.

(That picture is from last year at the Big E when I devoured a bacon cheese burger on a donut–talk about a sweet/salty craving.)

Personal Euphoria

Stop Cravings FastMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:27-04:00

Giving Up Dairy

So I have a tough decision to make. I’ve been gluten free since February and now my doctor would like me to go dairy free. My heart almost sank when she said it, but I tested positive for a gluten and dairy intolerance. I’m into health and wellness, but I’m not well-versed on the intolerance vs. the allergy issue when it comes to food. Still, since I’ve been gluten free my blood work has gotten better each quarter.

That makes me feel like the answer should be obvious. Something in my body is saying dairy doesn’t agree with it so I should just give it up. I’m still allowed goat’s milk, goat’s cheese and buffalo mozzarella. This change would be good for my body. On some level it should be a no brainer; so why is the decision so hard?

Food is such a part of our social world.

Giving Up DairyMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:28-04:00