Modesty. When you hear the word modesty you no doubt think of what your wear. That is one of the meanings modesty carries. However, modesty also carries the meaning of being moderate in the estimation of one’s abilities. It involves humbly accessing your current situation, recognizing your limitations and working within those limitations. It’s this later definition of modesty I will be referring to.

I’ve been pretty obsessed with my daily @vitalproteins matcha latte lately. So much so that I decided to scoop some into my buckwheat blueberry muffin batter, which gave it an extra kick, as well as upped the protein. 

As someone with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), I’ve developed chemical sensitivity. Basically, if I am around any harsh chemical smells, I tend to react adversely. Reactions vary from migraines, rashes, hives, flushing, asthma, burning mouth syndrome, or feeling faint. This is especially difficult in social situations, or while on public transport. Having to step away from a conversation because I physically can’t handle the amount of perfume or cologne the person is wearing, or, switch hotels numerous times until finding one that doesn’t use deodorizers to ‘mask’ smells and other toxic cleaning solvents is not something I look forward to in my day to day interactions.

As someone who cooks most of their meals at home, I depend on my freezer just as much as I do my fridge. And although I prefer to cook as often as possible with fresh ingredients, it is not always feasible. For example, when certain fruits and vegetables aren't in season and items such as gluten-free bread, tortillas, seafood, and meats can go bad without being frozen. There are days I genuinely don't have time to prepare an entire meal and when realities get in the way, I need a quick and healthy alternative. This is where frozen food comes to my rescue. Frozen food isn’t at the heart of my diet, however, it sure is helpful in my day-to-day life. 

For a device that does much to obscure the face, anti-pollution masks (also called “courtesy masks” or “respirator masks") are rapidly gaining in mainstream visibility. In March of this year, Vox published an article with the headline: “As air pollution gets worse, a dystopian accessory is born.” In perfect synergy, research indicates that the incidence of allergic diseases (including asthma and mast cell) has also increased globally in most industrialized countries. Poor air quality is damaging no matter who you are, but moderate levels of air pollution, pollen or other airborne agents can be outright lethal to persons who are impacted by allergic diseases as well as immunocompromised persons.

(Note: there are other reasons that a person may choose to wear a mask; all intentions to preserve health are valid.)

For those living with an autoimmune disease like Celiac or with a gluten sensitivity or intolerance, comfort food options can feel extremely limited. But here in San Diego, these ten restaurants are offering old-fashioned indulgences that are 100% gluten-free.

In writing this post, it is hard to comprehend just how much has changed and how far I have come on my Hashimoto’s health journey. I have met others with Hashimoto’s and a lot of them ask me, “How long did it take you to start to feel better?” I never have an easy answer for that because at the time of this writing, it has been almost 10 years of trial and error to get to the point of my Hashimoto’s being in remission without ever being on prescription medications. Keep in mind — “remission” is not the same as “cure;” I definitely do not have a cure for Hashimoto’s but I do have a fairly unique experience in getting to the vibrant state that I am currently in.

We’ve only just begun to scratch the surface when it comes to celiac disease and other forms of gluten sensitivity. In fact, it wasn’t until the 1940s when Dutch pediatrician Dr. William Dicke discovered the link between gluten and diseases.

For those with an intolerance to gluten, a gluten-free diet is prescribed, alleviating most of the common ailments associated with it.

I have been diagnosed with, and have been treating my autoimmune diseases since 2007, which is when I was fist diagnosed with POTS. I was later diagnosed with other autoimmune diseases. I had wondered and worried about rheumatoid arthritis (RA), as I have experienced some of the symptoms (pain in my joints). In addition to knowing that it affects women twice as much as men, and that there are 1.3M undiagnosed Americans. I knew that if I am able to detect it early enough, I can also treat it early enough to prevent long-term damage.

Being a huge Disney and Harry Potter fan, I’ve had Walt Disney World and the
(Original) Wizarding World of Harry Potter on my bucket list for a long while. So, given the opportunity to join my partner for a tradeshow in Orlando, I didn’t hesitate (regardless of it being hurricane season). I was excited not only to visit the parks themselves, but to explore the theme park capital of the world, Orlando, Florida. Here is a list of our favorite spots inside and outside of the parks…

Hi there I am Zola, the lupus warrior behind the instagram page @beyondlupus. I started the page motivated by many many stories of women and men who share their stories with lupus and how it affects them. 

Hi, I am Ijmal. I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in November of 2015. Back then I didn’t know what that meant for me, I didn’t even know what ulcerative colitis was. In my head it was simple, I have a sickness and I was given meds and those will fix me. In my head, I believed it to be as simple as having a cold. It didn’t take long before I learned chronic illness is much different than common illness. 

We were excited to find out about imaware™, and how easy, convenient and inexpensive ($99) it would be to screen him for celiac disease, before making an appointment with a gastroenterologist. They are able to test for four celiac disease biomarkers (including tTg-IgA aka “the screening gold standard”) by using just a few drops of blood, and without any doctor’s prescription or leaving your home. And unlike many at-home testing companies, they utilize their own lab equipment and dedicated staff at a CLIA certified lab, rather than contracting out the whole process, allowing for quicker turnaround times.

Ah, the good ole’ gluten f-word. When first embarking on my health journey, sans gluten, a wave of resentment came over me. I had absolutely no positive feelings towards this new dietary adjustment.

I was recently asked to take the OMD (One Meal a Day for the Planet) New Year’s Challenge for 10 days - swapping one meat or dairy-based meal a day for something plant-based. This challenge both empowers myself and others to be more conscious of our food choices, and its impact on our health and our environment. Doing so slashes our carbon “foodprint” by half, and allows us to feel healthier than ever before. Want to join in? It’s never too late to create healthy habits. Sign Up Here!

Hi BuenQamino readers! I am Kathleen from Gluten Free by Kathleen (Instagram: @glutenfree_by_kathleen; Blog: www.glutenfreebykathleen.wixsite.com/website).  I’ve been gluten-free for 9 years and I’m very passionate about sharing tips for living a gluten-free lifestyle. Honestly, I wasn’t much of an adventurous cook before going gluten free but that changed after I was diagnosed.  I turned to cooking at home more so that I knew exactly what I was putting in my body. Now I’m hooked and love talking about food. I am excited to do a guest blog for you all!

When I found out I could no longer eat gluten I was simultaneously relieved that there was finally an answer to my health issues and devastated that I could no longer eat freshly made, still-warm flour tortillas.

The past few years have been tough getting used to this unwanted lifestyle, but luckily there are so.many.gluten.free.treats. I get so excited when I see a new product to try! Even when traveling, I research the hell out of gluten free eats to see what I can enjoy. It actually makes eating out much more fun.

After much trial and error, I’ve come up with a list of my top 5 favorite #treatyourself goodies. Key word is TREAT YO SELF so don’t judge me ;)

Allergen Friendly Translation Cards are extremely helpful to carry around while traveling, so that the person serving you food, or offering you any service is aware of your allergies or restrictions. The translation isn’t a simple Google Translation, but rather in terms the person from that country will understand. Also, no one wants to purposefully make your dining unpleasant, and this will take away the potential for much back and forth confusion. Keep in mind that you are their guest too. Click HERE to learn more!

I was recently working and living in Cuernavaca, Mexico, and got pretty sick… We are (romantically) talking about days of not leaving the toilet, not sleeping, not eating. Unsure if it was food poisoning or an infection, I called my travel insurance company, and they instructed me to head to the ER. I began to Google, ‘how much does it cost to go the ER in Mexico?... ‘what is going to the ER in Mexico as an American like?’ and couldn’t find any straight answers. Per usual, I guess I was finding out IRL.

I tend to avoid any packed deli products, simply because I assume they use fillers and ingredients with unpronounceable names. Well, to my utmost surprise and convenience, I recently discovered that Boar’s Head doesn’t just have a few gluten-free items, but even better, ALL of their products are certified gluten-free! This includes their many types of meat, cheeses, hummus spreads, and condiments. I also love that I can recognize and pronounce every listed ingredient. I decided to try and review a smorgasbord of their products. Here are my thoughts…