gluten free Archives - Kate Martin

Plus some tips for sugar and wheat replacements in the lunchbox. (click here for more on my wheat free theories)

No seriously it can be yummy for kids and us without these things in our life at every meal, it just takes a little experimenting and perseverance – the results (your kids health) are definitely worth it.

Now, I just made some standard (but from scratch choc chip cookies and was packing my daughters lunch which inspired this post and not to mention often clients in need of lunch box ideas for kids).

My lunchbox packing skills are far from what I think are perfect or ideal, and of course once I get used to what she likes, she of course changes her mind.. ah the joys. I can’t complain, having only one child and a young one at that, I look forward to your comments and help below on your lunch box suggestions if you have any!

So if it were perfect then there’d be no sugar and very little wheat and if there was either of those it would be organic, (purely to keep the pesticides within her diet to a low level). However life is not perfect (something I’m constantly learning to be O.K. with).

Anyway onto lunch box SIMPLE Tips;

– So to start simply put time aside 1 – 2 times per month do a bake up of some gluten free, sugar free cookies, slices or muffins.. click here to try my sugar free slice. Quartering oranges is also a fabulous lunchbox idea – these can be frozen ahead of time too.

– In fact almost everything (snacks) can be frozen and put in their lunchbox straight from the freezer to thaw out.

– When trying new recipes if your kids can taste the difference of dates or honey replacing sugar, then perhaps try using half the old ingredients and half the new.. Or slowly replacing the old with the new. (Same goes with replacing traditional wheat flour with rice, coconut and gluten free flour mixes..)

– I also find if she takes part in the cooking, she’s more likely to eat it.

Your child’s behaviour and overall health will benefit in leaps and bounds, so stick with it, I promise it will be so worth it.

Here’s another picture of my little girls lunchbox, she’s currently doing a ‘I don’t eat animals’ phase and so as a result I try to get chicken stock and fish oil into her as often as possible to keep her nutrient levels up. Here there is chopped organic veges, organic bought cookies, and a spelt ‘mountain bread’ wrap (available in supermarkets) with organic chocolate & agave spread on it (different from cane sugar, available from health food shops).

Below is a recipe for Chocolate cookies, almost 100% sugar free and 100% grain and wheat

free http://www.runningtothekitchen.com/chocolate-chunk-paleo-cookies/

(why reducing wheat may be good for your overall health click here for more on my wheat free theories)

Please share your tips with me in the comments below… I am all ears to new ideas from those of you out there with many more years lunch box packing experience than me.

Coaching clients on how to implement new healthy habits into their families lifestyles is part of how I coach clients. To me it’s all about filling the gap on your health, providing a healthy lifestyle for those you care for is a very important part of this.

Let me know if you need help in achieving your health goals. Click the link to contact me here to see if I can help you.

So if you are thinking of, or have tried gluten free or grain free for fat loss or health you have probably heard conflicting stories.

The experts can’t agree and where is the evidence coming from for the debate? There are many schools of thought, a lot lead by large corporations with budgets to make but here’s my take on it;

If you’ve ever tried going grain or wheat free you will know what I’m talking about when I say that without eating these things regularly, not only does your fat disappear fast, but your overall energy levels are increased dramatically and so is your health as a whole.

Q – Do I believe in gluten free?

A – I think it’s a bit of a band aid solution, but it works.

Why? A few reasons in my book: grains are meant to be fermented (as in the human bodies digestion has developed over thousands of years and is used to (depending upon the culture) consuming fermented grains (meaning they are soaked before they are eaten).

The soaking process helps the grain become digestible which effects your body in several ways. From an aesthetic point of view it stops the body from becoming swollen caused partly by an inflammatory response from eating it, plus
it makes the grain more digestible and stops it from releasing it’s phytates within your digestive system, potentially blocking the absorption of essential vitamins and minerals from the rest of the food you are eating see more about soaking here.

Q – Can I just replace everything with the gluten free alternative?

A – for the reasons mentioned above, grains, all grains even wheat alternatives like soy, rice, millet and other ‘gluten free alternatives’ are still often sprayed and genetically modified. (And they are still grains which need to be treated like grains before eating them or avoided for better health). So the short answer is no its better to not simply replace wheat with gluten free and ‘she’ll be right.

If you buy the organic version of the above you are safe from the pesticides and genetic modification problem, but I’d still advise you soak them to improve your health.

Pesticides are the other problem. Grains are a highly sprayed crops and also genetically modified to withstand the pesticide sprays. None of these products are suitable for human consumption, however ‘within a certain level’ the governing bodies say that it is safe, this is another argument altogether. What you want your family to consume is completely up to you. Also what grain companies are allowed to put on their crops and what they put on them are two different stories. (I do have insiders knowledge on this one, although you don’t have to look far for the answers if you want them.)

Click here for some more info on the Organic debate.

All of these reasons are why I say – avoid wheat and your health will improve dramatically and your waist will shrink.

The results speak for themselves when you cut these things from your diet, cravings are reduced, energy levels are lifted… Try it for yourself and you will see. In my opinion it’s definitely one of the biggest ‘bang for your buck’ fat loss and nutrition tips that makes a difference.

If you have any questions about how to get your health and weight loss on track feel free to contact me here for a free coaching call.

Tag Archives: gluten free

Need Fast Simple Healthy Lunchbox ideas? I do!

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