#((considering most of the gluten-free restaurants we have in my state are way out in the bigger cities)) | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

theheadlessgroom · 11 months ago

Text

@beatingheart-bride

"Of course I do," Randall said, his tone turning tender as he set aside his cup for the time being, in order to move closer to sit beside her, to take her cool hand in his, and press a loving kiss to her knuckle. It was funny, doing it now-even after centuries apart, it felt like only yesterday that he had done it, pressing his lips so chivalrously to her knuckles as they walked together...

"I want nothing more than to be with you, Emily," he continued, turning serious once more as he gazed once more into her eyes, hoping to finally convince her to let him follow her into eternity, to be together as they always should've been. "I want nothing more than to be husband and wife-I...I've always felt this longing, I realize now, as if I was missing something, forgetting something...and now that I'm with you, and I remember everything...I realize what was missing-it was you, and our engagement."

He sighed softly at this admission (just another little thing that made sense since they found one another again), before finishing, "And I want to pick up where we left off, if we can-I want us to be happy, and finally have the lives we always wanted...even if it's not the way we imagined it would be. I don't...I don't want to wait any longer, for us to be together. We've waited long enough. And just as I told you before, I'm not afraid to face the future, so long as we're together. And I...I just want to be with you, always. I don't want us to lose one another, and never know if we'll ever find each other again.

I...please, Emily. Please. We've had enough of heartbreak."

#((it's funny you should mention gluten-free bakeries; because one JUST opened up a few towns over!))#((and it's an actually dedicated gluten-free bakery! no gluten to be found there!))#((they mostly do your typical baked goods like donuts and other pastries; which are good))#((but what's really nice is the breakfast hand pies; which has eggs bacon and pepper jack cheese))#((and are super-good; i got a pack of four of them-it was a little spendy; but worth it!))#((considering most of the gluten-free restaurants we have in my state are way out in the bigger cities))#((quite a whiles away from me; since i live out in the boonies; meaning i'd have to block out a whole day))#((just to go and check them out; it's genuinely nice; and i hope more places like that pop up in your neck of the woods!))#outofhatboxes #beatingheart-bride #V:Dark Shadows

5 notes · View notes

creambecksnupex1971-blog · 6 years ago

Text

As Stephen stood eating, sweating profusely, he could sworn he felt something poking into his back. Suddenly, they heard the unmistakable voice of Darth coming outside, and pretended they were having a funny, normal conversation. Stephen quickly went back inside to clean his dish, as Marco soon realized Darth wasn there for just small talk. Backstory: A little over a week ago (we went out of state the day after I got this done) I dyed my virgin hair. Do not have the same person fix the cut. Do not let them charge you for it. One night when my mum was tucking me in (aweh) she pointed out that the bear was looking at me and said "it's as if he wants you to cuddle him to sleep again, he loves you." I didn't really think much of it but every night when I put the bear on the floor it would always seem to be looking at me. It wasn't until about a year or so 과천출장안마 ago that I started to find it a little creepy. It always seems to be looking at me. I'm 5'4" and would have totally considered liposuction when I was 130 ish pounds, even down to 115 pounds. I have significant fat in my lower stomach even at lower weights and that's the main reason. I also would consider minor lipo under my chin since I have a slight double chin even at low weights. The cheapest I found that seems like a legitimate listing on TB is $180ish. I have 3 pouches in my Neverfull, one is the pouchette which has my notary stuff and some spare office supplies like pens and sticky notes, one is my makeup bag, and one is a larger makeup bag that holds my laptop charger, mouse, etc so it not just 과천출장안마 loose in my bag. I happily replace those with the Catogram Kirigami, but since that all I do I being really cheap! I might buy the $53 Neverfull and just use the pouchette.. The other guys participate in a fast Fhrer ious street race with Nazi soliders, through different time periods. In the end, they kill Hitler. They travel back to the future and find that not only is Brian alive, but so are Han and Gisele.. You would be sharing this on lgbt threads where men who experience violence or are in unsafe situations can use this as a template or a discussion point. But you never do that, you instead shit on a great initiative for women by claiming it's sexist and stop there. You don't do anything productive with your criticism and you don't make an effort to expand this idea in a productive way for men. Starbucks is having a seemingly successful second wind after failing spectacularly the first time, with sales most likely driven by tourists and international students. I admit that I am partial to the occasional frappucino for dessert. Vegan and gluten free catering restaurants are a lot more mainstream. Honestly, I think it trial and error for everyone. I started using retinol to help my pores and texture so I could ditch pore fillers. I use no primers. Other (advice, magic secrets, freaking out, miscellaneous): RPL is a bitch. We had three CPs, three MMC, two bouts of misoprostol, three D a perforated uterus, an ambulance transfer, two embryopathologies (oneT13, one normal) and a whole lot of tears. RPL testing all normal except for an arcuate uterus that my two different REs did not suggest surgery for (unless maybe I went to IVF, out of an abundance of caution I guess).

1 note · View note

travelonlinetipsofficial · 3 years ago

Text

8 Reasons to Visit Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

New Post has been published on https://www.travelonlinetips.com/8-reasons-to-visit-michigans-upper-peninsula/

8 Reasons to Visit Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is known for its small towns surrounded by wide swaths of thick forests that in the late summer are swallowed in heavy early morning fog coupled with winding dirt roads—you can literally count the number of cars you pass on one hand. While it may sound like the perfect setting for Stephen King’s next chilling novel, The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is also home to a diversity of natural beauty untouched by humans.

Places to Visit in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

I won’t lie, Michigan’s UP wasn’t always on my travel list. I had heard about its flawless beauty but as a vegan, I thought I would starve in a land that prides itself on its hunting prowess. Dining amongst horned and furry trophies just didn’t appeal to me.

But then our travel lives changed. We began switching out jaunts across the pond for staycations and the allure of mineral-stained cliffs and turquoise waters beckoned me to Northern Michigan. I’m glad they did. I was in awe of the beauty that had been beneath my nose all these years.

Even if you’re not an avid outdoorsman wanting to connect with Mother Nature, I promise, you too, will be in awe of its amazing scenery. Need more convincing? Check out these 8 reasons to visit Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Marvel at Michigan’s largest waterfall, Tahquamenon Falls

Whether you visit in the warmth of summer, in the midst of autumn’s kaleidoscope of colors, or during winter’s chilling wonderland where trees are perfectly covered in a blanket of lush white snow, a visit to Michigan’s largest waterfall is a must! Located in the second largest park, Tahquamenon Falls State Park houses two powerful waterfalls-the Upper and Lower falls. Nicknamed “The Rootbeer Falls” by locals, the falls have an unusual brown tinge to the water thanks to cedar tannins that have made their way into the water. Nothing to be concerned about but it creates an interesting color to the flowing falls that you’re sure not to forget!

Tips for visiting Tahquamenon Falls

Most flock to the Upper Falls first, but if Tahquamenon isn’t your final destination, I would stop at the Lower Falls and then continue to the Upper Falls because Google will most likely have you continue your travels south along 123.

At the Lower Falls consider renting a rowboat for $7 a person or $20 per boat to get an up-close view. If you’d rather stay on land there are a myriad of hiking and biking trails, including a short trail with a ½ mile jaunt to scenic overlooks and a 13-mile Rivermouth Trail. Whatever your choice there is plenty of room to explore! And, if you want to stay a little longer, consider renting a rustic or modern campsite.

Enjoy one of four National Lakeshores in the United States, Pictured Rocks

Best known for its wildly rugged cliffs that look as though someone unleashed a toddler with a paintbrush, The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is a must-see destination in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The lakeshore stretches 42-miles from Munising to Grand Marais and offers visitors the opportunity to explore over 100 miles of trails, 12 miles of pristine white sand beaches with Caribbean blue waters, multiple sand dunes, an array of flora and fauna (including black bears!), and so much more.

You may be wondering what caused the painted cliffs of the National Lakeshore? The cliffs’ coloring actually comes from deposits of iron, copper, manganese, and limonite that, when mixed with the groundwater running down the face of the cliffs, creates exotic coloring of orange, white, red, blue, and green. The end result has become one of the most photographed spots in the UP because of its unique beauty.

Cliff dive in Presque Isle State Park

Not to be confused with Presque Isle in Pennsylvania (always Google it with Marquette in the search), this 323-acre park is located just outside downtown Marquette. The park looks as though it has truly been untouched by man, and to some degree, that’s true, thanks to Fredrick Law Olmsted. Olmstead is known for his involvement in designing New York City’s Central Park and in the late 1800s, he made a visit to Marquette to advise the city on how to utilize Presque Isle. His advice was simple, “don’t touch it.” Over 100 years later his advice is still being followed.

Visitors can take a break from the hustle and bustle of life and hike through the park’s many trails or consider biking the 2-mile Peter White Drive loop, which circles the entire park and takes visitors through canopies of fragrant pines and skinny birch trees. Every once in a while, the forest breaks to reveal Lake Superior.

But, the number one reason visitors flock here in the summer is to tackle their fear of heights and jump from the park’s 10-15 ft. black rock cliffs and cool off in Lake Superior. To find this special place, head to the northern tip of the park where, in the heat of summer, you’ll see cars lined up along the road. A small parking lot is also available.

Even if you don’t want to take the plunge, it’s fun to watch others hesitate, re-consider, and ultimately jump into the emerald waters.

Enjoy lunch in the UP’s largest town, Marquette

After exploring Presque Isle Park, head back into the charming college town, Marquette. With just over 20,000 people it clocks in as the UP’s largest town and one of the few places in the UP where you can enjoy the charismatic small-town vibe and shop at well-known stores to stock up on creature comforts.

The town offers a great mix of dining from greasy pizza to dishes sourced entirely from local Michigan farms. My suggestion is don’t miss The Bodega, this LGBTQ-women-owned restaurant sources almost its entire menu from local Michigan farms and prepares everything from scratch, daily. Dining here is a treat! The menu is well marked for vegan and gluten-free dishes, making it the prime spot to experience the fresh flavors of Michigan for all its diners. I also suggest you try the sweet potato-filled Que Pasa tacos.

Where to stay in Marquette – Landmark Inn is a lovely boutique style historic inn that is located downtown Marquette.

Hike or bike until you just can’t go anymore

If you love to work up a sweat and get your heart pumping, then the UP is the place for you! Michigan is well on its way to being known as a “Trails State,” with thousands of hiking and biking trails that weave through heavily wooded forests and snake along sandstone cliffs on Lake Superior.

Bike to Munising or Grand Island

If you want to clip in and explore the terrain with two wheels, head to Munising! The city has been hard at work creating a variety of trailheads to entice bikers to saddle up. The trails are all located within easy reach of downtown Munising but the track you don’t want to miss is on Grand Island. Hop on the Grand Island Ferry for $20 and get ready for rustic wilderness and 40 miles of trails to explore. The trails range in difficulty but if you’re looking for a scenic work-out then hit the island’s 20-mile 2-lane perimeter track.

For those of us who’d rather stick to exploring with our own two feet, there are an endless array of trail options that range in difficulty, many come with Instagram-worthy views, waterfalls, and hidden beaches! A few spots not to miss include The Chapel Loop Trail in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Sugarloaf Mountain in Marquette, and The Lake of Clouds in the Porcupine Mountains.

Kayak in Lake Superior’s Caribbean blue waters

Lake Superior’s emerald and turquoise waters beckon visitors to jump on in! Not only is it a fun activity but it’s the best way to view the mammoth Pictured Rocks.

For seasoned kayakers, you can bring your own and get paddling, but if you don’t own a kayak or are maybe unsure of your paddling prowess, consider joining a guided tour. The guided tours in Pictured Rocks take paddlers by many gorgeous sites like Bridalveil Falls, Chapel Rock, Kissing Rock, and Lovers Leap Arch, among others. The tours are leisurely paced and take anywhere from 2 – 6 hours.

If you’re paddling on your own be sure to keep an eye on the small craft water advisories as Lake Superior can become choppy quickly! If that happens, take off from Sandpoint Beach and paddle to Grand Island. The waters are sheltered around the island creating a smooth ride and Grand Island has great painted cliffs too.

Capture beautiful views from Sugarloaf Mountain

If you want a breath-taking view but don’t really want to spend hours hiking to find it, then head to Sugarloaf Mountain. The trailhead is located just a few minutes outside of downtown Marquette. There are two trail options, easy and difficult, but to be honest, they both take about 15-20 minutes and require a fair amount of stair-climbing. It’s worth it once you make it to the top, you’re rewarded with unobstructed views. On a clear day, you’ll be able to see Lake Superior, Marquette, Presque Isle Park, and Little Presque Isle as well as Hogsback Mountain and the large swath of forest between Marquette and Big Bay. ?

It’s a great spot to enjoy the changing fall colors too.

End your day with spectacular sunsets

For most city-dwellers, sunsets are obstructed by buildings, power lines, and more making it difficult to get a clear view of the pink and orange sun-soaked sky. Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is filled with countless miles of wide-open sky and sea, making it the perfect place to sit back, relax, and enjoy the view.

A few great spots to enjoy the view include Sandpoint Beach in Munising, Grand Sable Dunes in Pictured Rocks, Brockway Mountain Drive in Copper Harbor, and White Fish Point in Paradise.

These are 8 amazing reasons to visit the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. If you are looking for adventure, outdoors and a great food scene, be sure to add Michigan to your travel list.

Read more about Michigan travel

Source link

#Tips &amp; Advices

0 notes

celiacandthebeast · 7 years ago

Text

AN EXTREMELY STRICT GLUTEN-FREE DIET MAY REDUCE QUALITY OF LIFE

BEYOND CELIAC

https://www.beyondceliac.org/research-news/View-Research-News/1394/postid--102320/

February 23, 2018

By Amy Ratner, Medical and Science News Analyst

Hypervigilance about the gluten-free diet can lead to reduced quality of life for adults and teenagers, a new study by Columbia University researchers found.

“Extreme vigilance to the gluten-free diet may increase symptoms, such as anxiety and fatigue and, therefore, lower quality of life,” researchers from the Department of Health and Behavior Studies and the Columbia University Celiac Disease Center wrote. “In other words, there may be a cost to hypervigilance for some individuals with celiac disease.”

Both dietary adherence and social and emotional well-being need to be addressed by healthcare providers, the study, published in the journal, Digestive Diseases and Sciences, concludes.

“We absolutely must continue to advocate for a strict 100 percent gluten-free diet for individuals with celiac disease,” said lead study author Randi Wolf, Ph.D., associate professor of human nutrition. “ I think what our research showed, was that, for some, such hypervigilance may come at a cost that needs to be supported and addressed concurrent with following a strict gluten-free diet.”

Hypervigilant defined

The 50 adults and 30 teenagers who participated in the study were categorized as being “extremely vigilant” and “less vigilant” based on a review of gluten exposure detailed through three days of diet recollection and phone interviews by nutrition experts.

Participants were considered "extremely vigilant" if they: reported no evidence of accidental or intentional gluten ingestion, would only eat at celiac-friendly restaurants, asked thorough questions when eating out, called each manufacturer before eating a new food or taking a new medication, kept a completely gluten-free home to avoid potential for cross-contamination, or seemed to be take a lot of extra precautions to avoid cross-contamination. Those who were "less vigilant" may have had evidence of hidden sources of gluten on their diet recalls, reported that they don't always ask thorough questions when eating out, checked labels on some but not all medications or products, or may have reported intentional gluten consumption on occasions.

Julie Kennedy, who has, and is the parent of child with, celiac disease, said she would have been considered hypervigilant if she had participated in the study. Despite her vigilance, when they eat out, she and her daughter can never really relax and enjoy themselves, and they feel the anxiety the researchers found. She agrees it reduces their quality of life.

"What the research shows is that we cannot assume the gluten-free diet is the complete answer," said Kennedy, a member of the Beyond Celiac Patient and Family Advisory Council. "Stress and anxiety are very damaging, so what risks are we developing?"

When weighing the consequences of a minute amount of gluten getting into the diet versus the emotional toll of always worrying about food, Kennedy wondered, "In the long term, which is worse?"

While it’s universally accepted that celiac disease patients need to eliminate harmful gluten from wheat, barley and rye from their diets, the particulars of achieving a gluten-free diet are less clear. In the United States, foods labeled gluten-free have to contain less than 20 parts per million. Research has shown that up to 50 milligrams of gluten per day from cross-contact is considered safe for most people with celiac disease.

But celiac disease patients have to make choices every day about the risk of gluten exposure from the gluten-free products they purchase, to the restaurants they frequent, to the social settings where they feel safe eating.

The Columbia study focused on the association between quality of life, energy levels, adherence to and knowledge about the gluten-free diet. Participants were diagnosed with celiac disease through an intestinal biopsy and had been on the gluten-free diet for more than one year.

Quality of life scores

Adults who were hypervigilant had quality of life scores that were significantly lower than those who were less vigilant. Likewise, adults with lower energy levels reported significantly lower quality of life. Patterns were similar for teenagers. Meanwhile, hypervigilant adults were more knowledgeable about the gluten-free diet than those who were less vigilant.

Extreme vigilance that creates anxiety and stress may lead to low energy levels and fatigue, the authors wrote, but added that this relationship needs more investigation.

“The hypervigilance described in our sample, for example bringing their own dishes to restaurants or other homes and thorough and repeated questioning at restaurants, may come with a meaningful and relevant cost,” the study authors wrote.

They noted that the study’s findings conflict with previous research that has shown that better dietary adherence is associated with higher quality of life scores and suggested that the tools used to collect information on quality of life and dietary adherence might explain the difference. The Columbia study used celiac disease specific measurements and relied on nutrition professionals’ evaluations of vigilance compared to patients’ self-reported perceptions.

For example, the study says, one participant perceived herself to be extremely vigilant, reporting she never had gluten in the past month but went on to say she took gluten-containing croutons off her salad before eating it.

Promoting well-being

The potentially negative consequences of being extremely diligent about a strict gluten-free diet should lead healthcare providers to be aware of the importance of promoting both adherence to the diet and social and emotional well-being, the study concludes.

The authors called for ongoing involvement of a registered dietitian that continues beyond an initial visit at the time of celiac disease diagnosis. Only 16 percent of adults and about 27 percent of teenagers were seeing a dietitian at the time they were participating in the study. Most had no follow-up after diagnosis.

A recent Beyond Celiac study showed that more than one in four celiac disease patients diagnosed in the last five years have not had any follow-up care.

The National Institutes of Health recommends that celiac disease patients consult with a skilled dietitian and have continuous long-term follow-up by a multidisciplinary health team. “It appears these guidelines are rarely met among our participants,” the study says.

Dietitians need to develop ways to help celiac disease patients address difficulties in dining out. Seventy four percent of adults and about 87 percent of the teenagers in the study cited aspects of dining out as a barrier to adhering to the gluten-free diet. Desire to take advantage of increased restaurant options, combined with distrust of menus and ill-informed wait staff were reported as “considerable sources of frustration and anxiety.”

The study illustrates the critical need to develop and evaluate nutrition education strategies that promote increased adherence to the gluten free diet while at the same time taking care to maintain a high quality of life, the authors wrote.

Family-centered nutrition education

More than 80 percent of study participants reported that supportive family and friends are important when it comes to following the gluten-free diet. Consequently, the impact of family-centered nutrition education needs to be explored as a way to increase adherence and quality of life.

“We also need to explore interventions that may help reduce some of the barriers described in our study that created the most anxiety and stress,” Wolf said. “We are currently pilot testing various interventions, such as gluten sensor devices, cooking-classes, and online discussion tools, to learn about their potential utility in promoting a strict gluten-free diet, but also whether or not such interventions could help improve quality of life.”

Kennedy said she would welcome real solutions, especially follow-up care from a dietitian with expertise in celiac disease. Like some study participants, she saw a dietitian once when diagnosed, but the dietitian knew less than she did about the gluten-free diet. Neither Kennedy or her daughter have had follow-up nutritional care. Regular visits with a knowledgeable dietitian are especially appealing to Kennedy because she thinks it would give her now pre-teen daughter someone she could trust to discuss the gluten-free diet challenges teenagers face, something she might not talk about with her mother.

"I'm glad researchers did this study," Kennedy said, noting that at the very least it acknowledges the complexity of celiac disease and the gluten-free diet. "When my doctor diagnosed me, he said, 'Go on the diet and I'll see you in a year.' People need to understand it is not as easy as it sounds."

#gluten free #celiac #celiac disease

9 notes · View notes

newstvstation · 5 years ago

Text

Staff Perspective: Sober Curiosity

Originally posted on Futures Recovery Healthcare

vimeo

Futures’ Outreach and Community Liaison, Laura Kunz, describes sober curiosity and its benefits. Kunz suggests that one of the most positive aspects of the sober curious movement is that it encourages people to mindfully consider how alcohol affects their health, mood, and relationships. Mindfulness plays a significant part in lasting recovery. As behavioral healthcare practitioners, the Futures Recovery Healthcare team commends those who choose to pursue abstinence and make thoughtful choices about using substances.

SOBER CURIOSITY, MOCKTAILS, AND MINDFULNESS – IS SOBRIETY TRENDING?

Written By: Laura Kunz

I made the decision to live sober in 2008. With the help of a community support group and a series of great outpatient therapists, I began changing myself and my lifestyle. I remember my last drink. I was at a PF Changs in Cincinnati a few days before Thanksgiving having dinner with my best friend since the third grade. We both ordered a glass of wine. After about halfway through the glass I started to feel what had once been the warm and fuzzy feeling of the beginning of a buzz. After years of highschool, college, and early 20-something alcohol misuse, that feeling was no longer a comfort. It was more like the doors of a jail cell being slammed shut and locked for an indefinite period of time. I pushed the half-full glass of wine away. I was done with alcohol.

I cannot say learning to live alcohol-free was easy. There were many times when I wanted to use alcohol to numb, celebrate, participate, or distract. At around three months sober, I was having a career and family-of-origin induced mini-meltdown at a gas station in Fort Lauderdale, where I was living at the time. As I pumped gas into my car, I remember thinking “I’ll just walk inside, buy a bottle of wine and a 12-pack of beer, go home and drink.” I immediately called a sober support and shared my plan. I screamed, “I just want to drink!” She calmly said “okay, then drink.” It was in that moment that I realized how committed I was to living this new way. Despite the way that I felt, alcohol would not improve my mood or circumstances. If I chose to walk through it all sober and feel and process my feelings, I had a chance to positively influence the outcome.

Ironically, when I pulled away from the gas station that night, I’d accidentally left the pump in my gas tank. As the gas sprayed everywhere and the attendant ran out to collect a hefty check, I laughed hysterically. I was living fully present in a moment of total chaos and surrender and I felt truly alive and grateful.

Fast forward eleven years. Mindfulness and living in the moment are household phrases and gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, and now even alcohol-free are on-trend. If you’d told me back in 2008 that sober curious and abstinence would ever be a “thing,” I truly wouldn’t have believed you.

I believe sober curiosity, also known as mindful drinking, is an incredibly important and enlightened movement. It encourages awareness of the reasons why we drink as a society. “Am I trying to change a feeling or circumstance?” “Do I not want to feel or deal?” “Am I bored?” “Do I not think I can connect and build relationships without alcohol?” “Do I need to make changes in my life but don’t know how so I numb the feelings of doubt and fear?”

It also encourages awareness of the effect’s alcohol can have on the body and the mind. “I need to keep my gut and body healthy to achieve my fitness goals.” “When I drink, I focus less and I am less productive.” “I sleep better when I don’t drink” “I connect with the world and with people in a deeper way when I am sober.”

Sober curiosity increases self-awareness, self-control, and may help prevent the development of substance use disorders, which are rapidly on the rise in this country year after year.

Speaking of substance use disorders: Do I think sober curiosity or mindful drinking is enough for someone who is battling an active addiction? No, I believe abstinence is the best solution once a substance use disorder and problem drinking pattern has been developed. Due to the way addiction acts in the brain, the only way to change addictive patterns and behaviors is proper treatment, abstinence, and a consistent program of recovery.

Yet, the sober curious trend is certainly helping progress the recovery movement as a whole, which greatly benefits individuals who live abstinent or who will eventually live abstinent. It normalizes living alcohol-free and promotes conversation about health and wellness-centered lifestyles. Additionally, it has prompted many sober celebrities to speak out publicly about the benefits of recovery and popular national brands to launch products promoting sober curious and abstinent living. For example, Coca Cola’s new brand Bar None advertises “spirits without spirits” and many popular restaurants in major US markets are adding a variety of alcohol-free mocktails to their menus. Sober bars are also increasing in popularity such as the Sans Bar in Austin, Texas or Listen Bar in New York, New York.

Perhaps, a decade from now sober will not only be “sexy,” but it will be a fully integrated part of societal norms.

About Futures Recovery Healthcare

Futures Recovery Healthcare is a specialized addiction and co-occurring mental health disorder treatment provider with residential and outpatient programs in Palm Beach County, Florida.

Contact Futures Recovery Healthcare

701 Old Dixie Hwy Tequesta FL 33469 United States

(561) 475-1804

Website: https://futuresrecoveryhealthcare.com/

The post Staff Perspective: Sober Curiosity appeared first on News TV Station.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/2VIgPDM via News TV Station

#News

0 notes

sevenclowds · 8 years ago

Text

Frank Weekend

My account of going to see Frank Iero and the Patience play at the Baltimore Soundstage in Maryland, Sat Apr 22 2017.

My companions for the weekend are my 19 yr old and my friend's 16 yr old daughter. Both their names begin with C and will henceforth be known collectively as C&C. My teen was forced to listen introduced to MCR from the age of 7 and obviously has great musical taste. My friend's teen is a huge fan of the Emo Trinity, but is not familiar with Frank's non-MCR work. "Is Frank the drummer for MCR?" she asks innocently. Oh dear. We gotta lotta educating to do this weekend. Someone needs to save this poor child.

[Very long post. You probably want to put the kettle on for this.]

We leave North Carolina at 8am and make our first stop at 10am at a Starbucks. It is here that I purchase a fateful cup of coffee that will keep me buzzed for the next 19 hrs. Just how strong is Starbucks Pike Place Roast? And what on earth possessed me, a caffeine lightweight, to get a grande instead of a tall? It'll help me keep awake while driving, I thought. Someone punch me.

I treat C&C to my music on the drive. My iTunes music library appears to be like my blog: 95% MCR with the occasional snippet of something random. We make sure to play plenty of Frank, for educational purposes. C&C are huge Hamilton nerds and we listen to the soundtrack as we near DC. As we pass the capital city, I point out that Washington is now literally on our side. Groan. #momjokes

We arrive at our hotel in Baltimore around 4pm, then go out around 5pm. We walk past The Soundstage and there are lots of people lined up waiting to get in. I'm so happy to see several Frank fans wearing the same Death Spells hoodie as me and as we walk past I feel really fucking cool! These are my people! My tribe! They will see my DS merch and know that I am one of them! Whereas last week, walking round Harris Teeter, I felt vaguely conspicuous in my black hoodie with the scorpion on the back, but now, I fit in. I am home. If I didn't have C&C with me I would be lining up there with them. But I have to feed my teens and not leave them to stand outside in the rain, so I sigh, and head toward Shake Shack for some food that we'll loosely call "dinner", like a grown up.

After eating some fries, we head to a spiffy steampunky Barnes & Noble where C&C, both devoted book nerds, are in heaven and bond further over their love of fiction. I'm itching to get to the venue but it's still raining and cold and they're having so much fun that we don't head over there until about 7.30pm.

VIP Ticket Fiasco Two months previously, when buying the tickets online, I wasn't quite fast enough to get the VIP tickets and I sat at my computer spitting curses and venom at those who managed to buy them in 0.2 milliseconds flat. The VIP experience included a private acoustic session before the show, a copy of Parachutes, and a seat in the posh table-and-chairs bit near the side of the stage. But alas, it wasn't to be so I made do with the regular tickets.

So, as we enter the venue, we're informed that we can upgrade to the posh section for an extra $10 each. C&C look thrilled at this idea, and my kid has issues with being in crowds and had been intending to stand quietly near the back, so this is a fantastic opportunity to get a great view without the crush. I relent and upgrade, even though I'm crying inside because I know we've missed out on the private session earlier and I just want to die. Fuck me, I get to sit at a table like somebody's mom. Kill me now. My plan is to stay with C&C for a couple of songs and then venture out into the crowd, but that damn parental mode kicks in and I feel guilty about leaving them so I stay. But actually, the view is really great, even though the atmosphere in the VIP area is nonexistent.

Dave Hause and the Mermaid open the show with some so-so rock stuff. Perfectly fine and competent band to fill the time, although nothing too exciting until the last song, dedicated to Trump, and called Dirty Fucker, causes the crowd to go wild.

Then Frank Iero and his Beardy Wondergroup come out, launch into World Destroyer, and time ceases to exist. It's the first time I've seen Frank since 2007 when he wore his Black Parade jacket (sniff) so I'm very emotional and I'm grinning the whole time. I realize I don't know as many lyrics as I'd like to, on account of Frank lyrics being hard to learn without serious study, which I haven't had time for. I do my best and probably sing a pile of nonsense for the most part. He tells us that today is the first time he's showered in 5 days. Why so gross? He tells us a story about how bad the crime is in Baltimore, which makes everyone nervous about getting home tonight.

I take some great photos

And some not so great photos

After the show, we head to the pizza place next to the venue to kill time until the band hopefully come out. We huddle in the corner by the door and eat pizza. I can't really taste it. Maybe it's because it's gluten free and vegan, maybe it's because I'm really not quite in my body. I realize I'm shaking and figure it's still The Coffee I had earlier plus added adrenaline and fatigue.

I message Kyle @casesandcapitals to come meet us in the pizza place because I know he's here somewhere and we've never met before. Next thing I know, Jen @jen--ne--sais--quoi and Kyle are walking in and I realize three fundamental truths at the exact same time:

1. Jen has intimidating make-up skills

2. Kyle IS recognizable without the 5ft tall metal flamingo

3. These people are way too cool for me

I am a little excitable and extra when meeting them and their friends Abbi @grewuponyourbackporch and Cole, but mainly because Jen's jacket is all kinds of awesome.

My new friends eat pizza and go outside to wait again but it's too cold for us so we stay in the restaurant. I feel really sick, I'm still shaking and I feel like crap. In my fevered state I manage to post the same pic to Facebook twice and cannot for the life of me get anyone's name right in the above photo that I post to tumblr. My brain has gone. I'm a mess. I'm not really in my body and I wonder if they'll put "death by frank" as my cause of death.

We go to join everyone outside at about 1.30am because those band members aren't going to meet themselves and we don't want to miss it. It's fucking freezing! You can tell the direction that everyone has traveled to the show by how many blankets they're shivering under. Southerners are suffering and northerners don't give a shit because they're tough as nails. My kid discovers their Hamilton hoodie isn't at all warm but I'm not going to give them my hoodie because I need to meet Frank in my Death Spells hoodie because I'm shallow and a really bad parent. I actually choose to let a child freeze because I want Frank to know I'm a fan and not just someone's mom. Priorities, people!

Evan and Alex keep appearing and disappearing again. They mill around and meet folks, clearly enjoying themselves or at least faking it really well. Me and C&C go stand in the parking garage entrance for a bit because it's possibly 5 degrees warmer than outside. It's 2.20am. C&C want to give it until 2.30 before we leave. It's clear by now that Frank isn't going to come out. But he ALWAYS comes out. I'm faced with the reality of having to leave without meeting him and I'm distraught. I comfort C&C because I feel bad for making them wait all this time but they end up comforting and hugging me. They tell me to wait until 3am and to come speak to Evan because he's being adorable and there's hardly anyone left so we'll have him to ourselves. And so we do, and he's just the loveliest, sweetest man and he fixates on the fact that me and the kiddo are British, haha! We tell him we drove 8 hrs today and he should come to North Carolina. He agrees and says he loves Chapel Hill so maybe that'll happen some day (yeah right). He imparts wisdom on doing what you love and not being obsessed with grades because they won't matter once you leave school. He starts talking to someone else and just as we're thinking of leaving, there's a tap on my shoulder and someone behind me yells, "Oh! Nando's!" It's Evan again, wanting to tell me about his favorite British experience - a restaurant that serves the best chicken. He's so enthusiastic as we discuss Nando's menu, particularly the veggie options and the bean burger. Hilarious! He's my new favorite person without a doubt.

It's 3am and we leave, jogging back to the hotel (because Frank's made us nervous about Baltimore). We get to the room and I get into bed in my clothes because it's too cold to consider taking anything off. My body is still buzzing (can it STILL be The Coffee from this morning or is it shivering?). I get maybe 1-2 hrs sleep because my mind insists on composing Hamilton/FIATP hybrid songs and some of them are actually quite good so I stay up and listen to the inside of my head.

Next day we drive back to NC. It takes 7.5 hrs. I force C&C to listen to the entire Death Spells album and even a little bit of Leathermouth just because I know it's what Jen would have wanted 💜

#frank iero #frank iero and the patience #fiatp #evan nestor #matt olsson #alex grippo #apr 22 2017 #apr 22 show #baltimore #maryland #baltimore soundstage #adultishbandomnet #my show #my photos

33 notes · View notes

johnboothus · 5 years ago

Text

The Industry Set Itself Up for a Clean Wine Reckoning

Earlier this week, I posed a question on Twitter: What is the biggest threat facing the wine industry right now? Dozens of wine professionals weighed in. Macro challenges like climate change and the global recession led the charge. These were accompanied by a swift current of frustration surrounding the wine industry’s indifference toward consumers and its slowness to modernize (DTC, packaging formats, etc.). Peppered throughout were comments about the rise of wellness marketing and the “clean-washing” of consumers.

While the macro challenges are no doubt troubling, it’s these latter issues that have me most concerned about the future of wine. Industry analyst, consultant, and commentator Robert Joseph, of Meininger’s Wine Business International, said it best:

Apathy. On the part of producers who believe (and are encouraged to believe by some media) they have a right to exist w/o changing. And on the part of consumers, most of whom don't really care very much what they're drinking, who made it, how and where.

— wine thinker (@robertjoseph) August 4, 2020

That comment gets at the heart of my concern. Wine companies seem unwilling or uninterested in engaging with consumers on their terms, with messages they’re interested in hearing. And consumers — especially millennials — seem disinterested in the marketing messages that resonated with boomers and Gen Xers. So wine finds itself at an impasse.

Meanwhile, we have entered into an unprecedented period of innovation in the drinks industry, with breakneck product evolution propelling hard seltzer and RTD cocktail growth. Among millennials, health and convenience are driving purchasing decisions, and wine is losing market share. SVB Bank’s Rob McMillan called this a key challenge in his 2020 State of the U.S. Wine Industry forecast, stating, “There are solutions, but hoping millennials will adopt boomer values as they age — and, as a result, move away from spirits and gravitate to wine — just isn’t a sensible business strategy.”

You might think this would be a wake-up call for wine companies, that they would lean into the problem, looking to engage millennials where they’re at (reading product labels and online), with the messages they want to hear (nutrition and product information). Yet that’s not what’s happening.

So let me say it plainly: Millennials want to know what’s in the products they buy. That means ingredient labeling, nutritional facts, and product claims. It’s not a fad, and it’s not going away. If anything, the demand for this type of transparency is going to become louder. Yet wine companies are stonewalling, refusing to come clean about how they make their wines.

The wine industry’s opaqueness about its practices has done two things: It has turned many consumers off wine to other categories, like RTDs, that provide adequate product labeling. It also created an information void that dubious marketers exploited, demonizing commercial wine to promote their “clean wine.” This type of marketing relies on customer misinformation about how wine is made to sell its products, and it is snowballing.

Credit: Atlas Wine Co. The back label of the brand’s Cabernet Sauvignon shows ingredients.

How Did We Get Here?

By this point, most CPG categories have responded to rising consumer demands for transparency. Food, beverage, makeup, and household cleaners are among those that have added ingredients and disclosures to their labels and packaging. In fact, a clear majority (81 percent) of consumers say transparency is “important” or “extremely important” to them when shopping online and in-store, according to a report released in March, based on a survey of 1,000 online shoppers, most of them millennials, by the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and Chicago-based Label Insight.

Some in the wine industry may argue that wine is special, and should be held to a different standard. But that’s not how consumers see it. It’s no longer good enough to put a region and a grape on the label — consumers expect more. In the Food Marketing Institute’s survey, respondents said the most important areas for labeling transparency were ingredients, certifications, and in-depth information about the nutrition of products, followed by product claim and allergen information.

Yet wine brands have not made it easy for consumers to find any of this information. Millennials search for information primarily through web and mobile platforms, but winery websites provide little useful information. There are plenty of vineyard vistas, tasting descriptors, and critics scores to be found, but not much about how the wines are made or what goes into them.

While wine lagged, hard seltzer and other RTDs picked up the slack. It’s no surprise that hard seltzer is the fastest-growing segment of the beverage alcohol industry, and that it’s taking share from wine, according to Nielsen. RTDs are already an $8 billion industry in the U.S., with volume that grew by almost 50 percent in 2019, due largely to the popularity of hard seltzers (led by brands such as White Claw and Truly), according to IWSR data.

Take Truly. The brand makes it easy to find product facts on its website and on cans. A can of grapefruit-flavored Truly lists that it has 100 calories, 5 percent ABV, 1 gram sugar, 2 grams carbs, and is gluten-free. The ingredients are filtered carbonated water, alcohol, natural flavors, cane sugar, citric acid, and sodium citrate.

For most consumers, that’s good enough on the labeling-transparency front. They want to know how many calories are in it, the sugar content, and the carb counts. Others, like vegan wine drinkers, are interested in knowing whether the wines use animal products like isinglass, gelatin, or egg whites. The wine spritzer Ramona gets this, disclosing the information in an easy-to-understand way.

Credit: Ridge Vineyards. The company includes ingredients on its back labels and explains processes on its website.

Enter “Clean Wine” Marketers

If natural wine opened the door, setting up a dichotomy between virtuous wines (organic, low-intervention) and dangerous wines (commercially made with pesticides and additives), “clean wine” drove a truck through it. Scout & Cellar, Dry Farm Wines, Good Clean Wine Co., and Winc’s Wonderful Wine Co., are among the many companies that have perfected the art of health-related, buzzword-heavy, word-salad marketing. (For a deep dive on the deceptive marketing tactics of “clean wine,” check out the VinePair Podcast episode “The Dirty Truth About Clean Wine.”) They all use the same techniques, preying on consumers’ lack of understanding about how wine is made, and pitting their “clean wines” against the “dirty wines” sold in restaurants and stores. Take a spin through Dry Farm Wine’s Facebook Ad Library for a master class on the topic.

According to this Dry Farm Wines ad: “Commercial wines you buy in stores and restaurants often contain sugar. But, you have no idea how much sugar is in each bottle because wine companies don’t have to tell you.” While wine professionals may scratch their heads, pointing out that most dry wines have little to no remaining sugar after fermentation, consumers are easily duped into thinking that “commercial wines” are loaded with sugar. (This ad is also ironic, considering that Dry Farm sources commercially available wines that — gasp — are sold in stores and restaurants.)

And ignore the fact that most dry wines would qualify as low-carb, low-sugar when Wonderful Wine Co. can rebrand that information as “paleo-friendly.” “On top of being low sugar and low carb, our wines are crafted using minimal intervention winemaking practices. It’s basically what a caveman would do — if that caveman had a degree in viticulture,” according to its website.

Frankly, I think that Cameron Diaz’s Avaline — a brand that has been under attack since it launched last month for its “clean wine” marketing messages — is among the least problematic in this segment. The brand is giving consumers what they want: transparency (or at least the illusion of it). On its website, Avaline lists the ingredients and processing aids that went into its wines, with simple explanations about why they were used: sulfites, bentonite, pea protein, cream of tartar, yeast, and yeast nutrients are all there. The wine label clearly states its health claims: “Made with organic grapes. Free from added sugar, artificial colors, concentrates.”

Yes, I get it that Avaline says its wines are “transparently produced,” and that statement sounds false to most in the wine community. But that’s because wine professionals define transparency differently than consumers. Transparency, to those in the industry, means a tech sheet filled with complicated information that would make a casual imbiber’s eyes glaze over. I know it may be hard to accept, but most consumers, as Joseph stated it, “don’t really care very much what they’re drinking, who made it, how and where.”

For wine companies, that means reconsidering brand marketing techniques. Pastoral landscapes and winemaker stories are not as persuasive to millennials as cold hard facts. Brands can take a page from Avaline by stating, in simple terms, what is in their wine, and explaining the ingredients and processing aids that were used. Permitted chemicals and additives (deemed safe by the TTB, by the way) like grape concentrate, yeast nutrients, tartaric acid, calcium carbonate, oak chips, isinglass, and others sound less scary when they’re explained.

This is a relatively simple concept, yet few wine companies are willing to do it. I commissioned an article in 2017 on labeling transparency. At the time, Wine Institute, a public policy organization representing more than 1,000 wineries and related businesses in California, said the issue was not a priority for the industry or for consumers.

I followed up this week to ask if that had changed. “We recognize that there is a growing interest among some for ingredient labeling and are exploring how this could work for wine,” spokesperson Nancy Light told me. “Wineries are permitted to voluntarily list ingredients but there are no standards about what must be listed.”

Credit: Shinn Estate Vineyards

Yet, movement on this front has been glacially slow. In 2017, I could only find two wineries disclosing ingredients and processing information: Ridge Vineyards and Atlas Wine Co. Since then, I’ve added Long Island’s Shinn Estate Vineyards to the list, but these companies are far and away the outliers. They were ahead of their time, anticipating the “clean wine” reckoning that has indeed materialized. Their wine labels and websites are a template for the kind of fact-based, accurate labeling and disclosure information that is useful to consumers, providing a level of transparency that isn’t peppered with the nonsense claims of “clean wine.”

Had other wine companies followed suit, providing easy access to ingredients and nutritional facts along the way, helping to educate consumers about how wine is made, the industry wouldn’t be facing its current situation. Now, “clean wine” marketers have positioned the entirety of commercial winemaking as dangerous and suspect. My hope is that the wine industry takes this threat seriously, labeling its wines and disclosing its processes, before millennials turn off the category for good.

The article The Industry Set Itself Up for a ‘Clean Wine’ Reckoning appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/industry-clean-wine-reckoning/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/the-industry-set-itself-up-for-a-clean-wine-reckoning

0 notes

isaiahrippinus · 5 years ago

Text

The Industry Set Itself Up for a ‘Clean Wine’ Reckoning

Apathy. On the part of producers who believe (and are encouraged to believe by some media) they have a right to exist w/o changing. And on the part of consumers, most of whom don’t really care very much what they’re drinking, who made it, how and where.

— wine thinker (@robertjoseph) August 4, 2020

Credit: Atlas Wine Co. The back label of the brand’s Cabernet Sauvignon shows ingredients.

How Did We Get Here?

Credit: Ridge Vineyards. The company includes ingredients on its back labels and explains processes on its website.

Enter “Clean Wine” Marketers

Credit: Shinn Estate Vineyards

The article The Industry Set Itself Up for a ‘Clean Wine’ Reckoning appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/industry-clean-wine-reckoning/ source https://vinology1.tumblr.com/post/625806128195010560

0 notes

midwestregister · 5 years ago

Text

Staff Perspective: Sober Curiosity

Originally posted on Future Health Care

vimeo

SOBER CURIOSITY, MOCKTAILS, AND MINDFULNESS – IS SOBRIETY TRENDING?

Written By: Laura Kunz

Sober curiosity increases self-awareness, self-control, and may help prevent the development of substance use disorders, which are rapidly on the rise in this country year after year.

Perhaps, a decade from now sober will not only be “sexy,” but it will be a fully integrated part of societal norms.

About Futures Recovery Healthcare

Futures Recovery Healthcare is a specialized addiction and co-occurring mental health disorder treatment provider with residential and outpatient programs in Palm Beach County, Florida.

Contact Futures Recovery Healthcare

701 Old Dixie Hwy Tequesta FL 33469 United States

(561) 475-1804

Website: https://futuresrecoveryhealthcare.com/

The post Staff Perspective: Sober Curiosity appeared first on Midwest.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3azDcPS via Midwest Register

#news

0 notes

allthetimenews · 5 years ago

Text

Staff Perspective: Sober Curiosity

Originally posted on Future Health Care

vimeo

SOBER CURIOSITY, MOCKTAILS, AND MINDFULNESS – IS SOBRIETY TRENDING?

Written By: Laura Kunz

Sober curiosity increases self-awareness, self-control, and may help prevent the development of substance use disorders, which are rapidly on the rise in this country year after year.

Perhaps, a decade from now sober will not only be “sexy,” but it will be a fully integrated part of societal norms.

About Futures Recovery Healthcare

Futures Recovery Healthcare is a specialized addiction and co-occurring mental health disorder treatment provider with residential and outpatient programs in Palm Beach County, Florida.

Contact Futures Recovery Healthcare

701 Old Dixie Hwy Tequesta FL 33469 United States

(561) 475-1804

Website: https://futuresrecoveryhealthcare.com/

The post Staff Perspective: Sober Curiosity appeared first on AllTheTimeNews.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/2VyiBai via All The Time News

#news

0 notes

newsperception · 5 years ago

Text

Staff Perspective: Sober Curiosity

Originally posted on Future Health Care

vimeo

SOBER CURIOSITY, MOCKTAILS, AND MINDFULNESS – IS SOBRIETY TRENDING?

Written By: Laura Kunz

Sober curiosity increases self-awareness, self-control, and may help prevent the development of substance use disorders, which are rapidly on the rise in this country year after year.

Perhaps, a decade from now sober will not only be “sexy,” but it will be a fully integrated part of societal norms.

About Futures Recovery Healthcare

Futures Recovery Healthcare is a specialized addiction and co-occurring mental health disorder treatment provider with residential and outpatient programs in Palm Beach County, Florida.

Contact Futures Recovery Healthcare

701 Old Dixie Hwy Tequesta FL 33469 United States

(561) 475-1804

Website: https://futuresrecoveryhealthcare.com/

The post Staff Perspective: Sober Curiosity appeared first on NewsPerception.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3aAbGC5 via News Perception

#News

0 notes

businesstribune · 5 years ago

Text

Staff Perspective: Sober Curiosity

Originally posted on Future Health Care

vimeo

SOBER CURIOSITY, MOCKTAILS, AND MINDFULNESS – IS SOBRIETY TRENDING?

Written By: Laura Kunz

Sober curiosity increases self-awareness, self-control, and may help prevent the development of substance use disorders, which are rapidly on the rise in this country year after year.

Perhaps, a decade from now sober will not only be “sexy,” but it will be a fully integrated part of societal norms.

About Futures Recovery Healthcare

Futures Recovery Healthcare is a specialized addiction and co-occurring mental health disorder treatment provider with residential and outpatient programs in Palm Beach County, Florida.

Contact Futures Recovery Healthcare

701 Old Dixie Hwy Tequesta FL 33469 United States

(561) 475-1804

Website: https://futuresrecoveryhealthcare.com/

The post Staff Perspective: Sober Curiosity appeared first on Business Tribune.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/2VH5gvf via Business Tribune

#news

0 notes

consulting-celiac-in-the-tardis · 5 years ago

Text

5 Lessons From Celiac Disease That Help During the Coronavirus Outbreak

New blog post! I'm sure that most people can relate when I say that the last few weeks have felt as surreal as they have chaotic. The Coronavirus outbreak has meant I moved out of my apartment in Minnesota two months ahead of schedule, am now busy transitioning the college class I teach to be online and am receiving a very different ending to my grad school experience than I expected.

As overwhelming as this whirlwind of events has been, though, I've been trying to focus on gratitude and staying as positive as possible...which is why I started thinking about how living with celiac disease has actually made adapting to the new precautions for the Coronavirus outbreak a little easier. (Especially since otherwise healthy individuals with celiac disease are not at a higher risk for the Coronavirus). So in order to share a little light during this hectic time, I thought I would start my entry back into the blogging world (which I've definitely missed while my schedule was far too busy to write and post!) by sharing five ways living with celiac disease has helped me adapt a little easier to life during the Coronavirus outbreak.

Coronavirus Outbreak, Celiac Hack #1: Already knowing how to work with what you have in the kitchen.

As most people probably know from experience or news stories, in many parts of the United States (and the rest of the world, I'm assuming), many grocery shelves are bare as people have been stocking up. Personally, I flew back to Minnesota from my Spring Break in California (check out my Insta posts here for more fun details into my adventure before this chaos all began!) and immediately hit my local Aldi hours after I landed, and I had never seen so many things out of stock.

As a result, a lot of people may not be able to find their usual groceries, which requires a lil' bit more creativity in the kitchen.

And that's where the benefits of living with celiac disease come in.

Because when gluten, wheat and all of its cousins suddenly become off-limits, creativity in the kitchen is a must. So the idea of having to whip up a delicious dinner using only the foods still available at your local grocery store might not feel as intimidating for someone with celiac disease than it might for a creative-cooking newbie. ;)

Coronavirus Outbreak, Celiac Hack #2: Already knowing how to be innovative when connecting with others.

Besides empty grocery shelves, the biggest way the Coronavirus outbreak has affected my life (and many others) is by majorly limiting my face-to-face social activity. Even though I was never a huge extrovert, I still interacted with people daily at the gym or while attending and teaching college classes, so shifting to only interacting with family members living in the same house has been a major shift. But as I've reflected over the past week, I've realized that I'm somewhat used to being creative in how I connect with others...and I believe many with celiac disease can relate. After all, one of the most common ways for people to spend time together is to "break bread"...and celiac disease doesn't make that easy.

So we're often forced to get creative. We go to restaurants with loved ones for the company instead of the food. I invite friends for walks (or even rollerskating!) instead of coffee shop dates, and I consider many of the Instagram connections I've made in the gluten free community real friends, even though I've never met them in real life. And in the time of social distancing, I think that kind of adaptability can actually work to our advantage. I know I've found comfort checking in with friends on Instagram (my DMs are always open, even if I may be a bit slow to respond!) and look forward to getting creative with family baking adventures, FaceTime "parties" with friends and more fun Insta challenges (considering I've already been tagged to complete the push-up challenge, I'm sure more will come my way!).

Coronavirus Outbreak, Celiac Hack #3: Having experience making my OWN definition of a "healthy lifestyle."

Right now, at least in the health and wellness bubble I often occupy on social media, it seems like "healthy living" is a lot harder to achieve than normal. Gyms are closed, fresh produce may be limited and some people aren't even allowed to leave their house to get in some steps. As a result, I know I've been having a little anxiety about not being "active enough" or eating too much comfort foods (thank youuuu stress), and from just a quick glance on Instagram, I know I'm not alone.

However, I've already needed to re-define my definition of "healthy" in the past, like when I was diagnosed with celiac disease. Suddenly, whole wheat and whole grain were the LEAST healthy items I could add to my shopping cart, and when I was dangerously malnourished initially after my celiac diagnosis, exercise was also not the "healthiest" activity I could have done.

From back during my hospitalization in 2013...

So I'm trying to apply a similar mindset shift to the Coronavirus outbreak. Maybe we can't move our bodies as much as usual...but perhaps this can be a rejuvenating time for rest and different forms of exercise, if we feel like it. And maybe we can't eat the "healthiest" diet...but when there are countless lives at stake, should that really be a priority?

Obviously, I'm not a professional in nutrition, mental health, exercise or really anything regarding the Coronavirus outbreak and general health. But I have realized how empowering it is to define "healthy" in a way that actually lets you feel your best instead of constantly feeling "not enough"...and I believe many people living with celiac disease or other chronic illnesses can relate.

Coronavirus Outbreak, Celiac Hack #4: Already knowing how to openly discuss your needs with others...especially, housemates.

Another major way life has changed since the Coronavirus outbreak? Many people are now quarantined in their houses...often with other people. And at least in my experience of sharing a small apartment with 3+ other girls for almost a year, that level of constant cohabitation requires a LOT of open communication.

And like you can probably guess...living with celiac disease can def help with that. ;) After all, when you have celiac disease, you don't just need to communicate your dietary needs to family. You need to talk to friends and significant others, waiters and chefs, food company owners and, of course, anyone who uses your kitchen. So while I definitely wouldn't say I - or anyone else with celiac disease - automatically nail every communication opportunity, I do think having experience stating your needs can make spending a lot of quality time with people a lil' easier. So thank you celiac disease for that!

Coronavirus Outbreak, Celiac Hack #5: Regularly getting excited over little things in life.

If you've ever jumped up and down in a grocery store because you finally found that delicious food you've spent months looking for, you probably have celiac disease or other dietary restrictions. Personally, I've cried over not having any good tasting gluten free tortillas, and I've definitely done happy dances in public when I discovered a new gluten free restaurant or product in my local grocery store. The benefit of these experiences? I've learned that little things in life - like finding some damn tasty GF tortillas - are worth celebrating and being grateful for. And at a time in the world when a lot of our usual daily activities are frustratingly off-limits, I think this mindset is more important than ever.

From the delicious Gluten Free Gem in Portland

The Bottom Line of How Celiac Disease is Helping Me Cope with the Coronavirus Outbreak

I don't want to make it seem like I'm feeling super grateful and happy every hour of the day since the Coronavirus outbreaks started. I miss talking to grad school friends and my students, face-to-face. I miss being able to buy toilet paper without a second thought. And I definitely miss being able to go to the gym - my favorite mental escape. But I'm trying to cultivate as positive a mindset as possible, and like I've shared in this post, I think living with celiac disease - or perhaps any chronic illness - definitely helps with that. Because of celiac disease, I've learned how to be adaptable. How to be transparent about my needs with others and find joy in little moments. (Not to mention that gluten free food doesn't seem to be flying off the shelves as quickly as their gluten-filled counterparts.)

And if you have celiac disease, I hope this post reminds you of ALL the badass skills and swagger your chronic illness has given you - and that you can (and should!) take advantage of those skills during this trying time. So stay safe and healthy, and know I'm sending lots of gluten free love your way! And to help us all get some socialization during social distancing, tell me in the comments how you're doing with the Coronavirus outbreak or what skills celiac disease has taught you! via Blogger https://ift.tt/3bmfLdM

#Blogger #college #celiac #gluten free #coeliac #celiacs #paleo #primal #foodporn #foodart

0 notes

andrewdburton · 5 years ago

Text

How will the coronavirus affect your personal finances?

How quickly things change.

Last week, the coronavirus (or Covid-19, if you prefer) was a distant problem. It was something other people in other places had to wrestle with. Sure, there was a looming sense that maybe this runaway train was steaming our way, but it still seemed distant enough that maybe it'd stop before it reached us.

Not anymore. Now it's clear that the coronavirus isn't just headed to the U.S., it's already here in our communities.

I'm fascinated by the financial implications of the coronavirus. They're going to be huge — they're already huge — but I don't know who is going to bear the burden or how we, as a society, are going to make sense of this in the long run.

The stock market is tanking, obviously, and will likely continue to tank for some time. But I expect (hope?) that when the dust has settled, things there will largely return to normal.

Yes, I know it's impossible to make predictions about the market's direction. But I believe the current movement is largely due to the coronavirus and its immediate implications. When this event has receded into the past — in a few months, say — I expect stocks to regain most of what they lost. Not all, but most. (And again: I could be full of shit. Don't make any market moves based on what I personally believe will happen. I'm just a random guy behind a keyboard.)

But outside the stock market, there are a whole host of financial implications. We're entering uncharted territory. I don't know what to expect, and I don't think anyone else does either.

Here are some of my questions.

What Happens When Events Are Cancelled?

Many places — including here in Oregon — are banning large gatherings.

What happens to gatherings that have already been scheduled? I expect some events (such as the Portland Timbers match on March 28th) will be postponed. This should have a minimal financial impact on all parties. It simply shifts all of the money-related stuff to a later date.

This has been one of the toughest articles I've ever written. As I'm sitting at my desk composing it, new updates to the situation are occurring. Just now, for instance, Major League Soccer announced that it's suspending the season for thirty days. Rather than re-write as news hits, I'm going to leave the article as it was in the moment I wrote it.

Other events, though, will have to be cancelled. What happens then?

For instance, Kim and I have tickets to see an April performance of The Illusionists at Portland's Keller Auditorium. This event falls inside the 28-day ban on large gatherings in this state. I highly doubt this event well be re-scheduled. I expect it to be cancelled.

So, what happens when this event is cancelled?

Under normal circumstances — if the event were cancelled for any other reason — I'd expect to receive a refund for the ticket price. But what about now? Will ticket holders still receive refunds? Or will the production company say, “Sorry. This is beyond our control. You're out of luck.” I can see that happening. And I'm not sure I'd complain.

What about St. Patrick's Day? I consider this kind of a silly holiday, but it's a Big Deal to a lot of people.

Perhaps because it occurs in early spring, St. Patrick's Day fosters events with large crowds. Here in Portland, that means the Shamrock Run, in which 30,000+ people gather in the cold and the rain to run through downtown. That's been postponed. And Savannah, Georgia, home to the second-largest St. Patrick's Day parade in the country, just cancelled the event.

When I posted about this on Facebook, one of my friends noted that formal disaster declarations allow insurance claims to be filed. This sounds great, in theory. Disaster declared, so both the production company (or event producer) and potential attendees all get their costs refunded. Yay!

Or is it “yay”?

Doesn't this simply shift the financial burden to another party? If, as appears increasingly likely, we experience large-scale cancellations, won't this effectively gut the insurance industry? Do they have enough financial reserves to cover something of this magnitude? I find that unlikely. So, what happens then?

Here's another real-life dilemma.

The first-ever Financial Freedom Summit is scheduled for May 1st in St. Louis, Missouri. I'm supposed to speak. I haven't booked my flight yet, and at this point I don't know whether I should. While St. Louis hasn't been hit as hard as the West Coast, it's beginning to feel the effects, and events are being postponed or cancelled.

Will the city (or state) eventually issue a ban on large gatherings? How long will this ban last? I believe we're at the front-end of the coronavirus vector curve here in the U.S., but how long will it be a concern? Will we still be talking about this in late April and early May? Or will we be done with it in a couple of weeks?

If I had to guess, I'd say things are going to peak by the end of March, and that by the end of April, we'll mostly be back to normal. But what do I know? Again, I'm just a random guy behind a keyboard.

If I did book my flight and the event were cancelled, would I be able to get my money back? Airlines seem to be making some accommodations, but for how long? For now, I'm holding off on any decisions. (Worth noting: Not everyone has been able to get ticket refunds from airlines. Some are simply out of luck.)

Over at I Will Teach You to Be Rich this morning, Ramit Sethi published an excellent piece on the coronavirus: Panic is bad, but overreaction is good.

What's Going to Happen to Small Business?

In reality, I'm less concerned about how Big Business is going to weather this storm and more worried about how small businesses are going to hold things together.

Take restaurants, for instance. It's been a couple of weeks since I dined out — hey, I'm following through with my resolution to spend less on food in 2020! — but I can only imagine that things are slow slow slow. (In hard-hit Seattle, layoffs have already begun.)

To check my hunch, I messaged my friend Kyra Bussanich. Kyra's the only four-time winner of Cupcake Wars and owns a local gluten-free bake shop. “Have sales slowed at all?” I asked.

“Oh gosh yes,” Kyra answered. “And if things continue, I don't know if there'll be a bake shop when this blows over.”

Things are so bad, in fact, that she's taken a part-time job to make ends meet — and is even considering applying for a full-time job. All this while trying to run her business, a business that's struggling because of the coronavirus.

youtube

At the end of our conversation, Kyra gave me some words of advice for how to help. “If there are artists or small businesses you love,” she said, “I urge you to go buy gift cards to them and when this all blows over, redeem those gift cards.”

GRS reader Christine runs a small business that gives food tours in Nashville. She says that new bookings have stalled. Plus, folks are cancelling travel plans, which means she's refunding tour tickets. “I had a plan for a recession,” she says. “This is like somebody turned the faucet off.”

So, as bad as things seem for big companies like Apple and United Airlines, they're even worse for small businesses.

I should note that not all small businesses are being affected. As you know, my family owns a small firm that manufactures corrugated packaging. Custom Box Service is humming right along. In fact, things are busy right now, which is a good sign.

How Will the Coronavirus Affect Personal Finances?

As a personal finance writer, though, my biggest concern during this crisis is the impact it's going to have on individuals.

I know I just updated my article about what to do when the stock market crashes on Monday — and I stand by my advice there — but there's more to personal finance than stock-market investing, right?

How is all of this going to affect workers? If Kyra's Bake Shop has to shut down — even temporarily — she loses income as an entrepreneur, but suddenly her employees are out of work. If my girlfriend's dental office decides it can't (or won't) see patients, she'll have to go without an income for a while.

Fortunately, Kim has savings. So do I. We can weather the storm. Not everybody can. In fact, most Americans have little (if anything) saved.

If you're thirty-something with a family, a mortgage, a car payment, and credit card debt, then what happens when you lose your job (or experience a layoff) because people stop coming to where you work?

In a normal economy, this happens constantly on a very small scale. People no longer use typewriters, so a typewriter firm goes out of business and its employees no longer have jobs. But that's a tiny handful of businesses. Now, today, this is problem is wide-spread and happening all at once.

This isn't me making stuff up. This is happening to our family and friends right now in the real world.

What happens when many people experience this at the same time? What then?

The Independent, a British publication, recently opined that the coronavirus will bankrupt more people than it kills. I suspect this is true. From the article: “We may look back on coronavirus as the moment when the threads that hold the global economy together came unstuck.” I hope not.

The financial effects won't simply come from lost wages. Many folks who succumb to the coronavirus in the U.S. — and I truly hope this will number in the tens of thousands, not the hundreds of thousands — could face high medical bills.

For 81% percent of people who contract it, the coronavirus is mild, which means it feels like the flu. For 14% of people, however, it's severe enough to require hospitalization. Another 5% of those infected suffer symptoms so severe that they need intensive career. (Generally speaking, they need artificial respiration.) And roughly 3% of people die from infection.

While I keep GRS largely politics-free, health care is one rare exception. Our current system is ridiculous: expensive and outmoded. This coronavirus may finally serve as a catalyst for change. Maybe.

What Happens in the Long Run?

I have other questions about what will happen in the long run.

Can the national (and global) economy simply take a two- or three-month break, then resume as normal as if nothing happened? What happens in the meantime? How do we care for our at-risk populations and for those who already struggle to make ends meet?

How do we improve our ability to handle black swan events like this in the future?

Will this crisis change anything about how we live and relate to each other? Is it possible that this could perhaps alleviate some of the partisan bickering we've been experiencing in recent years?

It's my deepest hope that this unprecedented event will draw people together in a way that we haven't seen in this country for some time. I hope that the spirit of cooperation blossoms and that people and and government and business find solutions to make sure everyone comes happy and healthy and financially secure.

Unfortunately, I don't think that's likely to happen.

I don't have any answers here, obviously. All I have is a lot of questions. I suspect that's true for everyone. For once, this really does seem like a case of “this time is different”.

Moreso than usual, there'll be a zero-tolerance policy regarding politics in the discussion for this article. Some things transcend politics. This is one of those things.

from Finance https://www.getrichslowly.org/coronavirus/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

0 notes

forlovedogs11 · 5 years ago

Link

A little over 2 months ago, I started feeding my pups fresh dog food. At first, I saw some results, but I think I was being pretty optimistic, trying to find the good in my long-researched decision. But 30-days isn’t really enough time to see any major changes no matter what you’re doing. Here I am, over 60 days later, and wow! The results have been pretty amazing. Check out what’s going on with my pups, Scout and Sandy.

Back to the Beginning

I had been previously feeding my dogs a quality kibble, but I knew that they probably weren’t getting all the nutrients that they needed. Plus, with all of the recalls and issues I had been seeing, I knew they needed more variety in their diets. Like so many people, I considered preparing fresh food for them myself, but finding the time to cook and make sure I was giving them the nutrition they needed was pretty daunting.

Around the beginning of the year, I started exploring fresh food options for my dogs. In my typical “overthinking it” manner, I spent countless hours scouring websites and dog nutrition articles, talking to my vet and posting questions on doggy discussion forums. My dogs are family, so of course I wanted what was best for them, so any time spent was time well spent.

If you missed my initial 30-Day Challenge story, you can see where the journey started here!

After all of my research into the various companies that provided high quality, fresh food that I could have delivered right to my door, I finally decided NomNomwas the way to go. Let me breakdown how I made this decision. Here’s the criteria I used when I started my search:

Quality Ingredients (transparency of ingredients) – Do I understand the ingredients list? Is every ingredient there for a reason AND beneficial to my pup? Is it all sourced here in the USA?

Recipes – Will this be food my dog will like? Are there options for dogs with allergies, like gluten-free?

Track Record – Have there been any recalls or health scares associated with the food/company?

Price – Pricing for all the home delivery, fresh dog food services was comparable. I can tell you that for NomNom and the other companies, the price will depend upon how much your dog weighs and activity levels. NomNom is great because they offer price breaks if you order bi-weekly or monthly, as opposed to weekly.

Convenience – Home delivery is key. Plus, I don’t want to measure food – pre-portioned, individual meals are key.

NomNomNow Fresh Food Checked All My Boxes

To maintain a healthy, nutritional balance, NomNom has 4 main food recipes:

Heartland Beef Mash

Porkalicious Potluck

Tasty Turkey Fare

Chicken Chow-Wow

All NNN recipes have been specially formulated by veterinary nutrition, Dr. Justin Shmalberg – not just vet certified like most other fresh food offerings. This guy actually developed the recipes for maximum nutrition. That’s huge. And what I really love is that NNN food comes in pre-portioned packages, so there’s nothing to measure and nothing left over to store.

So, here we are 2 months later. I’ve kept tabs on their progress, had another vet visit and just kept an eye on their general demeanor.

Here are some of the highlights:

DAY 35

Just a few days ago, the dogs and I headed over to the vet for a post 30-day follow up. Everything continues to look positive. One key development, after communicating with NomNom regarding Sandy and her extra weight, the NomNom team has modified the quantity of food she will get with each serving. This really impressed me. This is definitely not a mindless, faceless dog food company. The fact that they’ve customized her meal plan really demonstrates the level of science that is behind this.

DAY 40

So Sandy started her new portion size yesterday. She seems to be adapting well. I was a little worried, as any parent would be. Is she getting enough? Am I doing the right thing? But when it comes time to eat, she’s not inhaling her food, so I know she’s not starving. I wish she could talk. Then I could ask her, but all in all, she seems to be doing really well. Now that I’m another 10 days in, I really feel like the dogs look better – I’m mostly speaking of their coats. So shiny and soft. That seems shallow to say, but I know that it’s because their coats are healthier. The benefit of that is the shininess and softness.

Day 45

I thought it would be fun to show you a side by side comparison of the food you get from NomNom. So many times the photos we see online are nothing like what we actually get. Think of the last time you saw a hamburger ad on TV and then went to the restaurant. The actual product usually never come close. Now, I’m no photographer and shooting this pic with my phone, but I think that’s good. Clearly, NNN had a professional shoot their product. You be the judge. I for one am pretty impressed with the quality and appearance of the real food – you know, the stuff you actually get at home.

Chicken Chow-Wow

NOTE: I am not a photographer. I took my photo with my phone. I didn’t try to make it pretty. What you see is how it came out of the bag. But notice the chunks of chicken, sweet potato and spinach.

DAY 48

So Scout started having diarrhea last night, and I got a little worried. It continued today. I could tell he wasn’t feeling well, so I immediately started to worry that it was the food. I took him to the vet to get checked out. While we were there, my son casually mentions to me that Scout had been rolling in turkey poop (yes, we live in the forest with lots of wild animals – and consequently, their poo) a day or two before, and he thinks Scout might have eaten some. All info I would have liked much, much earlier. But we were already at the vet.

So the vet gave him a thorough exam and concluded that the turkey poop was the likely culprit and suggested we just continue to keep an eye on him. I feel like this is important to document (especially here) so that I mention everything – the good and the bad – instead of just some white-washed, pro-NNN story.

DAY 50

Thank goodness – Scout is back to normal. Definitely keeping a much closer eye on Captain Turkey Poop whenever he’s outside. Both dogs are actually doing great. Their energy levels are notably higher. I swear it’s like they’re puppies again. The way they bound around the yard. It’s actually really touching to see them. I had to pulled out the ball thrower today because my arm was getting tired. They are non-stop energy. Sandy is especially different. She would usually tire after about 10 minutes of chasing the ball. She’s all over Scout now when they’re playing. Like white on rice. It’s great to see.

DAY 54

I usually try to feed my dogs at the same times everyday. Well, this morning I was a little tardy. These two…it was like I called off Christmas. All was quickly forgiven though as I made my way to the refrigerator. Wiggle butts galore! I have to say, thanks to the variety of recipes (and I’m sure the great quality and taste) these dogs have not lost one bit of enthusiasm for this food. It is very obvious that they love the taste. I’m thinking about doing a video of me eating the food just to see what I’m missing. Leave a comment on which recipe you think I should try. Heartland Beef Mash sounds good. Hint. Hint.

DAY 57

Brought the dogs to the vet today for a check-up just to make sure everything was looking good. To me they look great, but I wanted my vet to chime in on the progress. He was pretty amazed, noting how great they looked – especially their coats. He also noted that Sandy looked much healthier. This was confirmed when he put her on the scale. She is down over 6 pounds since starting the NomNom fresh dog food. I knew she was looking better, but I didn’t expect these kinds of results. Scout is also down 2 pounds, and while he didn’t really need to lose weight, he is still super fit. I went ahead and had blood work done, as well. I’ll update that when I get the results in a few days.

DAY 60

Lab results came back today. Vet said everything looked good. So, this is the final day. For now. I will definitely continue to feed my pups NomNom because the benefits are undeniable. Plus, I think my dogs would walk out on me if I put anything else in their bowls. The changes I have seen over the last few months have been pretty amazing. I highly recommend the NomNom fresh dog food to A.) anyone looking for a convenient, fresh, high quality dog food that is pre-portioned and easy, and B.) anyone who has a dog that might need to lose excess weight and would benefit from a healthier, more balanced diet, and finally C.) anyone who just wants the highest quality food for their pup.

The Results Speak For Themselves

As I mentioned, during the first 30 days, I did see some changes, but it wasn’t what I hoped for. Again, I think my expectations were unreasonable for such a short period of time. But thanks to being consistent and sticking with NomNom, the benefits to my dogs is nothing short of amazing. Here are some of the major changes I noted:

Fitness/Weight

I stated in my previous 30-day challenge that Scout was pretty close to his ideal weight, but Sandy was definitely a little heavy. Scout looks super fit and has lost 4.2 pounds – now at 49.3 lbs. Sandy is down an amazing 6.2 pounds – now at 54.8! THIS is so huge to me. Being overweight increases so many health risks with our pups, and I feel so good knowing that I am helping to improve the health of both of my dog. I want them around as long as possible!!

ENERGY Plus!

Not to be too dramatic, but these two are bounding around like puppies again. Especially my little girl, Sandy. Scout has always had a fair amount of energy, but now, they are both a never-ending supply of ball chasing and running power. Clearly, dropping excess weight has made a difference here, but I also know the nutrition in the food plays a big part here.

Coats

Their coats are amazingly soft. Scout has always had “softer” fur, but Sandy definitely had a more coarse coat. Now, she feels super soft, and they both shine. But it gets better…

Shedding

This one is huge. All dogs shed, but my pups appear to have a personal vendetta against me when it comes to dumping hair all over my house. But I have noticed a significant decrease in the amount of furballs floating around. I really believe the improvements in their coats is the main reason for this.

Stool

Without being too graphic I have to say this has been a pleasant side benefit. I don’t know if it’s because the dogs are processing and absorbing more of the nutrients in the food, but their stools are definitely smaller and more solid. This makes my job as designated dog pooper scooper a lot more enjoyable. Who am I kidding? I still don’t enjoy it, but it’s a lot easier!

Peace of Mind

Just seeing all the benefits I mentioned above gives me a happy, satisfying feeling. I know that what I’m doing is making such an amazing, positive impact on the lives of my pups.

Kitchen Shadows

Okay, maybe this isn’t a benefit, but it’s definitely a testament to how much my dogs love this food. I can’t even sneak into the kitchen without both dogs following me – always looking at me like, “Is it time to eat? Nom nom! NomNom!”

What’s Next?

I will absolutely continue to feed my pups NomNom fresh dog food. And I’ll continue to track their progress. Look for my 90-Day Challenge Update coming in the next few months. As I said before, this is definitely something that I need to be consistent about. It’s not a magic pill that works overnight, but if Scout and Sandy continue to thrive as they have, this is one choice I can feel extremely confident in making. After all, I just want what everyone else who loves their dogs wants – the best possible, healthiest, longest life.

I can pretty confidently say that your pup will feel better and thrive on this fresh, whole food diet. And I know you’ll feel better knowing that you’re giving your dog the best quality, fresh food. Go to NomNom and give it a try. They even have a special offer just for the iHeartDogs community to get delicious food for their pups. Giving our dogs the best is what it’s all about! Get 50% off your first order!

0 notes

kennethherrerablog · 6 years ago

Text

My Partner Has Celiac Disease: Here’s What it Costs Us

My partner Nick has been living with celiac disease for over a decade. At its core, the serious autoimmune disorder is an all-out intolerance of the protein gluten. Exposure to gluten can immediately lead to rashes, stomach problems, joint pain, fatigue and more; long-term symptoms could include chronic migraines, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and even cancer.

If you have been diagnosed with celiac disease, transitioning to a gluten-free lifestyle is of immediate importance. Doing so will require some changes to your spending. Here’s how living gluten-free might affect you financially.

You’ll Spend More on Groceries

Many foods that you regularly buy are already gluten-free, like produce, meat and cheese. However, a lot of other foods that might be staples in your pantry do contain gluten — and their gluten-free alternatives are outrageously expensive. Here are some common examples:

Bread

A loaf of bread at my grocery store in Ohio costs between $1 and $2. Gluten-free bread, which is crumbly and tastes like cardboard, is sold in half loaves, which retail for roughly $5 to $7. That means a full loaf of gluten-free bread can cost between $10 and $14, a 500% to 1,400% increase in price.

Pizza

Until I moved in with Nick, I lived an admittedly bachelor lifestyle, which meant frozen pizzas for dinner multiple times a week. While Nick cooks nice dinners for me now — salmon, homemade soup, lasagna, you name it — I still rely on frozen pizzas the nights I need to feed myself.

You can get a regular frozen pizza of decent quality for $5 (though in my college days, I always bought the pizzas that were under $3). The cheapest gluten-free pizza I can find is Kroger’s $6 option, which does the trick, but the some of the best exceed $10 and are often smaller and contain fewer ingredients than comparable pizzas that aren’t gluten-free.

Pasta

A box of gluten-free pasta can cost between $2 and $3, which is more than the $1 I used to spend on regular fettuccine and spaghetti.

Desserts

If you have a sweet tooth and love to bake cookies and cakes, expect to pay a considerably higher price for mixes. Gluten-free cookie dough, for example, costs nearly $6 and makes the same amount of cookies you’d get from a $2 roll of regular dough.

You can also make desserts from scratch, but gluten-free flour is — you guessed it — more expensive than regular flour.

Alcohol

If you are used to buying cheap domestic beer and now find yourself switching to hard cider to satisfy your gluten-free needs, expect to join the world of craft beer prices, even for mass-market ciders. A 12 pack of Angry Orchard costs roughly $18 — about the same price you’d pay for a 24 pack of Bud Lite.

And Keep an Eye Out

Living with celiac disease means always reading the ingredients. Everything from soups to pecans to chips to pudding could contain gluten, even if it is just potential traces of wheat from other products manufactured at the same location. These gluten-free apps make the shopping experience much easier.

You’ll Save on Entertainment Expenses

Dining out at restaurants is becoming easier for people with celiac, but that also depends on your level of sensitivity. Nick, for example, used to be able to eat at restaurants that had gluten-free menu items and dedicated gluten-free spaces in the kitchen, but in the last year, his symptoms have worsened from cross-contamination, and we no longer dine out.

Regardless of the severity of your celiac, you will likely dine out less. Restaurants that cater safely to people with celiac are few and far between. There are just three restaurants in my home state of Ohio that are 100% gluten-free, and only one is within driving distance. That means Nick and I dine at home for every meal. The savings have been tremendous.

But restaurants are not the only entertainment expenses we’ve cut out. Because celiac is an autoimmune disorder that makes Nick a less healthy person in general, we take our physical health very seriously. That means we spend our date nights staying active — hiking, biking, swimming and kayaking for the most part.

If you have been diagnosed with celiac, I would challenge you to make these kinds of activities a regular part of your life. They are great for your health and are free alternatives to activities like bowling, going to the movies or drinking at the bar.

You’ll Have More Medical Expenses

Celiac is a medical condition, which could mean more trips to the doctor. Because of Nick’s weakened immune system, he has been to the emergency room for illnesses that I sometimes wouldn’t even go to the regular doctor for. (He once passed out in an ER waiting room when he was there with strep, which was one of the most frightening moments of my life.)

Thankfully, we have good health insurance that covers many of Nick’s medical expenses. What isn’t covered, however, is Nick’s lost time. If you have celiac disease, you will likely need to call off work more frequently than your coworkers, which could mean lost wages or eventually an employer that passes you up for raises and promotions. Nick, who runs his own small business, takes a hard hit financially when he is bedridden from the chronic migraines that accompany celiac or just from accidental contamination.

If you have just been diagnosed with celiac and have a good relationship with your boss, start a conversation about what it means for your health. Educating your boss on the struggles you are facing could make them more understandable and flexible with your schedule.

You’ll Need to Invest in New Appliances

Nick’s sensitivity to gluten is severe. For example, he can become sick by using a fork that has been washed but has been previously used to eat a food with gluten. While that is on the extreme side, most people with celiac should not use toasters, microwaves or even ovens that have had gluten in them. That, unfortunately, means packing your own meals when visiting friends and family.

When Nick and I moved in together, I had to get rid of all my cookware and appliances, and we purchased new appliances together. We also had to invest in new kitchen staples, like spices and baking essentials, that hadn’t been contaminated. Even when we bought a house last year, we had to get rid of the previous owners’ refrigerator, oven, microwave and dishwasher in favor of gluten-free appliances.

While these are investments anyone would make over time, having to pay for all these things at once can be daunting. But if you have just been diagnosed with celiac, it is the best way to ensure your good health.

You’ll Become an Expert Budgeter

Does Nick love living with celiac? Not at all. At least three times a week, he tells me he’s been dreaming about ordering one of everything from Taco Bell.

But have there been upsides to it? You betcha. Nick and I are more focused on our physical health, both in terms of staying fit and actively considering what we are putting into our bodies. We also have a killer excuse when people ask us to go grab a bite to eat and we’d rather stay home and watch Hulu.

But most importantly, Nick’s celiac diagnosis has forced us to be budget-conscious. We talk about our expenses and savings goals together and understand the importance of sticking to our budget. While I’ve always been a strict budgeter, understanding the heightened grocery bills and the need for emergency medical savings has helped Nick budget along with me.

Celiac doesn’t have to be a death sentence on your finances. Just budget wisely and, above all else, prioritize your health in your spending habits.

Timothy Moore is a market research editor and freelance writer covering topics on personal finance, careers, education, pet care and automotive. He has worked in the field since 2012 and has been featured on sites like The Penny Hoarder, Debt.com, Ladders, Glassdoor and The News Wheel.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.

The Penny Hoarder Promise: We provide accurate, reliable information. Here’s why you can trust us and how we make money.

My Partner Has Celiac Disease: Here’s What it Costs Us published first on https://justinbetreviews.tumblr.com/

0 notes