NBC Show: Parenthood generating interest into wheat allergies

Hyde Park Bar & Grill: GF menu options

Let's try a little exercise together. Pick up any random box, can item from your kitchen and turn it over to the nutrition label Now, skim all the way to the bottom section that reads, “ingredients.”

That's where the magic happens.

Ingredients label of a typical food panel.

Part of the gluten-free lifestyle involves tons of label-reading, so now that you're holding a nutrition label in front of you, look at the ingredients and check for wheat, barley or rye. If your food has that it's not considered gluten-free.

A lot of you out there may already know this, so for everyone out there, I'm going to share one local Austin eatery that is making GF tons easier.

Take a ride down Duval and within the Hyde Park neighborhood you will find a special little place with a giant fork out front: Hyde Park Bar & Grill.

This gourmet gem is fantastic for anyone on a GF or vegan diet because they specifically label and color code items on the menu for your needs. I know this may or may not sound important, but for anyone with a special allergy or diet need, it's menu gold!! Very rare!

Without having to ask the waiter or talk to any manager, there are now multiple GF options at your finger tips and you didn't even have to ask, “Does this have wheat in it?”

So, now that we've found a place featuring specifically GF foods, let me tell you a little bit about the food I tasted when I paid this little joint a visit.

Hyde Park Grill offers GF coded options on their menu.

After finding all the GF designated options on the menu I flipped back and forth between a couple choices. To start off, I got the Lentil Soup, also a vegan option, made with lentils, carrots, onions, tomatoes, basil, tarragon and garlic. I chose the cup size which is good if you have an enter coming after, but don't rely on it to fill you up alone. The traditional combination of ingredients was delicious and flavorful, but I would have like a bit more lentils in my cup. That's just me. I found myself having to spoon around to find the hidden bits. But, overall it was very tasty and not bad for $2.95.

For my entree I went with the Sweet Corn and Cheese Tamales, a GF and vegan option on the menu. Wasn't sure what to expect because the description said it had a mixture of cheese, carrots, corn combined with hot salsa. It caught my eye because of the unique sweet/spicy combo. When it came out, it had this beautiful plating of small tamale bite arraigned around the spicy salsa. It was surprisingly delicious! There was a subtle cheese flavor compliments the corn masa without overwhelming it, but is not too prominent for you cheese lovers out there! Throughout the tamale, there are whole sweet kernels mixed to surprise your every bite, which is a nice touch. Be warned the spicy salsa it comes with is no joke, it is spicy!! But, when combined with the tamale, it makes a great pairing for $5.95, I definitely recommend!

These two options definitely left me happy! Hyde Park Bar & Grill offers great food and helps makes your life easier by designating specific GF options on the menu.

Happy Celiac Awareness Day!

In honor of Celiac Awareness Day, I'd like to feature this great article I found about a local Pittsburgh pizzeria, Mandy's; who's breaking records to raise awareness about gluten-free living.

They baked and incredible 32" gluten-free pizza for a crowd of 300 people who suffer from Celiac disease and other food allergies.

If you're unfamiliar with Celiac Disease or gluten-free living, the first question you might ask yourself is what do those words mean?

So, in the true spirit of Celiac awareness day, I'm here to answer all your questions.

According to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, Celiac Disease is an autoimmune digestive disease that damages the villi of the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food.

This essentially creates a situation where the body attacks itself when the person eats any foods containing gluten.

Since people with Celiac suffer from this scary reaction, they have to be careful about what they eat in order to avoid harmful effects like malnourishment since their bodies cannot absorb nutrients into the bloodstream.

This means people with Celiac often have to substitute wheat, barley, or rye (which contains gluten) with other types of fours like rice, corn or tapioca.

It's so important that anyone thinking they might have Celiac get treated because otherwise, it can worsen into other autoimmune diseases, or lead to osteoporosis, thyroid disease or cancer.

The symptoms for Celiac widely vary, and sometimes there aren't any at all, but gluten intolerance covers a wide spectrum. Not all gluten-intolerant people have Celiac; some people only experience side effects from eating gluten without having the disease. Gluten intolerance symptoms can range from bloating or gas to weight loss and anemia.

Treatment for Celiac and gluten-intolerance requires a lifelong gluten-free diet which can be hard to adjust to at first, but with over 3 million Americans with Celiac; there are many resources out there.

In the spirit of Celiac awareness day, many members of the gluten-free community have shared their news, recipes and tips, check out these sites for great finds!

I suggest you try and get connected in a community of other GF-ers. You’ll be surprised to find how many resources and groups are out there on Twitter and Facebook. Usually if you get plugged in with one person, they can help get you in touch with someone else and so on. So don’t feel all alone in this, there are so many people out there who can pass along recipes and GF restaurants.

It’s unfortunate that every day there are more and more people becoming gluten-intolerant, but with that increase, there is more awareness into what Gluten-Free means and how Celiac relates to that.

So, if you have any tips for others you’d like to see on this blog, let’s stay together in this and share your thoughts, I’d love to hear what you all have to say!

If you want to get started with GF followers on Twitter, check out my profile: @melissaayala12 and I have a list of GF resources and other users you can check out!

udisglutenfree Udi's Gluten Free

95% of celiacs are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other conditions. RT to win! #CeliacAwareness

WholeFoods Whole Foods Market

Did you know we have our own separate, dedicated #GlutenFree Bakehouse? Take a look behind the scenes! 

CeliacAwareness Celiac Central

Our new blogger friend @CleaShannon reposted our 13 Ways to Celebrate #CeliacAwareness Day. The #GF community rocks!

stubbsbbqsauce Stubb's BBQ Sauce

Today is Nat'l Celiac Awareness Day! Luckily for those w/Celiac disease or gluten intolerance, all our products are gluten-free. :)

@ATXglutenfree: Thought this was handy! - Cook It Allergy Free iPhone App Back-to-School from @CookAllergyFree

Welcome to gFree!

gFree is a place where anyone can learn the in’s and out’s of gluten-free living through cooking how-to's, restaurant reviews featuring gluten-free items, and including local grocers who carry gluten-free products.

Gluten is a protein in grains including: wheat, barley and rye and also is sometimes chemically processed into foods that occasionally cause intolerance in certain people, forcing them to undergo a gluten-free diet, although, some people choose the gluten-free lifestyle because of its health benefits as a low-carb diet.

This year, I'm living with my younger sister who is gluten intolerant, and together we will take on the journey of eating gluten-free at home and around Austin, Texas. I'm going learn about the gluten-free lifestyle and share tips and tricks on how to stay healthy through this lifestyle.

I hope you all find this blog as a place where people within the gluten-free community can share their experiences and discoveries to each other.

Stay tuned ‘til next time and let's all go gluten free!