Three Generations of Gluten-Free!

I first launched GlutenFreeHelp.info as a gluten-free resource site to share the extensive research I collected over the many years while trying to diagnose my gluten-induced symptoms. What a ride it has been!

Before I knew it, this very website, GlutenFreeHelp.info, grew to become one of the most trusted websites for the gluten-free community. Within a short time, it was voted the #2 info site in the world!

A few years later, it became clear that I would not be able to run this all on my own. As my research continued, my interests broadened (due to personal reasons explained below in the MY VERY PERSONAL STORY section). This led to grain-free baking, paleo cooking, low-carb living, and even topics such as intermittent fasting and epigenetics. I was learning firsthand how much lifestyle affected my gut and how my diet could not help if my lifestyle was not balanced correctly for my biology, my living entity – this unique body of mine!

Soon I was learning tried-and-true anti-aging and nutritional strategies. I approached all these topics with mounting interest as I was feeling even better than BEFORE I was diagnosed with CD. These findings were quite fascinating to me.

It was inevitable that I would eventually need to ask for help from my (also diagnosed celiac) daughter Miranda, a gluten-free foodie herself. We discovered that we love working together, and the addition of my grandson, Brixton, only added to the fun! An active, totally precious boy with discriminating tastes, Brixton has been the official taste-tester of all children’s recipes for GlutenFreeHelp.info! He, too, has become quite the gluten-free cook and baker!

I encourage parents to keep an eye out for any signs of allergies or sensitivities while hopefully avoiding the “turning on” of any genes that could lead to the development of auto-immune disease issues. It is simply just a matter of being informed on the topic.

 My philosophy is simple: Caring for your family is caring for your future, and clean, wholesome food is the foundation of a happy, healthy family. We live in an age where we have ample information at our fingertips, making it easy to share with others. I am so grateful for everything I’ve learned over the years. My vision is to help others by sharing whatever knowledge and experiences I have seen, tried, or witnessed. Knowledge is power. What works for me may not work for you and vice versa, but you will be able to learn, make choices, and try what you think is best for you! In the process, you will be living your best life.

MY VERY PERSONAL STORY:

As stated above, I had a very personal-shocking eye-opening experience after a few years of knowing deep down in my heart that the gluten-free diet was not resolving many of my pains and digestive issues. I was and am an active Celiac Advocate, so I was in a bit of a pinch. I had also interviewed two different professionals on two radio shows who revealed this very same dilemma to me. We had an open discussion about this, so I addressed my physicians again regarding my continuing symptoms. I was soon after told that I had Refractory Celiac Disease. What the heck is that? In a nutshell, I was told that since I did not respond “well enough” to the gluten-free diet, they did not know what to do with me. Oh jeez! So off I went on my merry way with my looking glass to sort out my own life and health issues. My only other option was to be on drugs my whole life with some “mystery diagnosis” and no solution or cure.

I had already been a nutrition book and cookbook reviewer and was a recipe developer. A couple of books I had previously reviewed and tested out were 100% grain-free based, and after trying the recipes for a week, I felt pretty good. Some call it the Specific Carbohydrate Diet or the Grain Free Diet. With this new diagnosis, I decided to give it a go again, but this time for two weeks. After just two weeks of following it to a T, I was feeling so much better. A few weeks later, I tried my own version, mostly just off grains and legumes. I soon discovered it had a name, The Paleo Diet, which some say is man’s original diet. As time went on, my blood labs and improved health confirmed I had healed and had no inflammation. I cannot speak for everyone, but that basic dietary change, accompanied by finding out that I was severely dairy intolerant, changed my life. As a result, I launched another website to help those in need of an optional grain-free resource called PaleOmazing. This site has also won several recipe awards, been featured in magazines, and is quite popular among celiac or gluten-sensitive individuals and anyone in need of healthy options!

Over the years, much has evolved, and I have learned and worked with some inspiring MDs, NDs, Research Scientists, food companies, and professionals in the USA, EU, Asia, and Canada. I have three wonderful grown children who have CD journeys of their own. Miranda was not diagnosed until her late teens, and her oldest brother wasn’t diagnosed until his mid 20’s. My middle son, thank God, has the gene, but the CD gene has never turned on for him.

I have learned so much over the years, giving me the desire to share what I can, when I can, through this gluten-free site and my PaleOmazing website. These are my two platforms to reach out to people who come to learn or care to ask me.

I am very proud of what GlutenFreeHelp.info has grown to become. It is not just a website but a community in itself! It offers honest answers to those unresolved or embarrassing questions and those hard-to-find answers. It is a source to turn to for tell-it-like-it-is help and a place to go to for the nightly family dinner recipes (recipes that you do not have to be a professional chef to pull off)!

I invite you to be a part of my gluten-free family and look forward to connecting with all of you. Well wishes to your family, and bon appétit! -Tina