MY TINY WARDROBE BLOG & PRESS
Busy Mums with Coeliac Disease
I was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease in my early-20s and have a lived a gluten free life ever since. My childhood was riddled with intolerance symptoms, such as eczema, stomach aches, headaches, black circles under my eyes, extreme fatigue, brain fog and weight gain. My diagnosis came before ‘coeliac’ was very well known and before “gluten free” became a catch phrase. As such, the options of what to eat felt fairly limited. When you live a ‘convenience’ lifestyle, gluten free options are pretty few and far between. But over time, I realised that gluten free opened up a whole new fresh food world to me. My symptoms gradually began to heal, my energy increased, my weight normalised and my skin cleared.
I often hear my clients or my friends comment that being gluten free is “hard” or “frustrating” and very often that it’s “not fair”. To me, this is craziness talking! If I can avoid a migraine that lasts for 3 days, a stomach ache that can have me in tears or dark black circles under my eyes, I’m going to do it! Everyone seems to have different symptoms – maybe their hair falls, others get muscle aches, constipation, diarrhoea, bloating, awful gas (blame it on the kids), reflux, burping, itchy skin... the list is endless and you might even get all of these! How much better is life without all of these awful symptoms?
Yes, a gluten free life can be limiting for me and it means I need to be a little more prepared. I often look ahead to restaurant or café menus to make sure there will be an option I can have, or I keep snacks in my bag – I am an awful crazy-lady hungry!! I am always tearing out recipes from magazines and subscribe to lots of healthy eating blogs that send out a range of recipes to keep my meals varied and interesting. Just remember that just because something says ‘gluten-free’ doesn’t mean it is healthy! As with any packaged foods, they can often be filled with sugars, fillers and other nasties that you don’t want in your body.
So far my kids aren’t showing signs of coeliac disease, but with both my sisters being coeliac and a family history of gluten sensitivity, I remain on the lookout! Due to my own lifestyle, my kids often eat gluten free meals anyway, though I do not restrict gluten from their diets. To keep meals consistent (and not having to prepare a bunch of different meals at once!) this means serving rice instead of pasta, quinoa instead of oats and making gluten-free pancakes on the weekends. Being a coeliac can also be great in avoiding extra sweets when I make them a cake or some cookies – those glutenous grains make it easier to resist!
If you are only recently diagnosed as a Coeliac and finding it tough to adjust, do some experimenting. Research some recipes and purchase plenty of gluten-free products such as almond meal, coconut flour, gluten free muesli, fruits and veggies so you are sure you have plenty of alternatives available to you for all meals and snacks. One you find your favourites, you will find you can pretty much eat the same thing as before, just without the gluten.
Gluten free bread has improved greatly over the past 10 years and you can enjoy your gluten-free pizza, pasta, yoghurt, snack food, dips, sauces and marinades easily with an amazing range of products available. Being gluten-free is also a great opportunity to shift your diet back to fresh produce – fruits, veggies, herbs, spices, lean protein and grains such as quinoa, buckwheat and rice.
Don’t be scared – being gluten free does involve some extra preparation, just as it does for any busy mum – we all needs plenty of options on hand for these endless appetites.
Recipe – Mediterranean Beef & Vegetable Bake
I often bake a big batch of this as well as a batch of rice and stir it all through together with a couple of extra eggs for a delicious baked rice. The whole family love it and it’s so awesome to have dinner pre-cooked and ready to go in the fridge.
Ingredients:
1 spray Canola Oil spray
2 medium tomato, thinly sliced
2 whole zucchini, thinly sliced
400g lean beef mince
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 cup canned tomato puree
400g low fat ricotta cheese
1 egg yolk
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Fresh rosemary, chopped
Method:
- Preheat oven to 250C. Spray a baking tray with oil. Spread tomatoes and zucchini on tray and roast in oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat a large non stick fry pan over high heat. Add mince, onion and garlic. Cook, stirring to break up any lumps until meat is browned. Stir in tomato puree, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Spread mince mixture into a large, shallow baking dish. Top with tomatoes and zucchini. Reduce oven temperature to 180C.
- Combine ricotta, egg yolk, parmesan cheese and herbs in a medium bowl. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Spoon over vegetables and smooth.
- Bake in oven for 35-40 minutes. Cut into six portions and serve with green salad.
Recipe – Muesli
A great alternative to expensive store-bought varieties which are often packed with sugar.
Ingredients:
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup raw pecans
1 cup raw walnuts
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup raw sliced almonds
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 cup chopped medjool dates
1 cup raisins
Method:
- Soak nuts and seeds in warm water and a tablespoon of salt for 10-12hours
- Drain and spread onto a baking sheet
- Set oven temperature at 50C and dehydrate for 10-12hours
- Coarsely chop dehydrated nuts and place in a large bowl.
- Mix in shredded coconut, chopped nuts and raisins and combine well.
- Serve with almond milk, coconut milk or soy yoghurt.
- Store excess in an airtight container.
Lucinda Zammit – Brief Bio
Lucinda has been involved in the health and wellness arena for over 10 years. With a background in fitness and now as an accredited Nutritionist, she works with Nutrition clients from all backgrounds, is involved in course content writing, menu design, training and assessing and is also a regular contributor to women’s magazines.
Instagram: @lucindazammitnutritionist
Nutrition for Mums & Mums To Be
Being pregnant is a different experience for everyone. Some of us are racked with fear and worry, others find it a blissful journey. Sometimes we need to deal with trauma, work or relationship stress and bodily discomfort, whereas others have a comfortable, happy pregnancy. While everyone’s experience is different, our strategy to eating should be somewhat similar.
Special considerations aside, a healthy pregnancy will be enhanced by a balanced and nutritious diet. For anyone who has been pregnant, you will know this is not always an option! Personally, I am accustomed to eating a highly nutritious diet, rich in plant based foods and very low in artificial additives or sugars. Yet in my second pregnancy, I was revolted by most veggies, preferring melted cheese on toast, rice based dishes, pasta and breakfast cereal. I went off meat and couldn’t get enough sparkling water. I had a 6 week period where all I could think about was cake – these ‘needs’ felt out of my control! My body needed energy and craved these starchy foods, which I normally did not eat so many of. Don’t beat yourself up – listen to your body.
The best time to be healthy is in the time leading up to conception. Lay down good foundations, take care of your health through a diet rich in nutrients and a lifestyle rich in rest, physical activity and low in stress (easy right?) Take a good quality pre-natal vitamin (preferably a practitioner brand) and take care of yourself!
Once you fall pregnant, it is vital to continue these good quality nutrients in your diet as much as possible. Many of us don’t have cravings as such, perhaps simply aversions, or possibly nothing at all. Either way, if your Caramello Koala cravings are epic, try and pre-face them with a nice balanced meal – think whole grains, fresh fruit and vegetables, legumes, lean meats and lots of water. Your little one will thank you! It is normal to feel hungrier than usual, so try to accommodate this in your food preparation. This will help for you to stay on track and avoid too many excess goodies.
A new mum, whether breastfeeding or not, still needs to take care of herself. Most likely you will be experiencing less sleep, more worry, heightened emotions and sometimes a strange feeling of displacement or mourning for your old life, along with the various heights of joy and happiness that come with snuggling your little one (mmm how good to babies smell?!). Whatever your situation, continue to consider your health. Take the time, wherever you can, to cater for fresh food options, rich in nutrients, similar to what you would consider pre-conception and during pregnancy. Pre-preparing meals and freezing them is great if you have found the time. Otherwise, take advantage of others offers to help and have friends help to fill your freezer. Take advantage of supermarket home delivery services and research some ‘one-pot’ recipes online.
Healthful treats are a great inclusion in your diet at any time, but especially if you are experiencing sugar cravings. Try to make some homemade snacks to have on hand so you can reach for those rather than the sugary variety. Here is one of my favourite snack recipes - try it and you will love it and all the health benefits:
Raw Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
* 75g virgin coconut oil
* 1-2 tbsp rice malt syrup
* 1 vanilla pod, seeds only or dash of vanilla essence
* 50-100g raw cacao powder (depending how rich you like it!)
* A little coconut water, if needed, for blending
Method
Place all ingredients into blender, food processor or Nutribullet and pulse to combine, wiping down sides if required.
Serve on its own or with fresh fruit or shredded coconut.
Supporting women and other mum’s in their business and busy lives is a big part of what I do. As a mum of girls, sharing, supporting and empowering the journey of others is an important part of what we try and teach our children. Contributing to My Tiny Wardrobe is just one way to show support of all those mums working hard every day to look after their families.
Lucinda has been involved in the health and wellness arena for over 10 years. With a background in fitness and now as an accredited Nutritionist, she holds an Advanced Diploma of Nutritional Medicine, a Cert IV in Fitness, a Cert IV TAE and a Bachelor of Arts. Lucinda works with Nutrition clients from all backgrounds, is involved in course content writing, menu design, training and assessing and is also a regular contributor to women’s magazines.
www.lucindazammit.com.au @lucindazammitnutritionist Email: lucinda@lucindazammit.com.au
