Mirage lip gloss is vegan, gluten free and non-toxic. Hard to believe that even today some cosmetic manufacturers still make lipstick and lip gloss containing toxic ingredients for you to ingest. For them, it’s all about the money. For us, it’s all about finding good cosmetic companies with our health as a top priority to use and enjoy.

I recently received some samples to review from Gwen at Mirage. The colors were Las Vegas and Malibu. What stands out instantly, I noticed, is the case. It has a button on the top of the cover to light up the brush when you apply. Great for dark clubs and cars. Also, a mirror on the side of the case – perfect!

I used them religiously for a week and I found both colors to have the same smooth feeling when I put them on my lips. They stayed on for a long time too! That’s important to me, and let me take a guess – ah, you too. Las Vegas was my favorite, pretty light pink shade. The Malibu, a nice natural color.  Mirage lip gloss is also good for your lips with organic shea butter to help promote healing.

The only thing that I see that could be seen as negative might be the price, but as we all know – if it is cheap, then so goes the product.  Check out the Mirage website and treat yourself to a great lip gloss that looks good on you, and good for your lips too!

Mary S.

GF Hub staff writer

At Tasterie, they’ve made it their mission to find CERTIFIED gluten free and allergen free food companies, pick the best products and then create a cornucopia of surprise in a box for you to safely enjoy. Subscribe to their service, and you’ll get a new box every month shipped to your door.

Check this out. You can try it out for:  $20 a signaturebox, $15 for the snackbox – free shipping.

Here’s what I got in my TasterieBox.

Fuji Apple Chips – Gluten free. Popped (dried) fruit chips with lots of flavor. My 14yr old wants more! His quote – for real, “Amazing”

Sweet Cranberry Granola – Gluten free. Big bag! This is just plain good! Crunchy and fresh tasting. We mixed it in with some plain greek yogurt, yum. Good to snack on alone too.

All-Natural Almond Butter – Peanut and gluten free. Sweet and creamy, I spread it on my warm cinnamon raisin toast. Then I did it again on a second slice. You know why.

Fancy Squares Chocolates – Gluten free. Surprisingly different. Initial taste is somewhat dry, but finishes with a burst of creamy chocolate goodness – I ate all of them myself. My wife said, “they’re just so-so”, but she doesn’t like me either! (just kidding)

Seed & Fruit Mix – Gluten free. I am eating these as I write this review. They are free of eight common allergens. Perfect snack for the kids lunch and for adults too. Nice balance of fruits, seeds and nuts.

Roasted Eggplant & Pepper Hummus – All natural and gluten free. So, I dip the organic falafel chip in and the two instantly become married with good taste. I have to admit, I love hummus. Believe me when I say, this is the real high-end stuff. Excellent. On the back label it says to try it with Pita bread – why not? It’s real good, probably good on my fingers too. I am not going to do it – so just chill out  :-)

Organic Falafel Chips – Gluten free. Just keep dipping these little babies in the hummus until they are all gone and you will be satisfied.

If your looking for a gift, snack and/or good tasting food ideas for yourself or an allergy sufferer that you know, then you will do well to browse the Tasterie website. They package for a variety of known allergies and label each product with their own Tasterie label, indicating that it is verified by the manufacturer to be free of the allergen(s) as marked. This level of protection is as good as it gets. Kudos to the Tasterie staff, very nice!

Bottom line here people:

Try a TasterieBox. If you don’t like the taste of what’s inside, then I think you need to see a doctor regarding your failing taste buds. In my opinion, Dr. Lama Rimawi and the Tasterie staff have created a cure for you.

Mark S.

GF Hub staff writer

Okay, that said, I have a new one that I would like to share with you that this writer received about a month ago. Now I realize that it would be easy to just give a good, mostly positive review to most of these products we receive here, in an effort to keep them coming in and everyone would be happy, right, (well the companies anyway) but that would be unfair to you as a reader, and that is not my style.

I want to tell you about Chunks of Energy. Michael Garfield-Wright the owner, recently sent me some of his samples. They are all 100% raw,vegan,organic and certified gluten free. I received Cacao with Goji Berry and Date Flax with Tumeric.

First, let me say that I thought, after I ate the Cacao with Goji Berry; taste – not bad. I ate another one – even better yet. I set them on the corner of my desk and I noticed that two days later the bag was empty – ALL GONE. So, I’m thinking to myself, hey these chunks are tasty. Eat more. Also, about an hour later, I am feeling good and more alert. Could this be true, a gluten free snack that tastes good AND gives me some extra energy? So… I move on to the Date Flax with Tumeric.  I like the taste of the Cacao with Goji Berry better. However, several days later they’re all gone and these are pretty good tasting too.

So what happens after that by now should be pretty obvious, right? I end up with two empty bags on my desk. Left there as a reminder, I need to do two things really soon:

1.  Write a blog post and let gluten sensitive people and everyone else for that matter, know about these ” chunks of (good tasting) energy.” Okay, that is now done.

2. Get some more of these for myself because I like them. I need them. Secretly addicted, could that be true? Not sure yet, but I am willing to pay for them, for sure.

Here is where to start if you are interested in maybe becoming addicted too! : )

www.chunksofenergy.com

Like what we wrote? Have more tips? Feel free to leave them in a comment below!

[Gluten-Free Hub is updated every Monday. Become a fan of Gluten-Free Hub on Facebook or follow us on Twitter!]

12% of the American population experiences those symptoms. That’s 36 million people. What many of those people don’t realize is that their migraine symptoms could be a result of Celiac Disease.

Neurologists at the Neurological Institute at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City have discovered an important update in the health world recently.

After surveying more than 700 people using a four-page questionnaire, Neurology resident Alexandra Dimitrova and her colleagues found that people suffering from Celiac Disease or other bowel issues are more likely to be plagued by migraines.

The survey detailed each person’s medical history, including lifestyle details and whether they had ever been diagnosed with Celiac or inflammatory bowel disease.

After eliminating those with tumors or head trauma, the group analyzed 502 individuals. “The yearlong study found that 188 people had celiac disease, 111 had inflammatory bowel disease and 25 were gluten-sensitive — meaning they had not tested positive for celiac disease but reported symptoms when they ate foods with wheat. The other 178 healthy individuals served as the control group.”

For more information, make sure to read WMBF News’ report from May 4.

Miley Cyrus has become a recent advocate for living a gluten-free lifestyle thanks to a gluten and lactose allergy. Recently under fire for her sudden weight loss, the young actress tweeted and responded to anorexia accusations by tweeting “For everyone calling me anorexic I have a gluten and lactose allergy. It’s not about weight it’s about health. Gluten is crapppp anyway!”

This news will probably come as comfort to parents struggling to help their child relate to a world that’s full of breads and cakes. Now it will be a little bit easier to fend off a case of the weepies with the sentence “If Miley can do it, so can you.”

Some articles, like the one from USA Today, reporting on Cyrus’s recent diet changes are predicting that teen girls all over the country will start questioning the gluten in their own diets thanks to the added weight loss benefit.

If your child is gluten-intolerant, make sure to explain to them that the main benefit of a gluten-free lifestyle is NOT weight loss. The benefit is being healthy and happy.

For parents struggling to explain why this new diet is important, try these three tips:

1. Use Visual Aids to Teach Your Child About Their Digestive System

Show your child a map of the human body and point out the organs affected by gluten. Show them visual differences between healthy and unhealthy bodies and then have them identify each so you know that they’re fully aware.

2. Practice Identifying Foods that Contain Gluten

Print out pictures of foods and meals that contain gluten and have your child identify which ones are ok to eat. Make the food items as easy as pizza and as confusing as gravy to make sure they understand.

3. Cook With Your Child

The more quality time you two spend in the kitchen, the easier it will be for them to not only understand their new diet but also appreciate all the great meals they can eat.

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[Gluten-Free Hub is updated every Monday. Become a fan of Gluten-Free Hub on Facebook or follow us on Twitter!]

1. Do your research

If you’re making pizza, find out what crust is the popular favorite. We enjoy Udi’s Gluten-Free pizza crust but perhaps you’d like to make your own. The sky is the limit.

Additionally, utilize tools like Pinterest. They’re a bevy of ideas and recipes.

2. Don’t settle

It might not taste identical but if you’re not pleased with the taste of the meal, continue to alter ingredients until you are. Maintaing a gluten-free lifestyle doesn’t mean forsaking taste. You can have it all!

3. Poll your family

A Gainesville Times article from 2011 explained that Mary Bohdan had learned to use crushed potato chips as breading for chicken nuggets. Her kids loved it.

Ask your family how they think recipes can be improved and then try them. At the worst it’s a great family experience. At the best, you’re left with a great meal.

4. Eat around the gluten

Instead of wheat-based spaghetti, try Thai noodles. Instead of chocolate cake, make flourless chocolate torte. Eat sushi instead of a sandwich. There are plenty of options to satisfy your cravings without endangering your body.

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Like what we wrote? Have more tips? Feel free to leave them in a comment below!

[Gluten-Free Hub is updated every Monday. Become a fan of Gluten-Free Hub on Facebook or follow us on Twitter!]

During the interview, he mentioned he had a favorite gluten-free recipe. In fact, it is his own Green Tea Macarons. They are his favorite and will be available in his cookbook that’s expected to publish at the end of April.

Green tea Macarons
1 ½ cup confectioner’s sugar
3 teaspoons green tea powder

1 cup almond meal

3 egg whites
1/3 cup granulated sugar

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together the confectioner’s sugar, green tea powder and almond meal. It will turn turn into little balls so Dominick recommends sifting the mixture and breaking the balls with a fork.

Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on high until foamy. Do not beat eggs in a plastic bowl because the eggs won’t mix together correctly and the recipe will not work.

Slowly beat in the granulated sugar with an electric mixer and keep beating until stiff and glossy. Add half of the almond flour mixture and fold it together until combined with a plastic spatula. Do the same with the other half.

Make sure that you have parchment paper on the baking sheet and that you have another sheet underneath the one with the parchment paper. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes or until a soft skin forms on top of the macarons. Pipe out the batter into 1 inch circles and bake for 10 minutes but stick a wooden spoon in the oven door to keep the oven a little open.

Let cool. Mix your favorite frosting with 1 teaspoon of green tea powder. Put frosting on one cookie and top it with another, forming a sandwich.

Makes about a dozen 1-inch cookies

[Gluten-Free Hub is updated every Monday. Become a fan of Gluten-Free Hub on Facebook or follow us on Twitter!]

Dominick, the site’s owner, covers a variety of topics but mostly relates to gluten-free recipes and lifestyle.We might not have given it a second glance until we decided for read the “About Us” page before heading off to gallivant in the Udi’s aisle of the supermarket.

We were surprised (re: delighted) to learn this blog is written and regularly updated by a 13-year-old boy named Dominick.

Dominick is quite an interesting kid: he has Celiac Disease, color blind, and heat sensitive. He was also born several blocks from where I’m writing this blog. He now lives on the west coast of the U.S. in cooler climates where he enjoys cell lessons and writing recipes for a gluten-free cookbook he plans to publish this month.

Dominick was kind enough to grant us a short interview.

I wanted to help people by letting them know that even though at first when they are diagnosed things may seem so terrible, it eventually gets better. I also wanted to share how I felt living with Celiac disease.

I haven’t actually seen any response to the blog yet, but I know people are reading it. I have had many verbal responses from people here in Seattle, about my book.

I’m in editing phase and working on the press release. Once I’m done I’m going to publish it which will take a few days. When I first started baking, I baked from a cookbook, and then I realized that I could develop my own recipes, and so that’s what I began to do.  My favorite recipe is either the Tres Leches Cake or Red Velvet Cupcakes. The book should be done sometime in April.

Some tips…. Well you always have to be positive and this doesn’t just have to do with Celiac but be positive and believe in yourself. My cookbook also has a story and it goes over the topic of coping. Here’s a quote I made up and live by: “In order to live the good life, you have to know who you are in life.”

That living with Celiac isn’t bad at all; there is actually some REALLY good food. For me it seemed like the worst thing ever but, well… now I’m writing a book!

Celiac Disease isn’t an allergy so you can’t die from having gluten but some bad stuff can happen depending on your symptoms. Gluten is in wheat, rye and barley. [Explain to them that] people with Celiac can’t have foods like bread. If you know what wheat rye and barley is and how they are used you can figure out if it has gluten. BUT always call the company of the food if you are not sure.

That’s a good question! If you mean anything gluten-free then, Milanesas, an Argentine meal which is breaded (gluten-free breadcrumbs, I use Ener-g ) cutlets with a fried egg on top and sometimes with homemade French Fries. If you mean something from my book, then green tea macarons.

My favorite thing to do…. Well, I’ve spent lots of time on my book but I enjoy playing my cello and other than that, hanging out with my friends.

My mom’s been able to set up important stuff like the press release and finding out tips about publishing a book. My dad’s been able to edit and take pictures of my pastries.

[Gluten-Free Hub is updated every Monday. Become a fan of Gluten-Free Hub on Facebook or follow us on Twitter!]

Let us preface that statement by saying that living a vegetarian AND gluten-free lifestyle is possible but only if you’re willing to make meals. If so, you’re in for a treat. There are plenty of blogs dedicated to exploring the idea of making this big dietary switch. We perused the blogs with the most traffic to bring you the list below of tips and words of cautions.

Tips:

Make Everything From Scratch -

For full-time Celiacs, this is an obvious suggestion. Many chain restaurants are incorporating gluten-free meals into their menus but unless the meals can be guaranteed, don’t trust them. Even kitchen staffs with the best intentions shouldn’t be trusted because they might not be aware of the severity of your symptoms or of proper protocol for handling your food appropriately. Throw an all-veggie diet into the mix and you’re bound to blow their minds.

Vegetarian and gluten-free meals don’t have to be boring salads. Look for blogs with recipes that look simple and try a few to start. We recommend Gluten-Free Goddess for her full list of favorite recipes.

Eat Naturally –

Find foods that are close to the source as possible. We’re talking vegetables and fruits in all forms. The benefits are two-fold: the less you do to your food, the more nutrients you consume and the closer your foods are to the source, the more likely that they’re naturally gluten-free. Learn to love roasted carrots mixed with vegetables of every color. Enjoy the taste of baked apples with a brown sugar sauce and you’re set for life.

Substitute Flax Seed for Eggs –

This is a coveted vegetarian tip: when a recipe calls for one egg simply grind one tablespoon of flax seed in a coffee grinder and whisk into three tablespoons of boiling water. Stir together until gelatinous. Double the recipe for each egg needed.

Buy at Your Local Green Market or Swap Shop –

Purchasing produce from your local green market will also be kinder on your wallet but the food is likely to be more fresh and have less preservatives.

Protein Sources –

Many Americans look to chicken for a natural protein source. Vegetarians can try tempeh, sea vegetables, quinoa, nuts, seeds, lentils and dark green veggies. Athletes can also add soy, hemp or pea protein powders to smoothies and shakes for an added boost.

Words of Caution:

Only Trust Plain Tofu –

Plain tofu is naturally gluten-free. Don’t trust Garden Burgers, meatless nuggets, or Tofurkey because they all use gluten-full ingredients as binding agents.

Watch Your Health Carefully –

Maintaining such a strict diet can lead to health consequences if you’re not careful. Popular complications include low oil intake (especially necessary for pregnant women), poor protein intake (necessary for bones, muscles, hair, and skin to name a few), and low amino acid intake (amino acids are responsible for mood-stabilizing chemicals).

Conclusion:

If you’re interested in following a vegetarian and gluten-free lifestyle, do your research first. The more knowledge you have, the more powerful and healthy you will be.