Gluten-Free Novak Djokovic Wins Wimbledon!

On July 3rd, 2011, Novak Djokovic made history by winning the 125th Wimbledon mens singles title, underlining his new status as the world's top tennis player. Becoming the No. 1 player in the world is an outstanding accomplishment, especially for Djokovic, who is playing in one of the most competitive eras in men’s tennis.

And if you haven't heard Novak Djokovic attributes his sky-rocketing success this year to living gluten-free! His streak of wins during 2011 is being credited to his nutritionist’s determination last year that he was allergic to gluten. Last year, Djokovic's nutritionist discovered that Djokovic is allergic to gluten, the protein found in common flours. Djokovic banished it from his diet and now says he now feels much better on the court.

A gluten-free diet can have implications far beyond the physical, especially in tennis, which taxes the mind like few other sports. The season is 11 months long, matches are grueling and can last for hours, and the slightest dip in a player's confidence can derail months of hard work. There's never anyone else to blame for a match gone awry. And living in a "gluten fog" - like so many of us have experienced, can't help the mental game.

Whether Djokovic's recent winning streak is truly due to eliminating gluten, increased confidence in his performance, or a combination of both, it is exciting to watch him play and win. Having a champion athlete like Djokovic helps increase awareness of gluten allergies and the benefits that a gluten free diet can provide and that is always exciting!

To learn more about Novak Djokovic check out his website here.

posted by Allergy Free and Cheap Like Me! at 2:09 PM 0 comments

1 in 1 33: It's a BIG DEAL!

On May 4th in Washington, D.C. leading members of the gluten free community will host Capital Hill legislators, noted celiac disease researchers, gluten free community leaders and food corporations in the first Gluten Free Food Labeling Summit. 1 in 133 is a day when all can come together and drive home the importance of establishing standards for gluten free labeling in the U.S. Coinciding with the newly recognized National Celiac Awareness Month-May, the event will feature the creation of the world's largest gluten free cake, symbolizing the big deal that clear, accurate, and reliable labeling plays in the lives of people dependent on proper labeling for their health. 

Under a 2004 law, Congress gave The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) until 2008 to define gluten free and establish labeling guidelines. Three years later, the deadline has come and gone, yet other countries such as Australia, Argentina and Canada have passed gluten free labeling laws; in the U.S. we failed to implement an enforceable standard. This means companies can apply the world "gluten free" to their packaging without having to meet a standard, so it can mean anything. To the millions of Americans who eat gluten free food, this inaction is a BIG DEAL. 

The 1 in 133 event was born out of the frustration of Jules Shepard, noted gluten free author, baking expert, and celiac community advocate, and John Forberger, a winning gluten free triathlete and active blogger, to draw attention to this inaction by the FDA and push the FDA into action. 

The evening reception and pre-event cake construction are open to the public; for more information go to 1in133.org. If you are unable to attend the event in Washington, D.C., then show your support for gluten labeling laws by signing a petition at 1in133.org. 

Together we can make a BIG difference!

posted by Allergy Free and Cheap Like Me! at 3:02 PM 0 comments

Cashless Man

"Cashless Man" – Lives without Money for a Year!

Here is a great blog post I ran across the other day. It is about a man named Mark Boyle who lives without money. He decided to give up money for a year. I like the way this guy thinks. His message of connecting with what we consume is key to changing our ways in every aspect of our lives. It’s refreshing and inspiring to read about what he has given up and how it has affected his life. Please take a quick minute to read about him and his experiences.

This is a link to his original blog post.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/green-living-blog/2009/oct/28/live-without-money

Also here is a link to his blog post responding to a few comments he received from his first post. Very interesting!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/green-living-blog/2009/nov/02/cashless-man-responds

I will end with my favorite quote from his response blog post. "Paul McCartney once said: "If slaughterhouses had glass walls, we'd all be vegetarians". Well, if people could see the state of war-torn Iraq, we'd all be cyclists." -Mark Boyle.

What do you think about what he is doing?  Do you agree? Disagree? Please comment below!

Mark Boyle is the founder of the Freeconomy Community. http://www.justfortheloveofit.org/

posted by Allergy Free and Cheap Like Me! at 5:30 PM 0 comments

Fast Food Nation's Eric Schlosser!

I recently had the opportunity to see Eric Schlosser speak at University of Alaska Fairbanks.  For those of you who do not know who Eric Schlosser is he is the author of the bestselling book, Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the America Meal.  He also co-produced the documentary Food, Inc and the acclaimed film There Will Be Blood. As an investigative journalist and author, he has made a name for himself by giving a voice to the voiceless in modern society, addressing such issues as the black market industries of drugs and prostitution, exploitation of vulnerable workers and most recently the U.S. prison system.

After seeing Food, Inc. I thought I was already aware of all the horrors of the food industry. Surprise, I don’t and during his lecture I learned much, much more!  He talked a bit about the environmental movement that started 40 years ago with the first Earth Day. Some of the background and history I found fascinating, as well as some background about the food industry in the same time period. Did you know that in 1970 when the first Earth day was celebrated there were over 1,000 meatpacking plants, currently there are only a handful of plants. Why the change? In two words, FACTORY FARMS. The meat industry has moved these packing plants to be closer to the GIANT factory farms they have created, causing the closing down of most local packing plants. The EPA has said the run off from these giant factory farms pollute our waterways more than all other industrial sources combined!  Some more food for thought, one hamburger you buy at a fast food restaurant can contain meat from 100’s of different cows. Yep that’s right 100’s. I won’t even go into the feces contamination factor in these factory farms that not only show up in the burgers we eat but in our environment and waterways as well.     

During his talk he not only shared some pretty eye opening statistics about the food industry as a whole but also about Alaska and Fairbanks. For example Alaska has the highest obesity rate in the United States!  This fact alone is staggering, considering the population density of Alaska compared to other states! 95% of all food we eat in Alaska is shipped up from the lower 48 through Anchorage. To go a step further if Fairbanks somehow got cut off from the rest of the United States or Anchorage within three days all the fresh produce would be gone from our local grocery stores!

His lecture reiterated, in my mind at least, that this is not only a fight for better health, or better quality of food, but it is also a social fight, a fight for the fair treatment of workers in the United States and internationally. Jobs in the meat packing industry are one of the lowest paying jobs in the United States and according to Human Rights Watch is “the most dangerous factory job in America.” This really made me take a deeper look at where my food is coming from and the consequences of what I eat.

If you haven’t read Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of The American Meal or seen Food, Inc. I highly recommend them both. Everyone needs to be aware of where their food is coming from and what is in their food. If you ever get the chance to go see Eric Schlosser speak in person, do, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed and I am positive you will learn a thing or two about your food you were not aware of.

posted by Allergy Free and Cheap Like Me! at 10:05 PM 0 comments