A Real Man Knows How to Cook!

Granted I'm biased, but I sure love how Ryan whips up flavorful meals for us. We have different tastes when it comes to smoothies, but for food overall he's quite talented. These are gluten-free noodles made especially for me. Thanks, Ry. 

I've already admitted my lack of kitchen skills, and feel fortunate to have a husband who enjoys the cooking process. And that's not all; I frequently catch him watching cooking shows to improve his techniques.

Lucky, lucky me.

Just look at that Parmesan concentration. 

Sweet victory: 7 tips to give up sugar

Birthday cake. Sugary cereals. Easter candy. Sugar is popular, playing a prominent cultural and social role as a form of celebration, a reward system and as an everyday sweetness fix. With recent research showing the toxic and addicting effects, some are declaring independence from sugar.

Once known for her cakes and pies, Bountiful resident Rhiannon Lawrence learned in 2009 she was gluten intolerant and pre-diabetic. Out of necessity, she embraced a new way of thinking about baking and cooking.

After experimenting with recipes for years, she shared what she found by writing the book "Eat free: No Gluten. No Sugar. No Guilt." Lawrence works with several non-profit organizations and is an advocate for health and nutrition.

Another advocate for avoiding sugar — Paul Stout of Kaysville, Utah — used to get headaches every day. A decade ago when he won a week's worth of milkshakes, he noticed the direct correlation between sugar and his pain. It's been 10 years since Stout gave up sugar, and he hasn't looked back.

"I tell everyone, and it's true: I feel better today at 53 than I did at 43, when I was still eating sugar," Stout said.

Lawrence and Stout offer tips for those who want to cut sugar from their diet:

Read the 7 tips in my KSL.com article by clicking here

No pity needed for gluten-free eaters

I'm a gluten-free gal. Anything with wheat flour is on my no-no list, unless I want serious intestinal retaliation. Yes, that means I avoid breads, pastas, pizza, cookies and even sneaky gluten-hiding foods like licorice and barbecue sauce.

Read my full story on Deseret News online by clicking here, or continue below.

According to Celiac.com, at least 3 million Americans, or about one in 133 people, have celiac disease, so I’m not alone in the food-navigation process.

In my workplace, often co-workers bring in platters of baked goods to share. They make their way through the cubicles, generously offering treats, and pass by me with a slightly ashamed whisper: "Sorry!"

No pity needed, folks. I've said it many times, though perhaps it's hard for gluten-eaters to accept: I am glad to be free of gluten.

Not only am I protected from stomach aches, I also don't eat most junk foods — simply because I can't.

Also, since I learned of my gluten-intolerance four years ago, I’ve enjoyed palate experimenting and discovering “safe” new tastes like Thai food.

With so many new companies now recognizing the food allergy market, it’s only getting easier to be gluten-free. For example, ordering a gluten-free topper on my wedding cake a couple years ago was no big deal.

Many others like me have found the gluten-free lifestyle to be a healthy, happy way to live.

“It’s not as hard as it seems. Now it’s easy with all the gluten-free products out there,” said Bethany Hilton, who created the blog Gluten Free in Utah after she became gluten-intolerant in 2006 to “help others who are living (or should be living) a gluten-free lifestyle.”

“It’s worth it because I feel so much better,” Hilton said.

For those who recently learned they are gluten-intolerant or have celiac disease, Hilton gives words of assurance.

“Figure out what works for you — everyone has their own gluten-free style. Know that you don’t have to spend a ton of money to be gluten-free, and yes, food can still be good.”

Gluten-free eaters like Hilton and I are finding an increasing number of local specialty restaurants and customized options on menus. Websites like The Urban Spoon share handy lists of Salt Lake restaurants that are gluten-free-friendly.

Eleanor’s Bake Shop, located at 9495 S. 560 West, Building D, in Sandy, offers an exclusively gluten-free menu with options ranging from specialty cakes to sweet rolls to brownies.

A family-owned bakery, it’s named after Grandma Eleanor, who “lovingly passed (celiac disease) on through the gene pool” to the family who “opened up shop to share (their) love of gluten-free food.”

“There are a lot of options for those who are gluten-free,” said Treasa Stewart, Eleanor’s granddaughter and part-owner of the bake shop. “I eat better than I used to eat, with more fruits and vegetables. I feel better mentally and physically, just all-around better health.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself. Yep, gluten-free works for me.

6 Months Without Sugar

That's right. Tomorrow marks six months without sweets...I did it!

On 4th of July 2011 I decided to declare my independence from sugar. I realized I'd become more dependent on the sweet stuff than I wanted to be. Since I'm already practiced in self-restraint as a gluten-free girl, I figured waiting until my birthday (Jan 4) would be a worthy challenge.

The first week was the hardest - I'd crave chocolate like mad woman, my previous downfall. I've only made it these six months by finding healthy substitutes - fruit smoothies save my life. That's one way to recharge your taste buds; take out the artificial stuff, and the natural sugars in fruit suddenly become more sweet.

Ryan says I oughta keep it up forever, (while he's eating his personal ice-cream carton in front of me) although I think I'm just going to be more selective in what sweets I eat from now on. Keep them rare. Tomorrow: birthday SHERBET!

p.s. As an almost-birthday girl request, will you please join our blog? I can see many of you often come back for more Our Beck Treks, and your follow would be a most appreciated gift. :) Just click on "Join this Site" on the right side of the screen. Many thanks.

p.s.s. Did you notice the new sections I added yesterday? One's called "Best of Treks."

Our Family is 1/2 Gluten-Free

Yes, that half would be me, Crystalee. Ryan is the bread-addicted side of this marriage. (We almost always have at least two loaves in the fridge just for him!) Ryan's a great husband, always looking out for me and he's quite an efficient ingredient-checker on labels. He's good to me.

We're a small family now, but someday when we have kidlets there is a 50% possibility in the gene pool that they'll also be gluten-intolerant like me. Many of you know this, but over 3 years ago I started having serious digestion issues and after months of testing options, discovered that wheat flour is a no-no for me. I'm fortunate to have family on both sides who also live gluten-free, and they helped me in the initial shock to realize that there are still many wonderful options. (Turns out that both of my parents have symptoms of gluten-intolerance, while all 3 of us biological sisters do.)

Now I'm quite proud to be a gluten-free girl. It's redefined how I look at food, and how carefully I pay attention to how my body feels. I'm more in touch with myself and more health-conscience than I would have been otherwise. I'm protected from eating a lot of junk food. Although a few years ago my bread-addicted self would have never said this, I've found it's really not hard to live without the typical pizza, bread, pasta, bagels and crackers.

It's all about finding substitutes. Instead of regular pizza, I make corn tortilla pizzas. Instead of bread for a sandwich, I eat lettuce wraps (mmm!) Rather than previous favs, gluten-filled Goldfish crackers, I bust out gluten-free pretzels and I'm a happy camper. Someday when we have kids, I'll pay close attention to how they react to food. Luckily, we're living in a time when gluten-free living is becoming more and more accepted. We've found GF menus at restaurants (although beware of Olive Garden, it's just not safe there), and almost every regular grocery store has a little section of GF selections. There are also lots of great resources out there to help me know that I'm one of many GF ladies out there!

Are you gluten-free? Let me know and we'll share in the journey.