Instead of a “New You”, Let’s reNEW!
Healthy Gluten Free Living is Simple, Affordable, and Liberating! "New Year, New You", that’s the buzz this time of year when our attention turns to health and fitness. It makes sense. What better time to wipe the slate clean and start fresh than the beginning of a brand new year? Of course, here at GlutenFreeGigi.com, we promote healthy living on a gluten free diet year round! There is no magic start date, no potion or secret formula to get us there, and no unpleasant restriction to endure in the name of our good health. Healthy gluten free living is simple, affordable, and liberating! In this New Year, I’ll continue to show you how to make the most of living “free” all year long! My Simple Plan for ReNEWal Makes it Easy to Improve YOU! There is always room for improvement, but the idea of a “new you” is overwhelming to me - and a bit unrealistic. I doubt I’m the only one feeling this way. Perhaps that’s why most New Year’s resolutions are broken before the Valentine’s Day chocolates are gone! Attempting too many changes at once is a lot to handle, especially with busy schedules and ongoing daily responsibilities. So... I have a better idea! Let's abandon the tired, impractical approach of creating a "New You". Instead, let's talk about reNEWal! Let's take the wonderful YOU that already exists and simply and gradually renew YOU! Let's take the time to do it right and make improvements that will last! Isn't that a much more positive and realistic approach than pursuing a complete overhaul all at once?! Of course it is! That’s why all January long, our theme here at GlutenFreeGigi.com, will be reNEWal! And, of course, we'll be working with this idea throughout the year as I share my fantastic, transforming healthy gluten free living tips, recipes, and how-to’s with you! Let's get started! 5 Weeks of Life-Balancing ReNEWal Just for YOU! {Renewal ~ filling again by supplying what has been used up} Beginning today, each “A Side of Science” article in January will focus on reNEWal and improving our well-being! We all know it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day and forget to pay attention to simple but important things. Among the first things to go is our focus on what we’re eating and making sure we are nourishing ourselves properly. This can leave our energy stores depleted, our metabolism sluggish, and have us feeling out of balance in general. It can even make it difficult to stick to our special diet. Not eating right can make our busy lives feel even busier! Let's fix that! Let's refill what has been used up and get back to balanced! Then let's do the simple things we need to do to maintain that balance. Let's be the best we can be in this New Year! Here on my website, or in your Inbox, we'll be getting started along this path. For each of the next five Thursdays I’ll have new healthy insights and all-new health-promoting gluten free “Staple Recipes”! These “Staple Recipes” are the kind you'll want to turn to all year long! My Staple Recipes will also fit my Tuesday recipe and how-to video posts during the month. Each Tuesday recipe will feature a new nourishing dish for our ReNEWal plan! All month long I will have information and recipes you can use right away! Now on to this week’s exciting “A Side of Science”... Let's begin our month of reNEWal and be on our way to a great new year! Variety... the Spice of Our Gluten Free Life! The number one complaint I hear from new clients I help navigate the gluten free lifestyle is “I’m bored with food since going gluten free!” Ending up in a food rut is easy for anyone, but especially for those of us on a special diet for a food allergy, intolerance, or with a health issue like Celiac disease. Finding foods that fit our special diet, busy lifestyle, and personal taste can leave us eating the same foods day after day. Discovering my need for a gluten free lifestyle to regain my health led me to explore foods I may never have tried otherwise. I wanted to keep my new diet affordable, though. With research and trying new ideas using a variety of foods, I learned creativity is key when it comes to nutritious, affordable foods that keep us healthy, balanced, and satisfied. That creativity is exactly what I'm here to share with you! We'll be looking at how to make cooking at home easier (even with a busy schedule!), how to make the most of seasonal fruits and veggies, and how to use a little international flair to keep that much-needed variety in our mealtime! Variety in routine is important, too. As you renew, take time for you. Enjoy the process of revamping your diet and adding variety! We'll begin our health-promoting variety and reNEWal adventure with my secret that promotes a little “me” time, too! My Secret "Me" Time reNEWal Habit I Will Never Be Able to Break! I promised Staple Recipes you will use all year long. Here's the first! Of all the things I put in my body, ginger tea is the most simple and most healing. It is also my most frequently consumed! 
Buy small, young ginger root. It has a thin skin and is less fibrous, more tender than larger roots.
In fact, ginger tea leaves me feeling so renewed, it has become habit to reach for a cup when I'm feeling the slightest bit off, or even when I just need a little lift in my day. Find me and you'll likely find a cup of easy-to-make, fresh ginger tea. You might call it my #1 secret recipe for reNEWal! Ginger Tea 8 ounces boiling purified water 1 to 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger root (peeled) Thin slice of lemon, optional If you need sweetener, use pure organic honey or pure maple syrup or other natural sweetener of your choice, but try to keep sugar low. Add ginger to boiling water and allow it to steep for up to 5 minutes. Strain if you wish, or drink with ginger bits in tea (they are good for you!). Add lemon and/or sweetener of choice, if using. Sip away and find out exactly why this simple elixir is so healing... Ginger Tea ~ The Universal Tonic The benefits of ginger are nearly endless. Its healing effects are most often associated with settling an upset stomach, but ginger does so much more! Gingerols (the compounds that give ginger its pungent flavor) in ginger have powerful anti-inflammatory effects. Study after study shows rapid reduction of pain and inflammation in arthritis patients with minimal amounts of this healing root. Those same chemicals also slow the growth of certain types of cancer (colo-rectal and ovarian) cells in humans. Ginger also promotes immune health with its strong antioxidant effects, cleanses the system of toxins, and even promotes respiratory health, making it ideal for winter months when cold and flu germs are everywhere! This multi-purpose root also reduces cravings for sugary sweets... a huge plus right after all those holiday treats! Beginning to see why it is my go to drink for just about everything? What are you waiting for? Put that kettle on, grab a favorite book or magazine, and take pleasure in a healing cup of ginger tea! Drink and enjoy your ginger tea all year long! ~g~ Check out more of my gluten free recipes on my website. See how simple, affordable, and fun living gluten free can be! More Ways to Stay Connected! To receive posts like this with my new gluten free recipes right in your inbox each week, be sure to SIGN UP for my FREE E-LETTER! For questions or comments, send them to: mailbox (at) glutenfreegigi (dot) com. I’m enjoying all the reader email and will always respond. I’m also trying to answer your questions in How-To videos so everyone can benefit, so keep watching for YOUR question! Don’t forget to follow along on Twitter and "Like" my Facebook page too. I'm following what you're doing and sharing my adventures on Twitter and Facebook every day! Up Next on GlutenFreeGigi.com... Stop by on Sunday, New Year's Day, for a special toast to 2012! I'll share a fun recipe that you'll want to keep on hand for festive occasions all year long! On Tuesday, I have a much-requested how-to video and recipe for you! This simple, single-ingredient and nourishing recipe fits into our plan for ReNEWal and can save you money at the checkout! Remember, my mission here at GlutenFreeGigi.com is to share my experience and knowledge to help you navigate your gluten free life with ease and confidence! I’m glad we’re entering this New Year together, continuing the journey! xo, Gluten Free Gigi Don't Take My Word for It... Check My Sources! Mayo Clinic Wigler I., et al. (2003) The effects of Zintona EC (a ginger extract) on symptomatic gonarthritis. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. (11):783-9. Bode A. (2003) Ginger is an effective inhibitor of HCT116 human colorectal carcinoma in vivo. Paper presentation: Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research Conference, Phoenix, AZ, Ocbober 26, 2003. Ippoushi K, et al. (2003) [6]-Gingerol inhibits nitric oxide synthesis in activated J774.1 mouse macrophages and prevents peroxynitrite-induced oxidation and nitration reactions. Life Science. Comments12/30/2011 20:40
I like the idea of renewal - and this ginger tea. We have gotten into a food rut so I'm looking forward to your posts. Shannon, Karen 12/31/2011 09:39
Thanks so much for this promised info...am planning to do a bit of a detox in the new year, b/c of too many ingested sweets and resulting miserable mood. Good to know of ginger's sugar-craving-deterring qualities...will be drinking this tea *quite a bit*. Caron 01/06/2012 22:03
Today is the first I've gotten to read your mail. I have just started with the glutten free foods and it is very hard for me to comprehend it all. I have severe adrenal fatigue, my level is 3. So there's much more for me to work on than just glutten. I hope to make your encouragement help me in this new year. Thank you so much for caring!!! Caron, Your comment will be posted after it is approved. Leave a Reply |  
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