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Celiac.com 12/25/2020 - In Spring 2006, Journal of Gluten Sensitivity Newsletter published an article titled “To HAIT And Back” about my encounter with gluten-induced autoimmune thyroiditis. At the time I wrote that piece, I was confident that the elimination of gluten and proper level of thyroid hormone supplementation had me on a track back to full health. However, little did I know that my illness consisted of two syndromes. Every gluten-induced illness, no matter which of the body’s systems it affects, is accompanied by some degree of intestinal destruction. This is true even in cases of “silent” gluten intolerance/ celiac disease, where there are no obvious digestive symptoms. In fact, my health problems were layered: in addition to thyroid destruction, I also had significant, silent intestinal destruction. In addition to the autoimmune thyroid issue, a second issue of malnutrition had to be corrected before my health would return to a truly high level. As 2005 drew to a close, I realized that, although I was feeling generally much better, my health was not perfect. I was willing, at that point, to attribute this to what Ridha Arem M.D had said in his book, Thyroid Solution: a return to the euthyroid state may not immediately eliminate all symptoms. For that reason, I used a small dose of Mirtazapine to help me feel better. I was able to maintain a fairly level state into spring 2006. By late spring 2006, however, my sleep had begun to deteriorate again in spite of the assistance provided by Mirtazapine and other prescription drugs. In May, I tried acupuncture a few times, and bought a light-box, but still could not get relief. By the time summer rolled around, I was back in the office of the naturopath who had originally convinced me to go gluten-free in June, 2003 due to gliadin antibodies. An adrenal test showed that my adrenal function had gone down to almost nothing. A continual downward trend in adrenal function was shown by tests in 2002, 2004, and 2006. The naturopath contended that I needed to go back on Cortef (hydrocortisone) and DHEA to prop up my adrenals. But that did not provide much symptom relief. By September, I was feeling really bad. The naturopath and her assistant decided that I should be tested for heavy metals. The test came back positive: significantly elevated level of lead, and somewhat elevated level of mercury. Shortly thereafter, I started chelation therapy with the chelating agent DMSA. This continued for eleven 2-week rounds, into Feb. 2007. Although I had periods where the chelation seemed to be making me feel better, the result was not as successful as I expected. Three months after the chelation ended, a follow-up test (non-provoked) showed an undetectable lead level, so it seems unlikely that I have a large amount of lead stored in bone. In spring 2007 I was back in my thyroid doctor’s office, and we discussed other treatment alternatives. Who in the area was likely to come up with new avenues of investigation? The result was a referral to see a “holistic” M.D. in March 2007. Improvement thereafter was rapid. On my second visit to the “holistic” M.D., he recommended that I do a urine test for the stress disorder pyroluria. The results came back positive, although not strongly so. He recommended starting treatment anyway, with a high-dose vitamin and mineral preparation. This preparation contains vitamins B6/P5P, niacin, and pantothenic acid, along with zinc, manganese, and magnesium. I was skeptical, but had no serious objection to trying something that was highly unlikely to be toxic. The result was that I felt almost completely well within three weeks. However, I started feeling worse after about five weeks. Because of my long experience with drugs, I suspected that the very high dose of “pyroluria formula” I was taking might be too high. Cutting back the dose brought me to a state in which I felt clear, calm, collected, and slept well. Because my read-out on the pyroluria test was in the gray zone between no diagnosis and firm diagnosis, it seems sensible that I would not require a mega-dose. I was later to determine that my negative response to large amounts of the preparation was probably due to the high levels of pantothenic acid it contains, and eventually began supplementing the formula with plain B-6 and zinc. To augment my treatment by the “holistic” M.D., I shortly thereafter began seeing a Certified Nutritionist he recommended. On the very first visit, the CN looked over my case history and made a couple recommendations. The first was to add a supplement regimen designed to heal gluten enteropathy. That regimen included large doses of ground flax-seed, Metagenics’ Glutagenics (glutamine/licorice/aloe), probiotics, and minerals. The second recommendation was to do a trial elimination of dairy products, based on her previous observation that people with gluten enteropathy, often cannot digest dairy foods. Going dairy-free turned out to be a positive step. Within a few weeks, I noted that my digestion was working much better. Based on this result, I was ready to follow more of the CN’s advice. At our second visit, she recommended changes to my supplementation plan. She also noted that I am one of a few patients she and the “holistic” M.D. are monitoring to see if pyroluria improves with intestinal healing. The theory is that, when “pyroluria” is actually due to intestinal damage, the pyroluria will recede if the intestine can be healed. These recommendations proved to be good ones. Within about six months, I noticed that I could skip supplement doses without negative effects. I also noticed that my previous sensitivity to dairy foods had disappeared. By the end of 2007, I was finally able to reach the correct, therapeutic dose of thyroxine that would give me a TSH just above 1.0. This ended 17 years of hypothyroidism. Today, I religiously take 118mcg of T4 each night between bedtime and arising. For me, thyroxine acts almost as a sleeping pill. And as before, I am religiously avoiding all traces of gluten grains in my diet, as I have for more than 4 years. This latter bout of illness has taught me an interesting medical fact that I hope I’ll never have to use again: the (relatively) inexpensive test for pyroluria, is an excellent way to diagnose malnutrition caused by destruction of the intestine. Summary In retrospect, the most important things I learned from this last 2 years of illness, on top of the previous 15 years, were: Every gluten-induced illness is going to be accompanied by some degree of intestinal destruction. If you have gluten problems but no obvious digestive symptoms, you probably have the silent form of gluten intolerance/celiac. It is possible to heal gluten-induced destruction, but it can take a very long time. And, you probably cannot do it yourself; you will need a RD or CN who is knowledgeable about gluten-induced destruction, to help you along. Most M.D’s don’t know how to diagnose malnutrition. In fact, most of them are completely unaware of pyroluria. However, the pyroluria test appears to be a fairly reliable way of diagnosing intestinal destruction leading to malnutrition. Of course, genetic pyroluria is a real disorder, but the utility of the test as a diagnostic tool for intestinal destruction, in people who do not have a past history of genetic pyroluria, cannot be denied. The co-existence of HAIT and “pyroluria” (malnutrition) in my case, suggests a hypothesis as to why “Hashimoto’s Anxiety Syndrome”/”Hashimoto’s Encephalopathy” occurs in some people, but not others. Obviously, HAIT by itself causes some anxiety, since ridding myself of HAIT antibodies reduced anxiety related to administration of thyroid hormone. It seems a reasonable hypothesis that any of several biochemical syndromes that are known to cause anxiety, could add anxiety to that caused by HAIT, greatly amplifying overall anxiety. Among the many symptoms of “pyroluria” (in my case, malnutrition), whose functional deficiency of B6 and zinc disproportionately affects the neurological system, are anxiety and atypical/unusual reaction to drugs and hormones. It is known that high oxidative stress can create food allergies (per William Walsh PhD of the Pfeiffer Treatment Center). Since pyroluria (i.e. malnutrition) causes oxidative stress, it is a (unproven at this point) theory that my food allergies may have been worsened by co-existing malnutrition.

I've been trying to will the coming of warm springtime weather by baking foods I'll want on my next picnic. No matter that my kids and I eat them on a tablecloth spread out on the living room floor ... our hearts are in the great outdoors! Whether you're picnicing indoors or out, these filling snack bars will be a treat everyone will enjoy. Using a hodgepodge mix of dried fruits I have had on hand, I have made this recipe several times with differing ingredients. Feel free to substitute with whatever dried fruits and or nuts you have on hand -- the base recipe remains the same -- although I recommend at least using figs in this recipe, as they are high in fiber and minerals like potassium, calcium and iron, and their crunchy sweetness is unmistakable throughout. Be sure to let the bars cool before you cut them, and if you have any extra crumbs left behind from cutting the bars, save them to sprinkle on top of yogurt or use as a granola-like breakfast cereal with milk. Any way you prefer, these nutritious gluten and dairy-free bars are sure to be a hit! Ingredients: 1 cup butter or non-dairy alternative like Earth Balance Buttery Sticks or Shortening Sticks (room temperature) 1 cup light brown sugar 1/3 cup granulated cane sugar 2 large eggs 2 tsp. gluten-free vanilla extract ½ tsp. gluten-free almond extract ½ tsp. salt ¾ tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 2 cups Jules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour™ * 2 Tbs. flaxseed meal 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts 1 cup dried tart cherries or cranberries 1 cup chopped dried figs ½ cup golden raisins or dried blueberries ½ cup chopped dried dates, apricots, or other dried fruit (optional) Directions: (*Note - This recipe calls for Jules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour™ which may be made at home according to directions found in my books, Nearly Normal Cooking for Gluten-Free Eating and The First Year: Celiac Disease and Living Gluten-Free, as well as in various media links on my website. It produces amazing results in all your gluten-free baking!) Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare a jelly roll pan (approximately 15" x 10") or cookie sheet with raised edges by wrapping foil over the top of the pan and greasing the foil-wrapped pan with cooking spray, shortening or butter. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening with the sugars, beating until the dough is light and fluffy. Gradually add in the vanilla and almond extracts and eggs. In a separate bowl, whisk together the Jules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour™, baking soda, flax seed meal, cinnamon and salt. Slowly beat this dry mixture into the first large bowl, mixing until incorporated. Chop the dried fruit and nuts and stir into the dough. Spread the thick dough evenly across the prepared pan and bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until lightly browned on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool fully before cutting or removing. Cut horizontally and vertically (like a window pane) to form brownie-sized bars and remove carefully to a plate. Enjoy!

Celiac.com 12/06/2019 - Super-influencer, celebrity and talk-show maven Oprah Winfrey is nearly two-weeks into a 30-day challenge to eat one 'plant-based meal' per day. Oprah is taking on a challenge posed by One Meal A Day, a book written by James Cameron's fifth and current wife Suzy Amis. She shared the story of how "we created this pancake because a friend of mine, Larry Gordon...has celiac disease," which means eating gluten-free. Gordon is a producer, known for his films including Field Of Dreams, Die Hard, Predator and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. Winfrey explained on Insta Stories that "this is a gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free pancake, made with gluten-free flour, no eggs and no milk, but banana and flaxseed and a little bit of Earth Balance to hold it together." The talk show maven calls it "the best pancake I’ve ever had...We’re naming it the Larry Gordon pancake." Look for the recipe in Oprah's O Magazine. In case you can't wait for the next issue of O Magazine, for the Larry Gordon pancake, here's a recipe for chef Gordon Ramsey's Gluten-Free Pancakes. For buckwheat lovers, here's a recipe for chef Gordon Ramsey's Gluten-Free Buckwheat Pancakes.

Celiac.com 09/20/2019 - Our latest piece of celebrity gluten-free news is a riff on that old saw: No good deed goes unpunished. Good Place actress Jameela Jamil has celiac disease. Since she also has trouble digesting dairy, she avoids that as well. So, it's gluten-free and dairy-free food only for Ms. Jamil, thank you very much. The fact that Jamil is wheat and dairy-free remained entirely uncontroversial, until she decided to kindly share the recipe for her very favorite gluten-free berry crumble via Instagram. Jamil had originally given the recipe to UK’s Stylist magazine. Follow Jamil, and read the post on Instagram. In the post, Jamil wrote that the crumble was “gluten free and dairy free with vegan vanilla ice cream [and] makes for a delicious desert [sic]. Yummmmm.” You'd think that would be the end of it, except for praise and thanks from grateful gluten-free eaters, but no. Never content with allowing nice things to happen on the internet, the trolls arrived in force to accuse Jamil of promoting "diet culture." By touting the gluten-free, dairy-free status of her crumble, Jamil was advocating that diet as a lifestyle, cried the trolls. Fortunately, Jamil knew exactly how to dispatch the troll brigades, and she quickly set them straight with the facts. “UMMMM some of you think this is promoting diet culture?! guys I’m coeliac. Have been since I was a kid. South Asians often can’t digest dairy very well plus it’s more environmentally friendly, which I try to be when I can… So I use substitutions. And don’t be fooled that gluten and dairy free = less calories or fat. It doesn’t. It just makes it allergen free for people with those allergies. It’s MY recipe for me after all.” She turned everything around with a laugh. “AS IF I would promote any diet. You guys make me laugh sometimes!” We hope she was nibbling at her delish dessert as she handled the situation like a boss. May the force of the celiac nation be with you Ms. Jamil! Get Jamil's troll-crushing recipe for gluten-free berry crumble at Stylist.co.uk

Celiac.com 01/16/2019 - Sales data from the EU show sales of free-from products rising steadily through 2017, in both Western and Eastern Europe. Euromonitor International reveals that total “free-from” food sales in those regions rose 11.7% and 8.7% respectively. Makers of free-from food products have typically targeted consumers suffering from dietary intolerances, and gluten intolerances. Indeed, dairy- and gluten-free foods led the 2017 growth figures, rising about 13% each, according to Euromonitor. Interestingly, though demand for free-from foods is expanding into new markets, Euromonitor’s 2017 data shows that most new consumers of free-from products do not suffer from a medical condition or food intolerance that requires specialized food. Rather, new consumers are overwhelmingly free from food allergies or intolerances. Meanwhile, even though growth in the allergen-free category, in general, stood at an anemic 1.3% in the combined region, the growth rate in the less developed markets of Eastern Europe stood out at 9.2%. Mintel notes that 12% of all UK food product launches in 2015 carried a gluten-free claim, more than double the 2011 rate of 7%. The data show that the public currently perceives free-from foods as generally healthier than their counterparts. This perception of health is a key market driver and has helped push the base of consumers beyond the traditional group of allergy or intolerance sufferers. Along with organics, health and wellness products have recorded the largest overall growth at a global level. However, this reality leaves the free-from food category vulnerable to changes in perception. Indeed, research from Mintel found that more than half of consumers who currently buy free-from products would stop doing so if they thought they were "less healthy" than standard offerings. To solidify and expand their product appeal, look for makers of free-from foods to improve the nutritional profile of their products, reducing sugars, fats, and salt, and to offer more grains, such as amaranth, quinoa, sorghum, buckwheat, millet and teff, among other strategies. Overall, look for new healthier, more nutritious breads, breakfast cereals, and snack bars to fill the shelves as consumers continue their quest for healthier, more nutritious foods. That’s generally good news for free-from consumers who do have food allergies or intolerances. It likely means more nutritious, better tasting, better quality gluten-free, dairy-free and other free-from products in the future. Read the full report at Mintel.com (Paywall).

Celiac.com 02/12/2018 - Coffee giant Starbucks is debuting a new line of vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free options on menu throughout the UK. The company's announcement was timed to coincide with 'Veganuary,' a month-long promotion of the vegan lifestyle. The inclusion of oat milk to the new menu means that Starbucks now offers four dairy-free alternatives for their hot beverages: oat milk; almond milk; coconut milk; and soy milk. BBQ jack fruit is apparently the new vegan alternative to pulled pork, so the new item should be both an emotional and nutritious alternative to meat. If you're hankering for a meaty, vegan sandwich alternative, then the bbq jackfruit wrap is just the thing for you. The new seeded whole wheat wrap comes with shredded carrot and puréed sweetcorn slaw. According to Starbucks, the jackfruit wrap is chalked full of protein. For those who haven't given up meat, but have given up gluten, Starbucks offers a Chicken & Pesto Gluten Free Panini. Beginning January 2018, these and other items will be available at Starbucks locations throughout the UK. Hopefully this and more gluten-free options will spread to Starbucks in the USA and other countries. Read more at: Gloucestershirelive.co.uk

Celiac.com 10/29/2014 - At the age of eighteen I started to see a naturopath in order to find ways to combat my anxiety without switching to a bunch of shady medications. In my experience, people had rarely ever talked about food intolerances in relation to neurochemistry. Despite my skepticism or the skepticism of the people around me, what choice did I have but to try whatever it took? My anxiety levels were unmanageable, and I found myself ruining a lot of my relationships because I was too afraid of all the possible outcomes to make decisive choices in the majority of social situations, which led to me letting a lot of people down when they were counting on me. I had to find a way to gain some self-control, and I had reached a place in life where counseling wasn’t enough anymore. This naturopath, actually recommended by my counselor, suggested I take a blood test, which upon receiving the results showed that I had several chemical imbalances that were made worse by different kinds of food I was eating. This was a completely new concept to me. Of course as crazy as the concept was, it scientifically held up with the blood test. My parents and I were willing to do what it took to fix my chemical levels and make my anxiety more manageable without getting me too doped up. That said, two of the things I completely cut out of my diet from then on were gluten and dairy, as eating them negatively affected my chemical balances more so than most other foods did. Now, going gluten-free is hard. But taking dairy away with it felt extremely limiting at first as it required almost a complete 180 in my diet. After all, gluten and dairy were a part of just about every meal I had eaten up to that point, and I’m sure most of you readers can relate. Regardless, doing it made me feel better physically - I was no longer exhausted all of the time, I was having healthier bowel movements, and my anxiety levels decreased greatly. People commonly ask me, “what do you even eat?” and you may be wondering the same thing. So here are five awesome food brands that offer great gluten- and dairy-free options that I have thoroughly enjoyed over the years! Namaste - Namaste is a fairly small brand that has been growing over the past fourteen years that makes great-tasting food without wheat, gluten, corn, soy, potato, dairy, peanuts, or tree nuts. That’s right, they have your allergies basically covered. If I had to recommend anything from them, it would be their taco pasta dinner, made of brown rice pasta, which is probably my favorite gluten-free, dairy free food ever. Of course, they have a lot of other great products such as brownies, waffles & pancakes, and pizza crust. It’s a bit more expensive, as most foods with specialized purposes like this are, but if you can afford, you can’t go wrong with Namaste. So Delicious Dairy Free - “If you’re trying to keep dairy and gluten-free, are you ever in the right place” boasts So Delicious on their website. Most of the So Delicious products are made with alternate kinds of milk, such as almond milk, coconut milk, soy, cashew, etc. If you love ice cream and yogurt like I do, So Delicious is one of the best-tasting options you could try. They have a great list of common ingredients they use, with a description of each one that you can find here. Annie’s Gluten-free - This one you have to carefully navigate around, because some of their products do have milk and wheat ingredients. But if you do your research, Annie’s is one of the best sources for gluten/dairy free snacks available right now. For instance, go to their website and look for their vegan and gluten-free combination snacks! I’m a fan of their assortment of Bunny Grahams myself. Lucy’s Gluten-free Cookies - Not only are they gluten-free, but, like Namaste, Lucy’s have no peanuts or tree nuts. They are also all vegan, contain 0g of Trans Fat and 0mg of Cholesterol, are all natural and non-GMO. My mom would surprise me when I would visit her at home in my college years, and they would typically be gone within a couple of hours. I would recommend any of their products - they’re all very tasty! Food Should Taste Good - Oh man, this one’s a goodie. Primarily known for their popular Multigrain Chips, FSTG is a non-GMO committed chip company that specializes in no wheat and completely vegan products. Their multi-grain chips are delicious - I had a lot of friends eating mine who weren’t gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, or caring about GMOs. They are just that good. The best part about this is the different types of chips they have, not just the Multi-Grain. They’ve expanded to all different kinds of types and flavors. Some of these are tortilla made blue corn and sweet potato chips (which I’ve been known to partake in upon multiple occasions), kettle cooked barbeque flavored chips, a variety of brown rice crackers, and pesto flavored pita puffs. Despite what people say, going gluten- and dairy- free has a lot of great benefits in my opinion, and it’s great that people work hard to give us products like these that fit the diet but still taste delicious! I think that at least cutting back on gluten will have some great health benefits for most people, and some have argued that it can even help with athletics. If you’re interested, it’s something I would highly recommend looking into as I attribute part of who I am today - a college graduate working a full-time job and managing stress comparatively well - to these dietary changes I made four years ago.

Here's my tasty Gluten-Free Sugar Cookie Recipe just in time for the holidays. Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free and Vegan Sugar Cookies Ingredients: 2 cups all purpose gluten free flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. sea salt 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 cup Earth Balance Vegan Butter Sticks, softened 1 cup sugar or sugar substitute such as Stevia Egg Substitute for 1 large egg 2 tsp. almond extract 1/4 cup almond milk Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, sea salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy, then add egg substitute, almond extract and almond milk; mix well. Add flour mixture to the wet mixture; mix well. Scoop dough into balls. Place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven; set aside to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

This is the perfect dip for a holiday party, or to share with your favorite dinner guests. Ingredients: 12 oz. fresh cranberries 1/2 cup organic sugar 2 Tbsp. unsweetened coconut flakes 2 (8 oz.) containers of dairy-free/vegan cream cheese such as GO Veggie! Plain Cream Cheese, softened 1 Tbsp. cranberry juice Sliced Fresh Fruit on toothpicks, for serving Directions: Pulse the cranberries in a food processor until finely chopped; add sugar, coconut flakes and cranberry juice then add the cream cheese and blend until smooth. Serve chilled with fresh fruit on toothpicks for your holiday guests. Enjoy!

Celiac.com 07/02/2013 - This wonderful stuffed mushroom recipe makes a perfect appetizer for that perfect dinner experience! Makes 16 Mushrooms Ingredients: 1/4 cup uncooked quinoa 16 large button mushrooms 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons finely chopped pecans 1 cup salsa 1 cup Go Veggie! Vegan Cheddar Cheese Shreds 2 Tbsp. Go Veggie! Vegan Parmesan, plus more for topping 1 teaspoon sea salt 2 Tbsp. finely chopped flat leaf fresh parsley Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Remove stems from mushrooms and set aside. Place mushrooms on a nonstick baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, chop mushroom stems into small pieces. In a large skillet, heat oil and garlic with chopped mushroom stems over medium heat for 4 minutes or until garlic starts to brown. Add pecans, salsa, Go Veggie Cheddar Cheese Shreds, Go Veggie Parmesan and sea salt; cook for 3 more minutes. Add cooked quinoa and continue to cook, gently stirring for another 3 minutes. Remove from heat; transfer mixture to empty mushroom caps. Top with parsley and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven; transfer to a serving plate. Serve warm with additional Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

I love pizza, but I am not on a gluten-free or dairy-free diet, so I am admittedly a bit skeptical of gluten-free or dairy-free pizzas. This pizza is both, and surprisingly, I was into it. The crust didn't taste like what I'm used to, but it was good. I've tried dairy-free pizzas with “cheese” that didn't melt properly and felt weird in my mouth. This cheese melts very well and gets pretty close to the real thing (just be sure to follow the final instruction and broil it for two minutes). The pizza tasted great, I just wish it had a bit more "cheese". For more information, visit their site. Note: Articles that appear in the "Gluten-Free Food & Specialty Product Companies" section of this site are paid advertisements. For more information about this see our Advertising Page.

Great news for anyone who is not only on a gluten-free diet: Bold Organics Veggie Lovers Pizza is also dairy-free and vegan. This pizza is topped generously with organic roasted peppers, onions, shiitake mushrooms and Follow Your Heart's vegan mozzarella cheese. My kids didn't even question the dairy-free cheese and just dug right in. This thin crust pizza baked up beautifully, and we all loved the flavor and the texture! Not to mention that this is a wonderful treat for those with additional food allergies for it is also free from peanuts, tree nuts and eggs. For more information visit their site. Note: Articles that appear in the "Gluten-Free Food Reviews" section of this site are paid advertisements. For more information about this see our Advertising Page.

This wonderful soup can be served with your favorite meal, or as a stand-alone snack. This vegan and chilled soup is perfect for a Spring day! Ingredients: 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups green beans, trimmed and steamed 1 cup fresh baby spinach 1 cup quinoa, cooked Juice of 1 large orange 1 tsp. ground cumin 1 tsp. chili powder 1 Tbsp. freshly ground orange zest 1 large heirloom tomato, diced 1 zucchini, sliced 1 very ripe avocado, peeled and pitted ½ tsp. red pepper flakes 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped 2 Tbsp. Barlean’s Flax Seeds Pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper Directions: Combine all ingredients in a food processor; pulse until mixture forms a smooth consistency. Transfer to a large bowl. Place into the refrigerator, covered for 1 hour to chill. Serve cool or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Besides being healthy and fiber-rich, these two recipes will have your guests asking you to send them the recipes! Cilantro Edamame Deviled Eggs 1 cup edamame, cooked 5 hard boiled egg yolks 1 cup silken tofu pinch of sea salt and pepper 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar 1/4 tsp. curry powder 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped 10 egg white halves (yolks hollowed out) Directions: Toss all ingredients except egg whites into the food processor; pulse until smooth. Transfer mixture into hollow egg white halves. Serve chilled with a sprinkle of chili powder. Orange Edamame Salsa 2 cups edamame, cooked 1 large cucumber, chopped 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped 1/3 cup white onion, chopped 1 tsp. orange juice 1/4 tsp. orange zest 1 cup corn 1/2 cup chickpeas pinch of sea salt and pepper Directions: Toss all ingredients into a food processor; pulse until smooth. Transfer to a serving dish. Serve chilled with gluten-free crackers.