Italian (Food) Gone Wild and Gluten Free

Italian Gone Wild and Gluten Free
by Anna Marie Aloe Testa
Red Engine Press

Is it possible to use the words Italian cooking and gluten free in the same sentence? Of course it is! When I heard about Anna Marie Aloe Testa and her cookbook, Italian Gone Wild and Gluten Free, I knew it was something I had to share with my readers.

Anna Marie Aloe Testa is the absolute essence of a good Italian daughter from a family that runs a pizza shop that’s been in business more than 50 years. She married a nice Italian boy, just like all Italian mamas would want. 

Hers is a family rich in heritage, returning to the southern Italy’s Calabria region and their family village of Amantea in the province of Cosenza summer after summer as Anna Marie was growing up. Relatives opened their homes to them for many visits where she learned fluent Italian and true Italian cooking at the elbow of her mother and aunts. Life was rich in family and love, but Anna Marie’s chronic health difficulties put a damper on many family gatherings. 

Finally in 2009, a doctor correctly diagnosed her with Celiac disease. According to The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness  “…83% of Americans who have Celiac disease are either undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other conditions.” The foundation defines Celiac disease as “an autoimmune digestive disease that damages the villi (lining) of the small intestine and interferes with the absorption of nutrients from food.” 

Up until the time I met Anna Marie, the only thing I knew about Celiac disease was through an acquaintance I sometimes encountered at parties who could never nosh on the same hors d' oeuvres that we enjoyed. Through Anna Marie, I now know how devastating the diagnosis can be. One of the most frustrating features of the illness is that there is no cure. The only way to effectively treat the disease is through a 100% gluten-free diet. 

When faced with the diagnoses, Anne Marie buckled under the information. She broke down in tears in the doctor’s office. She was despondent with the knowledge that her father’s pizza, her mother’s homemade pasta and breads, and the rich desserts she enjoyed all her life were suddenly off limits to her. More bad news followed when she learned that as a practicing Catholic, she would no longer be able to receive Holy Communion with the host dispensed at her local church. What else could go wrong? She didn’t think she could exist in this word without the foods of her family. Her first holidays afterward brought tears and depression as she sat home alone unable to bear watching her family enjoying the foods she could no longer share with them. 

From her cookbook Italian Gone Wild and Gluten-Free, Anna Marie says, “After a proper time of mourning and feeling sorry for myself, I decided to fight back and find a way to create gluten-free recipes that were good – or nearly as good-as my mother’s gluten recipes.” She spent five trial and error years working on the family recipes adapting them to her new lifestyle. 

With the encouragement of her family and friends, the gluten free versions of favorite family holiday recipes are now available for you to enjoy in this cookbook published by Red Engine Press, and available by clicking this link to Amazon.  Her recipes cover all Italian Holidays from La Festa Di San Silvestro (New Year’s Eve) to Natale (Christmas). She’s pleased to offer this cookbook to her fellow Celiac disease suffering brothers and sisters. 

I would have thought that the first recipe she would try to adapt for her gluten-free life would be pizza; but according to Anna Marie, what she really yearned for the most was the stuffing that her mama used in turkey and crown roasts. She has generously offered to let me share that with you. You can find it at the end of this blog. 

For anyone who knows Anna Marie as the bright and bubbly person she is now, it’s hard to believe how much she struggled to get here today. In 2013, as she was working on her recipes and preparing her cookbook, she received a breast cancer diagnosis as well. Putting on her warrior woman armor, Anna Marie faced off against that illness too. She admits to a slow-down of energy level from battling these multiple diseases. 

As typical of our wise women, she exudes optimism, and presents herself as a positive role model for others. On another high note, there are now two churches in her area that serve Holy Communion with gluten-free host!   

If you know someone who may be suffering from Celiac disease, please forward this to them, or share this blog on your Facebook page wisewomenofage.blogspot.com.

Anna Marie's Stuffing

Please enjoy her recipe below for turkey stuffing. For this stuffing recipe, using the giblets is optional. If you would like to include them in your stuffing, wash giblets, chop and sauté’ tin olive oil, sprinkle with salt. One cooked, set aside.

• Chop 5 stacks of celery and 1 onion. Sauté the celery and onion in 1 Tbsp. of butter. Sprinkle with salt and set aside.
• Cube 2 sticks of Gluten Free French Baguettes. Set aside. (Anna Marie purchases hers locally at Soergels Farm Market in Wexford, PA)
• Beat 4 eggs and add 1 tsp. salt, ½ tsp black pepper, 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese, ½ cup of grated Romano cheese, and 1 cup of gluten-free chicken broth.
• Mix all ingredients together and stuff the inside of the turkey. Any leftover stuffing can be cooked separately in the oven for approximately 45 minutes.

Buon appetito!

Italian Gone Wild and Gluten Free http://www.amazon.com/Italian-Gone-Wild-Gluten-Free/dp/1937958736/ref=as_sl_pc_tf_mfw?&linkCode=wey&tag=65isthne45wiw-20

National Foundation for Celia Awareness http://www.celiaccentral.org/

Soergels Farm Market, Wexford, PA http://soergels.com/market/

The Secret Ailment Women Don’t Reveal

Royalty-Free (RF) Gossip Clipart Illustration by BestVector

As usually happens when you get a group of people over 60 years of age together, the subject eventually turns to health issues. Not long ago, I was with a group of six other women. One of the women said she was having continuing “female” problems that were really starting to wear her down. With a little encouragement, she confessed that she has atrophic vaginitis. The fact that this ailment came up in the conversation made me flinch a little with a “too much information” kind of moment.

However, almost in unison, three other women in the group quickly chimed in that they have it too. That means more than ½ of that little group had the same ailment. I realized this must be more prevalent than I thought, so I decided to do a little digging into the facts, and was surprised at the information I learned. Once the topic was open for discussion, I was amazed how women were willing to talk about it. 

One source, the Medical News Today Knowledge Center states that 75% of postmenopausal women are afflicted with this, but Healthline.com  claims 40% of women have it. No matter which is correct, the bottom line is both of those numbers are much higher than I would expect. 

In the Boomer Babes online survey, 53% of women indicated they were still sexually active. Another 13% chose not to answer the question. However, 34% reported that they are not sexually active, which makes that percentage group more likely to suffer from atrophic vaginitis. 

For those who endure it, you know the symptoms- urinary tract infections, burning, itching, vaginal bleeding, and painful intercourse to name a few. The question you might first ask is “how did I get this?” Some Baby Boomer women may have practiced “free love” in the early part of their lives, but in chapter two of our lives, we hesitate to discuss our diminished sexuality and issues related to it. 

One woman I spoke with suffered symptoms, but never realized such a condition existed, until in the process of a routine PAP examination the pain and bleeding associated with it were unbearable. When she asked the doctor why it was so painful, he bluntly told her, “What do you expect? You have atrophic vaginitis.” Until that moment she had never heard that phrase. She asked the doctor to explain it, and he crudely told her, “You are not having enough sex.” She was humiliated. She quickly dressed, went to her car, and had a good cry. Are you surprised she did not return to that doctor? 

Several women had husbands who had suffered prostate issues. Because their spouses were no longer sexually active, they felt as their sexuality was “drying up” as well. If you are widowed or divorced without a sexual partner, you may also experience this ailment. Psychologically, it can be demoralizing. We are watching our years tick by, and feel as though we are becoming less womanly with each tick of time.

Surprisingly, it is almost a natural occurrence. As estrogen levels in the body decrease, the likelihood of developing atrophic vaginitis increases.  After menopause, when the ovaries stop making estrogens, vaginal secretions and thinning of the vaginal wall occur. For a woman who may have hysterectomy and used HRT (hormone replacement therapy) afterward, then stopped as she reached natural menopausal age, may experience the same thing.  

Once the vagina and labia begin this atrophic process, other factors can cause irritation and exacerbate the problem. Laundry soap, bath soap, lotions all can irritate. You may think a douche might give some relief only to find it makes your problem worse. 

The use of tampons and condoms can also aggravate symptoms. Tampons with the constant friction wearing at the thin walls, condoms, and the physical act of intercourse itself, can irritate, and even cause pain, tearing, and bleeding. 

Sometimes treatment for other ailments such as cancers, fibroids, endometriosis, and other reproductive issues can lead to atrophy because of decreased estrogen production. Younger, breastfeeding women may experience it somewhat because of the lower estrogen levels.

Before you begin any treatment for the symptoms, you should see a doctor to get a correct diagnosis. You may be experiencing all the symptoms, but not realize what’s happening. If you’re suffering urinary incontinence, you may think it’s a urinary tract infection, incorrectly treating it yourself, and making it worse.

Treatment of atrophic vaginitis aims at relieving symptoms of vaginal dryness and the related pain and discomfort. 

When it comes to sex, the old adage applies; “Use it or lose it.” You can slow the onset of atrophic vaginitis by maintaining sexual activity, either partnered or through masturbation, with the use of a water-soluble lubricant (not petroleum jelly or mineral oil). Other good health practices are keeping a healthy weight, avoiding stress, and maintaining physical activity. 

Medicinally, you may want to look into local estrogen therapy. Creams and tablet-type medication types of treatment are available that are inserted only into the vagina, and is not the same as taking full-on hormone replacement therapy.

What happens if it’s left untreated? There are some serious consequences, including reduced depth of the vagina, narrowing of the vaginal opening, frequent infections, and actual fusion of the labia. It makes me wince to even think about it. 

I hope that reading this makes you realize that you are not alone. Maybe you, like the woman at her doctor’s office, never heard of this before. How did we get to be this age without being able to put a name to our suffering? We have now revealed it. 

You may find it difficult to get little relief from the symptoms of this private ailment, but now you don’t need to suffer in silence. Talk to your doctor. Talk to your friends. Find out what helps, what doesn’t. Relief could be just around the corner. Our private secret need not be secret anymore.

If you know someone who may enjoy this article, please forward to them. They and you are welcome to join the conversation at wisewomenofage.blogspot.com .

 Through compassion, you will find that all human beings are just like you. - Dalai Lama

Also see: National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000892.htm.

Confessions of an Overweight Weight Watcher

www.healthdigeZt.com

I confess I am over my Weight Watcher goal weight. That’s not good because I am a Lifetime member, which means I need to be within 2 pounds of my goal weight at all times. If I’m not, then I have to pay to belong until my weight gets back within the target range.  Let me just say this right now: IT IS EASIER TO LOSE WEIGHT THAN TO MAINTAIN YOUR WEIGHT LOSS. 

I lost almost 50 pounds about five years ago, and have had a few ups and downs, but this is the first time in those five years where I’m not so comfortable with the “up.” I was at my doctor’s last week for the annual checkup, and we had a little talk about it. My doctor considers me an “A” student as far as health care and maintenance is concerned. He said he wishes he had more patients like me. When we had the little weight talk, he sort of shrugged it off. “Don’t worry about it. You’re doing everything right.” 

Sure, that’s easy for him to say. I’m not doing something right or I wouldn’t be over my goal weight. Let’s take a moment here while I flog myself. To make me feel better, he gave me the proverbial “note from the doctor” to take to my Weight Watcher leader to adjust my goal weight upward. Whew! I thought I was going to have to pay this month.

Here’s the thing: We all know what we need to do, but why don’t we? I ask myself this question all the time. Apparently I’m not alone. Information gathered in the Boomer Babes survey indicates only 24% of respondents were in the standardized BMI range for their height. Forty-one percent would fall into the overweight BMI category, with 29% percent landing in the obese category. Less than 1% of survey participants were underweight, and 5% left the answer blank or put in some humorous comment like “too much” instead of a number. 

We all have reasons (or should I say excuses?). For many of us, we spend so much time taking care of others; we neglect to take care of ourselves. For others, it’s medical issues. Thyroid disease can create havoc with our weight loss efforts. Medications can cause weight increase as well. Over the years, as more prescriptions are written for anti-depressants, I see the effect of that on the weight of people who use them. Some of us resign ourselves to simply saying, “I can’t do it.” Others keep trying, often one step forward, and one step back. Whatever the reason, we all have the best of intentions. 

I loved the Boomer Babes interview I did with a woman I’ll call Vera. She’s lived a very interesting life. She is married and they have raised five kids, three birth children, and two adopted. In the meantime, she was going to school, kept her household going, completed a Masters in Economics, built a career, and is now contemplating going on for her Ph.D. When things started to slow down in her life, she realized how much she neglected her own self and well-being and took some action. She began to work out and do strength training and ultimately lost 35 pounds. I think it’s safe to say her self-esteem went way up as her body re-shaped into her new self. Good for her. If only we were all so motivated!

I saw this post on Facebook last week titled 15 Reasons You Can’t Lose Weight from a group called www.healthdigeZt.com. I thought I might find a clue as to why I can’t even lose these five pounds. Here are my thoughts on the 15 Reasons:

1. You over eat healthy food: I like to think that most of the food I eat is healthy, so if I overeat, it probably is overeating on healthy food. 
2. Skipping breakfast: Are you kidding? I would never skip breakfast! I want to start eating as soon as I open my eyes. My breakfast is usually is a cinnamon twist with my buddies at the local coffee shop. Maybe that’s wrong, but it’s a lifestyle choice. 
3.  Don’t practice portion control: Yes, I do. I have all the Weight Watcher tools and gizmos to measure portion. If I didn’t practice portion control, I would need to lose 50 pounds, not 5. 
4. Eat while standing up. Well, sometimes I do. I also read standing up, and sometimes watch TV standing up. To me, that means I’m being more active because I’m not sitting. 
5. Skimp on sleep. Oh, please, give me a break! I’m a menopausal woman who keeps the bedroom temperature down around 60 degrees with the ceiling fan on. I’m not skimping on sleep; I’m just having continuously interrupted sleep from hot flashes. My doctor has taken my sleep “crack”, Ambien, away from me. Did you know that when you turn 65, you are no longer allowed to take Ambien. It’s an insurance thing. They think we’re so unstable we might fall down if we take it.
6. Overindulge on diet foods. I remember when Snack Well cookies first came out. My daughter called me up and said, “Great news, Mom! They just came out with a fat free cookie. We can eat all we want.” So we did. I know better now. In fact, I now know there are so many additives that make diet foods “diet,” that I think we should all just eat real food and less of it.
7.  Forget to eat your veggies. Not me! I love my veggies.
8. You only do cardio. Well, yes, that may be true. However when I get to Planet Fitness the hum of the treadmill lures me straight to it. I put on my music and start running, and I’m in my own little world. I try to do strength training, but have two ruptured biceps and no upper body strength. It’s embarrassing to not be able to do more than a few reps on a strength machine.
9. Exercise on an empty stomach. I do try to eat something (usually the aforementioned cinnamon twist) before I run on aforementioned treadmill. I once ran a 5K race after eating a steak, and it wasn’t pretty. It just proves that carbs should be eaten before a work out, proteins after.
10. You leave out entire food groups. I don’t. It is my opinion that any diet that excludes any food group is not providing balanced nutrition.
11. You don’t sleep enough. Reference #5. I am a menopausal woman.
12. Always dine out. Yes, I do. Eating out is a hobby for my husband and me. You can still make smart choices at restaurants. Just watch portions and steer clear of the bread and alcohol.
13. Wear clothes that are too big. I remember how I felt as my weight was going up, and the first time I had to move from the petites section to the women’s section and large became extra-large. I also remember as my weight was coming down, and the first time I got back into a pair of pants that had a zipper and waist band vs elastic. Wearing good fitting clothes helps keep me on track. If the waistband feels tight, I know I need to be careful.
14. You’re addicted to condiments and toppings. Really? Do you know anyone that became obese by eating too many condiments? However, I really must restrain myself from the toppings table at Simply Yogurt. I can see how that could get you into trouble.
15. You eat without thinking. No, I don’t. I’m always thinking about food. From first thing in the morning until last thing at night. If I am eating, if I am not eating, I’m still thinking about food. I am highly conscious of food at all times.

So, I feel like according to these 15 reasons, I should be svelte, but I’m not.  I know I will never again be the 100 pound bride my husband married. So just like everyone else, I keep trying. One step back, maybe next week another step forward. Giving up is quitting, and I never want it said I was a quitter.

If you know someone who may enjoy this article, please forward to them. They and you are welcome to join the conversation at wisewomenofage.blogspot.com . You can also enter your email address above and you will receive an email each time I post a new topic on this blog.

 Through compassion, you will find that all human beings are just like you. - Dalai Lama