About
Glutenfreesafari.com: "Gluten free . . . made fun!"
See Creative Commons attribution link, below.
Hi! My name is Karen; this site is all about great gluten free living!That's me in the picture below; until I have a kind of airbrushed, professional shot (and who knows, maybe I never will!) this picture will have to do.
In case you're new to the world of gluten-free living, many of those who eat gluten free do so (as do I) because they have celiac disease: a gastrointestinal disorder that means, not just that one is sensitive to gluten, but that one really can't have it. Any of it. With celiac disease, a protein in gluten causes the villi in the intestine (the little tentacles that absorb food) to flop over and stop absorbing food and vitamins. Not cool. Obviously, this is a layperson's description, but that's the general idea. The science of gluten intolerance/allergy/sensitivity is still being explored. People do vary in their reactions to gluten, even after having been diagnosed with celiac disease, or as gluten-allergic or gluten-sensitive. But this is a subject for the "Nitty Gritty About Gluten" page.
In case you're new to the world of gluten-free living, many of those who eat gluten free do so (as do I) because they have celiac disease: a gastrointestinal disorder that means, not just that one is sensitive to gluten, but that one really can't have it. Any of it. With celiac disease, a protein in gluten causes the villi in the intestine (the little tentacles that absorb food) to flop over and stop absorbing food and vitamins. Not cool. Obviously, this is a layperson's description, but that's the general idea. The science of gluten intolerance/allergy/sensitivity is still being explored. People do vary in their reactions to gluten, even after having been diagnosed with celiac disease, or as gluten-allergic or gluten-sensitive. But this is a subject for the "Nitty Gritty About Gluten" page.
Hi, again.
Whether you are intolerant to gluten, allergic to gluten (meaning you have an IgE-mediated reaction), sensitive to gluten, or just plain don't want to eat much of it because you think you feel better without it, this site is for you.
Why the name, "glutenfreesafari"? Well, I wanted to establish a site for people like me who like to be out in the world, sampling all kinds of food. I love to cook, but it does take a bit of time to do well, after all. So I wanted a name that conveyed the journey that is living gluten free. In fact, when I first told my yoga teacher the name of the site, she brightened up, and said "Safari . . . like a journey!" (Yoga teachers tend to like the word "journey.") The idea of travel was also important to convey in the site. So many people love to travel: I yearn for a world where they can always find something gluten free to eat! I actually arrived at the word "safari" the good old-fashioned way: after casting about for names for over a week, and looking at list upon list of synonyms, (I love words; I'm a writer). I searched for words that conveyed the idea of "travel;" and voilà, when a saw the word "safari," I knew it had just the right snap to it.
I attended the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) conference in 2009; it was excellent! I learned a lot, and I'm continuing to learn every single day. In many cases, I get questions "out-of-left-field" that bring up excellent topics for future research or discussion. Just a few days ago I attended an environmental networking event, and someone asked me, first, whether her gluten free friend could eat brewer's yeast on popcorn; and, secondly, whether the red meat that one buys at a basic grocery store is likely to be treated with sodium nitrate. Still working on these questions; stay posted for answers in the next few days!
I also regularly attend two different gluten free groups where I live, in the Pacific Northwest. At these meetings, I've heard authoritative book authors and speakers on everything from probiotics to yoga to the gluten free pantry to antioxidant supplements. And I'm also a pretty bright and curious person; so one of the great elements of this site -- in my not-very-humble-opinion- is that it touches on fascinating tidbits about great food, sustainability, and alternative health in general.
Feel free to comment away -- the blog is the best place, but there are also comment pages throughout -- and suggest great links!
By the way, I can be reached at glutenfreesafari at gmail dot com.
Happy munching!
Karen
Copyright, Karen Fleur Tofti-Tufarelli, 2010-2012, all rights reserved. Use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which you may view, here.
Why the name, "glutenfreesafari"? Well, I wanted to establish a site for people like me who like to be out in the world, sampling all kinds of food. I love to cook, but it does take a bit of time to do well, after all. So I wanted a name that conveyed the journey that is living gluten free. In fact, when I first told my yoga teacher the name of the site, she brightened up, and said "Safari . . . like a journey!" (Yoga teachers tend to like the word "journey.") The idea of travel was also important to convey in the site. So many people love to travel: I yearn for a world where they can always find something gluten free to eat! I actually arrived at the word "safari" the good old-fashioned way: after casting about for names for over a week, and looking at list upon list of synonyms, (I love words; I'm a writer). I searched for words that conveyed the idea of "travel;" and voilà, when a saw the word "safari," I knew it had just the right snap to it.
I attended the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) conference in 2009; it was excellent! I learned a lot, and I'm continuing to learn every single day. In many cases, I get questions "out-of-left-field" that bring up excellent topics for future research or discussion. Just a few days ago I attended an environmental networking event, and someone asked me, first, whether her gluten free friend could eat brewer's yeast on popcorn; and, secondly, whether the red meat that one buys at a basic grocery store is likely to be treated with sodium nitrate. Still working on these questions; stay posted for answers in the next few days!
I also regularly attend two different gluten free groups where I live, in the Pacific Northwest. At these meetings, I've heard authoritative book authors and speakers on everything from probiotics to yoga to the gluten free pantry to antioxidant supplements. And I'm also a pretty bright and curious person; so one of the great elements of this site -- in my not-very-humble-opinion- is that it touches on fascinating tidbits about great food, sustainability, and alternative health in general.
Feel free to comment away -- the blog is the best place, but there are also comment pages throughout -- and suggest great links!
By the way, I can be reached at glutenfreesafari at gmail dot com.
Happy munching!
Karen
Copyright, Karen Fleur Tofti-Tufarelli, 2010-2012, all rights reserved. Use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which you may view, here.
Twitter addresses, more gluten free philosophy, place to comment; links to other pages on this site!
Creative Commons attribution link, below.
My Twitter addresses are: gfsafari and glutenfreesnob! Please follow me and learn even more.
Whether you are eating gluten free because you have to or because you want to, I maintain that you should be able to eat gluten free anywhere. With estimates that celiac disease affects at least 1/133 people (and, of course, many people who eat gluten free do so because they are gluten sensitive, allergic, or intolerant for other reasons besides celiac disease) the option to eat gluten free food is not just a nicety, but a necessity.
That being said, I don't have anything against gluten. And, if I could eat it, I probably would, now and then. Particularly when I sit down with some people at a nice restaurant, and they bring a basket of still-steaming crusty artisan bread, with a little plate of balsamic vinegar and oil for dipping, I feel really . . . well, hungry(!)
But wouldn't it be nice if it became de rigeur to bring both GF and glutenized bread (did I just invent that word, glutenized?) ???
* *
This site is designed for you, the person who does not quite have the time or inclination to make all your own gluten-free food and take it with you everywhere, all the time.
Whether you are eating gluten free because you have to or because you want to, I maintain that you should be able to eat gluten free anywhere. With estimates that celiac disease affects at least 1/133 people (and, of course, many people who eat gluten free do so because they are gluten sensitive, allergic, or intolerant for other reasons besides celiac disease) the option to eat gluten free food is not just a nicety, but a necessity.
That being said, I don't have anything against gluten. And, if I could eat it, I probably would, now and then. Particularly when I sit down with some people at a nice restaurant, and they bring a basket of still-steaming crusty artisan bread, with a little plate of balsamic vinegar and oil for dipping, I feel really . . . well, hungry(!)
But wouldn't it be nice if it became de rigeur to bring both GF and glutenized bread (did I just invent that word, glutenized?) ???
* *
This site is designed for you, the person who does not quite have the time or inclination to make all your own gluten-free food and take it with you everywhere, all the time.
- What are the best portable gluten-free snacks? See potluck!
- Which restaurants make dining gluten-free a great experience? See friendly dining options
- What are the latest credentialing and labeling requirements? See nitty-gritty of gluten free
- Where can you find other people who also eat gluten-free?
- What is the best way to eat gluten free in social situations, such as lunch-time job interviews, big family events, potlucks, or first dates? See friendly dining options or living gracefully gluten free in a gluten-centric world
- What are some great gluten-free recipes to make for holiday potlucks, or just for you? See recipes
- What progress is being made in gluten awareness, so that it's easy to eat gluten free if you're out and about?
