My mission with this page is to give you a bit of background on my lifestyle, a peek into my philosophy and how I create for my blog and my life.
Is your blog gluten-free because you have Celiac Disease?
Yes. I have Celiac Disease. I was diagnosed in 2006 and have been gluten-free ever since.
What kind of diet do you follow?
I follow a healthy and clean gluten-free diet which also happens to exclude all dairy, egg whites, soy and any other food sensitivities I have currently: dairy, tree nuts, peanuts, radishes, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, fennel, asparagus, pineapple, kidney beans, chickpeas and most beans, most grains including quinoa, millet, rice, banana, all eggs, garlic, pineapple, broccoli, and many others. I enjoy lots of whole foods. I eat minimal sugar for health reasons. I eat a lot of plants and adore making plant-based treats but I am not a vegetarian or a vegan. I just have a love for plant-based yumminess and real ingredients. I also do not focus on calories. I prefer to focus on real ingredients, wholesome foods 80 percent of the time, leaving the last 20 percent for indulgences.
Are you a Vegan or Vegetarian?
Nope.
You use the term "Clean Eating" a lot. What does that mean?
"Clean Eating" means eating foods that are minimally processed. Staying away from packaged food you would find at your local gas station, CVS or the middle section of the supermarket. It also means reading ingredient labels and choosing foods at best with 1 ingredient, and if having minimally processed products sticking with 3-5 ingredients or less that you can actually pronounce. It also means eliminating processed sugars like cane sugar and brown sugar and using more natural forms of sugar. It means sticking with organic or grass-fed meat, poultry, and cage-free eggs that are hormone and antibiotic-free. If you are having dairy stick with the best quality possible.
You use the term "refined sugar-free" a lot. What does that mean?
It means non-processed sugars. It means no white cane sugar and no brown sugar. Refined sugar-free means using a selection of more natural sugars that actually have nutritional benefits like pure maple syrup, stevia, raw honey, brown rice syrup, and many others. If you are more curious about this check out my Kitchen & Baking FAQ as I go into more detail there.
Do you have any food allergies?
Yes. I am allergic to shrimp (but not other shellfish), eggplant & ginger. You will not find any recipes on my blog using any of these ingredients.
Do you have any food sensitivities?
I SURE DO! There are so many, it's why my recipes are so creative. In 2014 I developed well over 30 food sensitivities to common foods due to Leaky Gut. I have been able to add back many (thank God!), but there is a large chunk that is still off-limits. As my sensitivities heal, you'll see more recipes with those ingredients in them.
I am still currently sensitive to: Tree Nuts, Peanuts, Kale, Cucumber, Spinach, Radishes, Broccoli, Banana, raw Blueberries, Raspberries, Pineapple, Rice, All forms of dairy, Sunflower Seeds, Sesame Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Green String Beans, Kidney Beans, Vanilla, Lemon, Curry, Asparagus, Fennel, Onions and Oats.
UPDATE on food sensitivities!! I have added back kale, cucumber, spinach, raspberries, blueberries, vanilla, lemon, onions, sunflower seeds, and oats!
9/02/19 - UPDATE on food sensitivities!! I am having many reactions again and some of the foods I had added back had to be taken out again. I'm currently sensitive to: dairy, tree nuts, peanuts, radishes, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, fennel, asparagus, pineapple, kidney beans, chickpeas and most beans, most grains including quinoa, millet, rice, banana, eggs,
**I do however use gluten-free certified oats in my recipes, but I don't eat bowls of oatmeal or I look pregnant! I cannot even tell you how long my list of sensitivities was from 2014 to recently. It has been a journey and has made my recipes extremely delicious and creative. Through my own health journey, I have learned to cook and bake above and beyond my limitations.
Do you take all of your own photos?
Yes for all of my recipes! However, I do occasionally use lifestyle photos from Shutterstock that I buy and then own for some of my spiritual articles and lifestyle lists, but NEVER EVER for my recipes.
What kind of camera do you use?
Currently, I shoot with my iPhone. Crazy, but my pictures come out amazing! I also used to specialize in black and white photography so my eye was always there.
Do you ever work with brands or companies?
Yes! I LOVE working with brands I use on the regular to develop recipes and try out new and awesome products that align with my lifestyle. On occasion, I will do gluten-free restaurant reviews. All of my opinions are always genuine, and I will not write about something I don't like or believe in. If you want to work together, check out my collaboration information on my work with me page and get in touch!
Can I post one of your recipes on my own blog? And can I use your photos?
Recipes?
Linking is appreciated as long as credit is given. If you are doing a round-up post you may use one photo.
I do not allow republication of my post or recipe text without prior consent. There are also copyright issues with this. I spend hours and hours developing my recipes, photographing and writing my posts and therefore would not want them shared in other spaces without my prior consent. However, Linking is appreciated.
Photos without recipes - Sure! You can use ONE photo! Thanks for sharing the love!! But please properly credit the photos with two links, one back to the recipe post and one back to my site goodiegoodieglutenfree (dot) com.
Where did you receive your nutrition training?
I received my training from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in 2013 and also in 2015 from their graduate program Immersion. If you have any questions about IIN, please visit my Become a Health Coach page, or email me for more information. I love hearing your questions! My love for IIN is beyond words!
Where did you receive your spiritual training?
I received my Spiritual Coach Training from Gabrielle Bernstein and completed her Level 1 Masterclass and Level 2 Masterclass. In addition, I also trained under Doreen Virtue and Radleigh Valentine as a Certified Angel Card Reader as well as Radleigh Valentine for the Certified Angel Tarot Reader Certification. Both programs I fully support and highly recommend as they were life-changing!!
Where did you receive your undergraduate degree?
Syracuse University with a major in Fashion Design & Photography.
Didn't you use to be on blogspot.com?
Yes. I first blogged under the name goodiegoodieglutenfree.blogspot (dot) com. The difference in the name was the dash between the gluten and the free as well as the content direction. I focused mostly on processed gluten-free goodies, sugar and restaurant reviews. I rarely developed my own recipes and I rarely blogged about healthy living. I didn't have a healthy clean perspective that I have now.
Once I was in Nutrition School and started to develop some health conditions my perspective completely changed and I developed a love for holistic health. So I gave my site a makeover in 2015 and moved to WordPress. Oh, and I added a (dot) com to my site. I probably should have changed the name to match my new perspective, but I loved my blog name so much, and I felt it was such a huge part of my identity that I kept it.
Is there an easier way to see your recipes and articles?
Yes! You can simply subscribe to my Newsletter and get my recipes and articles straight to your email inbox, spam free!! Plus a ton of goodies like my favorite products, recipes that are not on the blog and more. Many people prefer to get my recipes and articles by email so they don't have to remember to keep checking back for new content. It's 100% free.
Are you on Pinterest?
I sure am! My profile name on Pinterest is Goodiegoodieglutenfree. Here's the link to my profile!
You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or my favorite social media, Instagram.
Can I ask you a question not addressed here?
Of course! Comment below or send me an email. My email is goodiegoodieglutenfree (at) gmail (dot) com. You can address all questions to me (Julie). I love to create a community so you can always comment on the blog under a post so that others who may have your question see it too. xx