This post is kinda sentimental. Just 2 years ago next week I was in the hospital with c-diff colitis and was given 24 hours to live. I had never been in more pain in my life. I had just gotten back from my 1st trip out to Expo West and was so sick.
Here I am two years later. Still fighting with the occasional stomach bugs and pains but staying strong and positive. My hematologist just found out that I have an IGA deficiency. Something that Mayo Clinic never picked up on my blood work. Interesting isn’t it? Well it sure tells the story as to why I’m constantly battling stomach bugs and parasites and stomach infections- IGA is in the ‘gut’ or shall we say stomach, which means I was born prone to getting belly boo-boo’s all the time!
Ya see, an IGA deficiency, for those who don’t know what it is…(Since I had NO idea either) it’s a genetic immunodeficiency, which means that I lack immunoglobulin A (IGA), a type of antibody that protects against infections of the lining of the digestive tract. It’s the most common of the primary antibody deficiencies and I’ve got it! O well- nothing I can do about it now, hehe. Just gotta keep my little head up and keep on truckin’!
Anyway, even though I eat SUPER clean and healthy I often have belly aches n’ pains but that doesn’t keep me from living my life. I’ve been in pain since November and just started feeling better last week in Dallas. Whew! This trip to D.C. and L.A. was great and I’m SO thankful that I was feeling well!
Now, onto the good gluten free goodies that I found at Expo West.
Have a looksy at what I saw …
All pictures were taken from my Instagram so if you follow me on there- you may have already seen a few of these. If not, dig in and have a glance at what’s gunna be popping up in your food store very soon- this SPRING!
Blue Diamond just came out with 3 new crackers…
Explore Asia launched new bean pastas…
Amazing Grass launched a new greens powder and protein powder…
Attune Foods launched a new look for their chocolate probiotic bars…
Bob from Bob’s Red Mill sang a few tunes for all of us…
AND Bob just launched a brand new line of amazing grains…
CLIFF Bar’s new gluten free, soy free, dairy free, non-GMO bars…
And their super-cool CLIFF Bar booth…
Coconut Bliss launched new flavors of their gluten free, dairy free, soy free, vegan ice cream…
My pal, Cybele Pascal launched her new line of allergen-free cookies…
Justin’s Nut Butter came out with a new flavor: Vanilla Almond Butter…
Larabar is launching a NEW line of bars with no soy, gluten free, dairy free and made from pea protein called ALT bars…(the pumpkin flavor is amazing)
Lifeway Kefir came out with numerous new products; my favorite is their line of frozen kefir bars!
Love Grown Foods launched their new gluten-free, zero sodium oatmeal…
Mary’s Gone Crackers launched a few new cracker flavors; my favorite was the Jalapeno…
Nature’s Path came out with new gluten free breads that look beautiful…
And their booth was awesome…
Navita’s Naturals launched their newest product: Dragon Fruit…
Numi Tea showcased their new Savory Tea line of vegetable teas…
Peeled Snacks sampled their new apple clusters…
Hodgson Mill launched a new line of flavored quinoa products…
The Republic of Tea launched an insane amount of NEW flavors…
Reserveage’s showed off their new line of chocolate…
Rudi’s Gluten Free Bread showcased their new Fluffy bread…
San-J promoted their new 50% less sodium Tamari…
TruRoots displayed their new gluten free and vegan quinoa cookies…
Van’s Foods is no longer just frozen waffles; they launched a new line of crackers, cereals and snack bars…
They say the 3rd time is a charm and this year was by far my best year at Expo West.
I hope you’re saving up your appetite for the Spring because these gluten free products look delish. Have a great weekend, buddies!
xo
Hi there. I just found out that my 9 year old son is IgA deficient. We found out while doing celiac testing. So, we are now all going gluten free. Anything we should know or do? Specialists?
Hi Kacy, Good for you! You can visit my Functional Medicine Doctors in New York page and also my How to Find a Functional Medicine doctor page for the info! Big hugs. oxoxx
Amie, thank you so much for mentioning my cookies! I just found this! It was so great to see you at the show. What a great roundup you have here.
xoxo
Cybele
Of course!!! I am SO happy for you and your amazing cookies; congrats to you and your TODAY Show feature. Keep up the amazing work; everyone should definitely try them! They are incredible.
You are absolutely incredible. Such an inspiration! Thanks for all of your amazing recipes. 🙂
Awe; thank you Erin. You are SO kind. Have a wonderful weekend and thank you for your kind words. xox
p.s. I should also mention I am SO glad you are better than you were 2 years ago, and fighting a good food fight 😉
Awe; thanks love! xooxox Miss you tons!
Love your expo round-up! I wish I would have seen Coconut Bliss – DEFINITELY would have headed over for a big bite!
My mom has Crohn’s, Celiac, and an IGA deficiency, so I’m pretty familiar with your struggles. This is the first time in 4 years that I haven’t attended Expo West and I missed it! However, I’ve just been told that I have a gluten sensitivity (among what seems like a zillion other food sensitivities; not allergies, sensitivities), so it’s probably best that I didn’t go and try all of the delicious products that are on their way to shelves soon. Thanks for this preview; it’s very helpful!
Thank you so much for your comment; I hope to see you next year at Expo. So good to know that others face the same IGA deficiency and that none of us are alone! Have a great night. xo
I loved following along on Twitter – felt like I wasat the expo with you! It seems like a great time. I’m so sorry you haven’t been feeling well. I hope you get all better soon and figure out exactly what is wrong and how to fix it. You seem like an incredibly strong person!
Awe; thanks Laura! You are so kind. Have a fabulous weekend. Love following YOU and seeing your pics on Instagram!
I, also have a very, very low IgA and my doctors chooses to ignore it. I always have an earache and swollen glands. They checked for celiacs and found low IgA. Which can give a false positive. But they still did nothing. I have switched doctors. Thank you for your site and great recipes.
Thanks Cori; so great to hear from you! Have a wonderful weekend.
This entire post is AMAZING! Thanks for sharing all the new, awesome stuff that I just CAN’T WAIT for!
Love seeing your finds, Amie! And I’m so glad you are feeling better. I know what it’s like to struggle with stomach woes, so kudos to you for keeping your chin up. It’s not an easy thing to do by any means! xoxo – Hallie
Awe thanks Hallie. Hanging in there! xoox Love ya!
I feel so blessed to have found you and your web-site. Having MS and trying to eat gf is tough. I want to build my immune system but many foods stimulate and cause relapses. thank you for all your recipes and tips… Jerzidi
SO happy to hear that Dianne; enjoy and hope you are having a great week!