Get the Gluten Out

Taste tested products:

Nana's cookies. These are FANTASTIC! So delicious. I want one now. They are high in fat, probably from the canola oil in them. So worth it!

Amy's Baked Ziti Bowl- So good you'll forget it was zapped in a microwave. If I ever forget to bring my lunch to work, I head to Raley's and get an Amy's pasta meal. Amy's Rice Macaroni and Cheese is pretty good too. Much healthier than fast food!

Have you ever used spaghetti squash instead of pasta? Low carb dieters swear by it. I don't eat low carb, I just think the squash tastes a lot like pasta, plus I get a few extra servings of vegetables. Top it with some basil or sage pesto or marinara sauce.

Tasty Bite makes some delicious boxed Indian food. Another great on-the-go meal. Many of the varieties are gluten free. My favorite is Jaipur Vegetables. Kashmir Spinach, Punjab Eggplant and Madras Lentils are delicious too!

Whole Foods has some great gluten free bread mixes if you have a bread machine. I've tried Pamela's Products. You really can't top homemade bread.


And dairy, fruit and veggies are gluten free!

Heart, Hagar Come to Sac for Benefit Concert

The rock group Heart, along with Sammy Hagar, will headline 2010 WALK 'N ROCK FOR KIDS, a benefit concert on Sunday, May 30 at Sacramento's Raley Field.
“We are thrilled to announce our WALK ‘N ROCK artists for 2010 and our expansion from benefiting seven nonprofits to 17,” said Hope Productions Foundation Chairman of the Board Garry Maisel, CEO of Western Health Advantage.
Training, awareness and proceeds from the 2010 WALK ‘N ROCK FOR KIDS event will benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Sacramento, Cristo Rey High School of Sacramento, Keaton Raphael Memorial, Okizu, People Reaching Out, River Cats Foundation and Wind Youth Services.
In 2010, the morning walk has been expanded to benefit an additional 10 children’s charities: Access Leisure-Independence Field, Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Sacramento, Boy Scouts of Greater Sacramento, CASA Sacramento, CCHAT Center, Full Circle Treatment Center, Roberts Family Development Center, Sacramento ENRICHES, Sacramento Linkage to Education and Sierra Forever Families-Wonder Program.
This event was launched last year with great success. The inaugural 2009 WALK ‘N ROCK generated more than $600,000 in contributions and in-kind services and nonprofit trainings.
Maisel said the hope to generate 20 percent more revenue for the nonprofits that last year.
Walkers can raise money on behalf of any of the 17 nonprofits, or have their walk team revenue benefit the seven Nonprofit Partners by starting a team for WALK ‘N ROCK FOR KIDS by going to www.walknrock.org.
Tickets go on sale through www.Ticketmaster.com Saturday, January 16th and start at $40.
For more information on corporate sponsorships, walking teams and VIP tickets, visit www.hopeproductions.org.

EG Volunteer's Heartwarming Holiday

Like so many Americans, Elk Grove resident Trish Fontana lost her job and found herself looking for something to occupy her time.
Fontana resolved to do something beneficial for the community with her newly acquired free time. She began volunteering around Elk Grove. Fontana told me the kindness she found in the community made her proud to call Elk Grove her home. Here is an article she wrote about her experiences. I thought it was really touching.

Charity Does Begin at Home

“So this is Christmas

And what have you done?

Another year over,

A new one just begun.”

- John Lennon

Christmas has come and 2010 looms just around the corner – and what have you done?

Due to the economy, I am currently not working and, like many others, have recently joined the ranks of the unemployed. Not spending every waking moment consumed by the next deadline, the next file, the next e-mail and a buzzing Blackberry actually frightened me almost as much as not having a job.

I tried to stay busy- sports, errands, chores, but I was still unhappy.

One day I even went to Sloughhouse Farmers Market and filled the car up with corn which I delivered to my neighbors (I truly thought I had lost my mind). Then, when I was at the gym, I saw Michael J. Fox featured on a magazine with a headline that said, “Happiness is a Choice.”

What would replace a job, that could make me happy, that would make me feel fulfilled? Then it came to me. This is Christmas, and what is Christmas all about? It was time for my boo hoo pity party to end.

I have always done community service but where did one sign up to be a full time volunteer? I decided to check out some local organizations. I thought I’d do an onsite visit and shop for the best fit- I didn’t need to go far.

I purged my closets and ended up at the Elk Grove Clothes Closet. Hey, I could walk in, donate a few bags of clothes and if I didn’t like it, what did I have to lose? I had no idea what was to come.

The Clothes Closet is powered by some of the most amazing women (and a few good men) I have ever met. I was immediately hooked. The words of Margaret Mead came to me, "never doubt that a small group of concerned citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

The closet provides clothes to deserving Elk Grove residents with the primary focus on school children. Local schools' request, many through the Healthy Start Program, everything from coats to shoes.

The need is absolutely overwhelming. Each donated item is carefully inspected to make sure it is clean and appropriate for distribution. The clothes are hung by size and gender to facilitate and streamline the order process. It is a well-oiled machine fueled by dedication and passion.

During the Christmas season, the closet also supports School Coat Days and a Gift Day. The first thing that happens at Coat Day is the children are checked to see if they need shoes and then are also given a coat, sweatshirt, hat, gloves and scarf.

I will never forget the young girl whose toes were poking through her little shoes. She said she wore a size 5½ but was finally fitted with a size 10½!

With the recent cold spell, it’s not surprising that gloves would be a huge hit. One day I was unloading the boxes and noticed a huge pair of black leather motorcycle gloves that would literally go past a young child’s elbow. I immediately thought, “who could ever want or use those gloves?” Towards the end of the morning, a young fourth grade boy came into the gym in a wheel chair. He didn’t want a coat or shoes but his face lit up when he saw those gloves. He was beaming with pride when he wheeled himself back to class, his hands and arms protected by the gloves.

The Gift Day is sponsored in conjunction with the Elk Grove Food Bank Christmas program. Individuals first go to the Food Bank to pick up the fixings for their Christmas meal and then are sent to the gift site where they are assigned a number of gifts. Each new or gently used item is wrapped with a bow and can range from clothes, to toys, books, bikes, appliances, bedding and household items. Random raffle tickets are given for the larger items and I was assigned to distribute the prizes.

Here, I met a grandfather whose eyes teared up when he saw the child-size bed which would be perfect for his 3 year old grandson. He was beaming when we helped load it in his pick-up truck with a fury stuffed animal added to complete the package.

Faces and more faces streamed into the hall. There is a 10-year-old girl who selected a large stuffed Mickey Mouse with her ticket to give to her little brother. Two homeless women are overcome with emotion at the sleeping bags and blankets that will help keep them and their little dog warm at night. And finally, I met an elderly woman who had lost her home and car but still wanted to provide a Christmas for her grandchildren, just like her grandmother had done for her.

More people have said “God Bless You” to me in the past two weeks than in my entire Catholic education. But what is most amazing, is that no one complains– most are happy and genuinely grateful. For now, my “office” is a double-wide trailer without any electricity and I couldn’t be happier.

“And so this is Christmas,

I hope you have fun,

The near and the dear one

The old and the young……”

Set Your Creative Spirit Free

"The Artist’s Way," a workshop with Barbara Long, will take participants through exercises and processes that will set your creative spirit free.
The workshop will take place at the Elk Grove Fine Arts Center on Monday evenings starting Jan.11 through Feb. 22, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Explore with fellow artists the spiritual and emotional aspects of your creative journey.
The cost is $35. The workbook is an additional fee. Pre-registration and payment is required.
For more information or to sign up, please call (916) 685-5992 or e-mail egfinearts@frontiernet.net.

Photo courtesy of the Elk Grove Fine Arts Center. "Sonoma Barn"

Pro Film Director Hosts Lecture in Sacramento

Film students can learn from the man who directed films such as, "Dude, Where's My Car?" and "Drive Me Crazy."
In his long career, Paul Martin's served as first assistant director on numerous films. This Friday, Jan. 8 at 6:30 p.m. he will host a lecture in Sacramento titled, "Feature Film-Making Done Right!!"
The presentation will be hosted by the California Film Foundation, and held at The Studio Center, 115 Fee Drive, Sacramento, CA 95815.
A $5 donation is recommended. Seats will fill-up fast, so please RSVP.http://www.californiafilm.net/

No Such Thing as a Healthy Addiction

Most people struggle to fit more exercise in their lives. But for an exercise addict, too much is never enough.
I read about exercise addiction about 10 years in a Glamour magazine. It’s nothing new, unfortunately. It is an uncommon diagnosis, but not as uncommon as I thought.
Dr. Meredith Bean, at Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento, recognized that some of her patients had an addiction to exercise.
Dr. Bean said most of the exercise addicts she sees in her practice are addicted for one of three reasons, the most common being to relieve stress. So, when they’re trying to overcome an addiction to exercise, how to they relieve stress?
I asked this question to Psychology Professor Mitch Darnell who told me the person should replace the activity with a new stress relieve one, such as reading, meditation, deep breathing or even having a glass of wine with their spouse. Darnell said often one addiction is replaced with another, so the person overcoming exercise addiction could become addicted to meditation.
From my understanding, the key factors in overcoming exercise addiction seem to be socializing more, making workouts fun, doing them less frequently and keeping your routine varied.
Both psychologists I spoke to said forming more social connections may help someone with exercise addiction.
Exercise addicts often workout alone to be in their own perfectionist world. Adding some group activities to their routine may help overcome this addiction.
Darnell pointed out that he might not label a patient with the word addiction, because of the negative connotations.
Exercise addicts are often perfectionists. I understand why the negative word “addiction” may not set well with someone who has exercise addiction.
Some might even say that an addiction to exercise can’t be a bad thing. Of course, alcohol and drugs are much worse things to be addicted to than exercise.
But psychologically, an addiction is formed when a person is missing something in their lives, or making up for a deep insecurity.
“It becomes a problem when the person is unable to stop,” Bean said.

Darnell explained that an exercise addict may be a perfectionist and want control over their life. But something such as health is impossible to completely control.
“Particularly things around our physical health- we’re still vulnerable,” he said. “We can take supplements and take care of our health and we still die.”

Overall exercise is very healthy. It becomes a problem when it becomes an uncontrollable urge.
I was surprised to hear that some people can live with a mild, controlled case of exercise addiction. But Darnell suggested that anyone who suspects they might have an unhealthy addiction to check with their doctor or therapist to see if their lifestyle is healthy.

“The people who tend to seek help are halfway towards healing anyway,” he said.