Notes of a Celiac ... today ...

Know what I did yesterday ~ I stayed home from work after letting the exhaustion of dealing with a upset stomach keep me up most of the night, and after a couple messages sent out here and there, I laid down and I slept all day and into the evening ... I only forced myself up a couple hours to spend some time with my guy ... and then back to bed, and sitting here right now at work I could put my head down and fall asleep.  I am so exhausted and depressed and I know it is because I know I have
stuff to figure out and get it going, and I simply am tired of it all.

I am tired of having Celiac Disease.

I am tired knowing that there is so much more to it than simply staying Gluten Free (that THAT is only a small part of the whole picture).  Reading, researching, and becoming more overwhelmed at steps really I need to take ~ or stages I need to get through - this is a great article on stages we may be at ... while I wish I was a number 3 I think I totter between the 2nd and 3rd stage, and I feel crappy, I know I need to move on.

I am tired of knowing I don't really have any concrete answers or plans to feel good in the works yet.

AND I am so so tired of not feeling good anymore.  Just tired.

I am frustrated that I have so much I want to do, so much I want to write about, so much I want to get going, be a part of ~ and I have been struggling even to type this simple post.

I am angry about things happening in our Celiac Community - like what is happening to Jennifer Esposito - great posts and details on it written by Gluten Dude  and CeliacinChilliwack

It gets really tiring when the only people who truly understand Celiac Disease is the people who HAVE CELIAC DISEASE!  And then reading comments of those that do that also put THAT theory to the test.  I find myself reading and reading and reading and mostly shaking my head ... and feeling close to tears (this not feeling well has the great side effects of being over emotional, anxiety ridden, and depressed - just lovely) at the ass-backwards way people look at those who need to eat GLUTEN-FREE.  I know a lot of this damage has been caused by those claiming to go gluten free for health benefits, weight loss, jumping in on a "fad" wagon.  It's frustrating ~ because it makes it harder for those of us trying to live and survive with Celiac Disease to get the help and support we need.

As Gluten Dude points out we are not VICTIMS ... as the poorly written Article on Page 6 of the New York Post wrote ~ which I won't even link to because it was so badly written full of untruth and inconsistency.  Shame on the New York Post for letting this Article out to print.  We are "sufferers" or "survivors" and we need the support that goes with this, I don't need someone to hold my hand or pat my back and say "there now" ~ I need people in my life that support my goal of becoming a better me - WITH having Celiac Disease, having some understanding of what I am facing daily and taking me to task if I don't have the same interest in their lives.

There is so much I want and need to accomplish - from minutes sitting waiting for me to put them together (from the recent AGM of our Chapter of the Canadian Celiac Association), blog posts I have drafted to write up about restaurants - like Jasper's Evil Dave's Grill to Edmonton's very Own Brits Fish and Chips - great experiences I had there, and others ... simple recipes I have whipped up at home for simple suppers - like Shepherd's Pie, stews and chili's ... and I want to write more about food - all foods and what they do or do not do for us, because if you are a Celiac or someone that has a gluten intolerance or sensitivity - your life and health revolves around food.  I want to write posts about our recent adventure taking a DISNEY Cruise and what advice I followed from sites like the Allergy Free Mouse and others, and tidbits I learned on my own.  So much I want to do ... so little time and energy ...  

Today I could just sleep ... being at work ~ where I can write a blog post but not take a nap ... probably is a good thing ha ha, at least I got a bit of what is in my head noted down.

I am tired today ... tired of being a person with Celiac Disease ... but then again tomorrow is around the corner and we shall see what it brings. 

RioVida Bakery - OPEN

17515-100 Avenue - just off Stony Plain Road - inbound (100 avenue) - behind the New Asian Village ... Open just over a week in her new store front, so her signage is not up yet but her store front is right on the corner of the little strip mall behind the New Asian Village - Kevin and I had the pleasure to go in and talk with Najah - from RioVida Bakery and also to sample some of her wonderful products.

RioVia Bakery - Najah Shtay - who had opened a gluten free bakery and catering side by side with Ed's Gluten Free - has an established and Gluten Free Certified business, with Ed's closing she decided to re-open in her own store front and has done so on the West End of Edmonton.

We enjoyed meeting Najah and speaking to her about her story and the bakery.  She was a co-owner and a chef at the Valentino's Restaurant for many years, she was diagnosed with gluten intolerance and sensitivity and changed her path to wanting to supply delicious gluten free, allergy sensitive products ~ and so RioVida was developed.  I was so moved by her honest, sincere passion and love for what she does.  We were fortunate to try some of her amazing products ~ she will have baking on-site for walk in customers but she would also love to promote the option of customers being able to pre-order their customized order - because she adapts to dairy free (lactose), egg free and diabetic alternatives, and pick up fresh baked products they can freeze.   

All her baked goods are prepared from scratch, no preservatives and specializes in allergy request baking.   She has dried mixes so you can take home and bake up your own version of goodness.
If you need flour in bulk, she offers for sale.  There were so many wonderful products on the go when we went in, she is working on a Pita Bread - and we were able to sample this - the taste was wonderful, the density perfect.  She plans to add nutritional components more and more to her baking.

There will be a small brunch bar in the store ~ where she in planning to offer lunch alternatives, soups and sandwiches.  And she is also working on a website ... part of the future plans.

Coconut raisin cookie

Specializes in dry mix baking, pizzas and entrees - but she has a growing product list.  We tried her coconut and chocolate cookies, and a chocolate muffin - so yummy and moist.  She stressed how she uses all fresh and quality ingredients ~ and that she enjoys the challenge of different allergy request and how to adapt her recipes to fill them.  We were fortunate that she just was taking a batch of Onion bread cakes out of the oven - we had that along with our supper later and it was so delicious - I honestly don't think I have had a bread product that was so pleasing, the taste and texture were amazing.  She makes pizzas to order, different sizes including mini's for lunch and snack ~ again you can order these dairy (lactose) free as well.

Green Onion Cake

Go in and take a peek - let her tell you about her vision and feel the passion and love she has for what she does, it certainly shows in her baking ~ or you can email her (rio-vida@hotmail.com) for her product list - which are all prepared with their own dry mixes from scratch ~ or contact her at (780) 902-7593.

Congratulations Najah and Rio Vida Bakery for your new store front ~ I am positive your existing customers will be overjoyed and for sure count US as part of the growing list of new customers you are sure to have!

Go and check out the new store front ~
Rio Vida Bakery 
17515-100 Avenue
Edmonton, AB
contact Najah - (780) 902-7593
email - rio-vida@hotmail.com