I'm having so many wonderfully amazing conversations lately that I feel like The Smile Coach is a complete vehicle for moving forward, not just for my Smilers, but for me too, avenues are opening up that I never thought possible, I hope to keep it all coming!
Most importantly my smile coaching journeys are going really well, some are coming towards the end of the journeys, others are just beginning, I'm covering a variety of subjects, from health, weight, anxiety, confidence and motivation to just pushing out of that comfort zone and making things happen!
My website www.thesmilecoachforyou.co.uk is now fully up and running, I hope you like it, its been a massive learning curve for me, I designed it, with a little help from friends and family and I hope it flows really well for you to follow.
If you feel that you could do with some Smile Coaching please get in touch, there's no time like the present, we can do it in person or over Skype, I'd love to help you out! Or, if you know someone that would benefit, please send them my way. All details are now on the website, which I hope to regularly update with any changes.
So....How did I become Gluten Free, was it a fad? Was it a choice? Why am I one of those annoying people that's really difficult to cater for?
Well, I have a suspicion that I should have always been gluten free, when I was a lot bigger than I was now, my favourite go to foods were definitely pastry and bread related stodge as well as anything oat related, especially Flapjack....Ooohhhhh Flapjack!!! I still love it, just in an imaginary way now ( I'm too sensitive to even have Gluten Free Oats now :( ) And they do say that you crave the foods that aren't good for you.
Every Christmas I would look forward to the big day and finish it feeling like I had eaten for England but I never had because of the almighty uncomfortable feelings I would get all day followed my stomach churning heartburn.....parties were always the same too, it was rubbish, but I thought it was just the norm, I could never go too mad because I also had a gallstone, so too much fat would also hurt, not a lot made sense but I just went with it.....
When I got married in 2007 as well as bagging myself an amazing husband, I also met a friend for life at my wedding reception, my lifey, ( you've met her in the other blogs!) Back then she was a rarity in being a person that lived Gluten/Wheat Free, the more we talked, the more I thought....this sounds like me...but didn't want to be a copycat.
Anyway, in October 2013 I decided to try being GF for the 4 weeks before my birthday, not because of symptoms that I'd probably always had but because I thought it might add another element to my weight loss journey, it could just be the next twist that I needed in order to banish one of these 3 supermodels from my body!
So for 4 weeks, I struggled but I managed it, all with the reward of a birthday weekend to Portsmouth where I could eat what I wanted, just for that weekend.......looking back now I, 100%, would not recommend just deciding to give up wheat or gluten as a lifestyle choice, as for me there was no going back, I just never thought that it would be like that.
I didn't inform my doctor (big mistake), I didn't really think about the future, (again big mistake) and I really didn't think about whether there was anyway to go back to eating Wheat or Gluten (another big mistake)
What happened was that I had my birthday weekend, ate what I wanted, didn't enjoy it as it all felt bloated in my stomach and the heartburn attacked (the old feelings were back), and then when the weekend was finished off with a birthday pizza, it tipped me over the edge and I was in bed for 2 days in pain, with no energy....not quite how I thought the birthday would be!
I realised quite quickly how silly I was not to inform my doctor, I was now one of those people that couldn't eat wheat or gluten, but yet couldn't be tested for Coeliac or Gluten Sensitivity because for that to happen I need to eat it, but I was stuck in a catch 22 situation, to eat, caused pain, so to not eat was best, but meant that it couldn't be recognised.
Over the years I've just got used to it, I know its a better way to be for me and it helps feed my love of finding bargains in shops, I'm always in a supermarket stalking the GF bread section looking for yellow stickers, I tend to always have something stashed in the freezer with the famous reduced stickers on!
The advantages are that parties & nights out don't often affect the weight loss as I normally can't eat much of the offered goodies, this can be good and bad, it's definitely lowered my intake of processed foods, which is never a bad thing, but I do feel like I stick out like a saw thumb at a buffet table sometimes, whilst asking about ingredients or checking labels, I do hate being that person, but the consequences far outweigh going wrong and being in pain, discomfort and god knows what else for up to a week afterwards.
Those symptoms have gotten worse over the years and I am now finally being investigated as any mistakes have a severe affect on me (you don't need the detail!), so this week I'll be seeing a consultant, I don't hold out too much hope for concrete results but I've spent so many years not seeking help and just putting up with it that I'm just glad its now all going on the record.
With the amount of allergies and intolerance in my household (the Jack journey, that's a future blog!), its just another thing to leave out of the varied/mixed menus that I produce!
So now, I can come onto my one of my favourite days out of the year! The Free From And Allergy Show at Olympia in London, with my mum and sister Kk. It's also combined with The Vegan show and the Naturally You show.
Me, Mum and Sis at the Asda Stand, looking very happy!
For one day only I get to feel normal, all the big/small companies and Supermarkets bring their new products and you can sample everything!! It's heaven! I can't wait for next year already!
This year though, I went for me but the day became about The Smile Coach, I spoke to so many amazing people, amazing companies, amazing products!
I know I can't just give you a big list but I will try and share some pics of products and what I made from them with you, the best thing is just speaking to people who.... just get it!
So first up I found these amazing noodles...Oomi noodles...made from Fish protein, low carb, low cal, high protein, gluten free....I asked the people manning the stand if they taste fishy and instead of selling me a pack to try, they gave me a pack with a free coolbag too, love a gimmick!
I've got to admit that I was dubious, I don't like the smell or taste of fish, something I do wish I could rectify...any hypnotists out there??? So, I bought them home and its been a longtime since I've had a stirfry with noodles..I have had rice noodles in the past but have always loved the sturdier egg noodles....well Oomi is the best replacement, that you'll ever find, A M A Z I N G!!!
That free pack was a fantastic gift, because I will now hunt them down in a supermarket and will be buying them regularly, here's a pic or too of the pack and created.....so lovely and didn't taste of fish at all!
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| What is that lady doing? |
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| Can't miss this pack in the shops! |
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| The Best Stirfry! |
I tried colourful new products on the Gosh stand, beautiful flavours, vibrant colours, elegant flavours. Beetroot wraps on the Warburtons stand...and then we met Martin and his new baguette on the Genius stand, we had a good laugh with him, the baguette got the better of us all! Tesco's, Asda...you name them, they were there...there's a GF Lemon Meringue Pie coming to a Tesco near you soon and will be my new go to pud when going to a dinner date or inviting people to mine!
Martin and his hilarious Baguette, thanks Genius!
For the health conscious amongst us I found a couple of products that I can't wait to get my hands on more of, they were Wyldsson Plant based Protein Powder and their Vegan Nutella...all available on Amazon, absolutely no rubbish in them, the offer I bought on the day was amazing and I now wish I'd bought so many more of their products!
Last year, I helped a friend, Pam to gain her PT qualification and really got into using Protein Powder but everyone I bought contained hidden wheat and didn't make me feel great, so ever since then I've been looking for one that contains no hidden rubbish....and I've finally found it! I'll be setting up amazon as soon as I run out of my first pack and the Vegan Nutella.......wowsers!!! Heavenly! Cannot explain how happy it made me. Reordering soon.... I tried to get a better deal but he told me he'd be rowing a boat back to Dublin if he did, so I let him off and said I'd still mention his amazing products in the blog, lol!!! You've got to hustle, when you can! #Wyldsson can't get enough!
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| Get these high Protein products on Amazon! |
Also the Protein Ball Co provided fantastic run chat, gorgeous flavours and the revelation that they are only based along the coast from me in Worthing, just a short trip from Hastings, yet an even shorter trip would be to a supermarket near me.
I'll be looking out for them at future races, (hopefully the Beachy Head Marathon in October), I also witnessed my first free sample rage, here, with a man that seemed very determined to try all the flavours, more than once, I thought a single ball was polite, he didn't....
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| So near to me...... |
The second sampler rage was a lady at the Tesco stall, who physically pushed me out of the way over a sausage, it was such a strong push, I thought it was my mum! I couldn't help but laugh... I mean they were good sausages, but.....lol!
We had many laughs throughout the day, its a day out where you don't need to think about buying lunch...and even the Vodka samples come Gluten free!
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| Gluten Free Vodka from Riverside Spirits, Gorgeous Flavours! |
The biggest company Schar (can't find the German a) give out free tickets in the months before the weekend, you can take part in full-on dinner sampling sessions, if you're quick enough, when they release the times, you can learn so much, try so much and buy so much.... plus don't forget your free goody bags!
Hopefully I've sold the show to you and next year, we'll all go on a day out together, allergy bods, vegans and everyone in between all squished on a coach, awaiting an amazing day with big Smiles on our faces, otherwise, you can't get on the Smile Coach's Smile Coach!
So that's my gluten free story with a fun ending! This week I'll find out more...or not, whatever the results, there's no way back for me, sensitivities may become more milder but I'll be avoiding Gluten and Wheat forever! The world is catching up though, the shops are getting easier to contend with, although they do insist in replacing gluten with sugar! Unprocessed is the way to be!
I have more products to tell you about but will save them for another day!
Life is far too short, to not look over your day and think of one thing that made you happy!
Be it a yellow sticker or winning the lottery, we've all got those happy things, although mine are quite simple!
Keep Smiling Smilers! It makes the world go round!
Lots of love Emma, The Smile Coach xxx
Please keep the positive feedback and comments coming. :)
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