Food Fête Chocolat

Posted on November 11, 2011 by Ilise Ratner

How lucky was I to be invited as the ‘press’ along with The Huffington Post, The Daily News to sample the finest chocolates currently on the market at Food Fête Chocolat held at the Helen Mills Event Space on W. 26th Street, NYC.  last night.  In attendance were Amano, American Heritage Chocolate, Chuao, Divine, Fine Chocolate Industry Association, Gail Ambrosius, Gnosis (a fellow IINer), Hotel Chocolat, Kallari, Lindt, The Madison Chocolatiers West, Sun Cups, Truffly Made, Inc and Valrhona.

I wore my Celiebo NO GLUTEN pin so that people would have a visual that I couldn’t eat gluten in addition to me telling them that I was representing the Gluten Free Community (along with Erin Smith, Gluten Free Fun and Jordan Gary, Delight Gluten Free Magazine).

The American Heritage Chocolate had a display of the History of Chocolate and it’s health properties.  I tasted a chocolate drink that was better than any tea or coffee I  have ever had.  They were using a stone slab and made the chocolate in front of us.  The smell was wonderful!

The chocolates were SO beautiful. What was especially enjoyable was that a few of the Chocolatiers talked about the history of cacao in Venezuela, Ecuador and Ghana and how the chocolate groves/farms ultimately produce this artful gastronome.

A few of my favorites:  Sun Cups; using Dark and Milk Chocolate and sunflower seeds.  They are nut free, gluten free, kosher and certified organic by CCOF.  Another favorite was a chocolate salted-caramel by the Fine Chocolate Industry Association.  There’s nothing like mixing the savory wtih the sweet all in one bite.  As well, there were chocolates made with garlic, bacon, and exotic herbs with healing properties.  Really, the displays were like none I have seen, so innovative and the crowd of about 100 was buzzing with excitement.

Needless to say, I walked out with a generous gift bag stuffed with delicious chocolates some of which does contain gluten and that which doesn’t I will gladly eat sparingly.

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Renewable Energy – My Camelback Climb

Posted on October 1, 2011 by Ilise Ratner

I had the pleasure, a few hours before Rosh Hashana 2011, to climb Camelback Mountain in Scottsdale, AZ with my dear friend, Kay.  I had wanted to climb Camelback for about 20 years – since she moved to AZ.  And so, on this lovely, 90 degree morning we started out.  I was wearing a camelback backpack filled with ice water and no food.

The hike started out well.  We walked up the mountain on a dirt and rock trail and then we arrived at the saddle about 35 minutes later - it was actually a plateau or landing.  There Kay took a business call and said it might take an hour.  So what else was I supposed to do but climb the rest of the mountain.  I started out on a trail that turned out to be a wrong path.  It was quite close to the mountain edge.  I realized partway through that I had not thoroughly investigated the rest of the trails and so I had reached a place that I could not go any further.  Has that ever occurred in your life?  Reached a place where you couldn’t go any further because you hadn’t fully scoped out all the possibilities?  I went back to where I thought I had gone wrong and then the trail appeared.  And at that very moment, another hiker, Rick, appeared, out of nowhere.  Just appeared.  He and I then proceeded to ascend the mountain – rocks and all.  He was instrumental in my climb – for if he wasn’t there I am not clear if I would have actually gone to the top.  However, as a seasoned climber he help me carefully place my feet in places that were stable. Not looking down or looking back to take away my focus – we proceeded to the top.

Now – right here would have been where the pictures that I took of me and Rick at the top of the mountain.  Instead here is a photo of the saddle.  The height doesn’t look like much, however – it is not for the weak or weary.

‘From the saddle of the Camel’

The elevation is 2,704 feet above sea level.  The highest achievement I have physically endured.  I know I am on to something here.  The climb up freed me from what had been holding me back to achieve the success in my life that is there for me.  What is holding you back?  Go on out and take on a challenge in your life – whatever it is; running a 5K or a marathon, quit smoking, losing 15 lbs, renew a relationship in your life.  There are so many places in life that hold us back from being who we need to be in this lifetime.

This climb (challenge) came in a perfect time in my life.  It inspired me to achieve what I set out to accomplish. And so, Rick disappeared as he appeared – ‘just like that’.  And though we may never see each other again – along the way it is so much more special to take the risk with someone else at your side.

So many life lessons arise when we challenge ourselves in a way we never thought possible.

I am looking for my next hike/climb in NYC.  Do you think I’ll find it here?  Hhhmmm?!?

 

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Posted in exercise, fitness, Goals, Health Coaching Matters, Healthy food, New Year, physical activity | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

‘Gluten Free’ food labeling rule – FDA has opened comment period

Posted on August 4, 2011 by Ilise Ratner

FDA NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Aug. 2, 2011
Media Inquiries: Siobhan DeLancey, 202-510-4177, siobhan.delancey@fda.hhs.gov
Trade Inquiries: Stephen King, 240-402-1407, stephen.king@fda.hhs.gov
Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA
FDA reopens comment period on proposed ‘gluten-free’ food labeling rule
Rule would help by creating a uniform and enforceable definition
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today reopened the comment period for its 2007 proposal on labeling foods as “gluten-free.” The agency is also making available a safety assessment of exposure to gluten for people with celiac disease (CD) and invites comment on these additional data.
One of the criteria proposed is that foods bearing the claim cannot contain 20 parts per million (ppm) or more gluten. The agency based the proposal, in part, on the available methods for gluten detection. The validated methods could not reliably detect the amount of gluten in a food when the level was less than 20 ppm. The threshold of less than 20 ppm also is similar to “gluten-free” labeling standards used by many other countries.
People who have celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten, a protein in wheat, rye, and barley. Celiac disease damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. About 1 percent of the United States population is estimated to have the disease.
“Before finalizing our gluten-free definition, we want up-to-date input from affected consumers, the food industry, and others to help assure that the label strikes the right balance,” said Michael Taylor, deputy commissioner for foods. “We must take into account the need to protect individuals with celiac disease from adverse health consequences while ensuring that food manufacturers can meet the needs of consumers by producing a wide variety of gluten-free foods.”
The proposed rule conforms to the standard set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission in 2008, which requires that foods labeled as “gluten-free” not contain more than 20 ppm gluten. This standard has been adopted in regulations by the 27 countries composing the Commission of European Communities.
The FDA encourages members of the food industry, state and local governments, consumers, and other interested parties to offer comments and suggestions about gluten-free labeling in docket number FDA-2005-N-0404 at www.regulations.gov1. The docket will officially open for comments after noon on Aug 3, 2011 and will remain open for 60 days.
To submit your comments electronically to the docket go to www.regulations.gov2
1. Choose “Submit a Comment” from the top task bar
2. Enter the docket number FDA-2005-N-0404 in the “Keyword” space
3. Select “Search”
To submit your comments to the docket by mail, use the following address:
The Division of Dockets Management
HFA-305
Food and Drug Administration
5630 Fishers Lane, Room 1061
Rockville, MD 20852
Include docket number FDA-2005-N-0404 on each page of your written comments.
For more information:
Federal Register Notice (scroll to FDA–temporary link will update when document publishes on Aug. 3):
Gluten-Free Portal (scroll to Gluten-Free):
Questions and Answers on the Gluten-Free Labeling Proposed Rule:
Consumer Update on the Gluten-Free Labeling Proposed Rule:
The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.
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Posted in Celiac Matters, GF Food Matters, gluten free labeling, Gluten Matters, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment