Celebrate summer with a healthy mindset

Our summer in Duluth is a time well earned and deserves to be met with pure joy, friends, gatherings and good times. For some, however, this also comes with an inner tug of war when balancing health goals and celebration. We want to feel good and feel good about ourselves as we enjoy the warm days to the max. Our celebration with friends often includes food, drink and fun that is coupled with caloric con...[Read more]

If your guest has special dietary needs

Oh my goodness! I have guests coming to town! One has a tree-nut allergy, the rest have various diet restrictions ... Where can we eat that will work for everyone?

Never fear! Duluth has a robust and motley bunch of options for the diner with dietary needs that offers much more than a head of lettuce on a plate....

Sometimes what looks nitpicky is just your guest being particular for health's sake. Clarificat...[Read more]

Theories behind food sensitivity fads

Ever find yourself wanting to yell, while waiting in line as someone ahead of you figures out what the gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free options are, "Oh, just order the salad! You diet-demanding people are everywhere!"? I know that you, being a good Minnesota nice person, would never even think such a thing, right? Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. Trust me, living the dream of diet dissection is not fun for us, either.

Dismissing sensitivities - one's fad is another's frustration

An acquaintance of mine lost three days of her vacation to feeling very ill when her waiter was too busy to answer her questions accurately.  “Are the chips gluten free?” was met with an eye roll and “They are corn chips, yes, they’re gluten free”. She inquired again on her next visit being told that their standard corn chips contained wheat but they have gluten free chips available. She was frustrated as she found out her original waiter had been there for years and was well aware of their gluten free options. The restaurants apology and their comment that sometimes that waiter “do...[Read more]

The Pasta in the Water

I had the pleasure of writing a blog post for TouchPoint Resource Pool
You can find the original blog post here

Even if you’re not a fan of the TV show Bones I invite you to follow me through this case study based on real events and see how quickly you can spot the oversight.

Let’s pretend for a moment that you have discovered, after a long battle with health issues, you are sensitive to wheat and gluten. Upon this discovery and a shift in food lifestyle you feel like you have your life back. You’re getting along well.

One of your biggest adjustments is missing the pasta from your favorite Italian place. The food, the ambiance, the staff… PERFECTO!

A coworker lets you know that they have just a...[Read more]

Can you spot the fallacy?

“Vegan, G.F. Spiced black beans with New Mexico Chilies and Barley.”

Anything strike you as incorrect with the sign?

Don’t feel bad if you don’t spot it… you are absolutely not alone.

Barley is the last ingredient. Barley, though not wheat, is not actually gluten free.

There are well intentioned folks attempting to serve, and label, options to provide for customers with food challenges and particular needs. Anyone with ...[Read more]