Ep 55 Why Kathy Smart is so Positive about the Gluten Free Diet
My chat this week is with internationally known lifestyle expert, Kathy Smart. Kathy has appeared on dozens of TV shows talking about the gluten free lifestyle and how to make it healthy. She runs Live The Smart Way which offers a self-improvement program to both lose weigh and get healthier and it’s all based around a gluten free diet. Kathy presents an annual health fair in Ottawa with the majority of businesses represented offering gluten free.
You can check out Kathy’s website at https://livethesmartway.com
Twitter – @KathyLynnSmart
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/livingthesmartway
Instagram – @livethesmartway
Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.ca/livethesmartway/
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Rfwlqksb_u362iUGCfQag
Sue’s Websites and Social Media –
Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com
Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com
Facebook – @acanadianceliacpodcast
Twitter – CeliacPodcastCA
Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com
Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com
Instagram – @suesgfbaking
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?
list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL
(search Sues Gluten Free Baking)
Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com
Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com
My Thoughts –
In anticipation of talking with Kathy Smart, I was hoping to get the opportunity to ask her about how she was “treated” when she was a guest on different TV shows. What I wanted to know was did they have gluten free snacks prepared for her, and were they expecting her to need them? Her answer was enlightening, but not unexpected. The better the management of the production, the better she was “cared for”.
It is now estimated that 20% of the world’s population identifies with some type of food sensitivity or intolerance. I remember years ago, at a CCA conference, one of the presenters was a chef who had worked at many large by-invitation-only banquets. He told us a similar statistic at that time – If asked, one in five people will respond to an invitation with some sort of food intolerance or allergy. At the time, this number seemed very high to me, but now, I realize it’s actually quite accurate.
Maybe that’s why I am always surprised when I register for a conference or presentation with my affiliations – “Sue’s Gluten Free Baking”, or “A Canadian Celiac Podcast”, or “Gluten Free Weigh In” – they don’t automatically assume or ask if I require a gluten free snack or meal. I have to tell them. I have long since given up expecting even the most “foodie” groups to figure it out.
The key here might be – “if asked”, the terminology used by the chef who worked those large banquets. We should be asking, and in a way that people won’t feel embarrassed, or ashamed to admit their food issues. Yes, the chef had it correct – when you invite someone somewhere there is going to be food, it should be accompanied by a request to identify any special food requirements they have.
For years now, I have tried to do this. It doesn’t come naturally at first, and I remember sounding very awkward when I asked, but of late, it just slides off my tongue. Who knew one family member was vegan, or another didn’t eat red meat? Well I found out by asking, and I was prepared for both of them. It’s a lesson we can all learn – ask about food allergies and intolerances and nowadays, expect to be told.