Yes, I Eat Poutine!

I have been a fitness trainer for over 15 years and I have always tried to encourage healthy eating and physical exercise but I know very well that people are passionate about their food and once in awhile we all want to treat ourselves and have tempting desserts and fatty foods.

Last November, I found out that I was allergic to gluten which meant that I had to say good bye to all things made with flour ( rye, barely, oats etc). So almost all desserts were off my menu and I also had to give up one of my favorite things, french fries.  In Quebec, we have the best french fries and poutine on the planet so this has been a hard shift. Unfortunately, most restaurants fry breaded items in the same oil as the potatoes so I have been french fry free for 7 months until three weeks ago.

I found a restaurant in Saint Laurent, called Ottavio that has a separate area for preparation of gluten free dishes and they have separate oil, so I can now have fries and poutine again. Below is a photo of my guilty pleasure, the Italian Poutine. I literally shed a few tears having fries again.  I wanted to hug the owner/manager but figured I should restrain myself! He bought me this as a gift when he found out we had travelled so far ( an hour) twice within the same week to eat at his restaurant.  When he found out how long it had been since I had fries, he ran away and came back with this!  I am hooked now.

The good news is the food there is delicious for "regular" eaters as well.  I have been there too many times in the last three weeks and I have brought three separate friends/family with me and everyone has loved their food.  I am also lactose intolerant and there is an option for lactose free cheese.  So yummy.

So my message today is I do not just eat kale and spinach...I eat junk food and that is okay.  Once in awhile we all need to have some fun. 

I have found a fabulous, "cup for cup" pastry flour so I am baking again. My husband and I used to make wedding cakes and birthday cakes so it is nice to be able to find my footing again in this gluten free lifestyle.

Now I need to get back to regular exercise and work off all of this poutine!

Have a great day everyone,
Beth