I like being able to cross states off of my “must visit” list. So far, I think I’m at 24 states, and I’d like to visit all 50 by the time I’m 40. Maybe throw in Puerto Rico too, just for giggles. So when I saw that ShiftCon was going to be in Louisiana, New Orleans to be specific, I couldn’t turn it down.

Unfortunately, the city isn’t all that gluten-free friendly.

The catering staff of the restaurant had no f-ing idea about food allergies. Casually frying items in peanut oil (because allergies are awesome), not writing down if anything contained gluten, dairy, etc. Putting bacon on top of bread (Jesus, I’m so over this catering trend. Stop, please stop), and more. And the best part? When I asked them to go check on ingredients, it took way too long for the guy to talk to the chef, and he still had no idea what was safe, except for the vegetables. So, I ate vegetables. And this, because steam pot seafood is pretty much what you get in the tourist areas of New Orleans.

On top of struggling to find an abundance of safe food (gluten-free and dairy-free – oy), I got a terrible ear infection during my trip, but I did end up with some great memories and spent time with some of my favorite brands and the best natural products out there. Here are some of my best things found at ShiftCon 2016.

I love Rebbl. If you find them at your store, you must try the Matcha Latte, Ashwagandha Chai, and the Turmeric GoldenMilk . They are gluten-free and dairy-free and you will become addicted, like I am.

Believe the hype in Nautrepedic. This is the most amazing mattress. This will be my next mattress. Bonus: it’s organic cotton. They also make pads/toppers as well as sheets and pillows. Obviously Dairy Free Gina and I loved it…and wanted to carry the whole thing back home – alas, too big for Southwest carry on.

I love that this Onnit product contains prebiotics and betaine HCl. These are two things that are super helpful for a healthy gut! On top of that, this also contains enzymes and probiotics. I’ve never worked with this company before, but I’m excited to try it!

Stream2Sea is a line of bath and beauty products that are not only gluten-free and allergen-friendly, but they are made from ingredients that are truly eco-conscious and biodegradable, safe for the waterways. Because do you really think about where all of your shower run-off goes into? But honestly, the selling point was when the vendor rubbed some of their sunscreen directly onto her eyeball and didn’t flinch. Yeah, I’m sold.

Obsessed with the Redmond clay brand, especially the facial mud (put it on any and all zits and they will thank you). But you know that already. But what this picture really shows off is the brand new branding! Isn’t it beautiful!

Certified gluten-free muffins made in a microwave? Sign me up! They contain dairy, but fingers crossed that they come up with a dairy-free option soon! These protein-heavy breakfast items are so helpful in busy households with athletes! Flapjacked also makes certified gluten-free pancake and baking mix too!

Did you know that magnesium is the new “it” supplement right now? This is Garden of Life’s Relax and Restore new entry into the powdered magnesium marketplace. It’s vegan and gluten-free, and this is beautiful because there is NO stevia in it! Stevia-haters, this is for you.

BeautyCounter offers many gluten-free products – from makeup to personal care. And they believe in safer cosmetics, just check out their NEVER list of products that you can never find in their products.  I was pretty impressed with their products – like the dew skin tinted moisturizer and the touchup skin concealer pen. Find a consultant near you, or purchase online.

Like cherries? You will become obsessed with these dried tart cherries. This has to be my favorite product from Stoneridge Orchards.

My besties at Enjoy Life Foods were there too – showing off their non-GMO products that are celiac safe and free from the top 8 food allergens (and more). Say hi to Kathleen! At least I had enough snickerdoodles to keep me satiated!

If you know me, you know that I’ve been a Simple Mills fan from the very beginning. I’m obsessed with their paleo-friendly, grain-free, gluten-free products. I also ate my weight in their new crackers. And frosting. I could eat it by the jar.

Also, another great moment was meeting JP Sears. He’s pretty fantastic. And totally intolerant of your intolerance to gluten intolerance. Ultra Spiritual As F***.

And my god – Applegate kept me well fed and pumped full of delicious meat throughout the show. They are launching new items that are so dang delicious like the genoa salami meat trio. They’re all gluten-free and casein-free and I am such a huge fan of everything they are making.

MegaFood has to be my new favorite supplement company. Made from whole foods and free from gluten-ingredients and allergens, these products are so high quality. Look out for another feature on these guys soon on Celiac and the Beast. I also received a few free books from Tieraona Low Dog M.D. – one of the doctors they work with, about how we are under-fed with vitamins and minerals. You need this the “Fortify Your Life” book (hint: you can win one in the giveaway).

And I’d like to give a big shout-out to Republic of Tea for keeping us hydrated with their certified gluten-free teas the entire time. I love these guys and can’t wait to see what they are launching this year at Expo West – it’s going to be great, I’m sure!

Make sure you keep checking Celiac and the Beast for an updated post about my use with Nima Sensor, including how I used it in New Orleans!

And finally, if you don’t know what HIIT Yoga is, you need to check it out. Because this is the thing that almost killed me at ShiftCon. It was incredible, but also pushed me to my limits. This ain’t your typical flow yoga guys. Check out Flex & Flow – designed by one of the killer athletes behind Fit Approach/Sweat Pink, a community of people who love working out (I’m a member!).

ShiftCon 2016 Giveaway

Thanks for getting through this epic recap of ShiftCon 2016. You’ll have to wait until February of 2018 to see another ShiftCon recap and giveaway from me, because ShiftCon is moving back to Southern California (YIPPIE THANK GOD THERE IS GF FOOD THERE) in February of 2018. I can’t wait to go, but thankfully I have so many memories from this year’s conference to satiate me until then! Thanks again to ALL the great sponsors of this year’s show – one of the best expo halls I’ve seen in years! Want to win a collection of amazing swag from the show? Just fill out the Rafflecopter BELOW this photo and you’ll be entered to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway