About Kim Maes, CNC, AADP

Kim’s journey to begin work on a Master’s Degree in Nutrition (with emphasis in Holistic Nutrition), to getting certified as a Nutrition and Wellness Consultant, and to getting certified in Practical Application of Food Allergy Guidelines ALL began when her oldest son was 15 months old. He had not gained weight in months, was constantly pale, had a very distended belly and always seemed tired.

After much research on and many doctor visits, they finally discovered that he had Celiac Disease – a serious digestive disorder triggered by gluten. Once Kim removed gluten from his diet – the protein found in wheat, barley, malt, rye, and countless other products – his health just took off. He gained a lot of much-needed weight, grew many inches in height, his color came back, and he finally had the energy level of a normal toddler.

However, as her son grew better, her husband started noticing (or rather, stopped ignoring) strange intestinal symptoms of his own. Because Celiac is a disease that most often runs in families, he decided to get tested himself and he too tested positive for Celiac Disease.

Then came  the challenge of keeping them both fed. Because Kim has always enjoyed cooking, she decided to conduct some of her own experiments in the kitchen to see if she could make meals that were gluten-free but tasted more like the food they had previously been accustomed to. As she embarked on this cooking journey, she became passionate about learning how to feed her entire family as healthily as possible.

She started having so much fun on her new educational path that she wanted to help others find a way to enjoy feeding their families while dealing with food allergies as well. Learning how to eliminate allergies and substitute other ingredients in everyday cooking can be slightly overwhelming, especially when you are first starting out. Teaching others how to learn to enjoy allergy-free cooking and focus on healthy living has become her mission. Her hope is that this website, iPhone and iPad Application, and Food Allergy Coaching will be the tools to do just that.

And here are a few tools from Kim to teach you how to have fun and love your Allergy-Friendly Kitchen!

* How to Avoid Common Mishaps in Gluten-Free And Allergy-Friendly Baking

* A Printable List of 50+ Allergy-Friendly Lunchbox and Snack Ideas

* 20+ Resources, Tips, and Tools for Sending Your Food Allergic Child to School

* Your Deepest Darkest Secrets and Fears about Living With Food Allergies and Special Diets