Son's Celiac diagnosis leads Mundelein mom to clean up what she eats

By Sally Eyre

Daily Herald Correspondent

It was about four years ago when Dawn Blough, our Cook of the Week from Mundelein, decided to clean up her kitchen.

"My son has Celiac disease, and I decided to make it so he could come home and feel safe," explains Dawn. In other words, she went gluten-free. It wasn't easy. Dawn was known for her bread-making skills and was always asked to bring the bread to family and friend gatherings.

"Nothing made me happier than a loaf of Italian bread, olive oil and parmesan cheese!" she laughs. Dawn learned to cook from her grandmother and has always loved to cook.

Her first real transformation happened years ago after the birth of her sons.

"I had allowed myself to get heavy; I had the boys and loved to cook. I became way overweight and unhappy." Dawn lost the weight and became a fitness trainer. For the past 21 years, she's taught classes at the Mundelein Park District. So when she gave up gluten, she was already very fit.

The difference?

"My joints are much happier," she says, and despite the changes, she still loves to cook.

"I truly enjoy cooking for people. During the week, with my busy schedule, it's all about fuel." Proteins and vegetables hold center stage.

"It's basic, simple nutrition, like salmon and roasted vegetables on the grill. On the weekends, however, we have fun."

Saturday night in the Blough household is pizza night.

"I'm a pizza freak. I can't live without pizza, so I did a lot of research and tried a lot of recipes. I finally found one I like, and I've played with it. Making pizza is something that my husband and I do every Saturday night. It's sort of a date night, and with pizza, you can do anything you want - barbeque, BLT - we change it up every week."

For those who want to try a gluten-free pizza crust, Dawn shares the recipe here today.

It was the realization that nearly every adult relative in her family had gotten diabetes by the time they were sixty, that had Dawn making the next plunge in her lifestyle change about two years ago; she went carb-free.

"No potatoes, no pasta, no rice and no sugar." Even though Dawn was already eating very healthily, giving up sugar was not easy.

"Sugar is in everything. It is more addictive than crack cocaine. When you give it up, your body starts demanding it. "Now, instead of sugar, Dawn uses Xylitol a natural sweetener taken from plants. You can try a sugar-free treat for yourself by making her brownie bites, a no-bake concoction made from cocoa, cream cheese, peanut butter and Xylitol.

If you do plan to jump on the no-carb bandwagon, Dawn recommends going slowly.

"Slow is better, no need for suffering, but it is worth paying attention to. Food has such power and gives such comfort."

Dawn admits that because she is a trainer, she does look at bodies and is concerned about America's abundance as a whole. Portions are out of control, and drive-throughs make picking up a sugary coffee more accessible than ever.

"I want to tell those teenage girls, 'Stop! That has 1,500 calories!' "

Dawn feels particularly drawn to young mothers because she remembers gaining weight after her children were born and the conflicted feelings about spending time away from your children to exercise.

"I get it, but it's OK to take that time for yourself. You'll be better for it."

• To suggest someone to be profiled here, send the cook's name, address and phone number to food@dailyherald.com.