Commanding Greatness and Scoring Excellence

[As you know, the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness staff members are big Phillies fans. So when one of our newest volunteers, Nadina Fraimow, told us she shared the same passion for sports, wellness and all things Phillies, we had to get her on board. Nadina will be sharing her gluten-free experience throughout the 2011 Phillies season.]

Commanding Greatness and Scoring Excellence

A Phightin’ to Be Gluten-Free Blog

Cliff Lee led the Phillies to victory with five straight starts. Even Mets fans cannot deny our past Cy Young winner’s Un-Be-LEE-vable talent.  We cheer for Lee’s every move on the mound—and the bases, as he relentlessly commands greatness with his pitches and scores excellence with his runs.  Read below for details and other recent Lee highlights:

August 17:  Phillies 9-2 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks
Pitching Highlight: Lee’s un-Be-LEE-vable command of the ball leads him to pitch 7 strong innings with 2 runs, 3 hits and 7 strikeouts.

Run Highlight: Great run support from Hunter Pence, Ryan Howard, John Mayberry Jr., Shane Victorino, and Jimmy Rollins. Lee hit an almost safe grounder to second and Coach Charlie Manuel even challenged the call.

August 22: Phillies 10-0 win against the New York Mets
Pitching Highlight: In it to win it, Lee pitched 7 impressive innings with 3 hits and 7 strikeouts.

Run Highlight: With the Phillies in strong scoring position, Lee contributed to the scoreboard with a single to right, and Victorino’s triple sent him to home plate.

Cliff Lee’s amazing August run can inspire all of us to command greatness and score excellence on our mound.

This week, as the rain set in and the Hurricane Irene moved up the northeast, I was enjoying the gluten-free life with a stocked up kitchen!

First, to prepare for the storm, I made a trip to Whole Foods for non-perishable snacks including Lundberg Brown Organic Rice Cakes (gluten-free and vegan),  Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mega Chunks (free of the 8 common allergens and a new addition to Whole Foods shelves), and 365 Organic Unsweetened Applesauce (to enjoy with ground cinnamon from my spice cabinet).

My next trip was to Trader Joes for a box of 50 raspberry dried fruit bars, water, Double Rainbow Chocolate Sorbet, Dark Chocolate Nibs, Frozen Organic Jasmine Rice, canned tuna, egg whites and an assortment of vegetables.  Saving the best for last, I connected with my family team for fish and meat.

My home run: scoring fun, enjoyable gluten-free foods before Hurricane Irene

For all of us Phightin’ to be gluten-free, dining anywhere, at any time, with or without power, requires Lee’s command.  When Lee is in command, the pitch he throws is the pitch he intended to throw.  With “in a pinch” snacks, a full kitchen and supportive teammates–it’s time to score!

Tune in tonight and cheer for Cliff Lee and the Phillies at 7:10 p.m. as they play the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park.

– Nadina

See additional gluten-free disaster preparedness tips.

About Nadina:
Nadina Fraimow began volunteering with the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) in April 2011, and will be happy to answer messages sent to the info@celiaccentral.org email account. Nadina learned that she has gluten sensitivity in February 2011, and is grateful for having been diagnosed promptly and correctly by a knowledgeable gastroenterologist. She enjoys running, shopping for gluten-free sweets and creating recipes that are both tasty and healthy. Nadina is a Marketing and Communications professional living and working in Philadelphia. Nadina is also a proud Penn State alumna and an avid fan of the Phillies.

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