Gluten Free Living: It’s Just Another Diet

February 23, 2010

Ok, so the day I found out I was celiac I was stunned.  Like most people, I’d never heard of it.  Unlike most people, I had absolutely no symptoms at all. So we double checked the test results and even checked to determine if I carry the gene (it’s genetic).  And it turned out to be true.

Yummy Roast Vegetables!

And I was depressed. I felt doomed – and I didn’t even feel sick.

I’m a carb girl at heart (ok so not all carbs contain gluten, but it feels like it at first).  Being celiac, in broad strokes, means I can’t eat anything made with wheat, barley or rye (corn, rice and quinoa are ok).  In one fell swoop I cut out half the aisles of the grocery store.  Most tragically –great fresh bread and  pasta – my personal favorites.

So I decided to try living gluten free.  I bought the cookbooks and the flours and read labels even more carefully than usual. And I got about 90% of the gluten out of my life.  100% is hard because it hides in strange places like malt vinegar and soy sauce ingredients.  Here’s a link to a pretty good summary of what’s in and out. And after about a month, I have to admit, I did feel better. I had more energy, less bloating and felt generally healthier.

I started buying everything gluten free I could find so I didn’t have to make it, but let’s face it, a lot of it doesn’t taste very good or have very good texture. My family refused to eat it ( gluten free moms click here), and I started cooking two of everything – with and without.

Then I got virtuous.  All the gluten free stuff was a pain to make and bake and fairly caloric – so I did what you have heard me preach so often – I went to naked food.  If it’s fresh and pure, it’s probably gluten free. And it was so much easier, and generally fewer calories.  I even lost about 10 pounds.

But…naked food is boring.  There are only so many plain chicken breasts one can eat.  I readily get in more than my five fruits and vegetables a day. My staple in the fridge is a huge dish of roasted vegetables sprinkled with Over-the-Edge Herbed Spinach Blend.  So you know what happens when you deprive yourself…you break down and binge!

So, now I have come to grips with it.  Most weeks are good, and some are terrible – and my body knows immediately.  The best thing that happened is that a younger good friend of the family also turned out to be celiac, and started finding all of the best gluten free products to recommend.

I also found that a staggering number of friends also could not tolerate gluten, and mutual support and information sharing is great. (Believe it or not about 1 in 100 people are celiac). But as we age there are just as many people who can’t eat salmon, or high cholesterol foods, or salt  or dairy….this list goes on, we’re not alone.

The good news is that over the past three years, gluten-free products have skyrocketed and can be purchased now in most regular grocery stores. Information is on all labels and is ready available from manufacturers. (By the way, our Consultants have allergy information on all of our products). You no longer have to make a big fuss about dining out (unless you want to invoke guilt or sympathy).  Most restaurants can accommodate you. There are some great gluten-free blogs, online stores and cookbooks.

So what’s the upside?  I pay more attention to what I eat.  I eat better overall, not just avoiding gluten. I’m also a better cook. As with all issues we deal with in life, you can rule it, or it can rule you.  Some days I can even feel a little smug.

But, I did put back on at least five pounds finding a balance.

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Filed under: Cooking Tips, Easy Meal Ideas, Healthy Living

Tags: celiac, gluten, gluten diet, gluten foods, gluten free, gluten free recipes, gluten recipes, wheat allergy, wheat free