Gluten Free
by Natasha Shubin
glu·ten (glōōt’n) n. A mixture of plant proteins used as an adhesive and flour substitute, occurring in wheat, rye, barley, and oats.
Whether you choose to “go gluten-free” because you have been diagnosed by a medical doctor, or yourself, with Celiac disease or because you want to lose bloat-weight, chances are you will feel exponentially better once you say goodbye to gluten. Maybe you’re like me and you didn’t know there was another way to live without the bloating and uncomfortable stomach after eating until you heard somebody talking about gluten and its many effects on the body. I feel very fortunate to have only a mild gluten intolerance in the grand scheme of its effects on people, however I do avoid gluten completely. I have friends with Celiacs disease where their gluten intolerance would have consumed their lives just a few years ago, but thanks to the ever growing awareness of the effects of gluten on the body we have a great community with abundant resources!
I was working in retail-management and, like many other working folks out there, rushing around on my way out the door, lunch break and to make dinner and get myself to bed. Of course there were many things about my lifestyle back then that could have used some tweaking, er overhauling, but I really thought I wasn’t eating that bad so it must just be normal for people to have belly-aches all the time. Thank goodness for Ryan’s challenge. He proposed that I cut gluten out of my diet for two whole months, no cheating, and see if I felt any better. After the questions of “what am I gonna eat” and “is this even possible” were answered effortlessly I accepted. Two months and I never looked back. Sure there were a few adjustments to be made when going to the grocery store, but overall the transition was fairly easy.
If you really must eat bread there are some delicious rice breads out there and even rice pastas that I cooked for my dad and he couldn’t tell the difference. There’s everything from pancakes to pizza dough and stuffing mixes to cereals. That said, we really should be focusing our diets around veggies, high quality meats and clean fats and not all that other junk.
We developed this page for you to have a quick resource for all your gluten-free needs and questions. We are constantly updating the page but would love to hear from you with your favorite products and recipes to share! Send us an email from our contact page. In addition to this page make sure you check out our resources page for more information!
Gluten-free Favorites!
Namaste Foods - great dry mixes for pizza crust, flour blends and more!
Azna Gluten Free - LOCAL bakery in Cameron Park, Ca. Products are available on their site as well as stores like Whole Foods!
Kaia Foods - San Francisco based company that produces YUMMY granola. Buy on their site or at Whole Foods.
Tinkyada Gluten Free Pastas: Lasagna noodles - $4.54
BumbleBar - ethically sourced, certified organic, gluten-free snacks.
Books and Magazines
Gluten-Free Living
Living Gluten-Free For Dummies
The No-Grain Diet
Going Against the Grain: How Reducing and Avoiding Grains Can Revitalize Your Health
Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free Cookbook for Kids and Busy Adults
Triumph Dining Gluten Free Restaurant Dining Cards (Gold Pack, Cards for American, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Mexican, Thai, Vietnamese, Greek, Italian and Greek Cuisines)
Articles
Safe Food List & Unsafe Food List - from Celiac.com for those of you looking for a complete listing of all foods.
“Do You Have This Food Sensitivity…” by Dr. Joseph Mercola
“Against the Grain…” from The Weston A. Price Foundation
What’s your Gluten Free favorite? Send us a quick email and let us know so we can share it with everyone!
