Today I'm sharing with you my decision to go gluten free!
Over the past year or so, I have really tried to clean up my diet; after having multiple gallbladder attacks, I knew that something was up. Now, many would opt to go the surgical route and just have the pesky gallbladder removed, but I've had enough surgery to last me a while (that's a post for another day) so with much help from my mother, who has suffered from cholecystitis as well, I changed things a bit.
I've found that 'eating clean' has helped with the nausea I had been having after meals, but I was still not feeling 100%. From childhood I have been intolerant to gluten, and though I continued to eat it, I didn't understand what it could be doing to my poor body.
You have probably heard a lot about gluten, and you've probably seen lots of gluten free products, but maybe you don't understand what the hype is all about- let me share a little bit of info for those curious minds!
Gluten is a protein substance found in foods, it's in just about everything these days, as it gives dough its 'doughy' consistency. For those who are intolerant, or have Celiac disease, a glycoprotein found in gluten irritates the lining of the small intestine and can cause a multitude of symptoms. Now, there's so much to be said about this, but I won't go into crazy details, but if you're truly interested, check out Wheat Belly which is a great book about the subject!
Being gluten free can be tricky, and some products are more expensive, so I'm aiming to stay away from gluten for 99% of meals, I'm leaving the 1% for special cases like if I go to a friend's for dinner I won't be expecting them to accommodate me, etc. This week I have been trying to prepare tasty gluten free meals that will satisfy me and my hubby! Here's a list of things I'm planning to make!
1. GF zucchini muffins- I made these last night using rice flour instead of regular flour, and I must say that they aren't half bad!
2. GF chicken pot pie- for this I'll be using gluten free Bisquick and rice flour!
3. Paula Deen's squash casserole- substituting ingredients as needed
I'll keep you posted with how these turn out!
Tell me, what new things have you tried? If you're gluten free I would love to hear about it!
Until next time,
LG
Wow. Good for you, girl! I actually was just reading your gluten free chicken pot pie recipe and have it bookmarked! I hope to go gluten free too at some point. I know that in order to really reap the benefits, you need to go completely 100% gluten free.. so it's been tough to make this transition... so I certainly am inspired by your decision! =)
ReplyDeleteOoooh, you'll have to let me know if you try to recipe! I know how hard making the transition can be, I have wanted to be gluten free for quite some time now, so it has taken me awhile to get to this point! It's definitely a work in progress!
DeleteI tried it for one summer and it was SO hard. Of course, that was before it was more common to go GF. I lost weight quickly, but really lost energy. My go-to was (and still is) peanut butter and fruit! Protein and fruit, wonderful! Best of luck with this...I fear I may have to go GF again. Eek!
ReplyDeleteIt is pretty difficult, especially because gluten is in EVERYTHING!! I hope that I don't lose too much energy, I'll definitely keep up with the peanut butter and fruit combo!! Let me know if you give it another try!! : )
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