My Take on Gluten Free Food and Diets Many people ask me, “Yvette– what are your thoughts on gluten?” I myself am not Celiac, but I do avoid the stuff as much as possible. I always felt very bloated and after many Dr visists, ( poop test included) I was found out that I do not have celiac disease. If you do not know what that is it is a autoimmune disorder that makes you intolerant to gluten, and it can appear at any age.  Instead I was diagnosed as having a sensitivity to gluten. So I removed gluten from my diet and I can honestly tell you I feel much better. The two major contributors to an inflamed belly are dairy and gluten so I avoid them both. Let’s discuss what the diet is like, who should pay attention, some signs of being intolerant and lastly how to integrate and apply this lifestyle in your life.

What on earth is the Gluten Free diet?

It is simply a diet that removes mainly wheat from your diet. Gluten is found in many of the processed foods in the middle of the grocery isles in today’s supermarkets. It is a protein found in grains such as wheat, barley, rye and many other pastas, wheat products that contain it.

What does Gluten do to the body?

If you have Celiac Disease that causes inflammation in the small intestines. If your like me I don’t have the disease, but I still have a sensitivity to it.  Adjusting your eating habits, and eating a certain way allows people to control their signs and symptoms and prevent things from happening in the future that could negatively impact their health. Making the adjustments can be hard, I have many clients that I coach that really do not like avoiding gluten at first. They feel like it is such a large part of their diet and they wonder how they are going to give it up. I am here to give you a sneak peak at my personal shopping list, to show you there are many things you can eat, and many things that you can eliminate from your diet.  I am not telling you it will be easy, change is hard no matter what it is, but once you make the switch in your diet, you make a plan and stick to it you will get use to it. I can guarantee you will find a new energy that you did not know you had before you cut out the gluten. Remember before you start a gluten free diet you should contact your family doctor.

What can I eat on the gluten free diet?

There are a lot of healthy natural foods such as:

• Beans, seeds, nuts in their natural, unprocessed form
• Fresh eggs
• Fresh meats, fish and poultry (not breaded, batter-coated or marinated)
• Fruits and vegetables
• Most dairy products (Although, I avoid this as well) I use almond milk

It’s important to make sure that they are not processed or mixed with gluten-containing grains, additives or preservatives. Many grains and starches can be part of a gluten-free diet as well, such as:

• Amaranth
• Arrowroot
• Buckwheat
• Corn and cornmeal (Most of it is GMO – Not cool)
• Flax
• Gluten-free flours (rice, soy, corn, potato, bean)
• Hominy (corn)
• Millet
• Quinoa
• Rice
• Sorghum
• Soy (I don’t eat this either.)
• Tapioca
• Teff

Food To Avoid on a Gluten Free Diet

No for that NO – NO list, always avoid drinks that contain Barley. Things sucha as malt flavoring and malt vinegar usually always have barley in them.  Also many wheat products that should be avoided, are anything that is self-rising, enriched, has bromated or phosphated in it, check the label for that information. A few examples of wheat products to avoid:

• Bulgur
• Durum flour
• Farina
• Graham flour
• Kamut
• Semolina
• Spelt

Pretty much in a nut shell avoid all wheat products unless it is labeled  ‘gluten-free ‘ Along with wheat products, you will also want to avoid the below items unless they are labeled ‘gluten-free’ or made with corn
, rice, soy or other gluten-free grain: .

• Beer
• Breads
• Cakes and pies
• Candies
• Cereals
• Cookies and crackers
• Croutons
• French fries
• Gravies
• Imitation meat or seafood
• Matzo
• Pastas
• Processed luncheon meats
• Salad dressings
• Sauces, including soy sauce
• Seasoned rice mixes
• Seasoned snack foods, such as potato and tortilla chips
• Self-basting poultry

Whats Left to Eat Then?

I know what your thinking, everything that taste yummy is not allowed on a Gluten free diet, but that is wrong, there are a lot of real good things I eat every day that satisfy me and give me energy. Check out this great list of Gluten free foods.  If you love bread it doesn’t mean you can’t eat it anymore, I have and love rudy’s bread its gluten free and have 2 slices daily. Good luck on your quest for knowledge for better health and remember we are in this together. Oh and by the way just because you find a gluten free cookie does not mean you should eat the whole box, its not necessarily healthy for you just because it lacks gluten. Another great article I found that you can read further about gluten free diets is from Health.com