Do you feel terrible when you eat gluten?
Did someone recommend that you remove gluten from your life? Sounds dramatic, right? It feels dramatic, but what it can do is make dramatic changes for the better if gluten is not serving you well.
I promise you, speaking from personal experience, YOU CAN DO THIS. It is not a punishment but a gift you can give your body when you realize it can feel, function and perform even better for you! You may not even realize how nasty you feel right now, but just wait. Wait until your body gets rid of the inflammation and various reactions you didn’t even realize you had!
MY GLUTEN STORY
I am Chef Sue, the Owner, CEO and creator of two culinary businesses, Leaf and Loaf llc and Fun with Food llc. Here is my gluten story.
Many years ago I was taking so many GasX pills… extra strength ones and to the tune of 8-10 a day. I KNOW!!! And still I thought my abdomen was going to explode. I was so uncomfortable and so unhappy. I was a terrible person to my small children and husband and I just felt icky all the time. I met with a Dietician who recommended I avoid gluten. In 2009 I didn’t even know what gluten was! I stopped eating gluten and immediately my symptoms disappeared! I have learned a LOT since then. Mainly I have learned and experimented to determine what foods are naturally gluten free and delicious as well as nutritious for me and my body. Come on this journey with me!
MY DAUGHTER’S STORY
Fast forward a few years and my young daughter was having issues with constipation. Medical doctors suggested just putting her on a stool softener. FOR MONTHS. I asked if that was really necessary and even the Pharmacist said, “if your pediatrician says so, I’d do it.” But WHY was she so constipated? I wanted to get to the root of the problem, not just add medication. We have always eaten lots of fresh produce and fiber. She had a fiber rich diet. But then I found out that gluten… gluten can cause constipation in some folks. YUP. So I wrote my nine year old a letter inviting her to be gluten free with me. Here’s the big tip- Instead of focusing on the foods you cannot eat, focus on the giant array of amazing foods that are naturally gluten free that you love!!! In my letter I listed about 25 foods that she loved that were in fact, gluten free. Chocolate was on that list. Gratefully she accepted the challenge. That was 10 years ago.
WHAT IF WE EAT DO EAT GLUTEN?
Neither of us are Celiac, which is a very different situation. We are GLUTEN INTOLERANT. As the years have gone by, my daughter has definitely chosen to eat gluten from time to time. As she has grown and matured, she’s discovered the correlation between how she feels and what she’s eaten. Recently she mentioned to me that she’s gone a few months without any gluten at all she has felt great!!! She’s not going back.
Sometimes we never realize how much better we COULD feel if we just eliminated the one thing that is causing a snowball of issues. Without medication.
YOU CAN FEEL GREAT!
If you are making the choice to eliminate gluten from your life, I applaud you and support you and know that it is not easy, but I’m here with you and for you! Feel free to reach out via email with any questions you might have. Grateful to be able to help others get to a place of health and happiness without gluten!!!
Here is a list of a few foods that are naturally gluten free that will be great for you to try and enjoy! Aaaand they are loaded with nutrition.
• rice noodles – these are a great alternative to wheat noodles
• dark chocolate
• berries of all kinds- have some raspberries and chocolate
• fruits and vegetables – what are your favorites? watermelon? cucumbers?
• peanut butter- yuuuup. add some chocolate to this, too!
• quinoa- this is a whole grain, high protein, high fiber and can be made sweet and savory
• rice of all types – experiment with them. short grain, long grain, wild rice, sushi
• potatoes- I mean who doesn’t LOVE potato everything?
•all nuts and seeds
• eggs – fried, scrambled, soft cooked, hard cooked, breakfast-lunch-dinner
HOW DO I GET STARTED?
My top 5 suggestions would be-
- Find whole food, real food options. If you eat sandwiches every day for lunch, try making it as a salad or wrap your turkey with lettuce leaves.
- Try new options like spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles! Do not simply replace your gluten full pasta with processed alternatives. There are so many more nutritious options out there and you may find it’s all about the sauce and toppings and not the pasta.
- Challenge yourself to find new foods that you haven’t had in a while. When was the last time you had watermelon? Wasabi roasted almonds? Roasted sweet potato with cinnamon and butter? There are so many new ideas and new ways to eat. Try something new and simple each day.
- Make small changes over time. Replace your oatmeal with gluten free oats. They make amazing cookies!
- Breathe and Relax. Don’t get overwhelmed with the gluten free products on the shelves. In time you can find those that work for you.
REACH OUT
Leaf and Loaf believes that FOOD IS MEDICINE. Food can hurt you but more importantly, FOOD CAN HEAL YOU. Contact us and let’s start a conversation on how we can help you improve your health and wellness and keep up with your current lifestyle with convenience! We look forward to chatting!