Gluten

I had said I might post a recipe or two on here, but for some reason I didn't get around to fixing the soup I had planned on a few days ago. But I do want to talk about a way of eating that I have recently adopted.

By recently I actually mean 9 months ago. I had been feeling kind of rotten in my stomach and sometimes found that I couldn't always swallow very well when I was eating. I did the 21st century diagnosis, Googled my symptoms and drew my own conclusions...gluten intolerance. I had tried to go gluten-free a couple years before, but after a couple weeks I couldn't tell it was doing any good so I went back to eating gluten. In the meantime I found out that it takes 6-8 months to get results...bummer!

So I did my research and wiped all the gluten from my diet. It sounds overwhelming, but actually there are only a few items you can't eat...wheat, rye and barley or any grain that is crossed with one of these grains. Rye and barley are not a problem as I don't think I encounter these grains very often. But that wheat thing is problematic. Still, 90% of  the foods most of us eat in a day are naturally gluten-free. 

By late summer I could feel the difference. The stomach problems were cleared up and many of my rheumatoid arthritis pains had also gone away. I was on to something here!

I was absolutely unwavering in  my devotion to this diet until we took the trip to New England where I have found that a small cheat is a slippery slope. Of course I promised myself that I would get right back to business when I got home...which I did not! Still I felt just fine and had nearly convinced myself that gluten hadn't been my problem. Then shortly before Christmas the symptoms I had been having earlier returned. All the good that had been done was coming undone!

As of January 1st...six days ago...I have been gluten-free again. I don't know if it will take another 6-8  months to see results or if things will clear up faster this time. Time will tell.

Further research has turned up a connection between gluten and autoimmune diseases. Maybe it's just because I have an auto-immune disease that I hear about these things more, but it just seems that there is a greater incidence of autoimmune diseases in recent years. I also read that wheat is a fairly "modern" grain in that our ancient ancestors didn't use it. And they didn't have the epidemic of autoimmune diseases that we see today. It is by far the most versatile and easy to use grain with the flour made from it making delicious breads and pastries.

If you are not interested in a gluten-free diet, you can just quit reading right here. But if you are interested, here are some guidelines that will help you.

1.  As I said 90% of foods are naturally gluten-free. All unprocessed meats, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, all gluten free. I centered many of my meals around these items, and the array of choices was amazing. We are carnivores at our house and usually enjoy a healthy serving of meat protein at least twice a day. Potatoes had been on my no-no list for a long time, but I indulged myself. The assortment of fresh, frozen or canned fruits and veggies is nearly endless so there's no reason to be bored with them. Sadly even most candy bars are gluten-free as well as soda and potato chips. You can even junk out on the gluten-free plan!

2. I purchased just a few gluten-free products. I was able to find gluten-free pasta which widened our choices of foods. We switched to corn tortillas rather than flour tortillas, and I found that I really like corn tortillas. I also purchased gluten-free cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup so that we could enjoy many of the casserole dishes we used to like. I purchased a couple loaves of gluten-free bread, but decided it was simply easier to skip the bread rather than endure it. But, by way of substitute I happened on to gluten-free English muffins which were delicious. I would caution against getting a lot of money wrapped up in gluten-free products. Begin slowly and decide what is most important to you. 

3. You must become a label reader. Gluten lurks in some unexpected places. I have also found Google a good source of information. "Does red licorice contain gluten?" Surprisingly, yes! Other places you must check are in canned products like spaghetti sauce and other types of sauces, canned soups, processed foods and soy sauce. (There is one brand that is naturally gluten-free.) 

4. What can you not eat? Bread, buns, cinnamon rolls, pie, cake, and cookies or any treat made from wheat flour. And beer because it's made from barley. So it's actually kind of a short list but has far-reaching effects on the American diet. It means I can't walk into a restaurant and order a burger. And when the sweet pastries are served I usually have to pass. 

Gluten-free is not a death threat to the pleasures of eating. I have found that I can  find plenty of good food to eat. I have taken many of our favorite foods and switched out the gluten-containing ingredients for something that does not have gluten. If it called for flour to thicken the recipe, I use cornstarch. If it uses pasta, I substitute gluten-free pasta products in place of it. Even Mike eats it and doesn't notice the difference. 

There are also literally 100's of gluten-free cookbooks and online recipes. My next project is to tackle gluten-free homemade noodles. Chicken noodle soup, here we come!

So, here's the bottom line: gluten-free eating isn't necessary for everyone, but if you are experiencing some health issues, I would certainly look at gluten as a possible culprit. For others it can be dairy products, peanuts, corn, or sugars (and this will be my next food item to eliminate if gluten doesn't completely take care of my health issues). The doctor also recommended giving up soda pop, but I'm sure that can't be the problem!

One last word of encouragement: You are in charge of your health. Your doctor can make recommendations, but ultimately you are the one who knows your body better than anyone. Your doctor's expertise may help, but they have 1000's of patients and can't be right on for each person. And honestly, most regular medical doctors will not recognize gluten-intolerance as an issue. So listen to your body, do your research and make the changes you feel are necessary. Here's to good health!