I started this journey by buying EVERY gluten free flour in sight, all kinds of special gf products, some of which I ordered online and paid outrageous shipping fees for. I'm coming to the conclusion that this was not the best approach, and after talking to my daughter Robin (who runs her own gluten free house because her 4-year-old daughter has celiac disease), this has been confirmed.
Robin pointed out that it's better (and cheaper) to identify those things that you already like which are naturally gluten free, such as corn tortillas, AND which are readily available in the local grocery store, and build your menus around them. With corn tortillas you can make chicken enchiladas or fish tacos - many Mexican meals are gluten free.
Sure, at some point you probably want to buy some gluten free pasta, and that's fine. But try having a baked potato dinner; there are lots of things you could put in a baked potato, such as broccoli and cheese or chili....use your imagination! :)
If you want gluten free bread, you don't necessarily have to buy 6 different gluten free flours and bizarre things like xanthan gum; a good gluten free bread mix is made by Gluten Free Pantry, for example, their "Favorite Sandwich Bread". I made a loaf and it's quite edible....in fact it's REALLY good warm from the oven!
In any case, this diet doesn't have to be complicated. You can start slowly with a few simple meals that work for you, and build from there. Go easy on yourself.
2 comments:
You mention that you want to lose weight with the GF diet. Problem is, the GF lifestyle is not really a weight loss diet. The grains that substitute for wheat flour are high in calories and carbs. A gluten free diet can be filled with donuts, muffins, pizzas, soft drinks and candy bars. Some people gain too much weight after going GF.
But the GF diet can be made into a healthy diet by concentrating on veges, meats and a few fruits. Carbs (sugars) are very inflammatory and if you have FMS you may find limiting sugars helps ease your pain.
I recently discovered my blood glucose was spiking into the diabetic range after meals. I have been able to flatten these spikes by limiting the carbohydrates I eat. Surprisingly, I lost 20 pounds I needed to lose without even trying. This means I don't eat all the wonderful GF baked products (breads, cookies, cakes, etc) but my improved health is worth it. I have found I feel my best if I stay away from all the grains.
Hi Anne,
Yes, this is true. The only weight-loss diet that's ever worked for me is a low-carb diet. And now that I know I have a gluten problem, I understand at long last why I always felt SO much better on the Atkins diet and why my "IBS" always got better too.
My husband and I have both decided to start a low-carb, gluten-free diet right after Christmas! :)
JoAnn
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