I think it’s fair to say that most people love, LOVE their breads, pastas, pizzas, pastries, and… (dare I say) beer. I recently read a short article in the Taste for Life magazine that I picked up at a Whole Foods Store I frequent. Although the article was short, it really got me thinking about the foods I am consuming and more concerning is what I’m feeding my son. Keep in mind that I buy all organic, and assumed I was avoiding all the ‘bad stuff’. And I’ve been gluten ‘curious’ for some time, but not really curious enough to endeavor.
What struck me was that the article stated whole-wheat bread when compared to white bread was like selecting filtered rather than non-filtered cigarettes – WHAT!
The problem lies in the crossbreeding and hybridization of the wheat which introduces chemicals to our diet leading to high blood sugar levels (diabetes), overeating (obesity), inflammation, irritable bowel, cancer, the list goes on…
So what’s the answer you ask? Heritage wheat is available and is more like the whole wheat your grandmother (or your grandmother’s grandmother) used to bake with. For me? I have switched our sandwich bread and tortillas out for gluten-free products and plan to make my own gluten-free flour to bake with. I’m not suffering from celiac disease or a wheat allergy, but I do believe that introducing gluten-free into our diet is an easy way to make our diets more diverse. (Gluten is found in wheat, rye, and barley.)
I’m considering going gluten-free entirely for a month to see if I feel different. In researching the subject it seems many people find they have more energy, are less bloated and just ‘feel’ better. The challenge has been to find products that are both gluten-free AND organic.
What’s your experience with a gluten-free diet?
Kristin (not a doctor)
Hi, I'm Stephanie. I'm the best selling author of Can It & Ferment It, WECK Small-Batch Preserving and WECK Home Preserving. I'm a certified master food preserver, food preservation instructor, organic gardener, chicken keeper and nature lover. I specialize in creating easy to follow recipes and directions to help other homesteaders meet their goals.
We tried gluten free for my daughter who has Autism, she turned out to be lactose intolerant so we did go back to wheat but never as before.
Paula, thanks for sharing. How much less gluten do you use now in comparison?
I AM a glutton for gluten. Unfortunately my hubs has wheat/gluten allergies (something that runs in his fam) and we have to watch our diet more. He cheats sometimes but the repercussions are terrible.
I know a few people that recently switched to gluten-free for different reasons (skin issues, stomach issues… not the typical reasons). They have experienced amazing results. Did you notice a difference when you cut down for you hubs?
I am unsure. I have read some posts that say it is good to be gluten free while others say it is no difference. Interesting post.
Thanks, I agree there’s a mixed bag of opinions. The over all impression I got after reading around was there is no harm in cutting down. The average American consumes 55 lbs of whole wheat per year! I know my family does not come close to that with other grains that have different nutritional benefits. Thanks for reading!
I had to do six months GF for some stomach testing. I didn’t notice any big difference (for myself) but a friend of mine went GF around the same time and it completely eradicated her migraines. I guess it just depends on the person.
Right. I was amazed what a juice fast did for me. So I’m very curious if cutting gluten entirely would make a difference in some way. Thanks for sharing!
Yes, I love my gluten, but I realized too many of my daily calories were coming from wheat. I didn’t know that heritage wheat (“real” wheat) was still available, a friend had told me the same thing about wheat being a whole different creature now. I let myself have some gluten products like pizza and yes some delicious IPA, but never like I did before. I feel a lot better.
That’s great! How hard was it to go gluten-free? Are there any favorites that you discovered once you switched?
Highly recommend trying the 3 week “elimination diet” where you go gluten free, then you reintroduce it for a couple of days and note both how you feel mentally and physically (my doc called it “have a gluten party”). Once I did it, it changed everything. I realized without it I had more energy and felt SO much better, that it just became not worth it to have gluten anymore. While occasionally I eat gluten-free bread/pastry items, I’ve actually come to realize that those foods are fillers – adding calories with not a lot of nutrients.
Going gluten free makes you realize the awesomeness of whole foods, and feel the “glue” in gluten. I say everyone should try an elimination diet of the key allergens like gluten, dairy, and eggs (they don’t have to be at the same time) – it’s amazing what our bodies have just “gotten used to” over the years, and how cleaning them out can impact so much.
FYI, I have a link to a GREAT gluten & dairy free cookbook on the “books” tab of my blog that is full of easy – and GOOD recipes.
Awesome! Thank you. I’ll check out your recipes and try to muster the willpower to do the elimination diet! I feel like it would really help to have someone commit to do it with me.
Think of it not as a sacrifice, but an experiment. You can eat all the bread and pasta you want in 3 weeks!
Good point. It will be fun!
I have been trying to eliminate Gluten from our diet.. just doing it slowly.
Any favorite products or recipes?
Like you, no medical need to go gluten free, just curiosity on my part because I too read testimonies of (some) people feeling awesome after eliminating it. We already eat healthy, cook from scratch (only whole foods, nothing packaged), except for whole wheat pasta and bread. The biggest hurdle I see is that both my husband and young children love both (bread is only for breakfast French toasts and we have pasta once a week on average). We already rotate with lots of different grains so I am not sure how or what else to introduce to replace wheat pasta if I try to cut them out. Any ideas? 🙂
Sounds like you are doing wonderfully! I have found Rudi’s gluten-free bread is a good choice. A bit dry at times, but for french toast I think it would work great. My son doesn’t hesitate to eat it. He once told me I make the best toast and it was just a slice of Rudi’s with butter on it. For me, I replaced my bread and tortillas (we love quesadillas and tacos) for GF options and that’s working out well. I’m just starting to try different options with the pastas. There are GF options you could try, I just bought some quinoa pasta – haven’t tried it yet. In my opinion once a week isn’t over doing it with the pasta (moderation).