Going Gluten Free

For those of you who don't know me, I have Celiac Disease which means that I can't have gluten. It took about 5 years for the doctor's to finally diagnose me. During those 5 years, I had numerous health problems that took a toll on me. Going gluten free was the best thing I've ever done for myself.

You can read my full story HERE :)

The process of cutting all gluten out of my diet was not an easy process by any means. Gluten free foods were scarce, and the ones that were available weren't the best tasting. I've been through the hell fire of finding delicious gluten free foods, so I can definitely recommend what I think are pretty awesome GF foods. When I first decided to go GF, I instantly noticed a difference in how I felt. I had energy, I didn't feel bloated, and I didn't have to sleep 18 hours a day.

So, here we go!

First of all let me say that it is NOT easy. Once you know what to look for, you will discover that gluten is in almost EVERYTHING. If you don't need to go gluten free for a medical reason, then you don't need to be a stingy as me. But, if you are like me, then you have to make sure that everything is safe.

If you're looking to just cut back, or substitute some of the major sources of gluten, I would recommend using veggies. 

Instead of this pasta

 use spaghetti squash

or get one those tools that makes any veggie into spaghetti shapes. mmmmm! 

If you do want actual pasta, I haven't come across a pasta that I haven't liked yet surprisingly. I usually go for the brown rice, whole grain pastas because they're a little more healthy :)

As far as bread goes, I like to make my sandwiches into lettuce wraps, but on occasion when I want bread I go for Rudi's brand. It it BY FAR the best tasting, and has the best texture. A lot of gluten free breads are too airy, stale, or cake-like and most have to be heated up or toasted in order to be any good. Rudi's is like normal bread, but without the nasty gluten :)

As far as tortilla's go, I like to make my own. I buy Jules Gluten Free Flour blend to make my tortillas, as well as all my baked goods. This flour can be transferred to any normal recipe almost most flawlessly. Some recipes you have to play with and possibly add other stuff, but I LOVE this flour blend. BEST by far.

Favorite tortilla recipe HERE.

Rudi's again takes the cake when it comes to store bought tortillas. They are bendable and don't break! They do need a little heat to get them going, but they fold without cracking :) Trust me, that's been a HARD thing to find.

Pizza has been one of the hardest things to find gluten free. There's been many pizza's out there, but none with a crust that doesn't taste like cardboard, or doesn't crumble instantly with human contact. Udi's (not to be confused with Rudi's) brand pizza and pizza crust are the best! I like to make my own pizza's so I can put whatever I want on them, but I won't use any other brand of crust. 

If you're looking to bake anything, the King Arthur brand is BY FAR the BEST! I haven't tried a mix that I haven't liked. They are delicious, and no one can tell that they are gluten free! Just ask my family ;)

That covers the basics I think. As far as cereal goes, most will tell you on the front or underneath the ingredients list. I'm not much of a huge cereal eater because of all the sugar and processing it goes through, but I have tried a lot of different kinds, and Chex will always be my favorite. :)

Hope this helps, and please feel free to ask any questions! I don't know everything but I will help you if I can :)