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Wednesday, June 6, 2012

gluten free... for fun!?

I by no means want to insult or offend anyone who is unable to eat gluten due to medical needs, but I have been looking into mixing up my diet, and expand my cooking comfort level. One avenue I want to explore is a gluten-free lifestyle (not 100% strict, and only for a week so far). In doing research for this endeavor I was actually shocked to learn how prevalent gluten is not only in natural foods, but as a by product of food processing (ew... processed foods!).
I'll start with the positive - Allowed foods:
beans, eggs, fresh meats, fruits, vegetables, most dairy 
and grains, including: buckwheat, corn, cornmeal, flax, rice flour, hominy, quinoa, soy...
And then there is the NO list:
avoid all: barley, rye, triticale, wheat
but then wheat hides in other forms including most supermarket flour! (sneaky sneaky!)
Surprisingly, gluten can be found in: beer, bread, candies, cereals, imitation meats, pastas, salad dressings, soups and medications!
(Looks like I will have to drink red wine instead of beer... oh darn!)
My fridge is full of color and happy... can't wait to start experimenting in the kitchen!
So I have rounded up lots of yummy new-to-me grains and a slew of fresh veggies, and local meats to try my hand at some gluten free recipes this next week. I am not going to be taking in any less calories, will still be getting my daily dose of nutrients supplemented with a multivitamin, but will be consuming lots of delish, fresh, colorful foods that are new and exciting to my body. Just saying quinoa sounds exotic and fun!
 xx
Jessica

21 comments:

  1. More beer for me.

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  2. Haha very funny! I thought you were making me a gluten free brew! Silly boyfriend xx

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  3. i've never thought to try gluten free - honestly cause i LOVE BREAD, and beer, and things that i wouldn't be allowed to eat or drink :( :( :( glad to read you sharing your updates / progress with it though!

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  4. I am so impressed at how dedicated you are to your new healthy diet. All the things you listed that has gluten in it are pretty much all my favorite things to eat. I still support you 100% though and can't wait to read all about this process for you! :)

    xo, Yi-chia

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  5. oh yum! this was really interesting! this week, we've all been seeking some fun this week!
    thank you for your lovely comments! i like the idea of coming home to a loving pup :)

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  6. Eating (almost) gluten free has changed my life!  I say almost gluten free because I have a 3 year old daughter, so we have oatmeal and cereal in the house.  I started eating gluten free over a year ago to support my husband.  He was experiencing some GI issues and the doctor suggested that we cut out gluten since celiac disease ran in his family.  Not only did my husband's GI issues go away, we began to notice a decrease in his ADHD behavior.  So much so, that my husband is no longer on medication.  For me personally, the biggest benefit of being gluten free is that it has completely improved my facial complexion.  I used to get acne along my chin and forehead, but shortly after I stopped eating foods with gluten, those annoying problems have essentially gone away.  It's not easy going gluten free -- I miss having breads and pastas, but the benefits have really outweighed the foods.  Good luck!

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  7. Soy sauce and Twizzlers were the 2 that got me - who woulda thought those had gluten?? Good luck with the new diet :)

    Annie
    The Other Side of Gray 

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  8. It sounds like a healthy diet and surprisingly it's similar to the kind of food my husband and I eat. I think the only difference is the bread. 

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  9. I love how full and colorful your refrigerator looks.Good Luck! 

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  10. Enjoy cooking with your Dynasty hoisin sauce - it's pretty much my fave thing ever.

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  11. Yumm.. Ive had friends who stuck to the gluten free diet.  Whole Foods is a wonderful place to shop at, where you can find everything  from gluten free crackers to cupcakes.. You do have to experiment with a bunch of brand to find the ones you like.
     <3 <3
     
    lesleykim.blogspot.com
    LesleyKim
     

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  12. my bf is actually gluten free and although there is a lot of stuff he can't have, we have found a lot of alternatives for a lot of things so i have been pleasantly surprised!

    -Jessica
    http://runninginsideus.blogspot.com/

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  13. They do have "bread" for the gluten free lifestyle... it is made of rice, so I will have to let you know my verdict about it... looks pretty much like bread... the real test will be if I can fool the boyfriend!
    xx

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  14. Becky, thank you for this wonderful comment. I would love for a side-effect of my new diet to be less breaking out along my chin... day 1 and I am going strong
    xx

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  15. Oh no... Twizzlers... that is a shame! I better start looking into where all gluten hides! When I was in the grocery this week I was shocked how hardly nothing outside of the "organic" section even mentions if it contains gluten or not... I can't imagine how hard this must be for people who really can't have ANY gluten! Definitely an eye opener!
    xx

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  16. Yes, I think I am going to be happier with the amount of healthy, colorful foods I am putting into my body. They do make gluten free pastas and breads... but the verdict is still out for me on whether they actually are the same/similar enough to fulfill my cravings for pasta!
    xx

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  17. Good spot! I can't wait to try it out :)
    xx

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  18. I usually avoid Whole Foods because I leave there having spent a FORTUNE, but I will have to give it another go!
    Thanks for the tip
    xx

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  19. So far I just really like the idea of eating so many fruits/veggies/fresh meats... but I am sure the breakup with bread and pasta will hit me soon!
    xx

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Thank you for your comments, they make my day!!
xx