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Thursday, June 14, 2012

gluten free... for life!?

What I have learned from my adventures in gluten free cooking (backstory here, here & here):
  • corn tortillas are good, but very finicky little things (and smell like a wet Doug the Pug)
  • I actually do like cottage cheese, after years of adamantly claiming that I hated it
  • I can eat a lot more quantity in a day if it includes lots of yummy fruits, cheeses, & vegetables
  • getting up to make breakfast in the morning might not ever be my cup of tea (or milk), but it has definitely gotten me more energized and ready to go for the day
Top: steak & fresh corn salad; burger tapas; fresh fruit
Middle: cornmeal crusted chicken; local strawberries; potato salad; quinoa & kale tabbouleh
Bottom: salmon & asparagus; lentil & butternut squash soup; gluten-free cereal


The Verdict
I have really enjoyed trying out a gluten-free lifestyle for the past week. I learned new recipes, and tried foods that I would have never touched before. While I do have the luxury of not actually being gluten-intolerant, so minor slips ups wouldn't be necessarily damaging to my health, I could see myself continuing on this gluten-less (less than I normally would eat) diet... but not sure I giving up beer for life is a thought I want to entertain right now!


For those that are interested, here are the more detailed pros & cons of my gluten-free experience:
Pros
  • It might be the placebo effect or the increased amount of greens and fresh veggies, but I am feeling more energized these days
  • I usually don't count calories, but on this new diet aimed to intake 1600 calories, and found that this is actually a lot of food (of the healthy variety)
  • Eating smaller but more frequent meals has left me feeling fuller, longer (I was meant to graze like a cow)
  • Having a planned daily menu meant that I got up to eat breakfast before work more times than I have over the past 4 years... I mean 1 is greater than 0... 
  • I didn't start this "challenge" with the goal of weight loss in mind, but I do think my face looks less puffy... 
Cons
  • Like any diet, eating gluten free is easy at home but not so convenient when going out... oh how those crackers tempted me at happy hour last Friday!
  • Having to cook "regular" food for the bf, and gluten-free for myself, although he did find many of the gluten-free dishes to be tasty too
  • Organic, gluten-free, and fresh food is much more expensive than eating its regular, gluten-free, preserved counterparts... such a shame that eating nutrient poor food is cheaper than eating fresh, healthy fruits and veggies!
  • Fresh food goes bad quickly, which means this lifestyle would require frequent trips to the grocery store... something I am not accustomed to right now
  • Gluten hides in unexpected places... super sneaky (again, I am fortunate that my diet is not dictated by a disease, only by choice)

Have you tried changing up your eating habits lately?
Any tips for living gluten-free (or gluten-less)?
I am excited to continue rejuvenating my diet and eating habits!
xx
Jessica

13 comments:

  1. There are some pretty darn decent gluten free beer options out there now - I have friends that swear by Green's.

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  2. I have been waiting to do gluten free for a while and simply do not have the patience right now! I am proud of you girlfriend!










    Not Exactly What I Planned...

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  3. Ooh! Good to know... I'll have to hold a taste tasting for myself!
    xx

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  4. I hear a lot of ppl are trying this out these days. I gave it some thought. I like your beer thought.. I would feel the same too. Oh! And chocolate cake. That's a toughie for me.

    Thank you for visiting my blog. We shall meet again Ms Jessica.

    kat
    aneyeforfashion.blogspot.com

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  5. Congratulations on completing your Gluten Free challenge!! After our three week vacation (involving lots and lots of eating out), I definitely need to focus on eating healthier in the next few weeks.

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  6. http://goo.gl/LcAfH

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  7. Thank you! It makes me happy to get in a habit of cooking healthy meals for my self... even if I will never like getting up for breakfast!
    xx

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  8. Ooh yea... chocolate cake... I don't think about that!
    xx

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  9. Thanks lady! I think that traveling to new places always calls for a relaxation of the diet rules... experiencing new cuisine is worth it!
    xx

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  10. I am MOSTLY GF, not intolerant so I can have a little here and there. I have found that this diet keeps my thighs smaller (likely TMI, but that is where I gain weight first and it's the hardest weight for me to get rid of) and also that I don't have really hungry highs and lows. Like SUPER stuffed or SUPER starving... I think because gluten can mess with your blood sugar. I do yogurt for breakfast with fruit (or dried fruit, even like raisins) and honey and nuts every morning. It's super protein packed and I am not hungry until lunch or even Chex cereal is GF so that is good if you are on the run. I do love beer, but turn to wine or hard cider instead. There are some really good hard ciders that taste just like beers. My husband doesn't eat ANY grains - he has a ton of will power though and has a lost a lot of weight on that diet. Just my two cents! Keep up the great work!

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  11. haha now that I think about it, I also say that I hate cottage cheese even though I have never tried it before. hmm... maybe I will like it too if I try it! Did you just eat the cottage cheese by itself or in a recipe??

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  12. Congrats! Being GF is definitely harder in public because it's something most people just don't think about. I regularly go to work lunches where I'm served a sandwich with a side of pasta salad and a cookie.

    As for breakfast, yogurt with fruit and honey or cottage cheese with fruit can be a lifesaver. I also love whipping up a quick smoothie with grass fed whey protein in the mornings with my Magic Bullet. It's super quick, delicious and totally gf.

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  13. Haha... sorry, don't mean to be a temptress.. just voicing my own concerns if I were in your shoes!! :X

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