Hi, I'm Sandra and hvea been eating gluten free since July 2014 when it was discovered I have Celiac's disease. I wonder if anyone is avoiding gluten and willing to share tips.
I don't have Celiac's or a gluten sensitivity, but I went gluten-free for about a year and a half because I have fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis, and giving up gluten's supposed to help with inflammation. I only stopped because I went on a diet that's anti-inflammatory regardless (Ideal Protein). Once I'm off the diet, I'll be returning to gluten-free.
I see that you're in south central Texas. There's a really good gluten-free bakery/restaurant in San Antonio called The Little Aussie Bakery. Have you been? Everything they have's gluten-free, and they have a pretty big selection.
I eat gluten free based on doctor's orders. I have Hashimoto's, another autoimmune condition, and gluten can cause inflammation and flareups.
For me, it's been easier to avoid replacements (like GF bread, cookies, pancakes, etc) and just eat foods that are naturally gluten free most of the time. I find the fake replacement products and recipes aren't very satisfying.
I'm recently gluten and grain free (three weeks) because apparently I have a sensitivity to it! I feel so much better and am much less inflamed. My eating is influenced by paleo, but mostly just lots of fruits, veggies, lean protein and some dairy. I don't use gluten-free mixes because I can't have the grains.
For recipes and stuff, i suggest looking at low carb and paleo sites. You don't need to follow it to the letter to get some great ideas.
I am eating (or at least trying to eat) gluten free as well because I also have Hashimoto. While we mostly eat low carb at home anyway and thus avoid things like bread, pasta etc. I sometimes run into cravings.
We found that Aldi has a fantastic selection of gluten free snacks, granola bars, and baking mixes that are way cheaper than our other grocery stores (at least by 50%) and a great selection. On Sunday's we usually make the pancakes and we also tried the pizza crust which was great.
I have been exclusively gluten free since mid-March of this year (no cheats but was "glutened" once 2 months in... I've never been so sick in my life). I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's in Oct 14 and Celiac in Feb 15. I also tend to avoid any gluten replacements, only having GF bread or GF pizza rarely, usually for the sake of ease.
My biggest issue is not consuming enough calories now. I know this sounds like a brag, but it is definitely not -- I've stalled in my weight loss suddenly several times and this is the only thing I think I can blame. I think I need to incorporate more healthy fats in my diet and consistently add a starch on the side, but since becoming gluten free I basically don't think about those things, even though I track calories on everything I eat daily. Mostly, I am eating fruits, veggies and chicken only. Since becoming gluten free in March, though, I have gone from around 232 lbs to 204! Watching cals, active for 45-60 minutes daily minimum and being gluten free have worked in combination there. Now just gonna get off this plateau!
Good luck with your journey. Check the label every. Single. Time. Don't trust words like maltodextrin (or, better yet, look into what "hidden glutens" are!) and remember that it is totally doable!
Anyone eating Gluten free?
