Thoughts on the Gluten-Free Diet
Yesterday, I saw crackers at the end of a Walmart aisle labeled Gluten-Free. Today I was surprised to pull a bottle of organic Caesar salad dressing off the shelf to reveal a little Gluten-Free sticker. Gluten-Free is everywhere, but most people don’t even know what it is.
Gluten-Free isn’t just a diet craze. For people who suffer from celiac disease, gluten-free is a necessary way of life. Though I don’t have celiac disease, during my period of weight gain, my mom suggested that I consider gluten-free options. As I began to rethink the way I viewed gluten, breads, and carbohydrates in general, not only did I begin to lose weight, but I also found that my whole body began to regulate itself, and I felt much closer to what I thought “normal people” felt like. Derrick and I think that I am “gluten sensitive”, and the simple awareness and reduction of gluten in my diet has been enough to push my body in the right direction.
So no, not everyone NEEDS to be gluten-free, but if it makes you work for a healthier diet, it seems to be a useful tool. I only allow myself two pieces of bread a day maximum, and I ideally avoid it completely. I rely much more heavily on gluten-free tortillas. When I bake bread, it is always gluten-free. (If you’re interested in the gluten-free diet out of choice and not necessity, I must warn you that gluten-free bread has a much different consistency than regular bread. Derrick doesn’t like it, describes it as “crumbly” and “grainy”.) Mom surprised me with some gluten-free cookies on our last trip, and they were delicious. I don’t drink beer anymore, but there are gluten-free beer options out there which I might try at some point. I hope to continue to examine gluten in every part of my diet, evaluate, reduce, and eliminate it as much as I can. My next step: Pasta!
For more information, here are the three most useful links I’ve come across regarding gluten-free diets and the gluten-free rationale.
One of my favorite blogs:
Gluten Hates Me
Two Articles:
Who Really Should Be on a Gluten-Free Diet?
Will a gluten-free diet improve your health?
I am a poet, Pushcart Prize nominee, and 2011 graduate of Georgia College & State University’s MFA program. I am looking for a teaching position where I can help foster students’ creativity and critical thinking skills.
Gotta read labels. Gluten is in stuff you wouldn’t think it would be in, like canned soups. But you have that figured out with your homemade variety! Some of the gluten free pastas are not bad.