Gluten-Free Newbie

Well folks, I have been eating (trying, I should say) gluten-free for about 3 weeks now and literally just from doing that, I have lost about 5 lbs. When my best friend found out she had celiacs disease, it became a goal of mine to figure out what on earth gluten was, first of all, and why foods to not need the gluten to taste good. Making the switch is difficult, mostly because practically ALL foods contain gluten. Pastas, breads, snacks, salad dressing, sauces, white rice, you name it. So for the past few weeks I have been switching out my grocery list with gluten free varieties and have discovered that actually, the diet is not all that bad!



My Lunch Today: Slow cooked pork with seasonings (slow cooked it a few days ago in just water with various seasonings such as garlic, onion powder, and pepper), raw baby spinach with cherry tomatoes and gluten-free raspberry walnut vinaigrette, and 3 small yukon gold baked potatoes with a dollop of sour cream (which is gluten-free) and parsley.

So, What is gluten, exactly?

Definition from WiseGeek.com: Gluten is a special type of protein that is commonly found in rye, wheat, and barley. Therefore, it is found in most types of cereals and in many types of bread. Not all foods from the grain family, however, contain gluten. Examples of grains that do not have gluten include wild rice, corn, buckwheat, millet, amaranth, quinoa, teff, oats, soybeans, and sunflower seeds.

So there you have it. Cutting out carbs is not the simple solution to eating gluten-free because gluten is found in other foods as well. Websites such as glutenfree.com offer gluten-free options such as breads, cakes, bagels, and other foods that have been prepared gluten-free.I will be posting more information regarding gluten-free soon!