Many years ago, I had my gallbladder removed and I kept getting sick. I was 20 pounds overweight and bloated, fatigued, jaundice, and nauseous all the time. I also had random headaches and hair loss. I kept getting sick until a friend of mine suggested that I try gluten free, even if just for a while.
I loathed the idea because I love my tortillas, pancakes, waffles, biscuits, bread, and especially those cheesy biscuits at Red Lobster. But I had one final episode after a vacation binge that landed me in the hospital, so I had to give in.
Needless to say, it was a rough season in my life, but I finally learned to go gluten free. You see, our bodies were actually never meant to ingest processed flours. Our ancestors only ate sprouted grains refined on a stone mill, not stripped, with chemicals added, etc. These days, gluten is added into everything!!!! I was shocked to find that you can’t go to any Mexican restaurant without having to ask about their enchilada sauces. Gluten is used in fast food and other restaurants as a thickener. Therefore, our systems are overwhelmed with it, and some people develop an intolerance.
So if you are concerned that you may have an intolerance, try to give it up for a week and then eat it. If you have diarrhea, nausea, or gas/bloating, you may want to visit an allergy doctor to determine if you have an intolerance.
Whether you have an intolerance or just want to be healthier, below is a guide to getting started. I would do more research also because I’m sure there are a few more ingredients that I might’ve forgot to mention.
Items Containing Gluten
- Anything with white or wheat flour, this includes; breads of all kind even whole-wheat, pancakes, waffles, biscuits, flour tortillas, crepes, pastas, etc.
- Soy Sauce – it includes wheat
- Sauces – ask at restaurants for gluten free menus or if the sauces contain flour. I know many popular chains do use flour to thicken their sauces or they have a gluten base
- Soups – some restaurants also use as a thickener or they have a gluten base
- Desserts, pastries, cookies, cakes. The only cake I know of that doesn’t have gluten is the Black Forest Cake from Swiss Pastry in Fort Worth
- Potato Wedges, Chicken Strips, or any meat/seafood that is breaded
- Meatballs – Sometimes they have breadcrumbs mixed in
Items You Can Eat Safely
- Fresh Fruits
- Fresh Vegetables
- Meats, Seafood, Poultry-unbreaded
- Rice Noodles at Asian restaurants
- Sushi – with gluten free soy sauce. Be careful because some rolls have soy/hoisin sauce already on the roll
- All items labeled “gluten free”
- Corn Tortillas & Corn Chips
- Gluten free bread, is typically in the frozen section
- Gluten Free pizzas and/or crust
- Ice Cream, except always check the labels, I know Blue Bell puts flour in their chocolate flavor
- Eggs, Cheese, and most dairy products
Some of my favorite restaurants that have gluten free menus are; PF Changs, Pie 5, Olive Garden, Carrabba’s, Pei Wei, Jimmy Johns (has an unwich, which is a lettuce wrap instead of bread, Jason’s Deli, BJ’s, Applebees, Uno’s, Blue Mesa, Capital Grille, The Keg, Mellow Mushroom, etc.
I invite you to also start experimenting with different flours and recipes. One of my favorites for pancakes is Pamela’s Gluten Free baking mix. Xantham gum is also an ingredient that helps these flours rise, but you many not need them for all recipes.
Wal-mart has a gluten free section as well as most grocery stores. Sprouts, Central Market, & Whole Foods are great places to start also. They have a lot of specialty items that you won’t find in regular supermarkets.
Of course we all know this, but eating a diet that consists of 80% of fruits and veggies is the best way to go, however it does take a little time implementing that into your daily life. Just start slow, don’t beat yourself up and begin again each day.
~Happy Eating My Friends!