*This is not an article written by a medical professional, nor should it be used in place of medical advice. This is just my experience from my journey, to health, healing and food freedom! This article is not targeted to those with celiac*
If you haven’t picked up on this by now, I was raised in an Italian American home. My beloved grandfather taught me a lot, and among those things: How to sit down on a Sunday with a pound of pasta, a loaf of Italian bread topping it off nicely with hearty locally made Italian Pastry. Were not talking gluten free, were not talking whole grain we are talking GLUTEN GLUTEN GLUTEN. Heres a little bit of my story. I have always had digestive trouble, mild but still trouble. I knew I needed to watch how much dairy I consumed so it wouldn’t lead to…embarrassing situations. However, the older I got I recognized an increasing amount of sensitivity.
My stomach was cramping, I was in a state of constant bloat, I started to get eczema worse than my childhood years, constant diarrhea, and brain fog ! I was inflamed, my joints hurt…just to name a few of the symptoms that come on in my teens!
For some people Gluten Intolerance is only digestive, others its only skin & cognitive! For me, and a lot of people in my position…its both! So the doctor told me, ‘eat gluten free’. What they didn’t tell me is how to shop for it, what products they recommend. ‘If i’m giving up my cultures beloved gluten I gotta know whats up!’ So I embarked on the journey blindfolded! What happens is, ill say, 50% of the gluten free products on the market are filled with ingredients, fillers etc. that are leading our body to the same type of sickness that regular gluten filled products would because of the low amount of nutrients! With high starch, high sugar, high preservative count SO MANY GROSS THINGS; yes, maybe your body isn’t having significant digestive trouble anymore but you feel gross. I did!
So my honeymoon came along after eating gluten free on and off for about 5+ years, We came home and I had the most embarrassing possible digestive trouble a newlywed could have! I literally couldn’t make it to the bathroom- {DISGUSTING but i’m telling you in case anyone else has had the horror of this happening to you too!} I went to the doctor because something had seriously changed! They weren’t able to pinpoint it through testing so they told me it was “IBS”. I refused to accept that I was going to be an adult that needs to have a bathroom near by every .25 feet, and thats when I started to research.
The chances of you needing gluten free is likely, many people in America need it BECAUSE the quality of the gluten and the chemicals they use cause our bodies to INFLAME and create a pinball effect of symptoms throughout the body. However the thing I learned most is that our bodies need REAL FOOD! Heres what I did in my teen years, early adult years, that I think ruined the lining of my stomach! I ate every diet product, every thing labeled “Sugar-free Fat-free etc.” …can I translate that for you? CHEMICAL LADEN, its so devastating friends, I believed that this is what would turn my body into the healthy, whole, energized! Instead, I stripped away the lining of my stomach and created more brain fog, more grogginess!
So being told I had IBS, which ill give them this- it is the name of a condition where people have digestive trouble…IT IS NOT THE END! They present it as a life long condition thats incurable but heres what I learned. When I took away chemicals, got my body down to the core of eating clean foods, foods that are recognizable on labels, ate from the source…my sympoms went away! I have been living free of IBS (unless I eat dairy) for a few years now- and I want to shout it from the rooftops!
MY ENERGY CAME BACK! MY INFLAMMATION GOES DOWN! MY ECZEMA CLEARS!
MY DIGESTIVE TROUBLE…STOPS!
My First Step: Eating Gluten free (changed so much!)
Second Step: Eating Clean/whole ingredient Gluten Free! Which i’ll focus on in this post!
Third Step: Paleo (grain free, refined sugar free, legume free, soy free, artificial color and flavor free)
This step is what brought full healing to my stomach and auto-immune system joints, mind and stomach!
Fourth Step: Im just transitioning into this now! Intuitive eating! Being aware of the foods that trigger my body and eating a mix between paleo & standard clean eating! Each body is unique in this way!
Here are some of the tools I think you need from the start! Chances are you’ll have more questions! I am happy to be a guide, mentor, support through the journey! Am I missing something? Send me an email at Gatherwholesomegourmet@gmail.com for a customized consult on eating clean or gluten free!
As I mentioned quickly above, my approach will be from a clean eating gluten free approach! Many of the ingredients listed will be paleo however just know that they are cleanest for your body! Don’t get caught up in wording. Gluten is often found in things like sports drinks, salad dressing, cereals, sauces! Knowing the key words, and staying educated is important! The following things are ALWAYS gluten free, but in my experience should be eaten in moderation
Rice* Potatoes* Corn (tortilla chips & Popcorn) * Oats (when purchasing gluten free oats)* Quinoa*
There are loads of guides that I can post in the coming weeks about how to make sure your food doesn’t contain gluten! Until then, to start simply ask, for gluten free options! Avoid words like: Battered, fried, crunchy, breaded i.e ‘creamy’ can often indicate flour thickened sauce
Note! Our bodies operate best when we eat meals low in starches, sugars etc. These products are absolutely great to implement into a diet but not meant to be eaten solely! Make sure to supplement with fresh product and protein! These are just a few ideas we have, want to run certain products by us? Shoot us an email
Products To Make The Switch:
To set your self up for success, swap out the everyday products that you know and love with gluten free alternatives! This way, you won’t feel like you’re compromising you’re just continuing to operate in your everyday routine! These products are often on sale at stores near you! Take a look around in the gluten free section, you will be surprised what they have! Amazon is a convenient way to shop but do you research to find the cheapest option! Costco has AMAZING prices for most of these products as well!
This flour should be the first product you buy! It can be substituted for flour in ALL recipes:
Blogs To Follow:
Skinny Taste : This is my favorite starting recipe for people wanting to eat healthy or switch to gluten free! She has categories on her blog to pick the recipes that best suit you!
Fed & Fit Fed & Fit has been my go to throughout my paleo journey! Her recipes are practical and very healing to the stomach! It seems as though we are both switching to more intuitive eating at the same time which I LOVE! You will see that all of her ingredients are clean, and she introduces SOME cheese and grains into recipes!
Ambitious Kitchen I cannot say enough good about this GIRL! Love her stuff, her recipes are practical, delicious, ones that everyone will love and easy! She also mixes between clean eating all the way to strict paleo!
Go ahead and follow these bloggers on instagram and facebook to get constant inspiration! It helped me SO much! They are constantly posting their latest finds along with tips and tricks! Guess what? We do too! Head on over to @gatherwholesome and follow us too!
Recipes We Love:
Homemade, Better than pizza shop, Pizza Dough
Chicken w/ Wine Sauce & Green Beans
YOU GOT THIS! There is so much health, so much life on the other side! Were here to help! If theres more information that would help you, or more questions that you have dont hesitate to reach out! Give yourself grace, its a journey and a learning curve! You’re worth it and you are capable! Lets do this!
