Being gluten-free ain’t for the weak, that is for sure!
It takes more work than you would think when you decide to cut gluten out of your diet.
This is due to gluten being in nearly everything you consume on a daily basis. You would be incredibly shocked at what you would find gluten in sometimes!
So, if you are considering going gluten-free this is for you! I hope you find some helpful tips and ideas that make your transition that much easier.
Why I went GF:
Since I was young, I would tell my parents that I felt sick after eating much of the food I was consuming.
However, I did not get tested for food allergies until I started college! The straw that broke the camel's back was when I started college and simply could not concentrate. I could barely concentrate enough to pass a class.
Gluten allergies manifest their symptoms differently in everyone but the most common I hear is brain fog!
I always recommend people explore symptoms and possibly get tested yourself. You never know if cutting out a food group could change everything!
My Transition to GF:
It took me many years to truly cut gluten out of my life as it is incredibly difficult to do.
I was sixteen, still living at home and just began college when I got diagnosed! It was just not going to happen at the time.
I didn’t fully embrace becoming gluten-free until I was twenty-two years old! This means I continued to live with the brain fog for so many more years when I truly didn’t have to.
My point with that is that going gluten-free is such a big transition that you have to be in a place in life where you are ready to take on that journey.
Once I began eating gluten-free I realized that it takes a lot of practice especially when cooking.
It takes discipline, and structure in your life to take control of what goes into your body.
My transition was not easy, but I am here today! It can be done.
Tips to go Gluten Free:
· Make your own cookbook
I felt so overwhelmed when I began cooking gluten-free as I didn't have any recipes to fall back on.
The greatest asset I have ever had is Pinterest. Pinterest is the best way to keep all of your recipes in one place without the hindrance of having to look through a physical cookbook.
I promise it will change the game!
· Meal Prep – Focus on Freezer friendly Meals
This tip will save you so much time!
Once you find recipes that you can freeze and thaw for later you will feel more confident that you can live this lifestyle.
My favorite recipe that I can freeze is Pumpkin Muffins that I eat for breakfast! You can freeze your vegetable spaghetti sauce and warm it up while you cook your noodles.
The options are endless.
· Understand it takes a long time to rid your body of gluten
According to the gluten-free society “Research has suggested that the half-life of IgA gluten antibodies is about two months and the half-life of IgG antibodies is 30-60 days. Translation: it can take 4 months to clear out the antibodies.”
Cheating will cost you months of work, and you don't want to do that! You deserve to feel good and not lose it over a bagel.
· Explain the importance of this to your support system.
Their support matters more than you would think when it comes to removing a part of your diet.
These are the people you are going out to eat with and socialize with. You need them to understand that you are taking this seriously and that you would appreciate it if they supported you in that.
· Make a list of safe places to eat
This last tip is huge! I don't know a single person who likes the question of where they want to eat tonight. This question is way worse when you can't eat gluten!
Start writing a list on your phone of restaurants that you know are safe and have good options! It will save you time and energy trying to look at the menu and coming up dry.
