Let me preface this post by saying that I am not an expert on the matter, I am not gluten free to be ‘trendy’ or by choice, but I am allergic to it.
I get asked constantly by friends about being on a gluten free diet, which simply means that I don’t eat anything that has wheat, barley, rye, or triticale ingredients. Everyone’s first reaction is usually “so you can’t eat bread?” I try to take the time to educate people when the conversation arises. There are gluten free breads, pastas, cupcakes, bagels, etc. and they’re usually made from rice or potato flour (because these are both GF). The next question that I usually get asked is “Well do you miss eating regular food?”. To answer honestly, no I don’t because the GF alternatives taste normal to me after eating completely GF for four years now.
Here are some of my main take-aways from the past four years of my GF life that I hope can help you whether you’re curious about it or if you recently found out that you’re GF…
1.) Throw away your makeup and go to Sephora because your makeup probably has gluten in it. I use Smashbox primer and foundation because they are gluten free. If you’re thinking ‘well, you’re not eating it’. You’re right, but it is getting absorbed through your skin and can cause breakouts/irritation.
2.) Stores like Whole Foods, Fresh Market, Earth Fare, and Publix Greenwise are going to be your best friend because of their extensive GF food selection! Not all stores have an extensive GF assortment, but many now have at least a small section with bread, pasta, and snack foods (even my local Walmart). If you’re not having any luck then you can always order things online!
3.) For the first year I recommend checking the ingredients on everything that you use/consume in your daily life (i.e. soap, lotion, candy, vitamins, beverages). You might be deceived by how many things actually contain gluten ingredients (remember it won’t have gluten listed as an ingredient it will say wheat, barley, rye, or triticale). If you don’t trust it then stick to things that say “Gluten Free” on the packaging to be certain. Many gummy candies have wheat ingredients and I found a lot of vitamins contain it also (I take this one)!
4.) Alcohol is always a tricky one. It’s safe to have wine, champagne, and potato vodka. Beers (unless specifically stated otherwise) are full of gluten! Now when you get into the flavored vodkas, etc. it can become more of a grey area. Some companies are great about posting definitively whether or not their products are safe, while others are not. I usually refer back to this resource.
I also like to read about other people’s GF journey as well such as Alexa’s post. Sometimes I learn new things or find great recipe ideas too! I hope this helps!
Sending Sunshine,
Sara
Very interesting post! My brother in law’s wife if allergic to gluten so this post is very helpful. Now I know that I can serve her wine 😉 I didn’t know make up contains gluten! I was quite surprised to read that…
http://www.thesparklingdarling.com
Interesting. I have a friend with two kids under 6 that are allergic to gluten. I wonder if she knows about the make-up thing.