People keep asking "oh, you are gluten free?? Are you allergic, do you have celiac?" with this horrible look of pitty on their face....as if we are missing out on something. GF in this day and age is easy, there are a million FABULOUS substitutions if one needs cakes and cookies....but it also is a great way to increase your fruit and veggie intake and not rely on commercially processed foods. back to the answer to the common question: No, we are not 100% gluten free, no we are not "allergic" in a "lets go have an allergy prick test" kind of way (which I think is half accurate and the other half crap) and no, Thank God none of us have to worry about Celiac and the very serious nature of it's afflictions.
We eat gluten....LOVE sourdough bread (yummy and fermented foods are fabulous!) and always have a back up loaf or two in the freezer :) We currently have cereal in the house (fabulous Organic Clifford Crunch, like Lucky Charms without the icky marshmallows). We also have gluten free alternatives to everyday items that the food industry has decided to add gluten to (boooo, hisssss!) gluten free pasta, gluten free chips, gluten free flours, salsa, salad dressing, spaghetti sauce, oats and a host of other things. Gluten is even added to cosmetics, medicines, herbals and drinks :/
The issue isn't with gluten itself, it is with America's OUT OF CONTROL USE of gluten in EVERYTHING as an additive :/ The same issue I have with corn and soy.....the American Food Monster has taken an innocent thing and turned it into a cancer causing evil because it's overly processed and then added to EVERYTHING!!!! Seriously, go read the labels of foods in your fridge and pantry.....Corn or a derivative of it is added to just about everything and the same it true for wheat (look under allergies for wheat). If it doesn't have the "GF" seal on the label is either contains gluten or has been processed in a way that it is probably contaminated with gluten, boooo!! Think of all the digestive issues present in this day and age: gout, crohns, celiac, ibs....just to name a few. Now think of all the cancer that impacts the digestive tract!!! Why do we spend so much money in this country trying to "cure" diseases instead of PREVENTION!!!!!! Not a soap box I want to deal with tonight, moving on....
"back in the day" gluten in the form of wheat was eaten after the harvest. It was a fabulous, dense food that stored well for the winter, kept bellies full and bodies nourished in its fabulous, fresh from harvest state. Because of it's density it is also very taxing on the digestive tract (google a bit and you can find video of what it actually does to the colon when you eat it, the strain is clear! When spring came around most wheat had been enjoyed and it was time to get and plant the next years crop.....during the time that the new crop was growing the body was resting and recovering from feasting on wheat all winter. The body had plenty of time to recoup before it was strained by having to digest gluten again. In this day and age gluten products are never hard to come by (especially with it being added to EVERYTHING) and our bodies never get a chance to rest and recover from the stress such foods put on our digestive tract....when your gut is out of sync it gets sick, when your gut is sick your body as a whole is so much more susceptible to illness as well. Diet choice is so important.....and our modern food system makes it so difficult! It really is easiest and safest to just stick to natural, raw foods and limit the processed food. An adjustment for sure but easy to stick to when you see the amazing results!
You can also google about harvest diets and people eating stricly what's in season....so healthy for us! Farmers Markets are a great way to keep your choices varied while eating what is fresh, local and being able to talk directly with the farmers verifying the source and quality of the food. Convenience Foods aren't doing us any favors, I would say they are killing us :/
