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Practical Tips for Gluten-Free Living

By Expert HERWriter
 
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tips for living gluten-free Hemera/Thinkstock

So you have been living with stomach problems, fatigue or joint pain for years and you are not sure why. You have been to doctor after doctor, and they have not been able to figure out what is wrong with you.

Then you were talking with a friend or family member and they mentioned that they are used to feel bad just like you, and since they have started eating gluten-free they feel 100 percent better. All you hear is that they feel better and you are now intrigued to find out what you need to do to feel better too.

You begin planning all the things that you are going to do to start feeling better. You’ll join that exercise class in your neighborhood, you will eat whatever you want without fear, or restart the hobby that you haven’t had the energy to do for years. Your entire demeanor lifts.

As you re-engage in the conversation to figure out how to get healthy, you ask, what does gluten-free mean? Your friend tells you will have to stop eating wheat or any other grain that contains a protein called gluten for the rest of your life.

Your excitement wanes as all the foods that you love flash through your mind -- pasta, bread, desserts -- and it seems that every single one has wheat, barley or rye (which are all grains that have gluten in them)!

I have great news for you! There are some many new gluten-free resources in the last 10 years.

I have to admit when I first started prescribing gluten-free diets to my patients 15 years ago, it was a hard sell to convince them eating this way was a sustainable lifestyle.

Now there are gluten free products in local and national grocery store chains. In urban cities there are restaurants that have gluten free menu items.

The key to gluten free living is to find resources that help you change your behaviors and improve your health.

You will find gluten-free resources or you can research sites that talk about celiac disease. This is a disease which requires patients to become gluten-free, so those resources will give you information too.

An example of a very comprehensive site is http://www.celiac.com/

This site has lists of foods that are gluten-free as well as lists of foods that have hidden wheat and gluten found in them. They also have articles on gluten-free travel and restaurants.

There are companies that are dedicated to gluten-free products that have not been contaminated with gluten during their processing, like Udi’s Gluten Free Bread: http://udisglutenfree.com/products/ or Arrowhead Mills: http://www.arrowheadmills.com/content/gluten-free/

Several patients whose lab work comes back negative for celiac disease nevertheless feel so much better after changing to a gluten-free diet. I can give a personal testimony that I tend to feel better when I eat gluten-free.

The great news is that there are resources, foods and restaurants that can make this transition easy and healthy at the same time.

Live Vibrantly,

Dr. Dae
http://twitter.com/drdae
https://www.healthydaes.com
https://www.facebook.com/healthydaes

Dr. Dae is a Naturopathic Physician who practices in the Washington DC metro area. She treats the whole person, using safe and effective combinations of traditional and natural methods to produce optimal health and well-being in the lives of her patients.

Sources:

Adams, Scott. "Celiac Disease & Gluten-free Diet Information at Celiac.com." Celiac Disease & Gluten-free Diet Information at Celiac.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2012.
http://www.celiac.com

"Celiac disease: Lifestyle and home remedies - MayoClinic.com." Mayo Clinic. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2012.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/celiac-disease/DS00319/DSECTION=lifestyle-and-home-remedies

Reviewed April 19, 2012
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith

Add a Comment2 Comments

EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

Great article! There's a wonderful DIY resource for gluten-free recipes www.progressivenectar.com. Being gluten-free, culinary inspiration is always welcomed:-)

April 20, 2012 - 8:35am

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EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

Your advices has really helped me a lot, now a days i am relieved from my stomach problems and i can eat whatever i want to eat thanks and regards.
http://www.felicitysglutenfreehandbook.com

April 19, 2012 - 7:21pm

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Dr. Daemon Jones
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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.

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