Gluten Free: The New Black?

Say what?

     Two years ago this month, my husband came to me and said, “I’m going to eat gluten free.” I was shocked. This was a man who as a child at Thanksgiving dinner only ate sugar cookies and dinner rolls: no turkey, no potatoes, no stuffing, just the sugar cookies and rolls. This was a man who, since the day I have known him, ate pizza at least 5 times a week. This was a man who would search out bakeries at 6 am in New York City to find the freshest donuts. No man has probably consumed more Little Debbies or Pop Tarts than this man. So in order for this man to give up ALL that, there had to be some sort of motivation behind his reasoning. Why in the world did he want to try this? 

About me

     Let me tell you a little bit about me and my husband. I am a stay at home mom to our 3 yr old daughter Avery. I have a degree in Exercise and Health Science, have run a couple of marathons, been a personal trainer and am currently a Respiratory Therapist a few nights a month. My husband is 6’5” tall, was a baseball pitcher in college (go Commodores) and is a pediatrician here in Utah. Neither one of us has been diagnosed with celiac disease.  My husband has struggled with extreme muscle soreness and periodontal disease for most of his adult life. These health issues could easily be chalked up to his stature, heredity and old age (he is 46 after all)! As for myself, I can list about 1 or 2 symptoms for every system in the body that indicate a sensitivity to gluten, but I will spare you the details. The idea that either one of us were gluten sensitive never crossed my mind until I began to further investigate the disease. 

Chronic, unexplained health conditions? 

*I found this chart very helpful, but a lot of the same symptoms can be caused by other health concerns, 
   so please talk to your doctor first about trying a gluten free diet! 

What exactly is gluten and what does it do?

     Gluten is Latin for glue. It is made up of two groups of proteins that act as adhesive material that holds flour together to make bread products, pizza dough, baked goods and crackers. Most of us eat gluten through wheat, but it is also found in many products made with rye, spelt, barley and kamut (and yup, I’m gluten free for 2 years and still don’t know what that last one is!). But why is it so bad for us? Haven't people survived on it for hundreds of years? Well, the answer is simple. The grains that we eat today bare little resemblance to the ones that were consumed thousands of years ago. The grains we eat today have been structurally modified by bio-engineers with the discovery of hybridization. The end result: our bodies do not tolerate this modification very well at all. I believe our bodies are trying to tell us something- No more genetically modified organisms (GMO's), please! 

Eating a donut = smoking crack. 

       No joke. Your body can act exactly the same way whether you eat a donut or smoke a crack pipe (and please don't go test out the theory).
Here's how:

      Have you ever felt that satisfying and almost euphoric feeling after you eat a bagel, a cookie, or a piece of that “oh so yummy” warm crusty French bread? You’re not imagining it and you’re not alone. We’ve known since the late 1970’s that gluten breaks down in the stomach to become a mix of polypeptides known as exorphins that can cross the blood-brain barrier. Once they cross, the exorphins that are derived from wheat can bind to opiate receptors in the brain to produce a sensorial high.  Even more interesting to me, is that these exorphins can cause addictive behavior and appetite stimulation! And when removed from your diet, the result for some people can be an symptoms not unlike opiate-like withdrawal. Yikes! Maybe we should start a center for gluten addicts! 

My selfishness made me gluten free.

OK so I have to say that I selfishly decided to become gluten free out of convenience for myself.  Do you really think I was going to cook a gluten-free meal for my husband, a non-gluten free meal for myself, and then an entirely different meal for my, at the time, 1 yr old daughter? No way man. Not me. I didn’t even cook back then. Our idea of a healthy meal was having a salad before we ate pizza. And it was ALL takeout (I’m surprised we didn’t both have heart attacks before the age of 40). The mere thought of a crockpot scared the bejesus out of me! I had to learn how to cook, cook gluten free and make it delicious for my very picky eater (husband, not child). I had to learn fast or I knew this adventure was going to be short lived! 

Going to the grocery store…what NOT to buy…..
     Watch out for “Gluten-Free Foods.” There are a TON of them out there, and most of them taste just like a highly priced piece of cardboard! So don’t waste your money unless you are really desperate to get your fix! Here’s why-Many commercially prepared gluten free foods are no better than their “super gluten” counterparts. Most of these foods are highly processed and are made from other high glycemic grains such as rice, corn, potato and tapioca flours. Don’t get me wrong, I am guilty of buying such products because let’s face it, a woman’s gotta have a damn cupcake once in awhile! 
Hide and seek anyone?

If you decide to eat a gluten free diet, you will most likely become very skilled at scanning food labels in search of sneaky ingredients that have gluten in them in some form or another.  Like soy sauce and Red Vines? Why in the world is wheat in either of these “foods?” It hides where you least suspect it!  It is in packaged seasonings, soups, sweeteners, soy products, ice cream, and condiments just to name a few. So how do you even begin to shop for eating gluten free? Here’s a list of disguised names in food products. I can’t say that I am personally 100% about avoiding all of these ingredients, but I’ve provided it for all of you “go big or go home” folks!

     Hyrdrolyzed plant protein/HPP

     Hydrolyzed vegetable protein/HVP

     Natural flavor/natural flavoring (can come from barley)

     Artificial flavor/artificial flavoring (can come from barley)

     Caramel color (can come from barley)

     Malt/malt vinegar

     Dextrin and Maltodextrin (both sometimes made from wheat

     Brown Rice Syrup (often made from barley)

And what to buy….

     Naturally gluten free is always the best way to go. A good place to start is vegetables and fruits, unprocessed meats, seafood and poultry, as well as carbs like potatoes, corn and rice. As a rule, if it hasn’t been spiced, mixed or blended, you can eat it. There are many “specialty” grains and flours that are naturally gluten free such as buckwheat (and Great Harvest makes a killer loaf of this bread-which doesn’t have any wheat in it at all!), amaranth, millet, quinoa, sorghum, almond flour and soy flour. There are actually tons of grains out there to work with- you just have to find the one that tastes the best to you! 

Our favorites: 

Over the past 2 years we have honed in on our favorites that we buy over and over so save your time and try these first!

Breads

•  Rudi’s Mulitgrain Bread (sold at Whole Foods, Good Earth and Harmons) 
•  Great Harvest Gluten Free White bread and Great Harvest Buckwheat bread (Draper)
•  Rolls: Udi’s makes gluten free hot dog rolls&  hamburger buns that are good subs for the  real thing 

Pizza

•  Sabatasso’s Gluten Free Four Cheese Pizza (sold at Costco)
•  Pizza Dough: Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Pizza Dough (sold at Whole Foods)

Noodles:

• De Boles makes a whole line of gluten free noodles- Lasagna, spaghetti, penne, etc. We  tend to buy the ones made with rice or corn. They taste the best to us!

Snacks

•  Veggie Chips/Straws (Sensible Portions available at Costco, Whole Foods, Harmons).
•  Tortilla Chips (we buy the Organic kind at Costco)
•  Rice Crackers (Crunchmaster Sesame and Artisian Cheese- sold at Costco, Whole Foods)
•  Blue Tortilla Chips (Garden of Eatin’- sold Costco sometimes, Whole Foods etc.)
•  Rice Cakes (sold everywhere folks!)
•  Sweet Chilli Chips (made by Riceworks- sold at Costco, Whole Foods health food stores)

Proteins

• Turkey Burgers (Costco)
• Pesto Tilapia (Costco)
• Chicken, Shrimp, and more chicken (please see recipes below)

Dessert

• We eat a lot of dark chocolate in our house (make sure it's the real stuff though)!
• If you really want some good old chocolate chip cookies though, use Betty Crocker Gluten Free Cookie mix. Beware, they are loaded with sugar, but taste delicious!

Where and what do you eat when you eat out?

• Rumbi: we eat the chicken and rice bowls, and house salads
• Costa Vida- Tortilla chips are gluten free so we love their nachos. Also salads without the flour tortilla are gluten free
• Barbecoa- we love their chips and salsa, and their salads (without the tortilla). Everything is gluten free on  their menu except their tortillas!
• Noodles & Company- they offer many of their dishes with rice noodles instead of wheat noodles, just refer to their menu
• Pizza- Although I’ve never tried it, the Pie Pizzeria downtown offers a gluten free pizza; Dominos has a gluten free crust, and there are numerous other places that offer gluten free crusts, but they all  taste about the same- We just make our own now because it’s cheaper AND tastes better!
• In & Out Burger- just order the burger protein style!
• Olive Garden- check their menu when you get there, but they have a few gluten free items on it! 
• Sweet Cake Bake Shop. Best Bakery, hands down, you will not be disappointed! They have 2 locations, one downtown, and one in Kaysville. Go there.                  

The End result
     I can tell you that for both my husband and myself, eating a gluten free diet is WAY better that eating one with gluten. We have both lost weight (my husband has lost about 30lbs and I about 15lbs). But we didn't try this to lose weight; we just wanted to feel better. We have completely changed the way we view food and we continue to try and make better decisions about what we put into our bodies. We are NOT perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but we are doing better! Besides losing weight and having many of our symptoms disappear on our gluten free voyage, we both feel less inflamed.  My hands would get really hot and swollen if I ate gluten, I had chronic constipation and gas (I know really glamorous, right), and muscle spasms. Now that I am off gluten, these symptoms have all dissipated. Our bodies are not in a constant state of trying to fight off ugly intruders, forcing our bodies to be in a constant state of inflammation. Sure we miss our gluten laden pizza and croissant friends, but for us it just isn't worth eating anymore! So is going gluten free the "New Black" or will it make a new you? 

Thank you to Stacy for asking me to contribute to your challenge. I wish all of you the best and hope that you will all feel empowered by the healthy decisions that you are making during this time! If any of you have any questions, concerns, or need some consolation about not getting to eat your morning bagel anymore, please don't hesitate to email me: maggie.freer@gmail.com



Winner winner, mostly chicken dinner?  Here are our EASY GF favorites!

Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos
   cooking spray for sauteing
   2-3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in bite sized pieces
   salt and pepper to taste
   1 teaspoon garlic powder
   1/2 cup cilantro lime pesto (recipe follows)
   corn tortillas
   preferred taco garnishes (salsa, sour cream, cheese, etc)

Season chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder. In a skillet sprayed with cooking spray, saute chicken over medium high heat and cooked through. Toss cooked, seasoned chicken with the pesto. Fill tortillas with chicken and top with preferred garnishes.

Cilantro Lime Pesto

   1 cup fresh cilantro leaves (do not include stems)
   2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
   2 tablespoons sliced, toasted almonds
   3 tablespoons chopped, fresh garlic
   Juice of 2 limes
   1/2 cup shredded asiago (Parmesan or Romano can be substituted too)
   1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
   1/4 cup chicken broth

Using a blender, mix together the cilantro, olive oil, almonds, garlic, lime juice, asiago, salt and chicken broth on low speed for 2 minutes.

Slow Cooker Bacon Wrapped Apple BBQ Chicken
   4 boneless skinless chicken breast
   1 cup BBQ sauce, I lOVE Sweet Baby Rays
   1/4 cup brown sugar
   1/8 cup lemon juice fresh or from a bottle
   5 small apples, peeled and chopped, I use Gala
   8 slices of bacon
Directions
1. In a small bowl, combine BBQ sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice and peeled/chopped apples
2. Wrap each chicken breast with 2 slices of bacon and place in a greased slow cooker
3. Pour BBQ apple mixture over chicken and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until chicken is done

Slow Cooker Chicken Curry 
  2 pounds chicken breast, cut into large cubes
  1 onion, peeled and halved
  1 green pepper, seeded and quartered
  1 can (13.5 ounces) coconut milk
  1 can (6 ounces) tomato past
  2 cloves garlic
  1 tablespoon curry powder
  1 tablespoon garam masala
  1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  2 dried red chili peppers (optional)
  1 1/2 tablespoons corn start
  Chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions: Place onion, green pepper, coconut milk, tomato paste, garlic, curry powder, garam masala and salt into the food processor. Process until smooth. Place chicken in the slow cooker, cover with the sauce and stir to coat. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. One hour before you're ready to eat, mix the cornstarch with two tablespoons of water until the cornstarch is completely dissolved. Add to the curry and mix well. Put the lid back on the slow cooker and cook for the remaining hour. I also add veggies such as carrots, broccoli, snow peas, mushrooms etc. to this to make a complete meal. 
Serve with a big bowl of aromatic rice (such as jasmine or bas mate) and garnish with lots of fresh, chopped cilantro. This will keep for a couple of days and is even better the day after!

Sweet and Spicy Chicken

1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper1 teaspoon paprika1 tablespoon white sugar1 teaspoon garlic powder1 teaspoon onion powder1 teaspoon dried parsley2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts2 tablespoons butter1 tablespoon olive oiljuice of 1/2 lemon

Directions

In a small bowl, combine all the spices.
Flatten your chicken breasts with a meat mallet to allow for even cooking.
Coat both sides of flattened chicken breasts with the spice mixture generously.
In a pan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat.
Saute chicken until golden brown, about 6 minutes on each side.
While chicken is cooking, squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken.
Continue cooking stirring frequently to coat evenly with sauce.

I serve this with a baked potato and some green veggies.

Curried Shrimp with Sugar Snap Peas

   1 tablespoon olive oil
   1 1/2 lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined
   8 ounces sugar snap peas or snow peas
   1 Tblsp Curry Powder
   1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
   1/2 tsp Sea SAlt
   1 can (13.6) ounces Coconut Milk (you can use lite)
   2 Tblsp white wine
   2 tsp lime juice
   1 Tblsp cornstarch
   3 green onions, sliced

Directions
1. Heat oil in large skillet on medium high heat. Add shrimp and sugar snap peas; sprinkle with
    curry powder, garlic powder and sea salt. Cook and stir 5 minutes or until shrimp begins to turn
    pink.
2. Stir coconut milk, wine and lime juice into cornstarch in small bowl until smooth. Add to shrimp      
    mixture. Stirring constantly, bring to boil on medium heat and boil 2 minutes. Sprinkle with
    green onions. Serve over rice.