8 Things I've Learned About Gluten Free Living

It’s been 9 years since I’ve been gluten & dairy free, and I remain symptom free from Crohn’s about 97% of the time (sometimes it creeps up if I have another illness or I'm terribly stressed)

About 2 years before I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease, I did a detox with a friend that involved cutting out gluten and dairy. I hated it so much! Afterward, I remember writing on my MSN space (remember those?!) about how gluten free living might be for some people, but I certainly wasn’t one of them! Post-detox I went back to eating just the way I did before.

Fast forward to 2008 when I was diagnosed with Crohn’s after being sick for over a year. I was presented with the options of medication, hardcore medication or surgery, and didn’t love any of those options! I started seeing a naturopath and she encourage me to do a blood test to determine my food sensitivities.

The test showed a number of sensitivities, including gluten and dairy. This time I was ready to make a change. Within 2 weeks of cutting out all the foods on this lengthy list, I wasn’t in pain anymore. I followed this plan for 3 months, and then slowly started to reintroduce many of the foods, except for gluten and dairy. Thus began my gluten free life.

There are lots of different reasons why people decide to go gluten free - some by necessity (like being diagnosed with Celiac or a gluten sensitivity) and some by choice (because they find that eating gluten makes them feel bloated, gassy or just generally terrible) This post isn't to convince you that going gluten free is the way (after all, there's no one diet that's right for every single person on the planet), but more so to offer reassurance and guidance for anyone who is embarking on this lifestyle as a result of a diagnosis, a suspicion, or curiosity of how it could make them feel.

It's going to be scary, but you can totally do it

If you're like me, you probably grew up eating white or whole wheat bread, crackers, pretzels, cookies, cakes, soy sauce, frozen waffles, pancakes and donuts, all filled to the brim with gluten. The prospect of cutting all of those things out and entirely changing the way that you eat can seem daunting, overwhelming, or downright scary. I believe in you! My first experience cutting out gluten wasn't a positive one, but when I reframed my thoughts to see why I needed to do and embraced the foods I could eat, it seemed like a much more manageable change. Change is scary, but not impossible.

There are loads of foods that are naturally gluten free

Many whole foods are naturally gluten free. Lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, beans and legumes, nuts and seeds are all gluten free, not to mention the variety of gluten free grains like quinoa, rice, buckwheat, amaranth and teff. All of these foods may not don a a gluten free label, but they are amazing options when it comes to adopting a gluten free life.

Gluten is sneaky AF

Once you get a handle on the foods that are naturally gluten free, it's also important to learn where gluten can be hiding because it's sneaky. Soy sauce, coatings, breading, seasoning, fillers - it's not pretty, but gluten lurks in a lot of surprising places. Outside of the foods that you know are naturally gluten free, start to read those nutrition labels! Some packages will say gluten free right on the front, but it's great to get to spot the different names for gluten and also have peace of mind before you eat.

Life is a lot more fun when you focus on the things that you can eat

This was a big shift for me and made a huge difference in my outlook on following a gluten free diet. There are so many incredible things that you can eat, bake, make or get at a restaurant that are all gluten free - focus on those! I remember being at a party and afterward crying because I had just wanted a cupcake. When you focus on the things that you can eat, you'll probably feel a lot happier and more fulfilled. 

Gluten free baking is an art, but not impossible

First rule of gluten free baking is that you're going to have to blend your flours. Most gluten free flours don't have the same elasticity that wheat flour does (that's the gluten!) so to mimic the texture and create baked goods that don't turn out like rocks, it's important to mix your flours. There are lots of great gluten free flours blends out there that you can get pre-made, or you can pick up a variety of your own flours and go to town! My go-tos tend to be brown rice, chickpea and oat flour. You can buy small amounts of these flours at your local bulk or health food store so that you can start experimenting to see which ones you enjoy most. 

Other people will have a lot of opinions about your diet

When it comes to making any sort of change in your life, people are going to have opinions. Some of them are going to be positive and encouraging, while others may be the opposite. I'm not sure what it is about the proclamation of going gluten free that causes people to get nasty, but for some reason it has that potential. Get out your rhino skin and remind yourself that their opinions don't matter. Does eating gluten free make you feel good? Do you feel less bloated / foggy / gassy / terrible because you're no longer eating a food that's not essential to your diet? If the answer is yes, then keep rocking your gluten free life and remind those people that you're not forcing your lifestyle change upon them - they can continue to enjoy all the gluten they want! Not only is change hard for you, but it's hard for other people too. 

Most things can be made gluten free, with a few exceptions

I've yet to have a really good gluten free perogi, and I also miss decadent desserts made with layers of flaky pastry whenever I'm visiting Greektown on the Danforth here in Toronto. That being said, I've made awesome gluten free gnocchi, gone for gluten free dim sum, travelled throughout the world and tried all sorts of great gluten free food. So it's pretty rare that I feel left out. Again, if you can place your energy on the things you can eat you'll feel a lot happier and fulfilled. 

Gluten free living has come a long way

In the 9 years that I've been gluten free, I've gotten to watch the emergence of so many gluten free cookbooks, blogs, books, restaurants, bakeries and more - it's phenomenal! Many traditional restaurants in large cities have a full on gluten free menu, or will designate which items are gluten free or can be made gluten free. Here in Toronto, there are so many awesome options for dining out, plus a wide variety of stores where gluten free products are readily available - including the bigger grocery stores! Whenever I travel, I always look forward to visiting new gluten free restaurants, and seeing what GF products may be available in that place. It's awesome to see that it's become so widespread and I feel thankful to have so many incredible Ashley-friendly options at my fingertips. I always cook gluten free in my home, and my friends and loved ones haven't had any complaints - I think that's a great sign!

I don't know that I had any idea that after that first three months of gluten free living that this huge change would have such a lasting impact in my life. I'm grateful that it's helped me to keep my Crohn's in check, introduced me to so many awesome restaurants, recipes, and people, but most of all, enabled me to thrive. I can tell you that as you transition to a gluten free lifestyle it does get easier and there is so much delicious food for you to enjoy! Be kind to yourself, arm your kitchen with a great cookbook or two, start to learn those sneaky names for gluten and it will become easier and more intuitive day be day.

Holy Yum at Hogtown Vegan

On Saturday night I had a couple of hours to kill between shows, so I invited a couple of my lovely castmates to accompany me to The Hogtown Vegan

I had stopped by quickly about a month ago, but was dying to visit again!

The first time around I had the taco salad which was absolutely delicious, but this time I was looking forward to trying out the chickpea salad sandwich

Not a whole lot of colour going on, but this was remedied by the fact that Michelle and I had agreed to do a fry/collard greens combo

Holy yum. I looooooved the chickpea salad sandwich. The filling had lots of dill and the flatbread was spicy, soft and very pancake/dosa-like, making for a stellar combination. The fries were crispy and delish and the collard greens were fantastically garlicky. The gals loved their food too

Michelle was excited for labelled gluten free options and was really happy with the chickpea salad. The sweet potato chips were divine.

Stefne was all over the reuben when she saw it on the menu and said that it did not disappoint!

And of course we had to have dessert

We couldn’t decide so we shared the chocolate mousse with coconut cream and flourless chocolate cake. I think all three of us had foodgasms upon first bite and then had a deep discussion about why people seem to think they need flour or other ingredients to make baked goods delicious.

These were both heavenly.

The chocolate cake was rich, moist, chewy and delicious while the mousse wasn’t too sweet, had an amazing chocolately flavour and the coconut cream was the perfect touch.

We were in vegan foodie heaven and were sufficiently fuelled to do another show!! The Hogtown Vegan has great vegan comfort food. Probably not somewhere I would eat all the time, but definitely hit the spot for a big day. Great service, especially when answering questions about gluten free stuff. I totally want to recreate the chickpea salad!!

That would be me: happy, full of delicious eats and ready to head back Into the Woods. I will definitely be going back!

1 more sleep til NYC!!!

Each day comes bearing its own gifts. Untie the ribbons

(Quote - Ruth Ann Schabacker)

Have you entered my giveaway yet? Time is running out! You have the chance to win a Laptop Lunch or a fun "Ashley's choice" package. You have three chances to win - hop to it! Deadline is Sunday at 6:00 EST.

Speaking of giveaways... The wonderful Elisa at Diary of an Unlikely Housewife was celebrating her blogging anniversary too and I won!! I NEVER win anything so it was quite a pleasant surprise.

This beautiful fascinator is from Kerry at Ten Things. Be sure to check it out because it's full of fabulous accessories and pretty things!! I've been wearing more fascinators and headbands this year and I love them, so I was incredibly happy to add this one to my collection.Thank you Elisa and Kerry!!

I missed posting my WMR (Weekly Meal Recap) this weekend because I was super busy with Ashnaba!

Ashnaba is a group that I sing with and every year we perform in a concert full of eclectic tunes. They are a fantastic group of gals and I have far too much fun singing with them. Our concert was a great success and we even had t-shirts made for the occasion. We always provide refreshments after the show so I made my usual cupcakes and...

Veggiegirl almond fig blondies! They were soooo good. I made a couple of substitutions:

1/2 cup applesauce instead of yogurt
3/4 cup of agave instead of 1 c. sugar
1.5 cups of gluten free flour instead of 1.25 (to account for the extra liquid of the agave)

I loved them. They had a great flavor and texture and they weren't too heavy (like some gluten free baked goods I've had) I really enjoyed the crunch of the almonds and the sweetness of the figs. Joey even liked them, proclaiming "these don't even taste gluten free". One of our guests at the concert was so pleased that I had baked something that was gluten free because she has Celiac. I've come to realize that when you have a food allergy or condition, you come to expect that you'll have to make substitutions and in some cases you'll have to pass things up altogether, so I was quite happy that someone else could safely enjoy a baked good without having to worry about the ingredients.

I want to say thank you to everyone who responded to "What it means to be a part of Gen Y" post. I'm so happy to know that I'm not alone and it's interesting to realize that so many of us are in the same boat. We'll all paddle together and help one another out along the way.

Here are some food pics from the last week and a bit:

Coming up in the next little while...

• My last cooking class!! I'm so sad that this series is coming to an end but I'm so happy with all the recipes, lessons and friends I've made along the way. The last edition of "Making Love in the Kitchen" should be posted on Friday. The theme is Asian inspired & seaweed


• Another trip to the States! Lori and I are venturing across the border this week and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm calling it "Mission: Barney Butter"
  
  
• Boot Camp!! I start on Monday. Pray for me.


• The Heel n Wheel a Thon. To date I've raised $1724!! I would love to bring this total up to $2000. If you wish, you can help me get to it by making a donation here.


• My first public belly dancing performance! I've now been taking classes for a year and I still love it just as much as I did at my first class. I am thrilled at taking all I've learned and putting it up on stage for people!! Being on stage is so much fun for me and it will be great to be doing something different!

If you haven't already done so, be sure to check out my giveaway. Happy Wednesday!

Gluten Free Girl

This weekend I read "Gluten Free Girl" by Shauna James Ahern. I came across Shauna's blog a few months ago while adding a variety of gluten-free to my Google Reader account. While I am not employing a Gluten Free diet (yet), I am awaiting the test results from my food sensitivity testing. The gluten free blogs that I read have wonderful ideas for cooking and the authors have an amazing passion for food. They inspire me and I am actually excited to get the results for my tests because I feel like it will open the doors for a variety of foods that I can eat without worrying about the effects they have on my system. 

Shauna is no different. 

Prior to be diagnosed with Celiac Disease, Shauna ate a variety of bread, pastries and gluten-filled items and had no idea that those items were behind her constant and incurable sickness. Once a blood test confirmed her diagnosis she stopped eating gluten for good. Gluten is found in many foods including wheat, barley, rye. For people like Shauna, even a tiny amount of gluten (a contaminated utensil or kitchen surface for instance) can cause her to become incredibly sick. 

When faced with such an immense challenge, some would be fearful of food; instead Shauna embraces it. Her book and website include a wide variety of gluten free recipes, all of which could be enjoyed by people who normally eat gluten. Items like lemon olive oil cookies, chicken thighs with pomegranate molasses, and butternut squash soup with smoked paprika make my mouth water just thinking about them! Shauna prides herself on finding fantastic ingredients and she exudes incredible passion for food in her recipes, fabulous writing and beautiful photographs. 

Her book reads like a conversation with a great friend; you're always able to catch up where you left off, but stop along the way to tell stories from your life that have happened to get you to the present. She talks about her childhood and her family's affinity for all things processed (which I can completely relate to). The book covers her illness prior to diagnosis as well as the freedom she was granted once she knew that the gluten she was eating practically daily was the toxic substance that was making her so sick. 

It was great to read about her feelings before and after her diagnosis. While Celiac and Crohn's are very different, it was nice to read something I could relate to. While being diagnosed with a "disease" can be very scary (even the word disease carries such a negative tone) it also means answers. Answers lead to solutions. I have only a couple of people who I can talk to who understand what it's like to have a major condition and everything that comes with it - the doctor's appointments, tests, medications, restrictions etc - it was really nice to read about Shauna's perspective on the whole thing.

Shauna talks about how she met her husband just before she gave up on online dating. "The Chef" was a perfect match for her and even has turned his restaurant into a glorious gluten-free place where Shauna and anyone with a gluten intolerance can eat safely.

Shauna has the word YES tattooed on her wrist and I think that the tattoo in itself really exemplifies her attitude for food, writing and most of all her life. While she lives Gluten Free, her diet isn't free of much else and Shauna has really opened her eyes to the possibilities with food that await her. Gluten Free Girl is a wonderful book for anyone wanting to learn more about Celiac, gluten-free living, or for anyone who shares a passion for food and cooking. 

It is estimated that between 1/100 - 1/200 people have Celiac worldwide. You can read more about Celiac on the Canadian Celiac Association's website