May 02 2008
Going Gluten Free
What Works?
To lessen my Fibromyalgia symptoms, I’ve tried making some dietary adjustments. Many health practioners recommend gluten free diets, others suggest sugar reduction, and some believe that there is a link between caffeine consumption and symptom flare. I’m sure there are many more theories, but these are ones that I have come across. :-) Today I’ll focus on gluten free eating.
Beginning a gluten free lifestyle requires a lot of change for most people. Gone are the baked goods, pastas, and fast foods that yesterday seemed harmless. Now the grain sources are brown rice (not enriched as it can have gluten in processing), corn, millet, quinoa, and potatoes, to name a few. You can have pasta if it is made from these ingredients. Luckily these items are easier to find now. I know Trader Joe’s and Henry’s carry these products, as I purchase them often.
I am willing to see if going gluten free will make a difference on my symptoms within a week, starting today. To start off, I will make a big pot of brown rice. That way if I get hungry and need a quick meal I can eat that rather than grabbing something that may have gluten in it. Brown rice is great hot or cold. It can be thrown into soups and made into a stirfry with vegetables. Add a little sugar and/or fruit or yogurt and you’ve got breakfast. I love garbonzo beans, tomatos and brown rice tossed in lemon and olive oil with a little salt. Sounds like I might actually enjoy my gluten free week!
Rice pastas cook up in a similar way to mainstream pastas. Add them to rapidly boiling water for 6-8 minutes, and then top with your sauce. The “rice sticks” at Trader Joe’s are similar to the glass noodles in Thai restaurants and are great in Asian inspired dishes.
For a list of what to eat and avoid when going gluten free, check out http://www.gicare.com/pated/edtgs06.htm where you can reference a list. I know I’ll be checking it throughout this next week.
Click the Recipe tab above to view the recipes I promised. I’ll be posting more as I get time.
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