Gf Diet For A Non-cd

[lPa1nl]

Ok so the Girlfriend is gluten-free and I want to keep her that way. Therefore to help in keeping the house gluten-free, I am going to start myself on the gluten-free diet with her. I think of it as a another way of letting her know that "Hey we can beat this thing together, and I am right here with you on this." I ask you is there any positives and or negatives for someone starting a gluten-free diet that isnt celiac disease?

Also I am sure this has happened to most of you at some point in time. Where the task of dealing with a gluten-free diet and other dietary restrictions (corn, sugar), become overwhelming. Where you become frustrated at the lack of food/good food there is thats healthy for you to eat. Any thoughts to help someone at that point? 'A shoulder to cry on' is all I can think of to help her at those tough times...

Any thoughts or ideas would be very helpful...

[tarnalberry]

As with any diet, as long as you make sure your diet is varied and healthy, there is no problem with someone who is not gluten intolerant going gluten free. Some studies have shown that celiacs don't necessarily get enough folic acid, amongst a couple other vitamins, but the root cause seemed to be that gluten free bread and pasta does not have the additives that wheat-based breads and pastas do. So it's not that the diet is inheirently deficient, it's that there was too much reliance on gluten-free bread substitutes. Again, a varied diet, and optionally a regular multivitamin, is all you need to address this. I would argue that since you can't go out to fast food places, and can't buy as many prepackaged items, if you avoid the route of subsisting entirely on pre-made gluten-free food, it's a healthier diet than many people already eat.

As for dealing with other food sensitivities... I also have to eliminate dairy, and I think that's harder than gluten! ;-) Cheese just isn't the same. And since I try to minimize soy, I'm not going to get to eat soy yogurt all the time either. (And that, too, is not the same!) Yeah, it gets frustrating, and then you realize that you can either let yourself be in a state of permanent frustration, or you can find other things to eat. You sometimes have to get creative, and break out of your comfort zone (of the types of foods you usually eat), but humans are so adaptable, so you know you can do it. :-)

[KaitiUSA]

A non celiac going on the gluten free diet will probably be a good thing for you. It is a healthier way of living and actually better for your body.

Also if you can't have sugar you may want to look into stevia and xylitol. Those are natural sugars which are ok for diabetics and hypoglycemics because they do not mess with the blood sugar.

There are alot of things we can have it's a matter of finding them. You will find this site will help alot with ideas and so forth.

[pmrowley]

Agree with Kaiti. There is a large amount of evidence that Gluten is toxic to everyone, just to a lesser degree. As long as you maintain your balance, there is nothing wrong with a gluten-free diet. My wife has been sharing my gluten-free diet for about 4 years now, and she feels healthier for it! (Aside from the few times we go to a restaurant, and they have fresh-baked sourdough on the table! I always envy that one...)

These days, there are LOTS of alternatives, even for restrictive diets. Many people who cannot deal with regular sugar can still digest fructose, fruit sugar. Frookie makes cookies that are sweetened with fruit juices, rather than regular sugar, and they also make a gluten-free line. There are rice-based pastas that are better tasting than wheat-based pasta (Pastariso) and alternative grains such as Quinoa, that are very high-protein and quite tasty (Quinoa cooks like rice, but has less starch. Very tasty as a side dish with a little gluten-free soy sauce!)

Many gluten-free foods tend to be VERY non-allergenic, since most people who are trying to stay gluten-free are also staying away from things like eggs, lactose, or simple sugars. My advise is to troll around some health food stores (Mother's Market and Wild Oats are my particular local favorites) as well as the web.

Cheers,

-Patrick