Naturally Gluten-Free

Have you been diagnosed with celiac disease and don't know where to start?

Are you through the initial post-diagnosis panic?  You know what I'm talking about, that's the period where you go out and buy everything labelled gluten-free in the supermarket, find out that it all tastes like garbage and you hate your life. 

Is there a better way?  A more natural way?  A naturally gluten-free way?

Is it time to take a breath, settle down and come up with a plan? Is it time to love your life again?

Let’s get started!

After my panic phase I got some good advice.  That was to focus my diet on naturally gluten-free foods. 

That means real, whole foods that simply don't have gluten in them.

Since then,  I’ve learned so much about how the food I eat affects how I feel every day.  And even better, I’ve discovered a silver lining to this cloud and that is, that I have a much greater variety in my diet than I did before just because I got out of my rut and started to experiment more with food. 

You know you're in the right place if:

• You’ve been diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten intolerance and are attracted to the idea of natural, whole food to nourish your body. 
• You’re into living life to the fullest and letting your limitations get in the way as little as possible.
• You want to be sure you are getting facts based on scientific studies and real world experience, not just something regurgitated over and over again from one random blog to the next.
• You're looking for some camaraderie, to know that you're not alone, you're not a freak.  Others have gone through this too and made it work, even thrive.

I hope you'll think of me as your coach or your coffee buddy.

When I was first diagnosed with celiac disease I was fortunate enough to know someone who had it.  I was able to go to her for pointers and advice.  Sometimes she'd confirm my own thoughts or suggest alternatives.  I benefitted from her experience and avoided some pitfalls because of it. 

I'd like to be that for you.  The one who has gone before.  The one who's experience you can benefit from. 

If you're up for it, then bookmark this page and let's get started!

Click the blue text if you'd like to learn more about me and why I am qualified you help you along this journey.

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Food

First, let's talk about food.  It really is the central topic isn't it?  Which foods have gluten and which ones are gluten free.  What if you have problems with other foods besides gluten.  Is that even possible?  And are there cuisines that don't focus so much on wheat and might they be the key to getting variety and flavor into your diet?  Check out the pages below for the answers to those questions.

Gluten-Free Foods: This is probably the first place you want to go., the first stop on the journey.  You’ll learn what foods are naturally gluten-free, what you need to be careful of, how to read labels and how to substitute for the items you’re used to that are now off the table.

International Cuisines: Do you sometimes feel like your dining options have been dramatically reduced since going gluten free?  I did, until I remembered how vast this planet is and how varied the cuisines of the world are. So, let’s take a journey together and find the best cuisine for gluten free.

Pairing Gluten Free with Other Special Diets:  People on a gluten-free diet often have other diet related needs and goals as well.  Maybe you want to lose weight, have other food intolerances, or  another health condition that affects your diet.  Maybe you prefer a plant based diet.  Go here to learn about how you can achieve your goals while remaining safely gluten free.  

Baking

If you're a baker you've probably already figured out that gluten free baking is different from baking with wheat flour.  In the links below I'll explain the science and the techniques you'll need to know to make your gluten free baking a success.

These Gluten Free Baking Secrets Will Help You Create Simple Delicious Treats:  Would you like to learn how to make sweet, delicious gluten free treats but you're confused about gluten free baking?  Learn a bit of the science behind baking.  What does gluten do for baked goods and what can you do to make up for it.  I'll also share some of my favorite mixes and my absolute best cake recipe!

Gluten Free Bread - Recipes, Nutrition and Buying Tips:  Do you dream about bread?  I do, with disturbing frequency.  Baking is one thing, but bread is a special case.  Many of us spend our lives in search of the perfect loaf.  In this article we’ll explore grains and other ingredients that can be used in place of wheat and teach you how to make your own bread from scratch and from a mix and what to look for when buying gluten-free bread. 

Satisfy Your Cravings With Healthy and Delicious Gluten Free Pizza:  Does pizza get a bad rap?  I think so.  From the streets of Rome to nearly every lunchroom and college dorm, pizza may very well be the most consumed food on the planet.  Go here to learn how to bake the very best gluten free pizza crust and how to source great ready made pizza.  Also learn what to avoid.

Cooking

Once you've learned what foods you can and can't eat, you may discover that your cooking style needs to change.  In the links below you'll find my very best advice on everything to do with gluten free cooking.  How to set up your kitchen and pantry along with some great cooking tips to make meals fast, easy and delicious. 

I’ve purposely tried to avoid making this a recipe site.  You can find recipes anywhere and frankly I’d prefer you learn to cook so that you don’t need a recipe.  Still, sometimes a recipe helps or can serve as a guide, a jumping off point for your own creativity, so I've included my personal collection of recipes.  I hope you'll enjoy them and make them your own. 

Loving Your Food and Your Life Through Gluten Free Cooking:  Are you new to gluten-free and wondering how your cooking might change?  In this article you'll find lots of chef's tips for cooking great gluten free meals from scratch. 

How to Set Up Your Gluten Free Kitchen for Safe and Easy Cooking: Your gluten-free kitchen really is the center of the universe isn't it?  This is where all the food is and where all the chaos is.  It's a minefield of toast crumbs and sticky pasta pots and you're wondering how you're going to make gluten-free food that's safe and actually gluten-free.

Gluten-Free Meals:  Once you have the basics, you’ll be able to put meals together like a pro.  In this section we explore a few different approaches to making naturally gluten-free meals easy and healthy so you’ll have a resource on those days that you’re in a rut and don’t know what to make.  We'll even look at dairy free and vegan options and provide you with some free sample meal plans!

50+ Naturally Gluten-Free Recipes for the Whole Family   I've curated a selection of recipes for you.  I think this is food you'll actually make.  There are simple weeknight meals and dishes you'll be proud to serve company, even if if your guests aren't gluten-free

Your Food Philosophy

Do you really need a food philosophy?

 I think so.  After all, this isn't just a diet, it's a lifestyle.  Yes that' right, you are embarking on a new naturally gluten-free lifestyle! 

I've found that in all the big areas of my life like parenting or career or marriage, it's good to have an over-arching philosophy, which is really just another way of stating your values or your viewpoint.  Putting that into words in advance will help you make decisions when things get tough or murky, when the rubber meets the road.  It will help you to stay on course with what’s really important to you.  

For example, my career philosophy could be summarized as "success with balance".  I always wanted to do well and my career was important, but for me family and  health were more important.  So I'd do the weekends and late nights if necessary, but not to the point that it interfered with that balance.

Back on the food topic, Michael Pollan, food journalist and author famously said “eat food, not too much, mostly plants”.  You could call this his food philosophy and I think it’s a good one.

My food philosophy in a few words is this:

Natural is best.
Balance is essential.
Simplicity is the thread that ties it all together.

You'll find these words and these themes throughout Naturally Gluten-Free.  A focus on whole fresh home cooked food, but not to the exclusion of the odd treat, that's the balance part.  Simple is not just about ease, but also simplicity of ingredients.  Choosing products and recipes with few ingredients so the wholesomeness of the food shines through.

Give it some thought.  If you were to put your food philosophy into words, what would it be?

Living Gluten Free

I want you to Love Your Life!

Your new naturally gluten-free life.  It shouldn’t be complicated, it should be fun.  I’d love for you to feel blessed rather than deprived, just like I do.  But let’s be real;  there are parts of this journey that are certainly not fun and there will be days when you don’t feel so blessed. 

You’ll make mistakes, you’ll get “glutened” and feel like crap for a while.  It happens to everyone so, be gentle with yourself.  But you can still have fun.  You can travel. You can enjoy social time with friends and family.   You can even attend parties, barbecues and holiday events.

The articles in this section are all about navigating the things, big and small that make life worth living.  Just remember, it's all about the people.

Gluten-Free Away from Home: Eventually you're going to want to leave the house!  If you’re like me, you want to live your life. You’re willing to take precautions, but you’ve decided this celiac thing is going to limit you as little as possible. Here you'll find tips for travelling, rules for restaurant dining and guides to holiday parties and backyard barbecues.

What's the Best Gluten Free Alcohol for Celiac?

You have celiac disease and you want to know what you can drink.

It's a question that comes up a lot and there are some simple answers and some very complicated ones.  Let's explore.

Interesting and Informative Books on Celiac Disease and Healthy Eating: Over the years and in building this site I've read a variety of material.  Although there are some books that focus on celiac disease and gluten free foods specifically, I've broadened my reading to include an exploration of the food industry, auto-immune disease, cooking for health and other related material. Check out my reviews and maybe you'll find a book you'd like to pick up.

How to Accept the Challenge and Live a Gluten Free Lifestyle:  Have you noticed that going gluten-free has changed your life in surprising ways? From socializing, to travel, to skin care.  Has it changed the way you think about what goes into your body? Are you trying to make simpler, healthier choices? You need more than just recipes, more than just a list of foods that contain gluten.  You need strategies!  Here you'll find a bunch of resources to cover all these topics and more!

So there you have it.  I hope we can spend lots of time together and maybe even become friends.  We can explore this sometimes treacherous but always interesting and exciting territory together.  I’d love to hear from you and I'd love it if you'd bookmark this page and come back often.  There is always something new. Patty

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