I'm a big fan of:
~ Gluten Hates Me
~No Gluten, No Problem
~A Life of Sugar and Spice
~Sorry, I Can't Eat That
~A Year Of Crockpotting
~Gluten Free Girl and the Chef
Do some searches and click on other links to find people you relate to.
After you purge the gluten from your life then it's time to find things you can eat and love. There's a lot of products on the market and it's come a long way in the two years that I've paid attention. I tried a lot of pizza crusts that tasted like cardboard before I learned how to make the Bronski's Gluten Free Pizza or found Udi's Frozen Pizza Crusts. Don't give up. Food should taste good- cardboard is unacceptable.
Take it one step at a time and go back to basics... what foods do you like that are naturally gluten free?
Think about each meal and snacks with this in mind. Here's my list:
Breakfast: Chocolate Rice Chex, Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Potatoes, Fruit Smoothies
Snacks: apples, oranges and other fruits, Nut Thins
Lunch: Ok- this was tricky for me at first as I love sandwiches... thankfully Udi's brought these back for me but before I found Udi's I would do a medley of sandwich meat, cheese and cucumbers or soup in the winter months
Dinner: Potatoes, Meat, Rice noodles, Veggies, Rice
Dessert: Ice Cream, Chocolate covered bananas
Try something new... I live in a small ski town and don't always see the new products right away but through bloggers and twitter I stay up to date and when I do find them I know if I should test them out. I've found products I love, some that are just ok and some horrible cardboard pizza's but I have options and feel pretty lucky.
Don't believe everything you read on the internet. Do your own research and find a couple of reputable sources. Just because you heard something was gluten free does not mean it is. You also may find that as your body clears gluten out of your system that you will become more sensitive. You might no be bothered by shared equipment at first but as your gut heals you may have to be more vigilant about what you eat.
Learn to cook... I've always liked to bake and even managed to convert whoopie pie's (a Maine treat) to a gluten free recipe. I've found a gluten free flour blend I love and use it for almost everything. It's from the Bronski's over at No Gluten, No Problem. It's become my staple and I always have a large batch mixed up which I store in an airtight container in the fridge. I've tried cookbooks and am lucky enough to have a great library with a huge selection of GF cookbooks. I've also grown my own cookbook library. Don't be afraid to fail. It's how we all learn.
Be prepared. Never go anywhere hungry and always have safe snacks available for yourself. This will help you in making good, safe choices and staying healthy. Gluten reactions vary in severity and duration. Be your own advocate. If you get a bad feeling about a place, believe it.
Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor or an expert, I'm a fellow glutard. Do your own research and find what works for you. Listen to your gut and follow your own path.
