GIVING THE GLUTEN-FREE DIET A WHIRL

My Banana Muffin recipe made gluten-free!

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE carbs????  I think just about all my favorite foods contain carbs but I have been toying with the idea of going gluten-free. I have had some recent health issues and it made me wonder if that might help alleviate the issues.  I would always rather try the natural remedy before the medical remedy.  My sister-in-law has dealt with heartburn and indigestion for years and was recently put on a drug to control it.  She was told by a friend that going gluten-free helped her husband totally get off his medications for heartburn.  She was skeptical at first, but lo and behold, it actually helped her to get off of her medications, as well.  Now she will only eat gluten (wheat) when she is really craving something....she just prepares herself to suffer later.

This is just one bag, there was another bag and a cooler full of freezer/fridge items : )

My sweet son, Christopher, brought me tons of gluten-free foods from Austin...he was just a wee bit worried ; ) He lives a couple of blocks from Whole Foods Market.  If you ever get a chance to go to that Whole Foods, you will be in for a treat.  Great store!  I will be posting some of my favorites from the things he brought me this week.  I went to Basic Foods in Beaumont last week and was so excited to see so many great brands and choices when it comes to gluten-free. 

I wanted to post this flour mix that I purchased.  It is totally gluten-free and you replace your flour with it in same amounts...hence the name...Cup 4 Cup.  I bought it from Williams-Sonoma because I had heard so many good things about it.  It is expensive but I tried it out on my Banana Muffin recipe and I could not tell that I had changed anything.  It was really good.  I am trying to come up with a recipe for my own flour mix because the one drawback of the Cup 4 Cup is that the main ingredient is Cornstarch which is high in carbs and doesn't have any nutritional value.  However, cornstarch is gluten-free.  I am just thinking that with as many different flours and starches that there are out there, surely I can find something a little healthier...who knows?!  A friend of mine loves the brand Pamela's and they carry that at HEB.

I am reading the book "Wheat Belly" by William Davis, M.D.  My friend Nita called me the other day so excited about it and said that I had to read it.  I, of course, ran and got it pretty much immediately....if it is that good, why wait...right?  I am just beginning the book but I already feel like it is going to be a game changer.  It goes into depth about the effects of wheat in our diets and how many health issues can be resolved by just giving it up.

I know this is not going to be easy and I don't even know if I can live without wheat....how dramatic does that sound? I mean, if I want a hamburger or onion rings, or regular pasta or a donut, I think I will allow myself to have it, occasionally.  I just want to take gluten/wheat out of my diet on an everyday basis.   We'll see, in time, how this will all work out.  For now, I am finding out there is a lot of food I can still eat and most of the symptoms of my health issue have been resolved.  I just feel better knowing that I am eating healthier.   I want to be around to see my little grandbaby Alex and my future grandchildren, grow up.

If any of you have gone gluten-free, I would love to hear how it is going, what products you love, recipes, etc.  We can all encourage each other!  Love it!