What to Eat Now

Welcome and thank you for visiting my website. Don’t panic! I can help. The first thing that goes through everyone’s mind after being diagnosed with an immune reaction to eating gluten is, what am I going to eat now? The truth in fact is just about anything you want.

This revelation didn’t hit me right away. Like most people, my diet was in large part dependent on the two unnatural food groups – ultra processed and fast foods. These two unnatural food groups are abundant in wheat, all its hidden sources and related grains. Whereas, naturally gluten-free foods include everything that nature has to offer (meats, fish, eggs, poultry, fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains).

Some grains are the exception. Gluten is a protein found in these exceptions; wheat, rye and barley. If consumed by a gluten sensitive person through the course of his or her life, chronic health problems will develop. Presently, the only effective treatment for an immune reaction to gluten is a life-long gluten-free diet.

When it became evident that wheat, all its hidden sources and related grains had to be eliminated from my diet. I saw this as just a necessary life-style change. What disturbed me (that is, up until 2011) was an indifference the food industry showed toward a population with an immune reaction to eating gluten. Just about any type of processed food could not be consumed.

A visit to your neighborhood health food store is at best frustrating. Yes, most health food stores provide a decent selection of gluten free products. But, if you are a person of moderate income, the cost of these foods will leave you with sticker shock.

When the shock eventually wore off, I realized all this meant was that my meals had to be made from scratch (moment of revelation). So, if a person with gluten sensitivity took the time to prepare and cook his or her meals with naturally gluten-free foods. One could still have a diverse diet.

As the weeks went by I realized that my revelation needed a reality check. Making meals from scratch is easier said than done. Cooking can be time consuming, annoying and stressful – especially if you have children. That said, take heart for it will become easier as you go along.

My reality check was the driving force behind my desire to create a meal plan. But a collection of recipes by themselves did not seem to be enough. There was something missing.

That something was a basic knowledge of food your imagination could reference if you wanted to try something new. You will become your own chef, limited only by your imagination. This experience brought to mind a maxim I have long believed in and in part helped inspire me to create this website.

If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.

Having a basic knowledge of proteins, fats and carbohydrates is critical to our complete recovery. We can’t just remove gluten from our diet and expect all to be well. The damage inflicted by your immune system (triggered by gluten) is not to be taken lightly. Your body is in need of repair.

It’s going to need a diet free of ultra processed and fast foods that is packed with macro and micro nutrients. This will help it to undo the ills that a gluten filled diet had years to place in motion. Our bodies are amazingly resilient. When given enough time and care, the human body has demonstrated time and time again, that it can heal itself.

With the above in mind, creating a collection of recipes that embodied those viewpoints was the next logical step. To begin with, I kept a few things in mind before making each meal. The food had to be inexpensive and easily accessible, that’s a given. Preparation and cooking time for breakfast/lunch 15-45 minutes. Dinner/dessert 60-90 minutes.

What’s In a Good Diet? Gluten Free or Not

First, each meal had to contain at least one complete protein food (meat, fish, poultry, eggs) or a variety of partial protein foods (legumes, peas, nuts, seeds). Including a variety of these plant foods in your daily diet, will provide your body with all the complete protein it needs. This is a very fortunate thing if you’re vegetarian.

Okay, so you’re probably wondering, what’s so special about complete protein foods? Well, in a nutshell, they provide all the essential amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of all the protein in us (hormones, antibodies, bones, organs etc.).

The essential amino acids cannot be manufactured in the body (unlike the nonessential). That is what makes them essential. They must be obtained from dietary proteins. So, if a diet is deficient in essential amino acids then the body will most certainly suffer. Never forget, it is not the quantity but the quality of protein foods in your diet that is important.

Second, each meal had to be low in saturated fats (nine grams or less per serving). While the unsaturated fats could be much higher (thirty-six grams or less per serving). Unsaturated fats (obtained from olive oil) increase the levels of good cholesterol (HDL) and decreases the level of bad cholesterol (LDL). Unsaturated fats help your body in many other ways.

Not to be outdone, saturated fats obtained from grass fed animals and coconut oil have important antimicrobial properties. They protects us against harmful bacteria in our digestive tract. Saturated fats also help your body in many other ways. Both fats are required for survival. What your body doesn’t require is a diet with more saturated fats than unsaturated.

Third, each meal had to be a good source of complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are vegetables and a good source of insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber is that part of the vegetable which is not digestible. Insoluble fiber provides the bulk that contracting and relaxing muscles need to grab onto.

You see, food moves through our digestive system by a process known as peristalsis (the contraction and relaxation of digestive tract muscles). Like any muscle in your body, your digestive tract muscles work less efficiently without exercise. The lack of, results in food moving more slowly through the small and large intestine. When things slow down, digestive health problems arise.

Fortunately, this rhythmic contraction with the presence of insoluble fiber (which is mildly abrasive); gently scrubs your intestinal walls clean in the process. Insoluble fiber will help keep the colon muscles toned and your feces moving more freely.

Now, I’m sorry to say not all my recipes contain an adequate amount of fiber. On those days you can supplement your diet with some high fiber organic foods – like bean snacks or seeds between meals.

Why Not Eat This

I decided to make all the meals dairy-free. Because anyone with an immune reaction to gluten might also be sensitive to the casein protein. Casein is one of two types of protein in milk, whey is the other. Whey is safe and a complete protein to boot.

Our body breaks protein down into a combination of amino acids called a peptide chain. Casein is a milk protein with a very similar peptide chain to the gluten protein.

Unlike the gluten protein – casein will not trigger an immune response. But, it may act like the gluten protein and cause digestive disorders of similar nature. Additionally, partially digested casein proteins turn into morphine like substances called opiates. Like opium it is highly addictive.

Dairy free means removing all cows’ milk, butter and cheese (anything made from cows’ milk). As with gluten, don’t forget there are hidden sources of casein. Casein is often listed as caseinate or milk protein.

Now, it’s important that you know, I used only minimally processed foods in my recipes. Minimally processed foods are all free of emulsion stabilizers. They are added to all ultra-processed foods (gluten-free is no exception). Emulsion stabilizers give food a uniform look, texture and extended shelf life.

Popular emulsion stabilizers that are used commercially include mono- and diglycerides, xanthan gum, carrageenan, lecithin, guar gum and cellulose to name a few. These food additives may be responsible for triggering an immune response.

Research has come to a disturbing prediction – emulsion stabilizers may be altering the microbiota (bacterial ecosystem) in our gut. Consequence – the bacterial species in our gut may develop the capacity to digest and penetrate the mucous membrane that lines our intestinal wall.

A damaged mucous membrane may results in a leaky gut. If this was to happen, harmful bacteria, undigested food particles and toxic waste will able to move through your gut wall and into your bloodstream.

Our immune system would naturally launch an attack on all foreign invaders by first producing an inflammatory response. At this point, inflammation in your gut and throughout your body will be going off like fireworks at the start of a new year.

If the above reading seems somewhat familiar, that’s because – wait for it – gluten is classified as an emulsion stabilizer. It should be no surprise why emulsion stabilizers can cause a gluten sensitivity to worsen even in the absence of gluten.

With the aforementioned in mind, it would be prudent for celiacs to avoid emulsion stabilizers. By the way, non-celiacs are not resistant to the effects of emulsion stabilizers.

There could be a cause and effect reaction to emulsion stabilizers ingested by non-celiacs with intestinal inflammation. An effective treatment for all intestinal inflammations may be as simple as avoiding ultra-processed foods. Emulsion stabilizers are also used in some way in almost all fast foods.

Always Supplement Your Gluten Free Diet

Here are a few things you can do to complement a gluten-free diet.

Drink about 1 quart (1L) of my homemade electrolyte water (when possible) daily. Homemade Electrolyte water is easy to make.

From a 1 gallon (3.8L) container of filtered water, pour 16 oz. (480ml) into a 4 cup (1L) measuring glass. To that, add 1/8 level teaspoon (0.63ml) of Celtic sea salt, 2 teaspoon (10ml) of organic corn sugar (dextrose) and 1/4 teaspoon (1.25ml) of organic lemon juice. Stir until salt dissolves fully.

Pour homemade electrolyte water into filtered water container; seal and shake well. Each 16 oz. (480ml) glass of my homemade electrolyte water contains about 30mg of sodium and about 1g of sugar. Keep refrigerated.

Electrolyte water has a refrigerated shelf life of 2-3 days. On day three – before lunch – discard any remaining electrolyte water and make a new batch. But first, rinse container with 1/2 cup (120ml) of filtered water. Buy a new 1 gallon (3.8L) container of filtered water once a month

Take two non-dairy probiotic capsule per day with a meal (lunch or dinner). It will help accelerate the healing of your intestinal lining. Probiotics have anti-inflammatory properties.

Take one digestive enzyme per day with a meal (lunch or dinner). Incorporating digestive enzymes into your diet will help you break down foods quicker; thereby improving your absorption of nutrients.

You see, it doesn’t matter how perfect the meal is if you lack the ability to properly digest and or absorb it. Most will pass through and out of your body unused.

Thus, depriving your body of macro-nutrients (protein, fats, carbohydrates and minerals) and micro-nutrients (vitamins and trace minerals). Our body’s needs these nutrients to maintain a strong immune system, grow, repair and regenerate.

In Conclusion

It’s safe to say, the first month of your transition to gluten free diet without a meal plan will be very disruptive. Coming soon! Downloadable gluten-free cookbook.

It won’t overwhelm you with numerous recipes like a majority of the gluten free cookbooks on the market. My cookbook is supported by information on this site.

During your period of transition, this cookbook will allow you to maintain most, if not all, of the flexibility you are accustom to in your daily routine. It will encourage if need be and inspire your imagination. You will have the knowledge needed to take an active role in creating nutritious meals for the rest of your life.