Thank you for visiting my site, don’t panic (!), I can help.  My name is Maurice and I’m gluten intolerant. The first thing that goes through everyone’s mind while standing in their kitchen after being diagnosed with having celiac disease is “ What am I going to eat now”; and the truth in fact is just about anything you want. This revelation didn’t hit me right away because like most people my diet was in large part dependent on the two unnatural food groups; fast foods and processed foods. These two unnatural food groups are abundant in wheat, all its hidden sources and related grains. Naturally gluten-free foods include everything that nature has to offer (meats, fish, eggs, poultry, fresh fruits, vegetables 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 gluten intolerance also known as Celiac disease is a life-long gluten-free diet. When it became evident that wheat and 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 was the indifference the food industry showed toward a population with Celiac disease. 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 intolerance 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 became alarmed at the time I spent daily thinking about how to prepare and cook naturally gluten-free foods. To me, being forced into having your time consumed in this manner on a daily basis, is very annoying and stressful especially if you have children. This rude awakening was the driving force behind my desire to create meals for each day of the week.

But a collection of recipes by themselves did not seem to be enough. There was something missing and that something was a basic knowledge of food that your imagination could reference anytime you felt like trying 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.

When designing the meals, I kept several standards in mind. First, the food had to be inexpensive and easily accessible while preparation and cooking time should be no longer than a half hour for the breakfast/ lunch foods and one hour for the dinner/dessert foods. Secondly, each meal had to contain at least one complete protein food (meat, fish, poultry or eggs) or the combination of partial protein foods (grains, legumes and vegetables). Combined partial protein foods can make a complete protein meal, which is a very fortunate thing if your vegetarian. Ok, 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), which is what makes them essential. They must be obtained from dietary proteins. So, if a shortage of amino acids became chronic due to a diet 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. Third, each meal had to be low in saturated fats, five grams or less per serving, while the unsaturated fats could be as high as twenty grams per serving. Fourth, I wanted each meal to be a good source of complex carbohydrates because complex carbohydrates are a good source of fiber. In order to accomplish this, I used no less than three different vegetables in each dinner. But, as it turned out, three of the dinners ended up with only one source of fiber. On those three days it would be a good idea to supplement your diet with a fiber mix.

Last, I decided to make all the meals dairy free because anyone who is gluten intolerant might also be sensitive to the casein protein. Casein is a milk protein with a very similar peptide chain to the gluten protein. Our body breaks protein down into a combination of amino acids called a peptide chain which is small enough to be absorbed through the wall of our small intestine. Partly digested proteins (peptide chains) which are larger than normal can still make their way into the bloodstream via our intestinals and cause all kinds of problems. One such problem is with the casein protein, if partly digested it turns into  morphine-like substances called opiates, like opium, is highly addictive  and will give that person a doped-up, cloudy feeling and reduce sensitivity to pain to say the least. Dairy free means removing all cows’ milk, butter and cheese (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.

Our first line of defense in maintaining good health is our digestive system. Celiac disease destroys this defense by damaging our villi (tiny hair like projections) along the lining of the small intestine. It is through our villi that we absorb the nutrients from the food we digest. Our immune system will launch an attack on any gluten being absorbed through the intestinal villi. This immune response causes the lining of the small intestine to become inflamed and swell, in turn causing the villi to either fall off or lay flat. The intestiinal swelling usually produces an outward appearance of a bloated stomach. But thankfully, the human body is quite resilient. Villi damaged or destroyed will regenerate in a few days once gluten is completely eliminated from your diet. Please know this, if left untreated (gluten-free diet) celiac disease can be quite serious, even life threatening. Aside from this fact, lets not forget as we age our ability to digest food efficiently decreases. So, by our mid thirties it would be a good idea to start taking a digestive enzyme right before each meal. 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, depriving your body of the macronutrients (protein, fats, carbohydrates and minerals) and micronutrients (vitamins and trace minerals) it needs 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 will be very disruptive. My expectations are, that these meals will allow you to maintain most of the flexibility you are accustom to in your daily routine. On the order page is my downloadable gluten free/dairy free e-book. It is not my intention to overwhelm you with hundreds of recipes like a majority of the gluten free books on the market. My e-book and the information on this website are meant to fill you with hope, create a foundation that will inspire your imagination and provide you with the knowledge to take an active role in creating meals to fit your nutritional needs over your lifetime.