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Going Gluten-Free

By Cody

You might remember that last week, I went in for a procedure to get some testing done for my stomach issues.  The testing I had done was to check for things like H. Pylori, celiac disease, etc. While I am still awaiting a call back from the doctor, I decided to try going gluten-free. Obviously, if I do have celiac disease, I will have to do a gluten-free diet regardless.  And when I looked at the symptoms of celiac, I could definitely relate to a lot of them.  But, you don’t have to be celiac to have a reaction to gluten.  So it could just be gluten sensitivity. Not trying to WebMD myself here, just trying to find something that gives me some relief!

Just to note… not everyone benefits from a gluten-free diet.  It’s definitely not for everyone.  But, the reason I decided to try this route? Back in 2013 or 2014, I saw a gastroenterologist who told me I had IBS and to just eat more fiber.  Unfortunately, I was still having extreme stomach pain frequently.  That’s when I decided to try gluten-free.  I made the decision and got rid of everything in my house that had gluten.  And I stuck with it for around 2 years or so! Guess what?  My stomach issues were almost NON-EXISTENT while I was gluten-free.  It was a miracle!

Why did I stop my gluten-free lifestyle? I’d read that some people have success with re-introducing it back into their system in small doses.  And for a while, I was fine.  But… over the years, I have had really bad flare-ups. I have yet to really pinpoint what I eat that triggers the issues.  Because sometimes I can eat something and be completely fine.  Other times, I’ll be extremely sick.  It’s been frustrating.

I don’t really like having to medicate.  I’d rather take more natural approaches to heal my gut, instead of putting a band-aid on the symptoms.  So for now, I’m going to try the gluten-free route while waiting to get all the information from the doctor.  I’m adding in probiotics and anything else that may help soothe and help.

Thankfully, gluten-free options and accommodations have become more prevalent since I last went this route!  Just check out some of my favorite gluten-free Instagram pages and brands!

  • Canyon Bakehouse

    This brand has some of the best gluten-free bread!  I usually find it at Walmart, and keep it in my fridge.  Mostly I use it to make toast in the morning (butter makes it softer, as gluten-free stuff can tend to be a bit dry).  The bread is fairly small in comparison to a normal loaf of bread, but I don’t mind at all.

  • Udi's Gluten Free

    I discovered this brand the first time I went gluten-free.  They have a wide variety of products.  One thing I love about them? They make quite a few sweets.  It’s nice to still be able to enjoy snacks that don’t hurt my stomach!

  • King Arthur Baking

    I’ve used King Arthur a few times.  They have mixes and gluten-free flour.

  • Bob's Red Mill

    I’ve used Bob’s Red Mill flour for baking, and it works great!  Looks like they’ve expanded to even more since I used them last!

  • Schär

    I’ve done their pizza crust a time or two.  Definitely good stuff.  I typically shop in the small gluten free section at Walmart, and they don’t have a huge selection of their products though.  I think it is getting better, though!

  • More Brands

    Thankfully, more and more brands are becoming aware of the need for gluten-free options.  Even Walmart’s Great Value brand has a great selection of items.  I typically get their Shells and Cheese along with other pasta.  Even when I wasn’t gluten-free, I was buying gluten-free spaghetti noodles! Oh, and the Great Value Gluten-Free Pancake & Waffle Mix is great too!

    Aldi is also a store that seems to carry some great gluten-free items too.

  • Restaurants

    I know when I went gluten-free before, it was always awkward at restaurants.  I’d usually ask for a gluten-free menu, which some places would have.  But not all.  Even though they say things are gluten-free, there is still a bit of a risk when anyone else is preparing your food.  But this is getting better too!  I love that many places now have things like gluten-free buns for burgers and sandwiches.  And there are more gluten-free pizza options too!

If you have any gluten-free tips, tricks, recipes, etc. please shoot me an email here!

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