I Go Gluten Free (For the Time Being)

I Go Gluten Free (For the Time Being)

I have no reason to believe I have a gluten allergy.

If some recent reports are to be believed, however, many of us have undiagnosed sensitivities to gluten.

My daughter recently decided to go gluten-free because a doctor had prescribed that her boyfriend should avoid the stuff. In sympathy with his new dietary restrictions, she went gluten-free, too. She immediately noticed her complexion clear.

Last Christmas, she and her boyfriend spent the holidays meditating in a Zen monastery in Bordeaux (exotic, I know). During a “silent meal,” when the monks impose absolute silence upon all diners, they enjoyed some kind of meat-like food that turned out to be gluten “steaks.” Because they couldn’t talk at the meal, she couldn’t say, “Yum, this is great. What the heck is it?” So she ate in silence, finding out only afterwards what was in the “steak.” The next day, she noticed her skin breaking out.

So I thought, okay, just for giggles, I’m going to avoid gluten and just see what happens. For the past week, we’ve had no bread, cookies, regular pasta or anything containing wheat gluten. When we eat out, I might have a taste of pasta or a bite of some pastry, but usually just a forkful (no need to be doctrinaire about all this, I figure).



The result? Oddly, I’ve noticed that my 3:30PM urge to take a nap is gone. I have the energy to make it through the whole day without the temptation to slip into the sack for a few winks before the sun sets. Is this new-found energy the result of not eating gluten? Haven’t the slightest. But it could be, and a little research revealed that fatigue is a symptom of gluten intolerance. I’m interested in seeing the results of a few weeks or months of gluten-free eating. And honestly, avoiding bread and cookies is probably a good idea during post-holiday recovery.

I have, curiously, of necessity, become fonder of gluten-free pasta, and I’m glad that there are more gluten-free options on restaurant menus; for those of us who are trying to eat without wheat (even if, in my case, it's mostly for recreational/research purposes), it’s getting easier all the time.

And perhaps, someday, an allergy sufferer may be sitting in the White House, twenty, maybe thirty years from now: http://www.ifc.com/portlandia/videos/po ... ide-parade

Interesting idea David, I look forward to following along. How would you "rate" you previous gluten consumption? Is there a certain amount of time you are planning on being gluten free?

David, it's great to offer solidarity to someone learning to live gluten-free. I cook gluten-free for my daughter, and find that after my initial annoyance with the restrictions, there is not much that I can't make delicious with a substitute. (For me, it was far more depriving to have to eliminate tomatoes than gluten.)

The Udi's white sandwich bread at Whole Foods, while not delicious on its own, makes excellent bread cubes for turkey stuffing. Twirled into breadcrumbs, it can substitute in lots of baked good, meat loaf, etc. There are some good crackers out there, and I can vouch for the General Mills cake mixes, which are not gritty, in spite of their high rice-flour content.

The whole dessert thing is not a problem if you can eat nuts. My favorite Xmas cake of all time is the Hungarian Walnut Torte that Cathy2 alerted me to on the Saveur Website. I made a few tweaks to the recipe, but basically, the batter involves 10 egg yolks, 10 egg whites whipped, 10 T. sugar and 10 oz. ground walnuts. I substituted 5 oz. Hammon's Black Walnuts for half of the walnuts in the batter. I also cut the 2 layers into 4 thinner ones and dribbled apricot jam and a drizzle of Romanian quince brandy in between the layers, along with the whipped cream called for in the recipe. Next time, I might add some sour cream to give a bit of tang to the whipped cream, as the whole thing needed a bit of tang. Nevertheless, I never missed wheat less in my life!

The only thing we need in Chicago is a restaurant like Risotteria in NYC. The breadsticks, pizza, and GF beer are terrific!

jvalentino wrote:Interesting idea David, I look forward to following along. How would you "rate" you previous gluten consumption? Is there a certain amount of time you are planning on being gluten free?

By "rate," you mean how much did I usually consume? Well, I'd say I consumed gluten products at least three times a day, at least: bread, pasta, cereal, cookies, beer. One kind of intriguing thing to me is that many of these gluten products, enjoyable as they are, are also sources of "empty calories." I'm down three pounds for the past week.

Josephine wrote:The breadsticks, pizza, and GF beer are terrific!

I tend to agree that it's a lot easier to eliminate gluten than at first it might seem (and I'm not going cold turkey; if there's a good looking wheat flour cookie in front of me, I will probably eat it).

Gluten-free beer...well, I had a sorghum beer at Small Bar last Thursday, and I gotta say, if that's my option, I'll stick with wine or whiskey.

David Hammond wrote: One kind of intriguing thing to me is that many of these gluten products, enjoyable as they are, are also sources of "empty calories." I'm down three pounds for the past week.

David,

I wish you luck on your "vision quest", but I've got to take issue with the phrase "empty calories". No matter the nutritional value of something you have eaten, if you enjoyed it the calories could never be considered "empty".

stevez wrote:

David Hammond wrote: One kind of intriguing thing to me is that many of these gluten products, enjoyable as they are, are also sources of "empty calories." I'm down three pounds for the past week.

David,

I wish you luck on your "vision quest", but I've got to take issue with the phrase "empty calories". No matter the nutritional value of something you have eaten, if you enjoyed it the calories could never be considered "empty".

"Empty calories" is a dietician's term of art that fails, as you point out, to include the pleasure factor in the equation.

David Hammond wrote:

stevez wrote:

David Hammond wrote: One kind of intriguing thing to me is that many of these gluten products, enjoyable as they are, are also sources of "empty calories." I'm down three pounds for the past week.

David,

I wish you luck on your "vision quest", but I've got to take issue with the phrase "empty calories". No matter the nutritional value of something you have eaten, if you enjoyed it the calories could never be considered "empty".

"Empty calories" is a dietician's term of art that fails, as you point out, to include the pleasure factor in the equation.

Definitely not a term of art. A term of science maybe.

I'm sitting at the Yellow Rose Diner waiting for my choriso, jalapeno & onion scramble to arrive. I just realized that if I pass on the sad looking store bought flour tortillas that just got delivered to the next table, i'll be eating gluten free in solidarity. Keep the faith, bro.

Comrade Zaransky,

Term of art: A word or phrase that has special meaning in a particular context (from some online legal dictionary).

I had a feeling this topic would get a rise out of you.

David Hammond wrote:I tend to agree that it's a lot easier to eliminate gluten than at first it might seem (and I'm not going cold turkey; if there's a good looking wheat flour cookie in front of me, I will probably eat it).

This summer I did a "vegan when I'm not eating pork belly" experiment (in other words, vegan at home, non-vegan when I'm dining out) and also found it was a lot easier than one might expect to do.

Gluten-free beer...well, I had a sorghum beer at Small Bar last Thursday, and I gotta say, if that's my option, I'll stick with wine or whiskey.

Ugh. Out of curiosity, I tried one of Green's Belgian-style gluten-free beers. Forgettable is probably the kindest way to describe it...I got none of the pleasure of a Belgian been when drinking it.

I decided to go totally gluten free after New Year's for at least 3 or 4 months. I had heard of celiac disease and didn't suffer any of the intestinal issues, so I assumed that I was some sort of odd ball for having issues with wheat. I experience a lot of sinus issues and back and knee pain. I basically o.d.'ed on Christmas cookies and started having pains even in my wrists. I read a book called "Wheat Belly" by a Milwaukee cardiologist that goes into the effects that some of us experience with gluten foods and also gives a theory for why this appears to becoming a more common problem. It's definitely an interesting read. He also has a few recipes in there that I have tried that are quite tasty. SO far my favorite is an eggplant bake that is similar to lasagna, but that I found much better. While I love pasta, (and bread, and cookies - I even used to be a pastry chef), I never particularly liked lasagna - too heavy, too many noodles. This dish is tomatoey and cheese. My personal twist to it is to add mushrooms and spinach.

Hmm, I don't know about this. I think the bottom line is if you feel much better and think its worth it then it will be good. Otherwise its kind of a waste of time IMHO, but an interesting experiment. Please investigate and report back for us. I am sensitive to cheese and certain dairy products but can't keep much away from them. When I have cheese and get up the next day I feel achy all over, my arthritis flares up. Wish I could kick the habit but its hard. I have read that very few people have actual celiac disease but others are "sensitive" to wheat. My mom does not have celiac but claims she is sensitive to wheat. She has not banished it completely but always eats 2 piece of rye toast in the morning. She feels better on that rather than wheat toast.

David Hammond wrote:The result? Oddly, I’ve noticed that my 3:30PM urge to take a nap is gone. I have the energy to make it through the whole day without the temptation to slip into the sack for a few winks before the sun sets. Is this new-found energy the result of not eating gluten? Haven’t the slightest. But it could be, and a little research revealed that fatigue is a symptom of gluten intolerance. I’m interested in seeing the results of a few weeks or months of gluten-free eating. And honestly, avoiding bread and cookies is probably a good idea during post-holiday recovery.

That's got nothing to do with the reduction in gluten, its because you've removed a lot of simple carbohydrates from your diet & your insulin response system is better able to cope. That's why you're not getting the energy crash. You've probably got a mild form of type II diabetes or metabolic syndrome. The skin clearing effect of reduction in carbohydrates is a similar situation, particularly in women - its a symptom of metabolic syndrome and also PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), both of which are issues related to insulin response linking to androgenic hormones (therefore acne) & inability to effectively manage the simple carboydrate level. This is a well documented medical situation - its why people with these issues are advised to severely restrict their intact of simple carbohydrates, you're mimicking the treatment by cutting out wheat products. BTW, there's also huge genetic linkage with these syndromes - that's likely at least part of why both you & your daughter are seeing similar effects on reducing wheat intake.

Athena wrote:

David Hammond wrote:The result? Oddly, I’ve noticed that my 3:30PM urge to take a nap is gone. I have the energy to make it through the whole day without the temptation to slip into the sack for a few winks before the sun sets. Is this new-found energy the result of not eating gluten? Haven’t the slightest. But it could be, and a little research revealed that fatigue is a symptom of gluten intolerance. I’m interested in seeing the results of a few weeks or months of gluten-free eating. And honestly, avoiding bread and cookies is probably a good idea during post-holiday recovery.

That's got nothing to do with the reduction in gluten, its because you've removed a lot of simple carbohydrates from your diet & your insulin response system is better able to cope. That's why you're not getting the energy crash. You've probably got a mild form of type II diabetes or metabolic syndrome. The skin clearing effect of reduction in carbohydrates is a similar situation, particularly in women - its a symptom of metabolic syndrome and also PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), both of which are issues related to insulin response linking to androgenic hormones (therefore acne) & inability to effectively manage the simple carboydrate level. This is a well documented medical situation - its why people with these issues are advised to severely restrict their intact of simple carbohydrates, you're mimicking the treatment by cutting out wheat products. BTW, there's also huge genetic linkage with these syndromes - that's likely at least part of why both you & your daughter are seeing similar effects on reducing wheat intake.

Athena, appreciate the evidently learned response, but I did have a full physical and a blood workup within the past month, before I stopped with the gluten, and there was no indication of diabetes or metabolic syndrome in the reports I got back. Also, I'm eating loads of carbohydrates (rice, beans, quinoa, etc.) so I'm not sure if "reduction in carbohydrates" is the cause for an energy uptick. Finally, I can't say my daughter and me are are seeing "similar effects" -- she's not mentioned that her energy level is higher.

Nonetheless, you evidently know what you're talking about, and I value your opinion, so if I've misinterpreted anything you've said or if you have more to add, I'm listening.

beans, and quinoa are both full of complex carbs, so athena's point still basically stands. brown rice and whole wheat flour, too. white rice, white flour, and potatoes are all still high in simple carbs.

now, it's possible that you really have kept your carbohydrate intake levels the same, but I think most people who feel better after going GF are seeing the benefits of consuming fewer simple carbs.

I don't have any gluten intolerance at all, but I found myself feeling a lot better after basically removing all white rice + potatoes from my diet, and most sweet things (especially soda and candy). I do still have white flour pretty regularly (in flour tortillas, pizza crusts, hot dog buns) and sugar (in everything, let's be honest), but the percentage of my diet coming from simple carbs has dropped precipitously, and I'm happy with the way I feel.

My requisite post for the gluten-free threads is to mention my friend who has a GF cooking blog. She's an amazing cook and any time I eat her food, I don't even notice that gluteniness missing.

I recently discovered I have a sensitivity to wheat, and removing wheat from my diet has transformed my health. I bike over 2,000 miles/year, so I was in good shape before I found out. While Athena offered many possible alternative explanations, it disturbs me that the post implies that gluten sensitivity is rare, and thus unlikely. Since my diagnosis, it has been interesting to find out that the US is far behind other countries in awareness of wheat and gluten sensitivity. I know doctors who are aware of coeliac disease, but are surprised that you can be allergic to wheat and not have coeliac disease. These are doctors that I like and trust, they've been open-minded about it when I talk to them, they're just unaware.

At this point I would argue that gluten sensitivity is just as valid or possible an explanation.

Hey David, I'm curious about your experience with a gluten free diet- can you provide an update? Thanks!

Thanks for asking, PeteK.

Turns out, whenever I eat white bread or such, I get very tired. Today, at the track, I had a big pretzel and immediately felt like going to sleep (could be because I kept placing bets on losing nags, which can be exhausting).

We keep only gluten-free bread in the house now, and I seem to have more energy. I don't know if this is a simple vs. complex carb issue, or what, but when I eat wheat, I feel like sleep.

I should again stress, I have no evidence of gluten-intolerance, and for all I know it's all in my mind, but it seems that eating wheat (in bread, in beer, or whatever) has a soporiphic effect upon me.

David: Are you still at it? Would love to hear any of your good gluten free discoveries... (Food rut.)

Kristen

kl5 wrote:David: Are you still at it? Would love to hear any of your good gluten free discoveries... (Food rut.)

Kristen

Hey Kristen, thanks for asking. I'm still trying to avoid wheat-based products whenever possible. I still love baguettes, etc., but we've found some decent gluten-free pastas and one corn-based pasta that is almost indistinguishable from wheat pasta (I'm traveling today so don't have the name handy).

Like a lot of foods, wheat bread and other wheat products easily become habitual but that habit can be almost as easily broken. I find myself eating lots of rice and potatoes, and with corn coming into season, it's easy to get carbs in some other form than wheat products.

I am reviving this thread. I think I might want to go wheat free for a week or so. Mostly to see if my arthritis gets better. Does anyone know how long you have to go wheat free before seeing a difference?

I started going gluten-free (not just wheat, this includes barley and rye) solidly a few months ago in an attempt to reduce my body's immune system issues (including psoriasis, arthritis and the aforementioned mid-afternoon slump in energy). When I stick with it, I definitely feel less pain and ache in the joints, and more energy. The psoriasis has eased, although I'm pursuing other therapies simultaneously so perhaps one or more of those are helping as well.

My biggest challenge is the bread. I make four loaves of sourdough white sandwich bread weekly for our family (big sandwich/toast eaters) and it can be agonizing to watch my boys butter up a nice thick slab of sourdough while I'm gnawing on my measly little slice of Udi bread. I've tried a few different recipes for basic gluten-free yeast bread, but without much success. It's a process...

Costco has just started carrying a gluten-free pasta that is wonderful. We eat a lot more oats, rice, and quinoa now as well, and instead of cookies I've been leaning towards snacks like popcorn and nuts. I make our own gf granola that has been quite a satisfying substitute for cereals. I'm ashamed to say I drank several beers before the penny dropped about the barley, d'oh!

There are a few good all-purpose gf flours out there (my supportive mother-in-law send a package with three or four different ones, which I called my "bouquet of flours" ). I do not recommend the Authentic Foods version (gritty and odd flavor); the King Arthur and Bob's Red Mill were both good but do not include xanthan gum (a necessity to get good results with gf flours); the Arrowhead Mills version was also good AND included the xanthan gum. I did buy some xanthan gum, so I can use all of these now. They all are fine substitutes for flour when making a roux, biscuits, muffins, and cookies... I just don't have the bread figured out yet.

I haven't been super-diligent about things like salad dressings and eating at friends' houses... if there's flour in a sauce, I've been letting it slide. I have to wonder if that would make a difference, but I'm anxious about not becoming a super-picky, needy guest...

If I have a slice of bread or half a bagel (Chouxfly's baking is not to be snubbed), I wind up taking a two or three hour nap. I'll do it once in a while when I know I can afford the luxury of sleep, but it's a pretty strong reminder of how I used to be and a good motivation to continue avoiding gluten in the future.

It's very interesting (and validating!) to hear about others' experiences going gf; looking forward to hearing more from you all.

ETA: To answer Toria's question, well, I can't answer it and I'm not sure anyone else can, either. Every body is different, and there are so many factors that could be part of your pain. I've heard of people having decreased inflammation on gf diets within a week; others who have taken up to six months to really have solid positive results, especially with issues involving a chronic condition like arthritis. I hope you're one of the lucky ones!

The Bob's Red Mill "pizza crust mix" has xanthan gum. It also comes with a small packet of yeast. I have used that blend very successfully as the base for muffins and pie crust. Both turned out quite well.

For an excellent beer that happens to be gluten-free, try Prairie Path from 2 Brothers.

Ditto on the Prairie Path from Two Brothers. We've sold it at the Pub since day one, and only a few months back did they even know it was "gluten-free". A happy accident! Much better than the Red Bridge and others we auditioned.

Also, for your "flour" needs, check out my buddy Dave Meister's products at meistersgf.com they've built a pretty remarkable following for their gluten-free flour mixes. I've had the opportunity to play with them in the past and they give some amazing results.

And no, I'm not part of his operation. I just like touting local "downstaters" that are making a mark.

We sat next to a couple at The Bristol last night. It turns out one of the two was gluten free (didn't get into why) and they had noted it on Open Table when they made their reservation. They came in and the staff had prepared a special menu with all the items that were gluten free or could be made that way, and even were careful to bring the bread for the cheese plate on a separate dish.

I looked and several people noted this sort of thing on Yelp reviews. I'm not surprised the staff would do this, they are really sweet and want people to enjoy themselves, but I bet they aren't the only place that does this without advertising "hey we go out of our way to accommodate" all over their website.