Have You Ever Tried Going Gluten Free?

I sat down to chat the other day with one of my best friends and daughter, Sarah, who now follows a gluten free eating plan. I wanted to know more about why she chose this and what the benefits are. She told me that when she was diagnosed with a thyroid disorder a few years back she trialed a few different medications and med adjustments to bring her lab levels back into normal range. Even though this was accomplished, she still “felt like garbage.” Through her network of friends she was referred to Hashimoto’s Food Pharmacology by Isabella Wentz. She gave the recipes a try. The cookbook covered both dairy free and gluten free recipes, but, being a native Wisconsin girl and cheese lover, she really didn’t take to the dairy free part. But, the gluten free part was a hit. She began to feel better and her antibody levels, previously off the chart, were cut in half or more.

Sarah said some people try a gluten free diet for weight loss and although she lost about five pounds initially, it really was not a weight loss diet and there are better plans for that. It is also expensive to go gluten free. And, gluten is part of what makes food taste good.

Gluten is found in wheat, barley, and rye. Sarah said that there are some schools of though that conclude that US wheat is so genetically modified for higher gluten percentages that a gluten sensitive person in the US can actually eat wheat products in other countries and tolerate them as long as the wheat is not imported from the US. I also have heard going gluten free leaves you feeling less bloated, feeling better, and with increased energy. There are schools of though too that say avoiding gluten reduces the body’s inflammation levels, not just in the gut but throughout the body.

I can’t say I am planning on going gluten free anytime soon, but, I am interested in lowering my dietary gluten intake just for the sake experimenting to see if it makes any difference in how I feel. And, hey, I’m all about reducing inflammation in my body if possible. This week I have experimented with with making a gluten free sourdough dough starter. I just followed the directions from one of my previous posts, https://platinummusecom.wordpress.com/2020/04/19/why-does-the-yeast-shortage-keep-bubbling-up-in-conversation-lately/?fbclid=IwAR2uqk9Y0iBKALhy379zPxgWd60WSKGpVILM_StjZPAKN8ZUhlMSH7Nve2s I used gluten free flour instead of regular flour. I started with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Bread Mix and ran out half way through so finished with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour. Then, I took some of that starter and made these sourdough crackers which were great! https://thefreshexchange.com/pantry-staples-simple-sourdough-crackers/ I topped them with just a bit of course salt. Roll them out on the thinner side too unless you want a hearty cracker. Top with a bit of your favorite cheese! Yum!

Stay healthy and stay safe! Thank you for reading the Platinum Muse this week!