I was wondering what is a good way to start a gluten free diet? Do u stop cold turkey? What is a good gluten free shopping list?

from A.Headley

Answer:

Thanks for writing, Alicia.
A good way to start a gluten free diet is to just begin minimizing the various ways it appears in your diet: breads, cereals, pastas, baked goods, etc. But since as little as one gram of gluten can create an immune response in the body, you really have to avoid it completely to benefit fully. I suggest a gradual decrease in the amount of gluten in your diet, perhaps replacing some of your favorite/problem foods with gluten free alternatives (i.e. rice pasta, millet breads, etc--though these are often laden with "gums" and other additives you cannot digest). Ultimately, however, one of the goals of a gluten free diet is to minimize your dependency on man made carbohydrate. For example, have your spaghetti sauce over spaghetti squash--it's gluten free, tastes great, and actually delivers nutrition instead of just providing calories.

Livingwithout.com is a great resource for you as you evolve into a gluten free diet. And give yourself a solid two weeks of absolutely no gluten, preferably two months as that's how long it takes the gut wall to begin to heal. So be careful with ingredients as some hidden sources of Gluten include:

–MSG
–hydrolyzed or textured protein
–beef or dairy from cows fed grains along with chickens on a grain fed diet
–most soy sauces
–mayonnaise
–vinegar (unless it specifically states wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar, etc)
–battered or fried anything
--alcohol made from grains

As for my shopping list, this is what a typical week looks like:

Turnips
Beets
Carrots
Zucchini
Squash
Cucumbers
Peppers
Spaghetti Squash
Onions
Asparagus
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes

Apples
Oranges
Lemons
Limes
Pears
Bananas
Grapes
Blueberries
Blackberries

Raisins
Dates
Dried Cranberries
Dried Pineapple
Frozen Fruit (for smoothies!)

Fruit Roll Up Bars (for my son)
Marshmallows
DARK chocolate (with no soy lecithin)
Ice Cream
Raw Cocoa Powder
Butter
Coconut Oil

Tomato Sauce and Stewed Tomatoes in glass (for Spaghetti sauce over the spaghetti squash)
I wish WF carried stewed tomatoes in glass since I know the cans leach BPA, so I usually make my own or get a tomato sauce out of a glass container.
Corn Tortillas (for Fish Tacos tonight)
Goat’s Milk Yogurt
Goat’s Milk (raw from a local source)

Low fat fish (cod, halibut, etc)
Shellfish
Chicken
Lamb
Bacon
Eggs (locally/privately sourced and AWESOME!)
Turkey
Ham
Pulled Pork
Sausage
Cheese of all sorts, mostly unpasteurized and often from goat/sheep
Liverwurst
Oxtail (for Gelatin)

I hope that helps, Alicia. Good luck, and I know you can do this. Not one of my clients who has decided to go gluten free found it to be difficult, especially after a couple of weeks. And all of them have noted some positive benefit, even if they didn't think they had a problem with gluten. Better skin, clear thinking, improved bowel habits, weight loss, more energy, etc. And since gluten containing grains contain phytic acid which inhibits the absorption of zinc (which is necessary for you to taste the sweetness of a food), the desire for sweets and other desserts usually lessens. And you take control of your diet instead of your diet controlling you!

I'm glad to hear you're taking responsibility for yourself--that's the true definition of health.
Much chi
--Andrew