A Gluten-Free Experiment
You know I love my food experiments! This one, however, is to help me feel better. For the past few weeks, I have been feeling terrible. Without getting into a long rendition of every ache and pain, the best I can describe it is that I feel tired, very bloated (to the point where I couldn’t button my pants some days), heavy and sometimes nauseous. I’ve been paying particular attention to what I have been eating and how it affects me. It seems that eating wheat-type products are involved in all those instances. I could be wrong ( lord knows I hope so because I loooooove my wheat products), but I figure it can’t hurt to try avoiding it to see if I feel any better.
Actually, looking back to when I first started the No Sugar Experiment , I was also avoiding flour in those initial few weeks. I remember feeling AMAZING! I thought it was due to eliminating added sugar, but now I’m wondering if it could have been because no wheat products were involved! I guess I shall see. In any event, I love a good food challenge, so here goes!
I did research and got some reading material from the library…
I flipped right to the bread, obviously…
I was excited to see that I had all the ingredients in the pantry, even the xanthan gum! I bought it 6 months ago and never was quite sure what to do with it other than add it to a smoothie for thickening. Apparently, in gluten-free baking, it is used as a replacement for the gluten that is inherent to wheat flour.
I followed the directions to the letter and a couple hours later, I got gluten-free bread…
I kept out 2 slices for lunch and froze the rest per the recipe instructions.
As tempted as I was to have a slice for breakfast, I held off and went with a tofu scramble instead…
- 1/2 block Nasoya Lite Firm Tofu, crumbled
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- big handful baby spinach
- 2 slices Canadian bacon, diced
- 2% cheese
- s + p
Yes, I said Canadian bacon with tofu. I know it is wrong, but it is so good! Vegetarians, avert your eyes!!!!
The daughters had off from school today, so I thought it would be nice to spend the day at Linvilla Orchards. It was a beautiful day!
If you wanted pumpkins, this was the place…
I love the little babies…
We got lost in the maize…err, maze… for a while 
And went on a hayride…
We ate lunch in the picnic area. I brought my gluten-free goods – PB2 and raspberry jam on homemade GF bread (which wasn’t too bad!) …
and we bought Butterfly Chips made to order …
I managed to avoid these…
and went for these, instead…
With all of the delicious sounding varieties, I always end up with old faithful – the Gala…
I couldn’t wait to get home and munch on one for a snack…
Then, I got to work on a basic dinner – grilled chicken thighs, a green salad and another Danica creation – Jicama Hash Browns…
A very tasty meal!
So far, not too hard to be GF! I feel less bloated after today and didn’t have any bouts of sickness or too much fatigue after eating. Still feeling a little of the heaviness , but we’ll see how it goes!
Have a great day, everyone!
Have you tried a GF diet? Did you do it for health reasons or curiosity in trying something new? How did you feel on it?
Questions? Email me! aloserforlife@gmail.com
36 comments
I LOVE the pictures from the Orchard. I love doing corn mazes! You should check out my friends blog. She’s been Gluten Free for years now and posts LOTS of recipes. http://gingerlemongirl.com She’s also one of the sweetest people on earth and can answer any questions you might have about being GF.
Marisa Reply:
October 12th, 2010 at 8:26 pm
Thank you, Jenn! I will definitely check her blog out!
My family doesn’t seem to have issues with gluten, but I have to say, some of my very favorite recipes come from here — and they’re all gluten-free! Check out http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/ — yes, all slow cooker recipes but I’m sure several can be done without.
I’m glad to hear it’s working for you, keep up the good work!
-sue
Marisa Reply:
October 12th, 2010 at 8:26 pm
Thank you, Sue! I could use some good crockpot recipes!
I had to laugh when I saw the tofu scramble with CANADIAN BACON!!! LOL then laughed again when I saw your comments on it!! =)
I loved the orchard pics, looks like a fantastic place…gotta find one like that in Maine…even if I have to drive a bit.
The whole gluten thing is a great idea, so many are finding that is not such a good thing, I might look up those cookbooks and see if my local library has them as well.
Dang! That bread looks really good! I am practically gluten free and dairy free these day–but mostly because I gravitate towards foods my body craves not for health reasons, honestly.
I have now been GF and SF since last Friday and yes, I can tell a difference. We were at an all-inclusive inn that accommodated special diet requests for their gourmet dining and rather than just request no white flour, I asked for total GF. The meals were amazing and I’m planning to stick with it to see how I feel over time. How long do you plan for your “experiment” to last?
Marisa Reply:
October 12th, 2010 at 8:28 pm
I’m thinking I should give it a month at least. We’ll see how it goes! Glad to know that you are noticing a difference and finding restaurant meals to be good. I’m a little nervous about that part.
Pumpkin farms- can it be fall without these ???
We tried the gluten free thing for a time , but more due to s possible impact on Autism than weight or digestive issues. At first it seemed to address some skin issues that I had and some feelings of bloating, but it stopped after a week . With Autism , in our case it did not make any difference. However as to weight loss, trying to go gluten free brought on a cycle of gain. I think it is one of those things that if you suspect it to be an issue you have to give it a try and see for yourself. Good luck…and I wish you luck in finding the illusive tapioca flour !
Marisa Reply:
October 12th, 2010 at 8:29 pm
Haha! I have to figure out what to do with it ,too!
I have never been gluten free. Pumpkinland looks like so much fun! I have been putting on weight ever since what is going on with me has started. I am going to need to find something that works before I blow up like a balloon again.
Marisa Reply:
October 12th, 2010 at 8:29 pm
Sent you an email, Kathleen!
My son is on the autism spectrum (among other things) and we tried the gluten free dairy free diet to see if it helped him. It did not. It was just very expensive and seemed to make his little belly upset. too much soy probably!! I think it’s a bunch of crap that it helps autism. But it would stand to reason that it would help someone with a gluten allergy.
Marisa Reply:
October 12th, 2010 at 8:30 pm
Sorry it didn’t help with your son, Kristen. That had to be so frustrating!
I’ve never tried GF diet or stuff for that matter. So the bread “wasn’t too bad.” What does that mean? Pretty good or just not awful where you want to throw up! lol
Hope it helps!
Marisa Reply:
October 12th, 2010 at 8:32 pm
LOL!!! Okay, no I didn’t want to throw up, but the taste was a little nuttier than regular whole grain bread. I’m guessing due to the brown rice flour. So it wasn’t barfy, just different!
I found out in June that I have celiacs and must eat gluten free. It’s not easy. No more of your gradmother’s cooking. I also cannot eat soy or oats. You’ll make lots of mistakes at the beginning. Those chips were questionable. Was there any seasoning on them? Were they fried in oil and if so, was anything fried previously in the oil that had gluten???Was the knife that cut the chips free of gluten and the pan they were made in?
Hovever, since going gluten free, i can free normal again. No severe stomach pain, bloating, vomiting(sorry), headaches, tiredness and the RASH. I can actually go out and not have to stop in every rest room!
Good Luck
Marisa Reply:
October 12th, 2010 at 8:36 pm
Oooh, such good questions. Honestly, I didn’t delve that deeply into it. I saw they were potatoes and I believe they are the only food fried in that deep fryer. I could see them making it and I didn’t notice any other item going in. No seasoning was on them, so I think I was safe there. I plan to take this in more of a relaxed way since I’m experiencing milder symptoms of a gluten intolerance rather than actual celiac disease. We’ll see how it works out.
I’m glad you got your diagnosis and are on the way to feeling well!!!
I have been gf for quite some time and it is much better for my health
good luck experimenting!
aw, i havent been to a place like that since i was a kid. looks like so much fun!
good luck with trying to go gluten-free…i know that feeling of bloat/heaviness and understand why you’d want to try anything to get rid of it!
the bread looks pretty delicious by the way! i hope it tasted at least half as good as it looks.
I tried GF for health reasons and I did like how I felt better but it was just so hard. I was in high school and hanging out with friends and their families a lot so having special dietary restrictions that weren’t truly life and death was hard. Maybe I’ll try again when I have my own pantry and fridge. Good luck, your bread looks amazing.
I went gluten free for a month last month (as part of a diet plan I was testing out). It was a good idea for me – mostly just because it’s in a lot of the things I find easy to overeat. I definitely felt less bloated, and developed a taste for rye bread (toasted, with a poached egg for breakfast). Good luck with the experiment
Pumpkin land – love that sign! Fall is just the best!
That GF bread looks pretty good! I don’t think I am gluten intolerant, so I haven’t cooked GF specifically, although I have wanted to just play with non wheat breads.
Wow, hope the gluten free works for you! Your bread looks amazing – not sure how you held out until lunch to try it though!
And don’t apologize for adding bacon (even Canadian) to a dish – bacon rules!
Good for you for trying the gluten-free approach. I’m curious to hear how you make out!
Marisa Reply:
October 12th, 2010 at 8:38 pm
I’ll keep you posted!
Thanks for your supportive comments, everyone!
I had the same symptoms that you have for a full month. I cut out dairy completely and after a couple days I feel better than I have ever felt in my life. The met with a plant based doctor and he said I most likely have had this all my life. I am 42 and your body changes nd reacts to things differently as you age. I know how you feel and I hope you get relief soon!!!
Oh, girl, I hope it’s not celiac but at least there are a lot of gluten-free cookbooks and blogs now that it’s so common a disease. So that would help! I have only baked gluten (and dairy) free sweet treats and haven’t experimented with other things. And I only did it because I have a friend whose son can’t have dairy or gluten, not for myself. I won first place for my gluten free cookies at the state fair this year and I have also had great success with cakes so if you ever need help in the area of g/f sweets I can help. Here’s the cookies on my recipe blog: http://reciperhapsody.wordpress.com/2010/10/04/blue-ribbon-chocolate-sparkle-cookies-gluten-free/
The pics from the orchard rock!!! Looks like you had a great time!
[...] for all your supportive comments on my Gluten-Free Experiment! I’m looking forward to trying out some new recipes, but most of all, seeing if I feel any [...]
What a fun day! There are some great GF blogs that I look to visit. I have a friend who is on a sugar free, gluten free diet due to some health issues and we are always looking for recipes that she can enjoy. It has made a huge difference in her health.
I wish you luck as you try this new phase!
I get a kick out of hearing about your food experiments and how they affect you.. so I am glad to hear about this! I have wondered if I have certain intolerances myself because of some stomach issues.. but I haven’t bothered to experiment w/ cutting anything out. I really should, it is the best way to find out about our bodies!
Pumpkin Land looks great!
Look at you rocking out the gluten free bread the FIRST week you’re experimenting with this! That is a serious accomplishment! Elizabeth Barbone is a wonderful baker and a super sweet lady on top of that! Congrats on doing such a great job with her bread. Homemade gluten free bread is really the best! I’m so impressed with you!!
[...] starting the Gluten-Free Experiment, I am noticing some changes. The most noticeable has been that I am waking up really [...]
[...] left me plenty of time to bake. I found the recipe for a Cinnamon Raisin version of the gluten-free bread I made last week. This must have been Elizabeth Barbone’s original recipe since it’s [...]