Photo: roboppy

A lot of people I know cringe at the idea of living a gluten-free diet, but as I continue along the path of becoming a vegan and living a gluten-free lifestyle I give a little snicker each time someone asks, “So what exactly do you eat?’ Of course I explain to each person I eat food just like the next person, but am mindful of what is exactly on my plate, no matter where I dine out.

When you look at the term ‘gluten-free’ it’s all about understanding what exactly living this lifestyle means. Gluten-free is a diet that excludes the protein gluten. The gluten protein is found in foods such as barley, rye, wheat, spelt, food starch, semolina, the list goes on. Basically it is a diet with no grains. Of course this may be a tough feat, but over time, switching to a gluten-free diet is as simple as becoming a vegan.

Before we get started on our path of gluten-free dieting I want to make one thing known; gluten-free doesn’t always necessarily mean healthier. I know a lot of products out there add extra sugar to make their products taste better, so I hope this list will provide you with an easy how to guide on living a gluten-free diet, that of course, is kind to your waistline.

With that in mind, here are some alternatives to spanning into the realm of gluten-free living without missing the foods you love to eat the most Read More

Photo: Meredith_Farmer

By: Michele Wolfson

Do you dream about eating luscious treats like cupcakes and cookies, or even main staples like pasta and bread without doubling over from abdominal pains? Its often very frustrating dealing with food allergies related to gluten-intolerances, especially for young children.

Trying to figure out what exactly makes you uncomfortable can be a real challenge. “One way to determine if gluten (or any other food) is causing problems is to do an elimination diet for at least 2 weeks whereby you eliminate all gluten from your diet, which means not even a breadcrumb. After two weeks, reintroduce gluten, and see how you feel,” says Mona Solar, creator of Solar Wellness, an organization that is dedicated to helping improve the lives of those following a gluten-free diet as well as other food sensitivities.

If you are feeling constantly bloated, or experience fatigue and foggy thinking and feel worse after eating wheat and other products that contain gluten, experts say that you should be avoiding them. Read More

Photo: roboppy

By: Michele Wolfson

Anyone who peruses products down the grocery aisle will vouch that items are labeled as “gluten-free” now more than ever before. Celiac disease and gluten allergies are more commonly discussed presently than even a few years ago. We have come a long way in bringing awareness to Celiac, which is an autoimmune disease that affects 1 out of 133 Americans. There are good reasons for a gluten-free diet, but is the bandwagon appropriate for everyone?

The craze for cutting wheat out of the American diet truly began in 2002 when the Atkins Diet deemed bread as evil and carbophobia was rampant in a nation where grain was considered to be a main stable at the dinner table for centuries. Read More

Photo: Mark Howard

Novak Djokovic, the tennis super-star, discovered last year he was allergic to gluten, and thus changed his diet immediately. Novak’s new gluten-free diet not only has improved his health, but most astonishingly his tennis game as well.

Which got us thinking, how much does a diet actually play into improving an athlete’s performance? Read More

Photo: johnheppolette

For quite some time, anyone with celiac disease or avoiding gluten had a difficult time eating. There were few foods that satisfied gluten-free requirements and tasted good. But recently, more and more manufacturers have been producing better tasting, gluten-free foods for a growing customer base. However, so far there has been no official regulation system to categorize what is or isn’t gluten-free-manufacturers could theoretically apply that label to whatever they wanted. Read More

A new profusion of gluten-free bakeries helps Celiac-sufferers and gluten-intolerant pastry-lovers enjoy more cake!

For some, gluten-free is not just a trendy new way to eat healthfully, but also it is a committed lifestyle choice due to an allergy to gluten, the protein in many grains that produces the essential elasticity in breads and cakes. For others still, gluten-free represents a new stage in their professional and social lives. Read More

It was lots of fun getting together on Wednesday with my fellow chefs Cat Cora and Ming Tsai and sharing gluten-free dishes on the View. Enjoy the video and check out the recipes here! Read More

Gluten-Free Baking

May is Celiac Awareness Month! Celiac Disease is a genetically inherited autoimmune condition that creates a toxic reaction when gluten is consumed. Gluten is found in many kinds of grains and all kinds of wheat.  Read More