Why Gluten-Free?

The Gluten-Free Lifestyle

The gluten-free diet has recently become a very popular lifestyle choice. As first it seemed that more and more people were being diagnosed with “Celiac” disease and were advised to go on the gluten-free diet. Now is seems like everyone is jumping on the gluten-free diet as a lifestyle choice.

So what is Gluten-Free?

Gluten-Free is a diet that excludes any foods containing gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and malts. People choose to eat gluten free for many different reasons, some because they have to, like Celiac Disease. Celiac Disease is a disorder that causes damage to the small intestine. Cutting gluten can relieve many symptoms, including bloating, cramps, nausea, anemia, irritability and depression. Others go gluten free as a way to lose weight and eat healthier.

So why I am gluten-free? My sister was diagnosed with celiac disease 3 years ago. To make it easier on her we started eating gluten-free as a family. This way my mom didn’t have to cook separate meals for my sister and we could all help her cope with being Celiac. It was very tricky at first, but we all learned about substitutions to gluten and adapted the diet to our lifestyle. Not only did my sister get better, we all felt healthier and learned to love the gluten-free lifestyle.