Eating Gluten Free Isn't That Hard

I do have a gluten intolerance.  Yes, some professional gave it a name and labeled it a "disease", and I've read articles calling it "debilitating" (can't find the article to cite it now... will add it later if I can find it).

Having a gluten intolerance is not all that bad, especially in recent years with the explosion of gluten-free food on the market.  Before there were a variety of gluten-free breads, cakes, and other bad-for-you goodies available, what did people like me do?  Eat normal food.  O_O  No, really we do.  Diets for gluten intolerant individuals who choose to avoid highly processed foods include vegetables, fruits, meats, dairy, and nuts.  You know: what a normal individual should eat anyway.

But *gasp* where are the carbohydrates?!  Well, they are already listed as vegetables, fruits, and also found in dairy.  What many people do not realize is that carbohydrates are found in many food, not just refined wheat, rice, and potato products.  If you count your caloric intake for the day, let's say for a mildly active medium sized woman, then around 1500 calories are needed.  After eating about 6 servings of vegetables, 4 fruits, 3 meats, 3 dairy, and topping it off with some nuts as a snack, you will feel very full.  Refined carbohydrates are simply not needed.  Is anyone in the corn, wheat, rice, or potato industry going to tell you this?  No!  They want their profits high and always going up.

Is the switch-over to gluten-free eating a bit difficult at first?  Yes.  Do you get use to it fast?  Yes.  I won't lie, sometimes there is nothing more in the world I want than a brown sugar cinnamon Poptart.  Does the craving pass?  Always.

So to all those who think that having a gluten intolerance is a debilitating disease, try talking to people with a gluten-intolerance first before making snap decisions about their life style.