Gluten Free

I have decided to take the plunge into a Gluten Free Diet. Not right now, because I can hardly afford to buy a loaf of bread and peanut butter every week. But as soon as I get my first paycheck (and go to a celebratory dinner or two), it's gluten free for me. Not to mention sugar and dairy free for as long as I can stand it.

***This is not intended to be a 100% forever kind of thing, but a 95% thing with the occasional straying in an effort to be healthier but enjoy my favorite foods thing***

So what can I not eat on the Gluten Free Diet? Bread, crackers, cake, cookies, pancakes, waffles, bagels, oatmeal, biscuits, gravy, beer, and probably a lot of other things I'm forgetting. Don't even get me started on the dairy and sugar items I'll be doing without.

Here's what I can eat: fruits and veggies (and lots of 'em), brown rice, sweet potatoes, beans, seafood, beef, chicken, salads, etc.

Is this similar to the low-carb Atkins diet? Kind of. Am I doing it because it's low-carb? Nope. I have a family with a history of diabetes. Sugars, gluten, flours, etc are not good for people with diabetes, or a predisposition to diabetes (like myself). So in an effort to avoid it, I'm giving up these things (not forever) to maintain my health (and lose a significant amount of weight).

Food that I'm actually dying to make and eat: For those of you that watch The Biggest Loser, the burgers that the black team made and ate with the famous chef dude. They made turkey burgers, but rather than using a bun, they grilled portobello mushroom caps and used those in place of bread. Not only genius, but looks and sounds delicious. I would probably make my burger with ground sirloin instead of turkey, and add lots of chopped up garlic, parsley and thyme for tons of flavor.

Stay tuned for my ups and downs and tears and cheers throughout my Gluten Free Diet experience.