If you’re reading this blog post, I’m guessing you are exploring the big, vast, and ever-growing world of gluten-free living. You’re in good company. Whether you’re already committed or you’re simply dipping your toe in the water, I’ve rounded up some of the things that helped me when I first made the transition to a gluten-less lifestyle. 

My Story of Going Gluten-Free

I decided to go gluten-free in January 2021. It was the spring semester of my senior year of college, which, yes, was an interesting time for a massive lifestyle change. But I was sick and unwell enough to try anything. My fatigue, brain fog, depression, period cramps, and overall well-being were at a low point. Working with a functional doctor, I started to understand that gluten serves no good purpose in our diets. Put more bluntly, gluten offers us zero health benefits or nutrients. After seeing my IgG levels were off the charts and reading The Autoimmune Fix by Tom O’Bryan, I was convinced this new lifestyle was the right move for me. 

At this point in my life (a college student frantically searching for a job and doing all the things), I was a little worried about how I could make this change and keep up with my friends and life. But again, I was desperate and willing to try anything. Honestly, I think my friends worried more for me (which was so sweet). They wanted me to be able to keep up, too! I still see this today, almost four years later–people have preconceived notions that living gluten-free is über hard or impossible. But I’m here to offer you hope that it’s not only possible but relatively easy once you get in a groove. 

A couple of years after choosing to go gluten-free, my doctor and I discovered that I have Celiac Disease (more on that below). This is an autoimmune disease where my body starts attacking itself when it registers gluten in my system. My gluten-free lifestyle is no longer just for now, it’s for life. But as you keep reading, I think you’ll understand why that doesn’t bother me–there is so much hope for those of us with this autoimmune disorder. 

What the Heck Is Gluten?

If you are anything like I was back in 2021, you may be wondering: what the heck even is gluten? Bread? Grain? A mystical fiber that somehow appears in anything that tastes good? It took me a while to understand, but it can be boiled down to this: Gluten is the name for proteins found in wheat, barley, and rye. It helps foods stay together and hold their shape, acting as glue. It’s what helps fluffy bread stay fluffy, cakey pastries hold together, and sauces thicken up (Celiac Disease Foundation). 

Gluten is in a lot more than just bread, considering it’s a great agent to bind foods together and help keep their shape. It shows up in all kinds of sauces, dips, salad dressings, and even surprising foods like imitation crab. Plus, it’s in all the usual suspects–bread, pasta, pastries, cakes, pies, muffins, etc. Fear not–there are great gluten-free recipes for all these rich delicacies. I have perhaps the world’s largest sweet tooth, so if I can do it, you can do it, too. 

The reason it can be so harmful is it causes tons of inflammation in our bodies. Inflammation is the fire that can grow into countless autoimmune diseases and unpleasant symptoms (fatigue, brain fog, mental health conditions, bloating, GI issues, hormonal issues, acne, and so many more). Again, gluten offers zero health benefits and brings lots of inflammation. I decided it wasn’t worth it for me to keep consuming gluten when my blood tests revealed it was having a catastrophic impact on my health. I didn’t want to develop more symptoms or autoimmune disorders; I wanted to reverse the alarms already going off in my body. 

Feeling Overwhelmed with An Influx of Info?

I know this can be a lot to digest. “How will I ever cut gluten out of my diet when it’s in everything?!” I used to wonder. The food supply in America does make it pretty challenging, as they add gluten to just about anything they can. The gluten in Europe is a lot less inflammatory and hard on our bodies than ours in the United States. They don’t spray their wheat crops with glyphosate, AKA Roundup. Our wheat supply in the United States is heavily chemicalized and unnecessarily sprayed with harsh pesticides and toxins. 

The good news, though? The gluten-free products and movement have grown so much in the past few decades that cutting it out may not be as difficult as you’re imagining. You will certainly need to start reading the labels on the foods you’re buying and checking your pantry staples to see if there’s any pesky gluten hiding in them. But it’s doable. Very doable.

My Go-To Gluten-Free Staples

Here are some of my go-to gluten-free pantry staples, trusted brands, and creators sharing delicious recipes (sans gluten, of course). There are so many more out there–let me know in the comments what you’d add to this list!

• Siete Brand anything. Their tortilla chips, tortillas, cookies, and sauces are all amazing and super clean. Typically no added sugars in them either, which is a win. Most of their products are paleo, as well. 
• Primal Kitchen. They have every kind of sauce and dip you can imagine that’s not only gluten-free but also free of soy, sugar, dairy, etc.
• Hu Chocolate. I’m a chocolate girl at heart. Hu is certified gluten-free and also doesn’t add refined sugar to their stuff, which I love.
•  Bob’s Red Mill. This brand has a whole line of every kind of flour you could imagine–almond flour, coconut flour, cassava flour, cashew flour, etc.–that is all great for different gluten-free recipes. Their 1-for-1 Baking Flour is a classic and a must-have staple when going gluten-free. 
• Jovial Pasta. This brand has about every form of pasta made from brown rice and other gluten-free flour. They even have lasagna noodles. My husband, who is not gluten-free by choice (what a trooper), loves this pasta and can’t ever tell it’s gluten-free. 
• Danielle Walker. She is a hero in the gluten-free recipe world. She has countless cookbooks out and a thriving Instagram account where you can pick up tons of yummy recipes that are not only gluten-free, but paleo and full of clean ingredients. I can’t recommend her enough. My personal fav cookbook of hers is Eat What You Love. It’s full of classic comfort food recipes turned gluten-free and paleo. 
• Alex Snodgrass, AKA The Defined Dish. This is another brilliant cookbook creator who has inspired many all-time favorite recipes in our home. Again, Mitch can’t ever tell these recipes are gluten-free, that’s how good they are. 
• Pro-tip: If you see gluten, wheat, barley, or rye on an ingredient list, it’s got gluten in it.
• Pro-tip 2.0: Brands are now required to put a “Certified Gluten Free” label on their products if it’s been tested and is free of gluten. As you start paying attention to labels on different foods, you’ll start to get the hang of your good-to-go products. The learning curve may feel steep at first, but once you have it down, it will be second nature.

Okay, But How Do I Eat Out at Restaurants?

Believe it or not, going out to restaurants isn’t too difficult as a gluten-free gal. Most restaurants offer gluten-free substitutions, completely gluten-free items, or even entirely gluten-free menus these days. That’s when you know your order will be completely free of the g-word. 

Here are a few of my tried and true tricks for eating out:

• Ask the waiter or hostess if they have a gluten-free menu or gluten-free options available if you don’t see anything denoted on their main menu. The staff will be very familiar with people asking about this and should be able to give you accurate info. 
• Most pizza places offer gluten-friendly crusts. This can be a good option.
• Many sandwich places have GF bread options. If they don’t, you could also opt for a Sub-in-a-Tub, a salad, an Unwich, or a protein-style burger (a burger without the bun). 
• Proteins, veggies, fruits, and potatoes are pretty reliable GF options. The catch is to ask if the sauces or dressings they’re served with contain gluten. That’s often where it sneaks in. 

Books and Resources that May be Helpful

• The Autoimmune Fix by Tom O’Bryan. A classic. Like I mentioned earlier, this jump started my passion for putting cleaner foods in my body. 
• Grain Brain by Dr. David Perlmutter. This is an eye-opening read, that’s for sure. But on the cutting edge of how gluten (and sugar + carbs) affect our brains and overall health. 
• Anything by Dr. Daniel Amen. He talks specifically about how inflammation (which is often triggered by gluten) is the leading cause of ADHD, ADD, depression, and many other mental health diagnoses. My personal favorite is The End of Mental Illness. 
• Taylor Dukes. Taylor is a local DFW gal (heyo) who has survived brain cancer and has an amazing testimony. She’s a functional medicine practitioner and posts all kinds of great information on her blog and social accounts. She is one voice that I really trust in the sea of inputs and opinions. You can follow her on Instagram @taylordukeswellness or visit her website here.

Generally Gluten-Free vs. Celiac Disease 

Another note worth mentioning is that you don’t have to be as careful with your new lifestyle if you’re doing it out of choice vs. if you have Celiac Disease. Contrary to popular belief, Celiac isn’t an allergy to gluten. It’s an autoimmune disorder where your body processes and analyzes gluten as a foreign threat and releases antibodies that start an attack on your body. It’s the body trying to protect itself from this “invader.” 

Symptoms of Celiac can include horrible stomach pain, diarrhea, bloating, chills + fever, extreme brain fog, nausea, vomiting, and more. Basically, it’s really not fun. Reactions to gluten can last anywhere from a couple of hours to a couple of weeks–this is why it’s essential that anyone with Celiac doesn’t interact with gluten in any way, including cross-contamination. 

Cross-contamination is when a surface or item containing gluten touches gluten-free food, and the gluten protein spreads to the said “gluten-free” item. For example, if you were making two batches of brownies (one regular batch with gluten and one without gluten), and you put the spoon from the regular batter into the GF batter, someone with Celiac could get really sick. Using the same toaster for regular and GF bread can also be dangerous for someone with Celiac. Those are just a couple examples of cross-contamination; there are many more. 

Celiac Disease truly deserves a whole other blog post. So much goes into it, and it truly takes such an elevated level of care and attention to detail. More good news: if you don’t have Celiac, you don’t have to be as rigid about your gluten-free lifestyle. While it would be unfortunate to unknowingly eat gluten, it wouldn’t take you out in the same way. 

Some Final Encouragement

Ultimately, I want to encourage you that deciding to eliminate gluten from your diet is not a death sentence. Like any other change you make in your life, there will be a learning curve, but you’re choosing to do this because you know it will benefit you in the long run. I would never tell someone what to do or how to live their life, especially when it comes to nutrition, but I can assure you that you will notice positive changes after removing gluten from your diet.

Like I mentioned at the top of this post, gluten truly serves no nutritional benefit or support for us; it only causes inflammatory fires in our guts and bodies. I would encourage you to hold fast to your “why” and be quick to cut yourself off when you find yourself complaining or going on about what you wish you could eat. You are free to eat anything, but I have a hunch you’re choosing to pursue this lifestyle out of wisdom and support for your body. Let that same spirit of wisdom, authority, and love frame how you think and speak about your new lifestyle. Remember–you’re not stuck. This is an empowering choice you’re making for yourself and your health. 

This is a lot. And it’s not meant to be understood, processed, or lived out all at once. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Even reading all of these tips could be overwhelming, but it’s a step in the right direction. 

I’m so proud of you. You’re doing amazing. I wish I could have you all over for a scrumptious, savory gluten-free dinner + dessert. Until then, let me know in the comments what’s been the most helpful for you on your journey to eliminating gluten from your diet. I’m cheering you on!