Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Caffeine Free, what next?

It is hard to believe how many major food groups I have eliminated from my diet, but I have to admit that I feel better than I have in years. It is hard to go out to eat with my family and not worry about what I can order, but even that has gotten easier as time goes on. I'd rather do without freshly baked bread (my favorite!) than be in pain all the time or on medication. Changing how you eat is a real adjustment, especially for such a foodie like me. I think of what my dinner will be while I'm still eating lunch and I don't think I have ever skipped a meal in my entire life! I love to cook, try new recipes, and watch anything on TV where cooking is involved. Someone dicing up a vegetable or stirring a pot is my idea of riveting television!! I put my love of cooking to work and discovered simple changes to my family's favorite recipes so that I can still enjoy it all. It really is a healthier way to live and I don't hear many complaints coming from my dinner table!

I discovered my lactose intolerance after visiting Joe's Dairy Barn in Hopewell Junction, near our summer camp (Kinder Ring). I had a delicious cup of frozen yogurt and spent the next two hours running from bathroom to bathroom, doubled over in pain. It was our day off at camp and we were taking a day trip up to Rhinebeck and Woodstock. What a trip that was! I thought it was just the one incident and vowed never to go back to Joe's again, but this started happening regularly after having things like milk, ice cream, cottage cheese, yogurt, or cream cheese (as in cheese cake, not the little smear on the bagel which I can't have either anymore!!). If I took a Lactaid pill, it would ease the symptoms very quickly, so I knew that it had to be lactose intolerance. Hard cheeses, like cheddar or Jarlsberg, and semi soft such as brie and Mozzarella are okay in moderation. I have tried Lactaid milk products and then soy milk, but I found "Almond Breeze" unsweetened almond milk to be my favorite for cereals, baking, smoothies, and as a splash in my tea.

My need for a gluten free diet developed gradually. I was getting horrible stomach cramps and nausea about two years ago. This would especially happen after eating out at a nice restaurant. I don't normally put a basket of bread on my dinner table at home, but at a restaurant the bread is there to munch on while you are waiting to eat and often starving. I would come home in such pain! One day I woke up in agony and I was afraid to eat anything rich or creamy, so I thought I should just have plain toast or a toasted bagel. The bagel made it so much worse. Coincidentally, that day on Dr. Oz, there was a gastroenterologist on the show and he talked about the pros and cons of the new gluten free fad diets. At that time, the stores were beginning to be flooded with all kinds of gluten free products that are definitely not diet worthy. They are full of sugar and very low in fiber. The doctor said that not everyone has Celiac Disease but some people can be gluten intolerant, as I have an intolerance for dairy and caffeine. That made sense to me. To test this theory, he said to eliminate all gluten from your diet for two weeks and then re-introduce it and see what happens. I started feeling so much better without the bread, pasta, cookies, pretzels and all the other yummy gluten rich foods. When I tried to eat regularly again, my stomach hurt all over again. So there you go! That was enough of a test for me. I finally did visit a gastro doctor and he ruled out Celiac Disease, but advised me to continue eating gluten free as I was feeling so much better on the diet.

I never did buy or even try gluten free cookies and pretzels as I've always struggled with the same horrible 25 pounds and realized this change was forcing me to less junk food. If I wanted a baked treat, I would make it from scratch using healthier flours, less sugar and better fat choices. These are the products I always keep in my freezer or my pantry:

• King Arthur all purpose flour. This is my 'go to' flour for baking but I also keep on hand other types of individual flours such as oat flour, millet flour, brown rice flour, almond meal, corn flour. It is fun to experiment with them or create your own blend. I do not recommend baking with rice flour alone or almond flour alone. The consistency is horrible. *Important: Keep almond meal in the refrigerator or freezer as you should be storing all nuts.
• Xantham gum makes any gluten free flour bake like traditional all purpose flour (expensive but you really use a tiny amount and it lasts a long time)
• "Grainless Baker" hot dog rolls and hamburger rolls. These can be found in the freezer of your store. I have given up the idea of a sandwich for most meals and gravitate more toward salads, but these buns are not bad and can make a BBQ burger or hot dog feel really satisfying. Even the gluten free hot dog stand in Citi Field uses this brand!
• "Food for Life" Rice Almond bread. This loaf is also kept in the freezer and is good toasted with something flavorful spread on top. 
• Gluten Free "Rice Krispies" and "Chex" cereals. Put these in a large ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin. These make terrific 'bread crumbs' for breading chicken cutlets or to use in meatloaf and meatballs. Mix them with grated parmesan cheese for flavor. I recommend using slightly less than the recipe calls for with bread crumbs for meatloaf or meatballs. The cereal seems to be more absorbent than "bread" breadcrumbs.
• Gluten Free Oatmeal. Oats are gluten free but many brands process them in a place that also manufactures wheat products so they might be contaminated. I use a brand that is labeled gluten free just to be sure. I use rolled oats in baking as part substitute for flour to bump up the fiber and I use quick cooking oats as bread crumbs in meatloaf. I saw this idea when there was a guest cook on "The Chew" and it really is a wonderful and healthy alternative.
• Coconut Oil. Lately, this has been recommended as a healthier fat to use. It resembles Crisco when cold. I bake very successfully with coconut oil but mostly cook on top of the stove with Olive Oil or Grapeseed Oil. 
• Gluten Free Tamari or Soy Sauce. Big surprise to me that soy sauce has gluten. Why is it even in there? When I order from the Chinese restaurant I get rice noodle dishes without soy sauce or steamed chicken and vegetables. To make Chinese style dishes at home, I cook with gluten free tamari and nobody in my family knows the difference.
• "Bionaturae" Organic Gluten Free pasta. This can be found at Wegmans and Whole Foods and I recommend buying a few bags and keeping them on hand. This is my favorite pasta because it is a blend of rice, potato and soy.
  
  My good friend Vicki's son Ned cooked us a meal with this pasta and I've used it ever since! I do not recommend buying rice pasta or corn pasta. Pasta made out of a single grain like this is often gummy in texture.  "Archer Farms" Gluten Free pasta from 'Target' is very nice though and easier to find perhaps. It is a blend of corn and rice, and the blend of the two is what probably makes the difference.