Why go gluten free?

It took me almost 10 years to really go gluten free for my thyroid health, so I get that it can seem impossible.

It’s not.

It just takes knowing WHY you want to go gluten free, WHERE it is found so you know how to avoid it and WHAT you can eat.

Next comes the HOW do you actually do it? That’s going to be part 2 in a separate podcast.

I’ve previously written about going Gluten Free here.

Why go gluten free?

• You need to figure it out for yourself or it will make being gluten free hard to stick to in the long term. It needs to be a lifestyle and you need to bu-in to why it’s important for you.
• For me the clincher was wanting my gut-health to be as good as it could be to help prevent collecting other auto-immune diseases.

Helpful Links:

Grain Brain – Dr David Perlmutter

Gluten is addictive:

• Check out this short video from Dr David Perlmutter
• Or this longer one from Dr William Davis.

WHERE is gluten found?

If you’re wanting to cut out gluten, you need to know where it’s found.

The keys are:

• Gluten containing grains: wheat, rye, spelt, barley & oats.
• The less obvious are in processed foods such as sauces, marinades, soups, soy sauce, hot chips (flour coating), personal care products (shampoo, makeup etc).
• Check out the coeliac society in your country for the most accurate gluten free information.

Helpful links:

Coelaic Australia has lots of great information, including an app you can purchase to check ingredients, products etc.

Here is a good list of hidden products, places that gluten hides.

WHAT can you actually eat?

My approach is to focus on nutrient rich foods – meat, seafood, vegetables, fruit, seeds, nuts, eggs. Meat & veg 😉

Focus on what you CAN eat and get creative, have fun trying new things.

Meal and recipe ideas: My cookbook What Annabel Cooks: Real Food Recipes that will make you Flourish.

The book contains not only recipes, but many meal plan approaches, tips on travelling, eating out my basic eating plan.

Physical copy: $30

Ebook version: $14.95

Many recipes available for free on whatannabelcooks.com

Whilst I think it’s better to find gluten free alternatives rather than replacements eg zucchini noodles not GF pasta, here are some brands that I’ve found for when I’m looking for gluten free replacements that are actually palatable.

Breads:

Gluten Free Bakehouse  I like the Farmers Pumpkin Superseed Loaf and the Fruit (sultana loaf). They are fairly dense and best toasted.

Helga’s  & Abbott’s are soft and more ‘typical’ sandwich type breads. These are available from major supermarkets in Australia.

Pasta:

Many are gluggy and horrible! I think the best is BuonTempo (green packet – health food section of the supermarket). San Remo gf spaghetti is ok. I don’t really eat gf pasta but this is what I buy for my kids.

In PART 2 we will go over the HOW to implement a gluten free diet.

Suspect you have a thyroid issue? PLEASE trust your instincts and get it thoroughly checked out with your health practitioner. This thyroid basics page has an overview of what tests to ask for and an affiliate link to use a private lab if your doctor won't order them.

Disclaimer: This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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