Readers Respond: Why I Cook Gluten-Free

Why are you a gluten-free cook? Share your story. Share Your Story

Why I eat gluten free

When I was diagnosed with stasis dermatitis, I did a web search on it. I found a co-relation to celiac disease. I decided to give my body a break and eat gluten free. I lost 6 pounds and just love eating gluten free. I may get tested one of these days for celiac disease.

—Guest Barbara Holoboff

My reason for eatting gluten free

After spending years suffering from chronic abdominal pain, being lethargic, never gaining weight and always loosing it instead till i was told i looked extremely anorexic i was finally diagnosed with Coeliac disease 3 years ago and changing m diet to gluten free all the aches and pains and other problems i had have gone and I've gained back the weight i had lost till i was a healthy weight again, being diagnosed with coeliac disease means i will also be on a gluten free diet for the rest of my life. It's been quite hard as i was 18 years old when i was diagnosed so i miss quite alot of the normal foods that i use to eat that i can't now and it's hard to find restaurants or supermarkets that have food i can eat

—Guest Danielle Purdie

my 4 years old daughter has celiac

my daughter was 3 when she got diagnosed with celiac ..it really brroke us initially.. but now we are a almost normal life..and she is doing so much better now..she is active and doesn't cry anymore because of abdominal pain..

—Guest ani..

6 years to discover gluten intolerance

My daughter suffered for 6 yrs going to all kinds of doctors, etc. Would break out in boils, hives, rashes, migrains etc. Finally found she was gluten intolerant. We started removing gluten and found many allergies disappeared or lessened in all of us and joint pains went away. What a blessing to finally find the cause.

—Guest Dr. Jean

Why i cook gluten free

After my daughter waking almost every night with cronic abdominal pain, discomfort and vomiting we finally got a diagnosis she is gluten intolerance. it has made a huge difference on us. Now we have peaceful nights.

—chicky81

2 out 3 have Celiac

at the age of 50 my Husband was finally diagonosed with Celiac after 50 years of sickness & pain. then the next year our 16 year old daughter was found to have Celiac also. i am thankful the year before all of this i had gone on a wheat free diet to lose wieght. it perpared me for the new ways of cooking. Udies makes a good gluten free Bread. i am looking for a good fluffy GF pancake mix, if you have one

—Guest Cheryl

Three out of four

My entire family is gluten free. My husband was diagnosed with Celiac 2 1/2 years ago, my older daughter a month later, and my younger daughter about a year after that. So with three out of four in the house, it just makes sense. We've found that many of our old favorites were already GF - because those were the things that didn't make my husband's stomach upset. I think our best find was GF soy sauce - it put all of our stir-fry dishes, and a lot of my homemade marinades and sauces back on the menu. When entertaining is involved, we preemptively strike - I invite everyone to my house, or offer to bring the entree to any social event. That way my family has at least one thing they know is safe.

—Guest SharonM

Now an answer

I am 52 years old and for as long as I can remember I have felt very "crummy" all the time. My diet was mostly healthy but I knew that I was missing something. I have a thyroid problem and thought that was it. When I got pregnant with my son I gained a huge amount of weight because I was on bedrest for 5 1/2 months. The weight would come off with various diest but soon to be put right back on even though I was being good. I thought I was going crazy and it was all in my head until I stumled across an article about gluten. To make this shorter I obitted all gluten grains, sugar, and also corn (and corn products) And I can say after amost two weeks I feel so much better My arthritis is almost gone and I have lost six pounds and I am eating more that I did before. We mostly eat out of our 1 1/2 market garden. My stomach doesn't heart any longer YEAH ! ! ! !

—WoollyLocust

My son has a wheat allergy

Cooking gluten-free is foolproof. My 11yo son does not have celiac disease, but he does have a wheat allergy. It's easier to cook this way for the whole family so he can enjoy meals at the same time as the rest. My other kids don't even know the difference and I don't have to make separate dinners. (On top of that, I find that gluten-free food is much more pure than anything else.)

—mknagin

why I cook gluten free

After a number of years suffering various GI complaints, I discovered I have some level of gluten sensitivity. I'm not 100% gluten free, but try really hard, because I always feel better when I am. Interestingly, I was negative on all the standard tests for gluten intolerance, so I'm inclined to say this: if you are having difficulties that prompt testing, even if you come up negative, trust your body. That's the ultimate authority.

—macrojen

I'm allergic to Wheat and I have Celiac.

I was told I had Fibromyalgia, and IBS and I would be sick forever. Then I asked to be tested for food allergies. I found out I was allergic to wheat. I stopped eating wheat and suddenly I felt much better. Not perfect, but much better. Then I started seeing a lot of articles talking about wheat and gluten. I was soon diagnosed with Celiac's as well. And now I cook gluten free. I have no complaints with my cooking! Everyone is happy and we all love to eat at my house. The trials come when we try to eat else where. But that is changing slowly but surely.

—Guest Wendy H.

Fatty Liver

I have a Non-alcohol fatty liver, also type 2 diabetes. My doctor has told me to stay away from all wheat flour products and sugar. Hopefully, by doing so my liver enzymes will come back down to normal. I believe that I will continue to be gluten free from now on - I do feel much better, my knee joints don't hurt as much, and I have lost 10# in the last 3 weeks.

—southernwood

My husband has Celiac Disease

I cook gluten free because my husband was diagnosed with Celiac Disease nearly three years ago. Most meals are easy enough to make gluten free, and many happen to be G-F anyway. Baking gluten free is the hardest part. I know my husband still mourns "real" pizza and bread. The best part has been trying some new foods--quinoa and polenta, for example. Eating at home is the norm. Most restaurants, with a few notable exceptions, seem unable to cater to Celiacs. Even those that try don't quite "get it," and some gluten finds its way into my husband's system.

—Guest FionaH

I Have Celiac Disease

I'm a gluten-free cook because I have celiac disease. I tended to cook healthy, low fat foods before I was diagnosed, and I realized soon after I became gluten-free that lots of "regular" recipes from "regular" cookbooks were either already gluten-free or else easily converted -- it was largely a matter of having gluten-free condiments and flours. I'm the only gluten-free person in the family, but everyone loves what I cook, and I eat far better at home than I do in restaurants.

—NancyL.

Because I choose to.

For me I do it out of choice sometimes. I don't have an intolerance but I do think it does me good to avoid it from time to time, if that makes sense.

—ElaineLemm