About a month ago my naturopath suggested I go off gluten to see if some of my "issues" would clear up. I am not celiac, but sometimes you don't have to be celiac to have sensitivities to gluten. I have been off gluten for over a month now and I have to admit that I am feeling better...emotionally and physically. The bloat is gone and my mind feels clearer and more focused. I also have more energy. Before going off gluten completely I had dabbled in gluten-free baking, so it wasn't too overwhelming for me when my ND suggested going totally gluten-free. We already eat gluten free pasta and I had already been eating gluten free bread (Udi's is my favorite so far).
One of my favorite gluten free baker's is the Gluten-Free Goddess. Her recipes are amazing, really easy and the ones I've tried have all turned out great. My favorite so far is the Gluten-free Chocolate Muffins. These muffins are more like a dessert...maybe that's why I like them. :-) I have modified it a bit. I use coconut sugar instead of brown sugar and coconut oil instead of olive oil and I used dark chocolate chips. I also add about a 1/2 tsp of liquid vanilla stevia to kick up the sweetness factor. I hope you try these, they will cure any chocolate craving!
Check out this article by Dr. Mark Hyman. Avoiding gluten is not just trendy, it's a really good idea, even if you do not have celiac disease.
*If you are currently fighting cancer, I would eat these as a special treat or omit the chocolate chips as the chocolate chips add some sugar. If you omit the chocolate chips and add chopped nuts, they will be just as yummy.
