A major life change
It’s not easy to keep so vigilant and requires a big adjustment, a major life change. The list of foods of which to deprive yourself can seem endless. Focusing on the many, many delicious foods that you can still have is a good strategy, because that list is much longer and includes fruit and vegetables, nuts and beans, dairy, eggs and other proteins — not seitan, however — and many grains like rice, corn and cornmeal, buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth, millet, flax, teff and several more. Because of rising awareness, gluten-free breads, pastas and baked goods are getting easier and easier to find all the time in food shops and eateries alike. Gluten-free flours can be made from rice, almond, potato and beans.
Besides memorizing what you can and can’t have, you have to make sure that you get enough nutrients to make up for the ones you used to get from wheat-based products. You may become low in niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, folate, iron and many others. Consulting a dietitian is a very good idea. Eating many vegetables, fruits and other whole foods, rather than mostly processed commercial foods, even if gluten-free, is a good goal for anyone, especially those who can’t have gluten. Consult your medical practitioner if you suspect a gluten sensitivity or celiac disease.
For more information, find GIG, the Gluten Intolerance Group, at www.gluten.net. May is Celiac Awareness Month, and the Digestive Disease Center of the Hudson Valley held The Walk for Celiac this past Saturday on the Walkway over the Hudson. The event featured a demonstration by a CIA chef who is a gluten-free expert, plus a gluten-free fair. See www.digestivediseaseny.com/walk-for-celiac/ to register.
Mother Earth’s Storehouse is offering gluten-free store tours with tastings at their Poughkeepsie location at 5 p.m. next Monday, May 20, and in the Kingston store at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 21 (www.motherearthstorehouse.com). The store bakeries also carry an assortment of gluten-free desserts.
Other local bakeries and restaurants offering gluten-free goodies includes Sissy’s Cafe at 324 Wall St. in Kingston, Yum Yum Noodle Bar at 275 Fair St. in Kingston, Lucky Chocolates at 115 Partition Street in Saugerties, New World Home Cooking Co., Saugerties-Woodstock Road, Garden Café on the Green, 6 Old Forge Road, Woodstock, Pizza Barn at 5125 Route 209 in Accord, Me-Oh-My Pie Shop and Café at 7466 S. Broadway and Rusty’s Farm Fresh Eatery at 5 Old Farm Road, both in Red Hook, and Soul Dog Café, 107 Main St. in Poughkeepsie.
Controversy surrounds the popular topic of going gluten-free. It’s still unproven and not fully documented how many of us have bodies that truly can’t tolerate gluten. If it makes you feel better to skip wheat, do it. Just consult your medical practitioner as with any other drastic dietary change.
