On Gluten, Diets, and Opinions

In case you’re wondering how my gluten-free experiment worked, I thought I’d provide an update.

I really didn’t notice any difference after a week, so I decided that I wouldn’t worry too much about it. However, since I am trying to limit myself to one starch a day, it’s not as though I am eating a lot of gluten anyway. Except when I go out. Which is another story altogether.

I have been sick all week with a bad head cold that’s been going around, so I haven’t been sticking very strictly to my avoiding sugar/alcohol/breads/caffeine as much as possible approach. But I still feel great, compared to how I was feeling back when I was drinking a pot of coffee a day.

Looking back over the past couple of months, I’m not sure how I got derailed. But I’m down a net of 10 pounds since January so that’s progress. Not as much as I’d prefer, but still progress.

One of the things I find funny is that everyone has their own advice when it comes to what other people eat. My friend Katie at Kitchen Stewardship posted about her grain-free experiment and some of the comments were downright rude. When I talked about trying to avoid gluten for a week, the reactions from people ranged from “of course you should avoid gluten – it’s horrible stuff that will kill you” to “why are you jumping on the latest weight loss fad when there are people with celiac disease who CAN’T eat gluten?”

And then there is the vegan vs. vegetarian vs. primal vs. real food vs. Atkins. All with reams of books, websites, and articles they’d like you to read.

As I near my two year blogaversary, I’ve been trying to figure out where exactly on the spectrum I fit. I’m not a typical food blogger. My photos aren’t that great and I don’t do the desserts that draw the big numbers. I’m not a pure Weston Pricie as I don’t soak my grains nor eat organ meat. I don’t have kids so I’m not a mommy blogger. My recipes aren’t particularly frugal. I don’t have any livestock so I’m not a homesteader. So who am I?

I think it comes down to vegetables. It’s why I started this blog, and even though I’ve taken a few detours, it’s why I want to continue. No matter what diet you espouse, there’s not much arguing that vegetables are good for you. I used to love that when I was on Weight Watchers – vegetables were zero points!

So as the garden gets planted, the farmer’s market starts, and the CSA season nears, I’m renewing my focus on vegetables and eating locally. I can’t wait to see what sprouts. Thank you for joining me.

Enter to win Against the Grain e-book by 5/8/2011!

Related posts:

1. Gluten? {Fitness Friday}
2. Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars (Daring Baker)
3. Top 10 Tips for Eating Local Food on a Budget

Read more at The Local Cook