Gluten-Free

So I might as well let the cat out of the bag.  This ex-bakery owner (speaking of myself) who has baked countless rolls and cookies and cakes, is turning a corner – no, try a more dramatic analogy – is skydiving from the heights of gooey cinnamon rolls and glazed sour cream coffeecake and aromatic cran-apple pie into the depths of the home of the brave and the land of the gluten-free.

Astonishing.

I’ve known for 33 years unofficially, and 26 years officially, that wheat and I were not good friends, and oatmeal and I only barely tolerated one another.  Within the last year a healthcare provider challenged me: “Do you think you’re dealing with celiac?”  Hmmmmm.  That’s not a pretty thought.  Celiac disease involves compromised small intestines and can predispose a lot of nasty health problems. 

I didn’t want to go through all the testing which can be quite involved, not to mention inconclusive. But a possible verification came just within the last week when I put gluten intolerance together with a recent diagnosis and came up with a loud-and-clear match.  Gluten (transferred via a leaky small intestine that has gluten-destroyed villi) is often linked as a causal factor!  And a gluten-free diet can be integral in managing or even eliminating the issue! Bingo.

The other good news is that Fritz is committed to go gluten free as well since research also shows his own (very different) chronic issue can be caused and/or aggravated by gluten intolerance and/or celiac.

You might be thinking, now that’s weird, what possibly could be the connection between two unrelated, but serious, health concerns and gluten (a protein in wheat)?  Well, I’ll tell you.  Inflammation.  And inflammation is a bottom-line cause of lots of disease including fibromyalgia, lupus, and other “elusive” disorders.  Let that sink in.  It might be valuable information for you, or someone you love, someday.

I have observed over time that I do best when I eliminate most cooked starches.  An almost-all-raw fruits-veggies-nuts-seeds diet suits me well.  BUT when the hankering strikes it’s helpful to have an option other than gluten-laden wheat products lying around.  So to get to the point (sorry for so much digression), I’m applying what I know about baking to non-glutinous flours, and learning the quirks of said flours, and so far I’ve not been sorely disappointed with the results.  Here’s a picture of a quick-bread creation from last night: chocolate-banana bread with dates.  

Of course it’s not an ultimately perfect food, (there’s still some brown sugar lurking in there), but it is a step in a better direction when binge cravings hit.  A major victory has been won if it’s tasty enough to keep those death-trap Oreos at bay….and according to my taste-tester husband, IT IS.