gluten free
Growing up, I never had any issues with food. I could eat anything, never get sick, and go on with my life. In fact, I did just that – I ate the typical SAD (standard American diet) full of processed  and fast foods. During college, I started to have stomach problems after I ate certain foods. I really didn’t think much of it, but just figured it was the stress of college.
After I graduated in 2009, I moved back in with my parents. Around this time, in 2009-2010, I started having getting sick from different foods I was eating. It was really difficult to pinpoint just what was causing this distress, and I didn’t really look into it too much until November of 2010. At this time, I was bloated, getting migraines every day, had a rash all over my body, and was experiencing joint pain and emotional symptoms (irritable, etc.). I started to keep a food journal with the foods I was eating, how I felt after I ate foods, but wasn’t exactly sure what was causing the problem. I finally went and saw a holistic doctor who completed some tests and came to the conclusion that I am gluten and corn intolerant.
Going gluten free was one of the most challenging things I ever did to be perfectly honest with you. I won’t lie and say it was incredibly easy. It wasn’t until I became educated on what gluten was and what gluten is in did I finally start to get a hold on the gluten free lifestyle. It took me some time and I had to take baby steps in order to figure out what I could and couldn’t have. I didn’t go gluten free and the next day have the knowledge on how to bake a loaf of gluten free bread – it was NOTHING like that. It is a learning curve and the lifestyle is a lot of take a hold of. With that being said, it is quite manageable if it has to be done. In fact, most whole foods ARE gluten free! By focusing on real, whole foods, I was able to go gluten free with a bit more ease.
I never got blood tested to see if I had Celiac Disease. In order to do this, I would have had to eat gluten for a long period of time in order for the test to be accurate — this never sounded appealing to me at all! I eliminated the gluten and corn out o f my diet, and it has made a WORLD of difference. I no longer experience those GI symptoms, my migraines disappeared (within a few days!), and I now only get rashes if I happen to “get glutened”. I also avoid most dairy, as my body really does not enjoy milk or cheese products.
Some great resource for gluten free information are the following:
Please remember that I am not a health professional and am not recommending you go gluten free if you don’t have to. Please see your health care provider if you suspect a gluten intolerance/allergy.
{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Chelsey! Anna at The Guiltless Life recommended your blog to me because I just recently found out I was allergic to corn and wheat (not gluten, but I’m finding gluten free is pretty much my boat). I’m excited to go through your recipes and try some of them. I’m a little overwhelmed at the moment. It seems like EVERYTHING has either corn or wheat in it! I’m also what I’m calling “mostly vegan,” (I haven’t eaten meat since I was 11, but the eggs and cheese have been hanging me up) although since I found out about the corn and wheat, I’m not stressing about that as much as I’m just trying to find stuff to eat every day! Anyway, just wanted to say hi and let you know I’m excited about your blog! I need all the help I can get!
Hi!
I think I need a little advice. My 6 year old son has been advised to go gluten free, dairy free, peanut free, and red meat free by his holistic doctor. So basically he is about 4 days out the week a vegan. The rest of the days he can eat seafood and poultry. By the way, he has polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis. He has been showing progress since the diet. The doctor also told me to keep a food diary which I did diligently for 3 months. I don’t anymore. I find it hard! How did you do it? Any tips? It would nice if we could pinpoint to the exact food sensitivities if only I can be more disciplined in keeping a food diary going. Love your site! And thank you.
I feel your pain! I have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease for 5 years. Maintaing a gluten free diet is hard but in the long run i have seen so many benefits!
Hey Chelsey, I came here … I don’t even know how… but I’m glad I did! You have a wonderful blog! I’ve got a blog myself but I haven’t had much time lately to stay up to date – finally I made some time to look around and I love what I’ve found here!
Have a great day! Leanne
I’ve been living gluten free since birth, I can imagine it’s quite a shock to hear you have Celiac’s after such a long time of eating a “normal” diet. But even though I’ve had a strict diet all my life, it’s still hard at times! + I tend to feel “abnormal”, so it’s great to read about other people’s stories and share our own I think
I found your blog through Pinterest and I am LOVING IT!! I have bookmarked the majority of your recipes! You have no idea how excited I am!
I try to eat mostly GF because I have a wheat sensitivity. I am also a vegetarian who avoids dairy products because my body hates me if I consume them!
I grew up in the NW suburbs of Chicago (recently moved to California) and I am also 24 and a teacher (well…looking for a teaching job, ha). We have so much in common!
And I graduated from Illinois State. And I went to Riviera Maya this summer. Too weird!
Hi, I am curious if EVERYTHING here is gluten free AND clean? I am trying to figure out this “clean eating” thing and and GF too.
Any tips on getting started are appreciated!
Sarah
Hello! I just wanted to tell you, that your website makes a huge difference and gives me so much insight! I started my GI tract journey 2 years ago this month…(October)
I had severe pain in my stomach for a few months, when one day it was just too much to bear. I ended up going to the ER, where they diagnosed me with a UTI and sent me on my way. I kept having “flare ups” and could not pinpoint what was going on.
After a trip to a GI specialist and a colonoscopy, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease and given no information on how to deal with it, mentally or physically. I seeked a second opinion and was undiagnosed with Crohn’s. After SEVERAL procedures, I was referred to over 10 physicians. None could find out what was wrong with me. It was suggested that I may have endometriosis, so I had a laparoscopy done last year in November. Which, by the way, when you’re suffering with stomach pain and being poked and prodded, it’s NOT FUN! It was actually absolutely miserable.
The lap showed nothing. I was devastated. Not being diagnosed is extremely difficult to deal with mentally, let alone physically being in pain.
A month later, I was in the hospital with bilateral pulmonary emboli. I had blood clots all over my lungs. This is due to neglect from my doctors. I almost died.
After that and almost a year later, I stopped seeking for a diagnoses. I decided to “Let food be thy medicine,” and decided to go gluten free. After that, I cut out dairy…and finally, meat. I still eat eggs, as I don’t consider them to be a meat. I feel MUCH better, although I still do have some bad days here and there.
I have been gluten free and vegan for about 7+ months. I’m hoping I can continue this and maybe one day learn what is wrong with my body, but until then, I’ll continue to eat the awesome oatmeal in the mornings and I can’t wait to try more recipes!
It’s not like I want to eat this way! I love pies and cheeseburgers and tacos! They just have to be made a little bit different now.
Thank you for your insight. And giving people hope that have had similar problems. We are not alone!
Wow! That is quite a story. Kudos to you for trying to find out what was wrong and not give up! You’re an inspiration!
Hey, Chardonnay,
I have learned through dealing with chronic pain, thyroid and gut issues and all that comes with that that most MDs are taught to treat symptoms with prescription drugs and to order tests that look for disease. If there is no disease to be found, they are at a loss. I have gained much insight and help through my naturopath, who practices Applied Kinesiology. I would suggest you seek a naturopath ie one who practices functional medicine. They don’t just treat symptoms and search for disease, rather they try to connect all the dots, looking at the physical, mental, and emotional components/symptoms and get to the root of the issues you are having. You might look for one that practices applied Kinesiology. I’ve found it to be quite helpful in getting to the bottom of all my issues.
I’m so glad I found your blog! Clean eating and Gluten Free!! Just what I love! My son is gluten intolerant. We found out a year ago when he as just 2 years old! So we are a gluten free house! I also used to get migraines all the time but once we started eating GF they have gone away!!
Hi Chelsey – very glad to have stumbled across your blog. Balancing gluten-free and healthy living can be tough, so I always enjoy finding other bloggers that are experiencing the same challenges as me and picking up great tips along the way! What you said is so true…discovering your have a gluten allergy and how to navigate it can be SO tough. It’s not something you just pick up one day and you’re golden. There’s a huge learning curve with it, but it CAN be done. Congrats on finding a balance with gluten-free & clean eating
I’m so glad I found your blog!! I’m currently having some issues after eating (swollen toes, very upset stomach, etc.). I think I have found these issues to be present when I eat bread, wheat, or sugar– so i’m not sure if its the carbs in general or gluten. Either way, i’m very glad I found this blog!!
Hi Chelsey! I just want to say you go girl! I only found your blog recently when I did a google or bing search for gluten free vegan recipes. I have only tried one recipe here so far but I so enjoy looking through them and can’t wait to try out many more. I enjoy the humor you include here and there as well as your sharing your passion for exercise. So many of us can use that as inspiration to get going a little more. I have a definite passion for learning more and more about eating clean and will continue checking out your blog as one of my sources for recipes and more
Keep up the good sharing!
would like to get your posts…it’s hard to manage Vegan and Gluten free
What test did your doctor do to determine you were sensitive to gluten and corn? I am also a migraine sufferer and have gone gluten free, and it did help with the migraines for a while and got rid of my bloating, but I am still having migraines. I am wondering about corn, as I eat a lot of it. Would love to know what test you did to determine what your food sensitivities were.
I am SUPER EXCITED to find your blog/recipes… you and I are kindred spirits- gluten free “whole food” vegan unprocessed low sugar and dairy etc… I was thinking I was the only one of my kind out in the world, and here you are with TONS of fun yummy looking recipes for us to try!!! WHOOHOO!!! I tried to subscribe via my email, but your button didn’t work… you may want to look into that by the way… otherwise SUPER EXCITED!!! going to bookmark your site!!!
I have been following your blog for a few weeks now, I am amazed at how similar our stories are. I finished my undergrad in 2009, I am a teacher, I stopped eating gluten in January of 2011, I was never tested because I won’t put gluten back in my body. When I read your post the other day about listening to KLOVE, I nearly died, that’s my first choice for a radio station. Thanks for blogging, I always enjoy new food ideas.
Hi Chelsey,
Your recipes are amazing! I never would have thought to put nut butters on my oatmeal (almond butter for me).
I’ve been GF/DF for many years. Vegan for over a year. Still crave salmon every once and awhile. Trying to quit. Your recipes are helping that.
I’m a teacher (Sp. Ed.) and am on break this week. I made the roasted potato broccoli white bean soup the other day and plan to make many more.
Thanks for being awesome!
Hi Chelsey, Lovely website with some great GF and Vegan recipes. As a person struggling with Celiac Disease it’s very difficult to manage meals for a family. GF products are expensive and home baking is time consuming. As you probably know, there are many hidden Glutenous additives in everyday products that we include in our meals everyday. Soya sauce, Teriyaki, mustards, curries, hydrolyzed plant protein, barley, malt, kamut, caramel, even root beer! (Dr. Pepper is ok apparently yay!) Just wanted to thank you for your work on the blog, but thought you may wish to be aware of your advertisers. Triscuits? Doughnuts?
Thanks T – Unfortunately I don’t get to pick the ads that show up on my blog because of the company I work through!
Hi, I notice that quite a few people are saying that they are GF but also say they have oatmeal, that has gluten doesn’t it?
Im really hoping that I am wrong.
You can buy certified gluten free oats!
Hi Chelsey! I am very interested in becoming gluten free. I notice when I cut out foods with gluten my hands seem not to swell. Now that I am pregnant and have most of the summer I am debating if I want to do it now, or after the pregnancy. I know in the morning I need some kind of whole grain to hold me together. But I have seen gluten free breads and gluten free oats. How did you make the switch. I know you said it was a challenge, but I am up for it. I went vegan for a while, but I really missed my buffalo chicken. Thank you in advance!
Hi Sav,
Really in the beginning, it was just a time commitment to research and make time to prepare foods. A lot of prepackaged gluten free foods are full of fillers and sugars (which I try to avoid most of the time), so I make a lot of thing on my own. I usually eat oatmeal in the morning – or I’ll eat a piece of gluten free bread with peanut butter and banana alongside two or three whole eggs. That typically holds me over for 4 hours or so.
I hope this helps!
What a great blog and people here sharing information.
I been looking for recipes for my family. We have different food intolerant and allergies so this blog is perfect.
For Mo Brady, In our family we did the Food Stats antibody Assessment, this test cover all kind of food.
is a blood test and takes 3-4 weeks to get results. Naturophatic are one the doctors that make this.
My daughter has big tonsil as a kid, cough . They just her tonsils, They never gave us a why. she had problem at school with focus, math , she could not get anything done. then she star with seasonal allergies, then asthma (sport induce), then asthma at home. Natural remedies where are a huge help.I been learning a lot on my own, read book or taking conference with Naturophatic doctors. Making changes is so important so as finding the right products to help us support and recover our gut. We need to stay a way from wheat, gluten, eggs and corn, almonds(just me ). The wheat and corn are so difficult they are in everything.
Thank you for sharing your recipes .
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