Let’s Get This Gluten Free Stuff Straight
YES – I eat a gluten-free diet.
NO – I do not have Celiac disease.
YES – I have gluten intolerance. How do I know? Here is the story…
NO – Eating gluten-free is not for everyone.
YES – I do think the gluten-free thing is a fad.
NO – Gluten itself is not necessarily a “bad thing.”
YES – I choose to eat clean because it makes me a happier person!
NO – Gluten free DOES NOT mean healthy.
This last statement being the KEY issue.
What is gluten anyway? Gluten is a protein that naturally is found in grains such as wheat, triticale, barley, rye, and oats.
Many people think that eating gluten-free is healthier. The truth is that replacing wheat, rye, and barley with alternate flours (rice, potato, tapioca) is not healthier. In fact, these alternate flours are usually more refined and higher in calories, sugars, and total carbohydrates.
“When there’s no gluten in a recipe, it takes far more gluten-free ingredients to
produce a tasty product,” – WebMD
Here is the thing…
If you do have a gluten allergy or intolerance, your best bet is still to avoid the middle isles of the grocery store. Cookies, crackers, bread, rolls, cereals, etc. ARE NOT healthier options just because the front of the box labeling states the product is gluten-free.
Choose to eat clean 80% of the time. This means shopping the perimeter of the store and having as many colors on your plate as possible. 
Eat food. Enjoy your food. Feel great.
And yes, there are many ways to still enjoy tasty treats like pancakes and brownies that are made from whole foods. Just ask my family and a few of my friends who now require me to make a weekly dessert for our community group 🙂