Best of 2011: Gluten. That B*&!h You Can’t Trust.

Gluten. That B*&!h You Can’t Trust.

by Lisa Kay

Rolling my cart down the aisles, I knew the drill. If you want to lose or maintain, “Buy nothing white.”  No pasta.  No white bread.  Nothing refined and bleached.  So instead, I’d load up on whole wheat bread and pastas and oatmeal was a staple.  To be honest, I never really felt my best after eating any of these things, but I chalked it up me just “having a sensitive stomach.”  Also when you have 100+ lbs to lose, the professionals aren’t too sympathetic about your upset tummy. To tell them would be whining. So I would just suck up the bloating and bathroom moments that followed a whole wheat slice of pizza or my morning cup of oatmeal.  It was more important to be skinny,right?

However after 15 years+ of this, I worried about what this was doing to my digestive tract.  “This can’t be good.” I thought.  Plus it was getting really old.  How many times can you actually go to the bathroom per day??!  Right when I picked up Kris’ book, the section on gluten really stood out.  It was like angels singing and harps playing.  This was me! Gluten was ruining my life, I determined.  Who knew?  By Day 2 of no gluten, I was on cloud nine.  All the suffering, bloating and upset stomach gone in a blink of an eye!! Also that weird rash around my ankles disappeared.  It was such a shock and relief to discover that gluten was not my friend.  I called my best friend, in fact, and told her, “Yeah girl.  I’ve decided that gluten is that b*tch you can’t trust. A fool no more!”

So long…

So these are some facts about gluten that could help you get a handle on your stomach issues, depression or whatever is ailing you!

* Gluten is”a protein composite that appears in foods processed from wheat and related species, including barley and rye. It gives elasticity to dough, helping it to rise and to keep its shape, and often giving the final product a chewy texture.”

* Gluten is in cakes, cookies, breads, cereals and more.  This pest can be found in some strange places, so read your labels.  Here’s a helpful chart to reference as you learn- http://www.the-gluten-free-chef.com/foods-containing-gluten.html

* Eliminating gluten can boost health and energy, encourage weight loss , and help cope better with ADHD, autism, headaches, and other conditions.

Join us this Saturday for our Gluten Free, Raw Fusion Dinner at WildFlower!  All of the best that Chef Ayinde has to offer, without gluten on the scene.  Doesn’t get any better than that, right??

Saturday Night: Gluten Free Raw-Fusion

Amuse: The chef’s secret course.

Fire-Roasted Polenta Quinoa Cakes

with radish slaw & raw dill aioli

Spicy Gazpacho Shooters

accompanied with radish chips

Roasted Breadfruit

with raw, spouted sunflower scallion pesto

Fire-kissed Tempeh, Chimichurri                                                   

 with apple mofongo

Cardamom, Chia Seed Pudding

Raw Chocolate Ice Cream

garnished with bourbon infused orange slices

Featured Cocktail:

White Grape Cucumber Martini