Last week I went entirely gluten-free. I’m not celiac, but my mother seems to be at least somewhat gluten-intolerant, and like most people I occasionally have gastrointestinal issues. It seemed prudent to test whether gluten might be the cause. So two Saturdays ago I got up, had a bowl of corn flakes, and didn’t eat any gluten for an entire week. It was actually fairly easy, except for the day when Curbside Cupcakes (DC’s latest, awesomest mobile food innovation) made a stop half a block from my office and all my coworkers went and got yummy cupcakes. Sigh.
But physically, I felt really good last week. On Saturday, when my week-long experiment was officially over, I found myself at a popular bagel shop with a beau and couldn’t resist a big ol’ gluten bomb. I had an absolutely delicious bagel with cream cheese, plus a delectable chocolate chip cookie. Later that day I had some fab Vace pasta. And I must admit, I felt much more unsettled that evening than I had during my wheat-free week.
I don’t think I can give up gluten entirely. There are just too many good things that involve it, and I’m clearly not outright allergic. But I might try limiting my intake. It was easy to make dinners that were starch free, or relied on things like rice, potatoes, or quinoa. And there are plenty of takeout lunch options that don’t involve bread.
Especially promising was today’s development at the Curbside Cupcakes truck, which once again stopped right by my office. They are testing gluten-free cupcake recipes, so I got to try one 
- a chocolate cupcake with vanilla frosting (cream cheese-based rather than buttercream, I think). It was quite good! Dense, but not in a bad way. Nice and fudgy, with little chocolate chunks throughout the cake. Although it’s not the same as a light, airy, chiffon-style regular cupcake, I didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything. Keep up the good work, cupcake man!
That’s interesting that you felt better after a week. I’ve been thinking of giving it a go because I seem to have problems, which I assumed was a food allergy but I pegged it as milk & sulfates, which is on just about every processed food. Those gluten-free cupcakes sounds awesome to me!
I try to limit my intake of gluten too (too much and I can get an allergic reaction). Plus it’s a good dieting strategy. But I also think that when I cut it out entirely and then eat a bunch of gluten, it’s much harder for me to tolerate than if I gradually add it back into my diet – you may have an easier time if you up the gluten slowly. Once I went six months without eating gluten, and when I finally had a piece of wheat bread my face broke out in hives. I don’t suggest that.
[...] Gradually Greener is trying a gluten-free diet for a week – complete with some gluten-free cupcakes. [...]
[...] and avocado on toast (I thought potatoes would be a good alternative for someone looking to reduce her gluten intake). I love tinned sardines, especially the ones that are lightly smoked and stored in olive oil. [...]
I have been gluten and dairy-free for five days and right now I have the worst headache. I feel like a junky. I’m going to try to wean myself off gradually. I am not celiac, but it seems that gluten and dairy mess me up. Here’s to moderation. Yah, cupcakes!