Here is a part of Michelle and I’s journey to better health that we have not really shared on the blog too much. And we felt it was a story worth sharing.
We are not medically diagnosed with Celiac we just chose to cut out gluten a few years ago. We learned everything through trial and error, and we are still learning because our bodies are always changing.
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Changing into a gluten free diet did not happen overnight.
First we took out wheat (ate spelt based products)
Still did not feel great… decided to take out gluten completely.
Still not there…
Next we cut out meat (except fish –ate very rarely)
Still no changes in how we felt…
Next reduced our soy and sugar intake
Feeling a little better…
We took out meat and eggs completely
And now we also watch our intake of soy, corn, and sugar.
Doing MUCH BETTER!
Do we think eating a GF lifestyle has helped our digestive issues? YES
Do we think eating GF has helped us feel better? YES
Do we think eating a GF diet would solve all our problems? NO
Let us explain.
This all happened over a 2-3 year period. We think making small changes over a period of time helped out digestive issues. Remember your body is an amazing machine and is capable of healing when you provide your body with the tools needed.
We are not saying a gluten free lifestyle is the answer for everyone. But it sure has helped us. Although not eating gluten was not enough for us. We were still not satisfied with how we were feeling, which lead us to eliminate more foods out of our kitchen. Some people might think this is extreme…”I could never give up this or that!”….but for us it was not.
Eating gluten free has been a blessing to us. We feel bad for those who have such a negative attitude towards this way of eating. We truly enjoy our food choices! We have learned to understand our bodies so now we know what makes us feel great and what makes us feel icky.
We saw on the news the other day the new ‘trend’ of the gluten free diet. First off, we are not huge fans of the word ‘diet’. We prefer the word lifestyle but we understand the word diet is inevitable.
How did we overcome the huge change in our way of eating? We kept a positive attitude!
We consider viewing a gluten free lifestyle as, “LOOK at all the food we get to eat”. Keeping it positive instead of being negative by thinking of what we can not eat. Write out a list of the foods you can eat, you will be amazed the long list of things!
As much as we think it is great gluten free products are getting attention and awareness; we find it difficult when people say they are on a ‘gluten free diet’. Why?
Mainly because they will come to realize that gluten is in just about everything, get overwhelmed, panic and give-up. Than we hear – ‘ugh, gluten free diet is too hard, I am going to give-up.’ We feel the words gluten free are getting some wrong messages nowadays. Some people are doing it for the wrong reasons…and sometimes this gives a bad rap for those who have to eat this way.
We feel a better approach is to just incorporate more non-gluten products into your diet, like gluten free grains, less processed foods, more fresh produce (which already are gluten free). **This is for people who do not have to eat gluten free but just want to do eat more gluten free things.
Our signature onion flatbreads (gluten free of course)
Now again do not get us wrong we would love for more and more people to eat more gluten free foods, but we understand this is not a perfect world 
It is not that gluten is necessary bad for you, it is difficult for many to digest, like us.
When we started our bakery we wanted to help educate and change the way people view gluten free baked goods. When we see other companies promoting gluten free products and see their ingredient list … all we see is ‘ingredient’ fillers like sugar, preservatives, etc. instead of ingredients that provide nutrition. This is where gluten free products can get confusing! People may think a product is healthy just because it is gluten free but that is not always the case! It can still be filled with ‘junk’ and highly processed.
At our bakery we strive to use more ‘whole’ grain gluten free flours, less sugar, sprouted nuts and seeds, and no preservatives.
Yes gluten free baking can be a challenge at times but it can be done! We will share more brands we like, recipes,tips on what we have learned from our years of baking gluten free. Hopefully we will help and inspire others to see that gluten free is not so bad 
If you are interested in eating more gluten free foods start small and listen to your body. It is not all about eating 100% gluten free (again unless you have to) it is more about eating a variety of foods. We understand that eating gluten free can be challenging but hopefully with more people becoming aware of the issue and taking it more seriously, so people do not have to feel like outsiders.
Our gluten free cupcake
Questions:
If you are someone who has to eat gluten free, does it bother you if companies make gluten free products in a non-dedicated facility?What are some things that helped you transition into this way of eating? What is the one product that you would love to see gluten free?
For those who are not gluten intolerant (for those who can tolerant gluten) is it hard for you to be around people with gluten issues? Would you ever considering eating more gluten free foods?
What are your thoughts on the ‘new gluten free diet trend’? Do you think it is good? Do you think there are mixed messages?
Check this article out. We tried to keep this short, as you can see there a lot of different views on this topic.
Till next time,
Pure2raw Twins
{ 32 comments… read them below or add one }
I have to eat gluten free and it does bother me sometimes when companies hide some ingredients but it usually is a company that is not focused around health, and its rare I eat it. I would like to see more gluten free options at restuarants though and especially have the staff educated in exactly what gluten is. I hate explaining myself all the time, but tis life!
Great post! I think that a lot of people eliminate gluten unnecessarily, and thus restrict themselves from eating healthful sorts of whole grains. But clearly, it was the right choice for you two (as well as other bloggers, like Averie) and I’m so glad you’re reflecting that happiness in your company
This reminds me… one of my friends just got diagnosed with celiac disease and I need to send her over to your blog, ASAP!
My grandmother was diagnosed with celiac about 7 years ago and my husband was diagnosed last September with celiac. I have discovered that I LOVE gluten free. We are a VERY low gluten family mostly because I don’t want to bake two batches of everything. I can’t bake something that my husband can’t have…it is cruel. I hate when companies use shared equipment since I can’t have any dairy or soy and my husband can’t have gluten. It is just frustrating, but I do understand that it is expensive for them to have dedicated facilities. I read an article the other day that said it was a fad for people to be intolerant of foods. I almost jumped out of my skin I was so mad. I think you ladies are completely right with finding what works for you. We are all different and when you go through hormonal changes and physical changes…your body processes things differently. Thank you for doing what you do!
I’ve only just realised in the last few months that gluten is one of the biggest causes of my IBS (along with dairy). I made the connection a few months back and cut down on the gluten but got a bit lax and suffered for it, so I’m going to stick with it this time. I don’t buy gluten free products because of all the ingredients, just trying to stick to whole food eating and baking my own treats. It does frustrate me a little that people think I’m just being a diva by eating gluten free and vegan, but I’d far rather get some funny looks than be in constant discomfort. I still eat oats because oats in Ireland are very low contamination risk and I seem to digest them easily.
Although excluding dairy and gluten from my diet took away my digestive discomfort, optimum health for me means eating a wholefood diet and avoiding overly complex meals. I don’t eat raw, probably not even 50% raw although it varies. I’ve noticed you ladies are eating more cooked foods recently too, and I love all your socca experiments as I’m a big socca fan (harhar)!
Eimear, thanks for your sweet comment. Yes we love our socca, haha! I am glad that you have found what works for you and are sticking to it! xoxo
I agree with Gena, that it has become an unecessary fad recently, and a lot of people do well with gluten. The trouble is that diagnosis is so difficult. I had years of problems, and I eliminated only to put it back in so many times after getting negative results. Finally about 3 months ago, I got a positive test result. I feel 100% better, but just a caution that those tests aren’t the greatest.
Also, I think it is a lot of the other stuff that comes in the same foods as gluten that are the culprit in a lot of cases. Eating a diet (a word I use to mean “the way I eat”, which is what it really means) low in processed foods, more so than lower in gluten, I think would go a long way to getting a lot of people healthier.
But that is me on my soapbox!
We agree Katie, yes less processed foods is the best way to go
I’m one of those who can handle gluten however, in our household we try to keep things under control. Even for our son, who’s fine with it also, we want to be careful and provide him with the best wholesome foods as possible and the least processed as possible. I’m happy to see that there are more GF options out there because as we know there are many people who don’t realize this might impacting their health negatively. And hey, I just ate my first gf cupcake the other day. very yummy!
Hihorosie, that is awesome! I am so glad you enjoyed your first gf cupcake, xoxo
Giving up gluten was really hard for me over 13 years ago. I was young and it was part of being social. No beer or pizza or cookies was like a death sentence. Of course once I really got it out of my diet and felt so much better it was not worth even thinking about eating again. I had immediate GI symptoms and I am diagnosed with celiac disease.
The only problem with the fad and many gluten-free products is that they are non very healthy. They have lots of processed starches and lots of egg in them. I do see a few more companies making healthy gluten-free breads and crackers which is nice. I personally just want society in general to understand what gluten IS and to know that it is not cool to put croutons on salad when they are not listed on the menu.
I know that some people even who have tested to not have allergies to wheat or gluten feel better off of it. I think people just overeat it. It is very sticky in the gut, just like soy and dairy. If one is not allergic, one should still try to get more variety of grains not just wheat all the time.
Bitt, well said girl! Thank you for your comment, you are right on! We totally agree. It is annoying about the restaurants not listing everything out on the menu and getting a surprise when your plate arrives. Not fun.
I find the “trend” odd because if you can handle wheat well, there really aren’t many health issues (right?). As long as it’s good whole grain–like wheat berries. I know that while I’m not “lactose intolerant,” when I do eat dairy, I break out–so I try to avoid it.
If you’re making a decision based on what makes you FEEL better, I don’t think anyone has the right to judge as long as you’re doing it smartly!
Thanks Kenzie! It is all about feeling our best no matter what
HUGS
I’m so interested in how people figure out what diet works best for them. Like you said, it’s all trial and error. I was wondering, though, since you didn’t feel better until you had eliminated the meat and eggs completely, how did you determine that the GF diet (and the other things you eliminated) was also a part of it? I’m just curious because I’m interested in finding out how different foods affect me, too, but it seems like it would be hard to pinpoint.
Lindsay, this is a great question. It is a little difficult sometimes to really pinpoint something. We did our best to keep a food journal of our journey of eliminating foods. I would suggest start with one thing and do it for 2 weeks and see how you feel, if not any better than cut something out of our diet. When I did cut out gluten and was still eating meat, I would still feel like crap after every meal I ate with meat. Therefore, I realized I had already taken out gluten, so meat must of be upsetting my stomach. My body was not digesting the meat properly, so I stopped eating. And since I had no problems with eating gluten free, I just kept eating this way. I just enjoy it
I hope I answered your question. If not, let me know. Thanks xoxo
I really don’t feel like gluten free should be a trend, a diet, or fad diet… like you said, it should be a lifestyle. And I really don’t think we need gluten in our lives for any reason. Yeah, if you’re body is ok with processing it, go ahead, eat it, but if you care about what it does to you or how you feel from eating it.. take it out.
And yes, there are WAY more amazing tasting things/dishes/recipes without gluten or ways around gluten products- why not cut it out.
Just my opinion. Great post!
Heyyy! Hope you girlies are well. I have noticed that gluten containing foods often give me mild GI symptoms – especially during a bout of IBS when I’m stressing out about something! I’ve tried many GF foods and have found things I really enjoy – like the TrueFree crackers we have in the UK. I love trying new things so I’ll often go fo the GF option when I’m out and about. I would never give up gluten but certainly think that limiting it works best for me and helps to keep me feeling energised. Love you girls! You send out a great message – to do what works for you! Big hugs x x x
Hey! I just found your blog about a month ago, and I really enjoy it! I wanted to commit on the gf diet fad. My sister has ceilacs and ALL of my 4 kids have food allergies. My 4 year old is on a gf diet. We have had her tested twice, and it always comes back negitive. Her doctor thinks I am crazy to “deprieve”(sp!) her of “normal” foods. I think the doc should live with her for a week on a “normal” diet, and them tell me what she thinks!! She acts out of control when she has foods that have gluten in them. There is a marked difference in her behavior when she is on the diet. It works for us, and we will stick with it!
What food do I wish was made gf? Pop-tarts! My 4 year old would love it!
Thanks for your blog!
Rachel – thank you for sharing! I am glad to hear GF is working for your daughter ; )
EXCELLENT post!!
“they will come to realize that gluten is in just about everything, get overwhelmed, panic and give-up. Than we hear – ‘ugh, gluten free diet is too hard, I am going to give-up.’ “—SO TRUE!
I also hate the word diet, it’s a lifestyle, not a diet. Ugh.
Ok so I am not sensitive to gluten to be worried if it’s in a dedicated GF plant, trace amts of cross contamination is not a big deal to me. I am intolerant, but not true celiac. I have all kinds of icky symptoms if I ingest gluten, but I am not going to bleed to death from my intestines like a celiac would. BUT I will have really ugly nasty stuff…
The whole specialty product craze that this or that product is GF. Wonderful. But really if people would realize fresh produce, seeds, nuts, and many grains ARE already GF, they wouldnt have to stress out and buy crap that’s then filled w/ sugar, soy, salt, dairy, etc. So it may be GF but it’s not natural by any means.
Eat foods that are naturally GF is my motto and not worry about buying specialty products.
GREAT POST!
I have to eat gluten free, and if my stomach didn’t bother me so much after eating a french roll, trust me, I wouldn’t have chosen this lifestyle.
The plus is that I’m actually eating a greater variety of grains than I was before I discovered that I had this intolerance.
Have you girls read the G-Free Diet by Elizabeth Hasslebeck (sp)? I really think that most of the book was great (very informative), but it almost seemed like the editors told Elizabeth to add in: Oh and it’s great for weight loss too. It almost seemed to be an afterthought for the “weight loss” positive effect. It was really annoying.
When one of my friends found out that I was gluten intolerant, she wanted to try my new way of eating to lose weight. She didn’t understand that it wasn’t a diet no matter how much I tried to explain it to her.
Thanks for being you! I’m glad you guys brought up all these issues. I could write a novel answering your questions, but I will stop now.
Thanks so much for posting about this – I’m shocked that gluten free is being labeled as a fad/trend – I’ll have to go check out the articles and see what’s up with that.
I’ve been allergic to gluten my whole life, violently so. And I grew up in the early 80s when gf products were almost non-existent, and tasted awful. I actually celebrate my need to avoid gluten, as I think it’s a big part of what has made me so aware of what goes into making food and so good at creating substitutions that are flavorful.
It’s mind-boggling how many gf products are now available commercially, but as others have said here, lots of them are so unhealthy I wouldn’t even taste them! Many of them have sugar as the very first ingredient. Now, cane sugar is in the grass family, so some people with gluten allergies can also react to sugar! Not everyone knows that! I also don’t handle rice or buckwheat well at all, so find it easiest to avoid all grains (still think I may try experimenting with quinoa and amaranth (which weren’t available when I was little). On the other hand, I’ve never noticed a problem with _fermented_ gluten – and I’m pretty darn sensitive to gluten, so I trust this. I.e., soy sauce and even beer back in the day never made me sick (whereas a tiny bit of barley malt in a chocolate chip would have me sick for two days). I read a study years ago that said that the fermentation removed all but a trace of gluten – gluten is a protein, so it makes sense.
Speaking of getting sick for days off a bit of barley malt in a chocolate chip – that’s the story of my last accidental gluten ingestion. Ordinarily, I read labels obsessively, but slipped up last Christmas on some non-dairy ice cream. It really frustrated me that in the allergy information in bold, it said ‘contains almonds’ but not ‘contains gluten’ and I read the ingredients too quickly, wondered why I was so sick and came back and found that!
Whoa, I’ve written way too much here – hope I didn’t bore you.
love
Ela
Ela, thanks for your sweet comment. We agree seeing sugar sometimes as the first ingredient is not always the best
We have noticed that about fermenting grains is ok for people who are sensitive to gluten, like true sourdough. We not have experimented with any of that, maybe soon!
Like some of the other commenters, I have not been diagnosed with Celiac disease or gluten intolerance. In fact I’ve tested negative twice. But I suffered from depression for so long and as soon as I took out gluten, it went away. When I added it back in to test it, the depression came back worse than it had ever been, and it took a significantly longer time eating gluten free before it went away again. I do get frustrated that people think I am just jumping on the fad bandwagon but I would hope that friends and family would understand that after more than a year eating gluten free, it is clearly not just a fad for me. I don’t really care what any tests say. I care how I feel.
Iris… well said!!! I am glad that you did what was best for you, no matter what others and the tests said! It is all about feeling your best
Keep up the good work. HUGS
Great post as always! I have Crohn’s disease and have found that eliminating gluten/wheat and dairy as well as limiting the consumption of soy, corn and sugar helps immensely. The doctors just wanted to push drugs to “fix” the problem; they look at me like I am crazy when I say I can control my Crohn’s with what I do/do not eat! Most of the time being gluten free doesn’t bother me at all…of course this is a LIFESTYLE choice (a choice I made for myself to feel my optimal BEST!) and not just a fad or diet I am trying out. I will never understand people judging me for this and at the same time I don’t ever want sympathy for the way I need to eat to feel healthy. I just wish people would give me a break sometimes! My lifestyle choices are NOT affecting you! Most days my boss comments on how I can’t eat this or can’t eat that like it is a funny joke. My in-laws don’t understand why it is near impossible for me to go out to eat and at holidays say how they “wish they had something I could eat”. And I actually had someone tell me before they wish they had stomach issues so they wouldn’t eat junk food!
I don’t know if there is a particular food I wish was gluten-free…I just wish there were more gluten-free (food-allergen/intolerance friendly) restaurants. I love to cook, but sometimes I wish I could go out to eat and it not be stressful or feel like I am being a bother to anyone!
Alisa- thank you for sharing, and we feel your pain. I wish others were more understanding and respectfully, it is not like we asked for this.
Like Iris and some other commenters, I too have not tested positive for celiac’s. However, cutting out gluten lessened recurring joint pain and anxiety almost immediately, and reintroduction makes the joint pain and anxiety come back along with digestive unrest. Nothing truly awful (i recover within about 2 days), but enough of a stomach ache to quality as unrest for me. I have had a lot of people tell me I am just buying into the trend, but honestly I don’t care – I feel better without it – my joint pain (unexplained since adolescence when it set in) is gone, my fatigue is significantly lessened, my anxiety is manageable. I finally found a supportive ND (the first one believed gluten-intolerance is only a true diagnosis for acute Celiac’s) who has been smart about connecting the dots between my gluten issues and my thyroid, among other things. I think a lot of people think Iam buying into the trend because I have been lucky and lost some weight since going GF, but honestly, I think I lost weight because I finally had energy to work out, you know?
And thank you for stopping by my blog. It’s always a pleasure to see your name.
Valerie- I understand completely!! I am glad you are better…and thanks for commenting on our blog ; )
my dr put me on a 3 week gluten free diet a week and a half ago and today i mistakenly ate something with gluten. will that totally negate the benefits (or mess up this science experiment my dr is trying?)
Susan – no you should be okay! Good luck : )
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