A little over six years ago, we started my daughter on a gluten and casein free diet. We had done some research in using diet as a means of helping autistic patients. It was a tremendous success with our daughter. As time went on, many people would ask me about implementing the GFCF diet in their homes. I then decided it would be a great idea to have all that information, and other interesting stuff about our family, on a blog.
There has been great improvement in my family’s health. It wasn’t until we started using the diet that we realized just how much all of us are affected by the foods we eat. My daughter’s focus and behavior have improved dramatically; some of the repetitive behaviors she exhibited have been curtailed, and she isn’t plagued by some of the digestive problems she had as a toddler. We focus a lot more on eating whole foods, so our diet in general is higher in natural fibers, and processed foods rarely make an appearance on our table.
I’m really enjoying using buckwheat and millet right now. For baking, I’ve used sorghum, buckwheat, millet, arrowroot, tapioca, corn, rice flour, and teff. I’m a dangerous girl in the health food store—I want to try everything!
My kids and I love breakfasts, so reworking breakfast favorites in GFCF versions is always fun. I’ve made a ton of different varieties of pancakes, waffles, muffins, and quickbreads. And what kid doesn’t like things like fried chicken, pizza, and spaghetti? So I try to include those in meal planning as well.
Tell me about it! I can’t even count how many times a loved one has said, “Well just a little won’t hurt, right?” My mother-in-law, who lives with us, is always on the lookout for new things to try. Every so often she’ll bring something home for us to try. My mom, who lives a few hours away, has started to experiment more with baking. She’s been buying more GFCF products to keep on hand when the grandkids visit, which is a big help. Our relatives are kind enough to let us know what’s on the menu when we visit ahead of time so I can be prepared—or they’re sure to have a few GFCF options on hand.
Well, it’s certainly forcing me to reevaluate my relationship with sugar! I’m now faced with the challenge of modifying some of my recipes to incorporate natural sweeteners into my cooking. Also, since yeast is the leavening agent of choice in most baked goods I’m trying to find new ways to cook without it. I’ve also had to quit coffee; anybody who knows me knows that this has been a tough one.