How to Maintain a Gluten-Free Diet in the New Year

When you love food, it is hard to maintain any sort of diet, especially a gluten-free one. However, if you are bound and determine to improve your health this new year then keeping on track with healthier eating habits is a resolution you are going to have to stick by. Converting to a gluten-free diet will be hard, but with these tips and a few starter recipes, you will find yourself turning over a new leaf when you eat your daily meals.

Most people do not even know what gluten-free means and to be honest with you I didn't either when I first heard the words, however after doing a lot of research on the subject I now know that to have a gluten-free diet means to rid your diet of anything that contains gluten in it such as wheat's, cereals, rye, and even barely. It also includes removing anything that you have gluten in the product to add flavor to the food, stabilizing and even thickening of the food. Yes, that means you will have to cut out adding flour to your meat drippings for that wonderful gravy you could use on your meat.

Cutting out gluten based foods do not have to mean you have to cut out taste. There are so many other ways to add great flavor to the foods you love, and possibly even learn how to cook new meals.

Tip 1 : Training your taste buds
If you have been use to eating a certain way your whole life and now want to switch over to a different eating style you may have a difficult at time first. However, if you stick to trying new things then eventually your taste buds will learn to like the new products you are introducing to them. It usually can take up to a month to establish a new diet that you will like, so my first tip is to keep up that will power!

Tip 2 : Get a cook
If you are like me then you know when you cook food it never tastes as good as when someone else does especially if you are trying a new dish. If you are able to access a cook, like maybe your mother or husband, then have them cook a few gluten-free dishes at first so you do not realize that you are missing out of those wonderful carbs! If the dishes they have fixed for you are wonderful, then ask them to teach you the way the did it. Basically you are trying to trick your brain into thinking you are still getting the same thing, but really you aren't.

Tip 3 : Learn and avoid
Build up your knowledge of what products you use now that contain gluten. This will be in the products label. Once you know what products have gluten in them you will know be able to avoid them and when you are out shopping, you will not even want to look at those products because you know they contain gluten in them. In this case what you know will help you!

Tip 4 : Eating out
When you are eating out, never be afraid to ask what is in the food item they are making. Make sure you ask the waiter and even consult the chef to see if they have any gluten in their products. They are required to tell you if you ask. If they say they do, ask them to substitute the gluten product with a substitution product in the list I will give you below!

Tip 5 : Substituting
To still get the great nutrition you will need for a healthy lifestyle, try substituting your gluten based products with one of these gluten-free products.
1. buckwheat
2. corn
3. rice
4. potato
5. soy

Tip 6 : Never be alone
If you are going to start this gluten-free diet in the new year make sure you contact a trained professional to help you at anytime during your endeavor. You will come across questions that you will need to be answered and you will also sometimes need encouragement to keep to this new eating habit. Either have your doctor on speed-dial or contact the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America at www.gluten.net for further support.

Tip 7 : A grocery store that cares
www.publix.com has a great gluten-free recourse for your needs. It has numbers you can contact for further information on how to maintain a gluten-free diet and even some tasty recipes for you to try. Below are a couple recipes that I have found at their site.

Recipe 1: http://www.publix.com/wellness/notes/Display.do?id=Recipe&childId=NCC_000023
This recipe is Grilled Apple Chicken. It looks yum as can be and if you are like me it reminds you of a Caribbean grilled flavor.

Recipe 2 : http://www.publix.com/wellness/notes/Display.do?id=Recipe&childId=STFLD_000009
Vanilla Yogurt Panna Cotta is a great way to end a dinner with a yummy desert that includes yogurt, whipped cream and fresh fruit!

There are so many more at www.publix.com that you will find yourself wanting to try these recipes ever day! The best thing is the people at any Publix store can always help you with any questions you may have!

I hope this helps and have a Happy Gluten-Free New Year!