Gluten: The monster is not under your bed, but in your BREAD!

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye.  This protein acts as a binding agent in the grains and is why bread rises without breaking apart (and there's your simple chemistry lesson for the day).  For those who have Celiac, gluten causes the small intestine to become inflamed and damaged.  Why is this so bad? Well, the villi which line the walls of the intestine (I think it looks like a Koosh ball) absorb nutrients out of the food that you eat.  When they become damaged, (1) they can no longer absorb the good stuff you need from your food and (2) every time these cells die, there is an increased chance that they may regrow as cancerous cells.

Im not trying to scare you, but if you have been diagnosed with Celiac and think "Oh, well i can just deal with the stomach ache today - Put that damn cookie down!"  Smile and be happy, keep following and youll see just how easy being gluten free can be.  Below are some tips to make your life a bit easier.

1) Restaurant cards are extremely helpful.  Celiactravel.com offers them FOR FREE and in multiple languages to make traveling just a bit easier.  No one wants to be sick while exploring the the world.
http://www.celiactravel.com/cards/

2) Lie.  Most people do not understand Celiac and croutons will come on your salad.  However EVERYONE understands severely allergic, annaphylaxis, and death.

3) Talk up your local grocery store.  Even if you do not live in a large city with an organic health foods store, you can request them to carry breads, cookies, and whatever else you may want.  I will even ask for specific brands.

4) Call restaurants ahead - they can be ready before you get there and tell you if what you request is possible\

~GFG

Gluten Free Grad

the Gluten Free Grad - Let's Get Cookin!

I am currently sitting in my school's library, taking a break from running data through SPSS, and thought, "Hey, it's about time I started my blog as the Gluten-Free Grad! For those of you who are in graduate school, cudos! For those of you who are in graduate school and doing your best to avoid gluten, then I know your hell.  It is difficult enough trying to juggle readings, research, and your own philosophical paradigm, much less not being able to eat 90% of the existing and oh so scrumptious study snacks.  I have perused the existing GF cookbooks and blogs out there, and while I have found many things that were quite tasty, they often take a lot of time to make, are loaded with sugar, or contain a chemical compounds that should remain in chemistry sets, not food.  

As your gluten-free grad guru (10 points for alliteration) I will share with you delicious gluten-free recipes and tips that conform to the graduate lifestyle- quick to prepare, make in bulk, healthy, transportable, all limbs in-tact when pay at the store, and don't taste like cardboard.  I also hope that this space spurs other gluten-free cooks to share their knowledge.  With these goals in mind, this site is really for anyone who is busy and avoids gluten- be ye Celiac, intolerant, or just not a fan of inflammatory foods.

~GFG