gluten free writen in flour on a dark wooden table

Honestly, the answer is maybe. And then again, maybe not. Unless you’ve been diagnosed with celiac disease or a wheat allergy - then it’s a definite yes.

But what if you’re just experiencing some weird symptoms and you can’t figure out what’s causing them? Like bloating, fatigue, joint pain or brain fog? In that case, you might try to eliminate gluten from your diet for a couple of weeks and see if you feel better. And if so - you might have just discovered you have what’s called a gluten sensitivity.

So now what? Well, read on my friend, and I’ll share with you what I’ve learned so far. Because, yep - gluten free has now become a thing for me.

What It Really Means to Be Gluten-Free . . .

Let’s start with the obvious: going gluten-free sounds simple. Just don’t eat wheat, right? Easy-peasy.

Except . . . it’s not.

Being gluten-free means saying goodbye to a massive chunk of the modern food pyramid—breads, pastas, pastries, pizza crusts, and that one chocolate chip cookie that used to fix everything.

Are You Ready for a Makeover?

But giving gluten the boot isn’t just about cleaning out your pantry. It’s a full-blown lifestyle makeover. Eating out becomes an Olympic event—especially at Italian restaurants.

You’ll find yourself interrogating waiters like a private investigator:

Do you have gluten free pasta? Is the sauce thickened with flour? Is the chicken breaded and then de-breaded? Do you have cauliflower pizza crust? Do you actually have gluten free options?

gluten free bread with a yellow banner that says danger gluten danger

Gluten Free Bread? Is That a Thing?

Then there’s the baking situation. Gluten is the magical scaffolding that gives bread its bounce and cookies their chew. Without it, you’re left with crumbly chaos or a very dense brick, and a pantry full of mysterious powders like rice flour, tapioca starch, sorghum, xanthan gum and psyllium husk.

You try. You hope.

And sometimes you just throw it into the trash.

What About Store-Bought?

And let’s not pretend that gluten-free store-bought products are always the answer. Yes, the gluten-free section has grown, but it’s a jungle of trial and error. Some items are fabulous. Others are hockey pucks in disguise. And why is everything so expensive? It takes time, patience and a bit of mad science to find your new staples.

But here’s the silver lining: once you get past the learning curve (and the emotional separation from sourdough), you start to feel better. Your joints ache less. Your stomach doesn’t revolt after dinner. Your energy rebounds. And you gain a sense of control over your health that’s honestly empowering.

gathering of gluten free breads, pasta, corn, rice cakes and chickpeas

So What Does It Really Mean to be Gluten Free?

It means reading labels like a scholar, baking like a chemist and dining out like a detective. But it also means reclaiming your health, learning how your body really works and discovering that life without gluten might just be . . . better.

Not easier, but better. And maybe even kind of delicious.

Eventually.