I don’t know about you but…. I LOVE THANKSGIVING DINNER!!

Over the past week, many of you have asked me how I plan to cook a Thanksgiving dinner for 13 people and still eat gluten free. Well, I have found some creative, healthy(er) and gluten free ways to make a few of our favorite Thanksgiving dinner staples and surprisingly, it won’t be that hard to manage.

Mashed Potatoes – This is by far one of my FAVORITE foods. However, it is not normally a “healthy” side dish, so I try not to eat it very often. You probably already know that one of the most nutritious parts of a potato is the skin. One little trick to make our MP’s quick and easy is I use the little red potatoes, skin on, and boil them whole. By using the little red potatoes, not only do I eliminate the need to peel the spuds - which my family will not let me do because I am terrible at it - but all of the nutrients are kept in tact. Another little trick I use to add flavor and healthy protein is by mixing in a cup of Non-fat Greek Yogurt. It adds a creamy consistency and the tang of sour cream. Yummy!!

Green Bean Casserole – Is this one of your favorite dishes, too? I love this dish and was really nervous that I would not be able to find a way to make it gluten free. BUT… where there is a will….

• First, frozen green beans (or fresh if you can find good ones) are easy and taste almost as good as fresh
• Second, Progresso makes a Gluten Free Creamy Mushroom soup that you can use in place of your usual Campbell’s brand
• Third, to replace the fried onions (because they are not gluten free) that go on top of the casserole, I am going to try using FunYuns as a topper. I have not tried yet, so this will be a first. Please keep in mind that these are NOT a healthy addition to a meal but to eat them in moderation on a Thanksgiving casserole… it’s gonna be just fine.

Turkey Gravy -  Honestly, I have never been a big gravy fan but my family loves it. So, in my search for turkey gravy that is gluten free, Heidi (from the blog - Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom) suggests using Tom Sawyers Gluten Free Flour to make the BEST gravy ever! This is one recipe that we are going to try with our gravy this T-Day.

Dessert – Okay, truth be known, dessert is a bitter-sweet (no pun intended) part of the conversation for me. I have a love/hate relationship with dessert. BUT… it is Thanksgiving and as long as you don’t eat this way everyday, enjoy! So, I found a recipe by William Davis, MD, that is for a gluten free pumpkin pie with a wheatless crust that I would like to try making this year. I will let you know how it turns out!

Stay tuned and next week when I will post my gluten free food reviews from our Thanksgiving 2011 dinner. Until then… Happy Thanksgiving to you all! And a BIG thanks to my family for being my Thanksgiving gluten free taste testing guinea pigs this year.

 A couple of weeks ago while researching nutrition and fitness “stuff”, I came across a podcast, The Paleo Solution, Episode 95,  that I found very interesting. Robb Wolf, the author of The Paleo Solution, was interviewing Dr. William Davis (a Cardiologist) who wrote the book Wheat Belly. Okay, so what were they talking about? To put it simply, Dr. Davis was talking about the negative health effects from eating wheat (and gluten) and how eating a gluten free diet can change your life. I was amazed at some of the incredible examples and science based reasons of why we should NOT EAT WHEAT!! But, I know what you are thinking. The FDA says we should eat whole wheat, whole grain foods… and what about the food pyramid or I mean, food plate… yada, yada, yada. I was eating the same “healthy” diet and had all of the same questions too until I listened to the podcast interview. It has changed my way of thinking.

Now, I don’t have celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity. I do however, have a family history of celiac disease. Since celiac disease is an inherited autoimmune condition, I was really curious to see if I notice any changes in myself and my overall health by eating a gluten free diet.  PLUS… I am always up for a challenge and love improving my health and well being.

So, this is the first blog in a series called, Is Gluten Free For Me? about my own personal gluten free experience . Each week I will post my comments, thoughts, experiences, opinions, tips, and strategies, etc… from eating a gluten free diet.

My hope is that you will decide to take this challenge with me. Or, maybe you are already eating a gluten free diet and you would like to share your experience with us. Please post your comments, thoughts, opinions, tips, questions and strategies, etc… and don’t forget to share this information with your friends and family. Lets take back our health together!!

PS…  Just to give a little background information about celiac disease and what gluten is…

According to the website www.ciliac.org, Celiac Disease (CD) is a lifelong inherited autoimmune condition affecting children and adults. When people with CD eat foods that contain gluten, it creates an immune-mediated toxic reaction that causes damage to the small intestine and does not allow food to be properly absorbed. Even small amounts of gluten in foods can affect those with CD and cause health problems. Damage can occur to the small bowel even when there are no symptoms present. Gluten is the common name for the proteins in specific grains that are harmful to persons with celiac disease. These proteins are found in ALL forms of wheat (including durum, semolina, spelt, kamut, einkorn and faro) and related grains rye, barley and triticale and MUST be eliminated.

Invest in yourself and keep moving forward!
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