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Gluten is simply the protein found mostly in wheat based products but it can also be found in barley, oats, rye and many processed foods such as sauces, pates and wheat by products. The problem with gluten is that for some people it is not such a great choices even if it is ingested from organic or whole products. The reason why this is happening is the fact that gluten has been found to be an allergen which might be the cause for many digestive problems or issues.

This allergic reaction to gluten has different forms of course and as with many foods, for some people this reaction is triggered only by eating big amounts of products containing gluten. But for other people even a small amount of gluten causes a severe allergic reaction just like peanuts, sesame seeds, bee polen and any other allergens. The solution to determine those reactions is by simply observing the way your own body reacts to wheat based product or other gluten based products so then you can know if you can digest it properly or not. If gluten is a problem and your digestive system does not work so well when you are consuming it then maybe it is time to find some alternatives to those gluten containing products. In my case, for example, it was pretty simple to realize that gluten was not such a good choice for me. I was not actually consuming wheat or wheat based products since in a raw vegan lifestyle we do not rely so much on breads, but I was occasionally eating some oat flakes. Oat flakes are not containing gluten as they are but they get the gluten from other cereals by being processed together in the same places, there are also of course gluten free flakes but for now they are a little bit hard to find here where I live. After a few tries I have noticed that I was not felling good after eating those oat flakes containing gluten so I have decided to switch them for something else. We can find millet and buckwheat flakes on the market now as great gluten free options.

There are a lot of gluten free food options, let`s just take for example fruits and veggies, legumes, greens, spices, nuts and seeds but also pseudo cereals such as amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat, rice, corn, millet, tapioca. Some of them of course require cooking or soaking but this is a simple thing to do.

I like to make gluten free breads and buns from time to time using a mix of buckwheat, rice, millet flours, some nuts or seeds and even some veggies or spices to flavor them. One example of a gluten free breads recipe are those beet breads from the photos bellow.

Choosing gluten free foods is a great choices considering the benefits of eating whole foods and not having to deal with those intolerance symptoms which sometimes may be pretty hard to deal with such as the following: bloating, stomach pain, fatigue, joint pain, anxiety etc. Gluten free foods are delicious and most of them are fresh and simple to digest, energy boosters and wonderful choices for a happy, balanced lifestyle.

Moving one step at a time is the best approach when trying to implement change in our daily habits and routines. All we have to do is just make small changes and enjoy the delicious benefits that come with those healthy changes. Finding what we like to eat and what is good for our own unique bodies is journey of self discovery so let`s enjoy getting healthy and share this joy with all our lovely friends and family members cause living a healthy life is easy and beautiful.