The gluten-free diet is becoming increasingly popular. Started for those with celiac disease, some are finding it helps gluten freethem if they have wheat intolerance, or just to be healthier in general and lose weight. So what is a gluten-free diet? Simply put, gluten-free (aka GF) means you cut out things that contain wheat, barley, rye or derivatives of these grains, because they contain the gluten protein. To get started on a gluten-free diet, start by going with a fresh and simple diet. Fresh fruits and vegetables don’t contain gluten, nor do fresh meat, poultry and fish. Be wary of processed foods and get in the habit of checking labels. Gluten can be in products that you may not even think of, such as non-food products like Chap Stick or lipstick and even sunscreen. When it comes to drinks, beer can have gluten in it however most wines do not. Hooray for wine! Thankfully these days many products are coming out with gluten-free alternatives. From soy sauce (yup, it has gluten in it!) to chips and bread, you can find gluten-free products. Most are well marked, either near the ingredients or on the front of the package. It may take a little more detective work, but once you start to find your go-to products, eating gluten-free can be simple. When eating out, be sure to ask your server for their gluten-free selections. Some restaurants may even have an entire gluten-free menu or mark their gluten-free options with a “GF” to make the gluten-free lifestyle easier to take on. For a ton of gluten-free recipes, lists of gluten-free products and other GF tips, check out www.glutenfreemom.com.

Cafe Des Amis in Paia now has gluten-free crepes and they are healthy and delicious!

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