Pass on the Pasta

I find myself and my entire family very fortunate to not have any food allergies. It seems that just about everybody is allergic to something these days. Gluten is a huge one. I have known many people who have had to eat gluten free due to an allergy. I always felt so bad for these people. What in the world do they eat and boy are they missing out. I have always been a huge pasta and bread eater. Bakeries are one of my very favorite places to visit!
Lately, I have been researching different diets- not diets to lose weight but diets that become a healthy way of life. Everyone that has eliminated gluten from their diets seem to feel better. I have also read some articles on this topic. I thought  a gluten free diet would be almost impossible for me to go on. But I have always liked a challenge. My family is a week and a half into a gluten free diet right now. We have also eliminated all sugars except natural sugars.
I have to say that it is easier than I thought it would be. I find that we are snacking on fresh fruits, veggies, and nuts. Breakfast has been easy with different sorts of eggs. We miss our pancakes though. Lunch has been a little difficult when packing it. I can't just pack a sandwich. I find myself being creative but also eating because I am hungry and not because I want to be satisfied. Dinner has been pretty easy too. We have been making stirfry, tacos, taco salads, and lots of meat and veggies.
I absolutely love to bake. My biggest challenge on the this diet is trying to figure out what flours to use when baking different things. I have found a pretty good muffin recipe that we like with bananas. My homemade pancakes are still a work in progress. I have used gluten free all purpose flour and brown rice flour. I think they taste pretty good but the girls aren't sold on them yet. My favorite thing that I experimented with are dark chocolate chip cookies. They came out really well and the whole batch was devoured in 2 days. I am having a lot of fun experimenting with different recipes and finding what works best.
To my surprise, I have not really missed my pasta and bread. And I do notice a difference in how I feel. I am not always hungry and looking for something to satisfy me. I have had lots of energy and just feel good.