When my friend Rachel told me she was trying to be gluten-free last year, I was shocked. How could you give up bread? Nothing was better to me than the first bite into a Panini: the crispy outer layer, the warm fluffy inner layer. Not to mention she and I were both notorious for taking multiple pieces of challah bread whenever her mom made a loaf. Her reasoning was that she recently realized she has always had gluten intolerance and after giving up grains, she wasn’t having the same bad reactions as she used to. In fact, most people in the US have this intolerance as a result of the overly processed foods that have become a staple in our everyday diet, but many people just don’t know it.
After a couple months of being at school and not seeing her, we finally saw each other again in the summer of 2012. It was obvious to me Rachel made the right decision for herself. She looked amazing, was no longer having the same digestive pains and felt even more energized, despite cutting down on carbs. So I decided it was worth a shot. I’ve always been a health conscious person and I wondered whether it would have similar effects on me. So I started when any sane sorority girl would start a new diet plan, rush week. It worked out really well, because I was so busy that I didn’t have time to think about what exactly I was eating, I would just not eat grains. Instead, I ate veggies, yogurt, gluten free crackers, hummus, quinoa, CHEESE (so much cheese), and meats. Being gluten-free just means giving up grains; this means you can have corn based products and rice. Gluten free doesn’t mean giving up all forms of carbs and starches.
After a couple weeks, I saw the pay-off. First of all, I lost some weight; not necessarily because I was eating less, but because I was eating lighter. Grains are very heavy and honestly, easily overeaten. For me, I was never overly hungry and I just felt lighter. Just as Rachel said, I had more energy and I was even happier. For me, it was a lifestyle choice. I don’t think I ever had a gluten allergy, but the benefits of being gluten free are so great, in my opinion, that I decided to keep with it. Of course, I cheat for certain foods. I will always have dessert because I literally don’t have the willpower, and also I want to enjoy the things I so much enjoyed before. I also will have a burger now and then because let’s be honest, I will never give up an In-N-Out burger, I just opt out on the bags of chips, or the morning bagel. It’s not for everyone, but if you are open minded to trying something new, even if it’s for a month or so, it is worth trying out!