There’s a delicious week of meals waiting for you here.

The easy plan includes dreamy chicken Alfredo, pork chops (including my secret to juicy chops), bacon wrapped chicken and slow cooker pot roast for those set it and forget it days. Finally, chicken wings are always a fun way to end the week.

Feel free to mix and match. 

Just add your favorite side dishes and you’re good to go. 

Monday

One-Pan Creamy Chicken Alfredo

This creamy chicken Alfredo is a nutritious, full-fat, protein-packed, and delicious one-pan meal.

Check out this recipe

Tuesday

My Secret For Juicy Grilled Pork Chops (With Chimichurri Sauce)

Fire up the grill and get ready to dig into the tastiest pork chops topped with zesty chimichurri sauce.

Check out this recipe

Wednesday

Gluten Free Bacon Wrapped Barbecue Chicken Bites

Slices of juicy bacon wrapped around tender strips of chicken and brushed with mouth-watering barbecue sauce. 

Check out this recipe

Thursday

Amazing Slow Cooker Pot Roast You've Got To Try

Tender, succulent seasoned-just-right slow cooker pot roast in its own rich gravy. Not only is this simple to prepare, but you're sure to get two thumbs up from everyone at the table.

Check out this recipe

Friday

Gluten Free Chicken Wings (Keto, Low Carb, And Paleo)

Whether you bake them in your oven, air fryer, or barbecue them outside on the grill, chicken wings are a year-round favorite.

Check out this recipe

I hope you enjoy this easy meal plan with simple ingredients. And if you have any questions, please reach out to me in the comments or shoot me an email, and I’ll respond ASAP!

MORE MEAL PLAN RESOURCES

4 steps to easy meal planning (includes weekday breakfast and lunch plans) Follow these steps to create your own meal plans so you can prepare each meal stress-free and relax, enjoy cooking, with time to spare for doing what you love.

30-Minute Dinners meal plan This gluten free weeknight meal plan checks all the boxes for easy, variety, and deliciousness. I think you’ll love these choices.

The post EASY DINNERS WEEKNIGHT MEAL PLAN #2 appeared first on Gluten Free Homestead.

For part one of this chronic fatigue syndrome series click here.

I’m writing this post from my new home office in Raleigh, North Carolina. My family and I are almost finished moving in, and so far we’re absolutely loving Raleigh.

The new home we’re renting is magnificent, the area is beautiful, and Raleigh has so many activities to enjoy.

Over the weekend I finished setting up my home gym. That meant I was finally able to get back to pulling some decent weight. I deadlifted 250 lbs x 4 at 158 lbs body weight. Since I hadn’t deadlifted since August 4, that wasn’t too bad.

And more importantly, following my workout I experienced no signs of severe fatigue associated with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).

Hopefully, I’ll be back to my personal record (PR) within a few months. Here is the video of my 300 lbs PR I set in June. Not too shabby for an almost 62-year-old.

Okay, let’s get right to it. Last week I presented the first three strategies I used to heal from ME/CFS. Here are the next seven:

Strategy 4: Juicing

About 7 years ago in my search for healing for my ME/CFS symptoms, I came across the Gerson juicing protocol. The Gerson Therapy, as it’s called, was developed in the 1930s by Dr. Max Gerson to treat his own migraines.

Eventually, it became a treatment for degenerative diseases such as skin tuberculosis, diabetes, and cancer. Individuals who rigidly adhered to the protocol supposedly obtained excellent results.

The protocol requires the consumption of 15- 20 pounds of organically-grown fruits and vegetables daily. Most of this is consumed as a juice.

The idea behind the therapy is that the abundance of nutrients from the organic juices provides your body with high doses of enzymes, minerals, and nutrients that will restore the body’s ability to heal itself.

The protocol theoretically made sense, but I just couldn’t consume 15 pounds of veggies a day.

But I needed help, so I decided to give it a try in a modified form. I juiced (technically I blended in a Vitamix) enough produce to make about 40 ounces of juice daily. This drink consisted of kale, carrots, spinach, avocado, and a green apple. After consuming this amount of juice for about 3 months, I noticed a slight improvement in my energy but nothing substantial.

While I didn’t have the enormous boost in energy that some people get from juicing, I was helping my body. By juicing, I was increasing my nutrient levels significantly, detoxifying my body, and helping to restore the good bacteria in my gut.

Strategy 5: A Paleo Diet

As I said, after about 3 months of juicing, I experienced some improvement in my fatigue levels but not a lot. But that was about to change. At this time a friend of mine sent me some information on the paleo diet and suggested I take a look at Mark Sissons’ site: Mark’s Daily Apple.

Once on the site, I was captivated. After spending hours and hours reading about the paleo diet and all the success stories attributed to it, I was convinced of its efficacy. This wasn’t because of its reliance on evolutionary theory. It was the science that convinced me.

Paleo Basics

1. Nutrient Dense Foods

The paleo diet stresses the importance of consuming nutrient-dense whole foods such as antioxidant-rich vegetables and fruits, fermented vegetables, pastured eggs, extra-virgin olive oil, spices like turmeric and cinnamon, bone broth, foods high in omega-3 fatty acids (like wild caught salmon, sardines, and herring), and meats from pasture-raised animals. The nutrients from these foods are vital for healing and preventing chronic inflammatory conditions.

2. Elimination of Anti-nutrients

The paleo diet also stresses the elimination of anti-nutrients. One of these is gluten. As we saw in my last post, gluten (a wheat protein) causes intestinal permeability and possibly systemic inflammatory reactions.

Many plants and grains also contain lectins, phytates, and saponins (see my post 5 Important Differences Between A Gluten Free Diet And A Paleo Diet here). These compounds are naturally occurring in plants and are part of their defense mechanism against pests. Unfortunately, they are also disruptive to our digestive systems. Someone on a paleo diet seeks to limit foods high in these compounds. The biggest culprits here are legumes and grains.

Since a paleo diet eliminates most grains, it is a naturally low carb diet. Many hardcore paleo adherents will eliminate potatoes, but I didn’t except for the skins (saponins). I also didn’t eliminate white rice. See my post on rice.

3. Elimination of Processed Foods

The paleo diet eliminates processed foods because the chemicals used in processing could be inflammatory. The saying goes that if it comes in a package, stay away from it. It also eliminates processed vegetable oils, refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup, synthetic sweeteners, artificial additives, and foods high in omega-6 fatty acids. These also can be highly inflammatory.

4. Avoidance of Dairy Products

The paleo diet discourages the consumption of dairy products. The idea here is that lactose is an intestinal irritant. However, since aged cheese and probiotic yogurt have very low to no lactose, some paleo experts have no problem with these foods in moderation. I personally continue to eat both. For more on the nuances of the paleo diet see here, here, and here.

As you can see, the general idea behind the diet is that it encourages the consumption of nutrient-dense foods that aid in fighting inflammation and discourages those that can cause it. But it also does another important thing.

5. Gut Healing

The paleo diet also promotes the healing of a damaged gastrointestinal tract. It does this by eliminating anti-nutrients and introducing fermented vegetables (sauerkraut and kimchi) that help restore the gut microbiota.

As I said, some strict paleo followers frown on yogurt but homemade probiotic yogurt can be a big help for those who have had their microbiome destroyed by years of antibiotic use. See here for how we make our own probiotic yogurt. See here for our post on how to make homemade sauerkraut.

Bone broth is also extremely important in a paleo diet. It’s packed with nutrients and will aid in gut healing. See here. See Barbara’s recipe for bone broth here.

I jumped into this diet head first. The only deviation I took was consuming a moderate amount of potatoes, white rice, and probiotic yogurt. Within a few months, my health transformation was remarkable.

I regained about 20% of my lost energy levels to where I was about 80% – 90% of normal. I rarely fell below 70%. Healthwise, things were really starting to look up. However, there were a few more tweaks that I needed to make.

Note: I continued to juice throughout my time on the paleo diet.

Strategy 6: Cutting Back on Work Stress

About the same time that I went paleo, I finally began to realize that a big part of my problem stemmed from the stress that accompanied my work. Apart from the psychological toll resulting from stress, researchers now know that prolonged stress can induce a chronic inflammatory state in the body and thus become a key risk factor in numerous diseases.

Our reaction to stress is not a bad thing. When we perceive a threat, our bodies will react so that we either avoid or eliminate the stress. Think of encountering a violent bear in the woods. That’s a stressful situation. To avoid this stress, our bodies will react. Our body will either prepare us to fight the bear a la Daniel Boone, or it will put us into flight mode so we can run for our lives.

So our body’s reaction to stress keeps us alive.

The Dangers Of Constant Stress

Constant stress, though, is dangerous. This is why. Stress activates the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. These systems are activated when our bodies perceive a threat. They prepare us for the fight or flight situation. When the threat passes, they return to a resting state.

However, chronic stress may keep these systems overly activated. When this happens, pathophysiology results. This sets the stage for chronic inflammation and subsequently disease. See my post on adrenal fatigue. See also my series of posts on chronic stress and belly fat.

Also, a constantly activated SNS means that there will be an imbalance between it and the parasympathetic nervous system. This chronic imbalance can cause further dysfunction in the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Remember that a dysfunctional ANS is associated with ME/CFS.

Though I intuitively sensed from the beginning of my illness that chronic stress played a part in its genesis and continuance, it took 26 years for me to finally deal with it properly.

Some Stress Solutions

The Gallup Poll found that most people hate their jobs. Not only did I dislike my job, but it was also often a source of extreme stress. If I was going to heal, I knew I had to do something about it. About seven years ago, instead of making the daily drive into Manhattan, I was able to structure things so that I could work 3 days a week from home. This helped immensely. It’s something I should’ve done a lot earlier.

By working from home, I then had the opportunity to engage in projects that allowed me to achieve more significance than simply making money to pay the bills. I led a debate club for home educated children, taught co-op classes on apologetics and history, produced history videos on youtube, did a lot more writing, and continued to research health and wellness strategies.

Here’s the amazing thing. Often, when I was in the midst of doing these activities, the fatigue would simply vanish!

Why did the fatigue temporarily vanish?

Standing up for an hour while teaching a group of 15 and16-year-olds can be physically taxing. But I never became fatigued while doing it. Why? Obviously, I was doing something I loved and that meant no negative stress. My body wasn’t being worn down by stress but was actually gaining energy.

Finally, the light switch turned on. Maybe I should find a “day job” that I loved and get paid for doing it. It wasn’t an easy task, but after 5 years I did exactly that. Is there still some stress involved? Yes. But not nearly as much as I had in the previous 35 years.

Bottom line: A key to improving from ME/CFS is reducing stress. For me, I did this by walking, changing my diet, reducing work stress, and by engaging in deep breathing. 

Strategy 7: Deep Breathing

As I have mentioned in previous strategies, I believe that in my particular case of ME/CFS an imbalance in my autonomic nervous system played a major role. This accompanied by chronic stress also contributed to that imbalance.

One of the strategies I used to realign my ANS was to employ deep breathing techniques. Researchers have found that slow diaphragmatic breathing has the ability to slow down SNS activity and enhance PNS activity. See here. This is why physicians and psychologists prescribe deep breathing as a way to reduce stress.

When I first came across this strategy about 5 years ago, I thought it was ridiculous. How could simply breathing deeply help me? Well, I thought the same thing about walking and was I wrong! After doing some research on the autonomic benefits of deep breathing, I decided to give it a try.

Learning To Do Diaphragmatic Breathing

I generally like to keep things simple so I started with this very simple tutorial on diaphragmatic breathing from the Cleveland Clinic. The cue of placing my hand on my stomach and causing it to raise as I inhaled allowed me to quickly learn how to breath using my diaphragm.

I practiced this technique for about a day, and then I decided to try it at bedtime. At the time, I was under a lot of stress and suffering some relapses of fatigue. This was causing me to have trouble falling asleep at night.

Well, I tried it, and it worked. Within a few minutes, I dozed off and slept through the whole night. Since that time, I use it every night before I go to sleep and also throughout the day.

Paul Chek has an in-depth youtube series on deep breathing. See here.

Strategy 8: Improve Sleep

Sleep disturbances, particularly non-restorative sleep, are a common symptom of ME/CFS. Non-restorative sleep is where you’ve had at least 8 hours of sleep but wake up feeling totally unrefreshed. Researchers are not exactly sure why this happens in ME/CFS, but again some clues may be found in a dysfunctional autonomic nervous system.

photl.com

I’ve experienced non-restorative sleep for most of the time I’ve had ME/CFS. At times, I also experienced apnea and insomnia.

The problem with sleep disturbances is that not only do you wake up tired, but they also have other damaging effects on our bodies (not to mention damage to other peoples bodies by keeping them from enjoying refreshing sleep).

Research has shown that sleep deprivation leads to inflammation. So whatever inflammation is already taking place in ME/CFS, it will be compounded by a lack of sleep.

Also, it’s during sleep that the body restores and repairs itself. This occurs during specific cycles of sleep. If these cycles are disrupted, the body’s ability to repair itself may be severely impaired. See here.

Optimizing Sleep

Here are 15 techniques I use to optimize conditions so that I get a better night’s sleep.

1. Avoid blue light 2-3 hours before bedtime (I use these blue light blocker glasses)
2. Keep your bedroom temperature at 60 – 65 degrees
3. Wake up in a completed sleep cycle (See here)
4. Wake up with a calming, not startling alarm
5. Use deep breathing techniques to fall asleep (see above)
6. Go to the bathroom before you go to sleep
7. Use a comfortable mattress and pillow
8. Create a bedtime habit such as reading or writing
9. Find an activity that helps you wind down
10. Make sure your bedroom is completely dark at night, but remember you need light in the morning to wake you up
11. Try to get regular exposure to outdoor light during the day
12. Stick to a sleep schedule even on weekends
13. Exercise daily but not 6 hours before bedtime (For severe ME/CFS sufferers, exercise may be a problem).
14. Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and heavy meals in the evening.
15. If you sleep with your electronic devices near, put them on airplane mode.

See my post for an in-depth look at sleep optimization and the importance of sleep cycles.

Afternoon Naps

For the last 4 years, I’ve made it a daily habit to try and take an afternoon nap. This has helped me tremendously in taking a break from the stress of the day. Sometimes I may not even fall asleep but quiet rest time really helps.

I know a lot of you can’t do that with work and all. But you can take a few minutes to just tune out, close your eyes, and do some deep breathing and meditating.

Incidentally, since going paleo, I rarely suffer from severe apnea. Infrequently, I have periods of mild insomnia. However, when I find it happening, I quickly resort to deep breathing. This always gets me to sleep.

Strategy 9: Supplements

Prior to going on a paleo diet, I experimented with all kinds of supplements. These included high dose vitamin C, other vitamins, minerals, colostrum, botanicals, herbs, and probiotics. They may have been doing me some good, but I didn’t experience any significant relief.

I did continue to take vitamin D3 and magnesium because of their importance for overall health.

I Discover Lauricidin

About the time I went paleo, I came across a product called Lauricidin. Lauricidin is the trade name for monolaurin. Monolaurin is a chemical derived from lauric acid and glycerin and is a byproduct of coconut fat. It reportedly has immune-boosting, antibacterial, and antiviral effects. See here.

If my ME/CFS did have a viral component to it, then perhaps Lauricidin would help. I took it on and off for about 2 years. It’s hard to say if it helped a lot since I was also paleo. But it was during this time that I was making significant health gains, so I would say that it was important to my overall protocol.

Current Supplements

I’m still currently taking vitamin D3 and magnesium. Along with these, I take
Thorne Research – Meriva (Curcumin) as an anti-inflammatory and vitamin K2 (see the link on vitamin D3 above). This is the vitamin K2 that I use.

Since I’m on a ketogenic diet now, I also supplement with at least 2 teaspoons of Himalayan Pink salt daily and one tablespoon of MCT oil daily.

Also, because I lift heavy weights 4 times a week, I take collagen daily. Collagen helps to keep my tendons, cartilage, ligaments, and bones healthy.

That’s about it for supplements.

Strategy 10: Low-Carbohydrate (Keto) Diet

By August of 2017, I had been on a paleo diet, which was relatively low-carbohydrate (<100 grams of carbs per day), for approximately 5 years. My energy levels were at between 80% – 90% of normal with some days at 100%. I had healed enough that I could lift heavy weights for the previous 2 years without a severe relapse.

It was now time to take my diet to the next level.

I had read stories of how a ketogenic (ultra low-carb: <25 net grams/day, healthy fat, moderate protein) diet was helpful in healing people from all sorts of illnesses (type 2 diabetes, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, etc.). It also appears that a ketogenic diet has powerful anti-inflammatory effects. So I decided to give it a try.

Amazing Health Gains

Within a few months, my health gains were amazing. My energy levels were consistently between 90% – 100% every day. A year later, I am even starting to do some high-intensity interval training on my treadmill. That’s something that would not have been possible even 2 years ago.

Check out the series of posts Barbara and I wrote on how we went keto and how we are continuing on the diet.

Many people on a keto diet do extended fasting (> 1 day). Since I’ve found that prolonged fasting puts a lot of stress on my body, I avoid it. I do practice delayed eating though. In this instance, I generally eat within an 8-hour window, usually between 12 PM to 8 PM.

The Bottom Line

I suffered from ME/CFS for over 20 years before I started to make significant gains in my health. The strategies I used to get well didn’t come to me overnight. It took years of trial and error to determine what worked and what didn’t.

I am not recommending these strategies to anyone suffering from ME/CFS. I can’t do that. But they worked for me and they do have the science behind them that proves that they can reduce inflammation and promote healing.

ME/CFS is a serious disease. Please don’t try any of these strategies without consulting with your physician.

Click here for a free PDF of the products I mentioned in these posts.

Read this next

My Experience With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome And Strength Training – This is my experience with chronic fatigue syndrome and strength training. Strength training and cardio can provide a respite from stress of the day.

Why We Bought a Sleep EZ 100% Natural Latex Mattress [Review] – This is the ultimate unbiased mattress review comparing coil spring mattresses, memory foam, and latex mattresses.

How to Set Up a Home Gym: A Look at Our Garage Gym – Here’s a peek into our garage gym and how you can set one up in your home so you can workout when and how you want.

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The post The 10 Most Important Strategies I Used To Beat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Part 2 appeared first on Gluten Free Homestead.

However, for a year now, I haven’t experienced the debilitating fatigue peculiar to CFS, and I haven’t suffered from any of the many symptoms associated with it. During the last year, I’ve strength trained 5 days a week, power walked most days, engaged in some high-intensity training, and moved my family to another state while experiencing no downtime because of fatigue.

Yes, I think that qualifies as being finally healed from CFS. But, again, I have to be careful.

A review of 14 studies found that only 5% of people diagnosed with CFS ever fully recover. That means that even though I feel great, I have to continue to be disciplined to adhere to all the strategies that got me this far.

In this post and the next, I’d like to highlight for you the 10 most important strategies I used to beat this debilitating disease.

Caveat To Healing

Will these strategies work for everyone who has CFS? I don’t know. Since no one knows what causes CFS, there is no single proven treatment protocol. But I do know this, every one of the strategies I used is scientifically proven to make my body stronger and better able to heal itself from the disease.

Here’s something I also know. I suffered from this disease for 20 years before I began to make significant progress towards recovery. It wasn’t until I started using these strategies that I turned the corner away from sickness and toward wellness.

No Help From Mainstream Medicine

When I first developed CFS in 1986, very few physicians were aware of CFS. All of the doctors I visited were completely clueless as to what was wrong with me. My blood tests were always normal. I tested negative for Epstein-Barr, Lyme, Hep C, you name it.

Yet no one could figure out why I was not only chronically fatigued but also suffering from a slew of seemingly unrelated symptoms. Some doctors even raised an eyebrow when I mentioned how many different symptoms I had. Meaning, they thought I was some sort of a hypochondriac.

As time went on, mainstream physicians began to recognize CFS as an actual condition. However, they still had no idea what caused it or how to cure it. Their standard reply to me was, “Yes, you probably have CFS. You should rest more and see what happens.”

Of course, that’s not what I wanted to hear. I wanted someone to tell me that I would eventually get better! But that promise never came.

No Help From My Naturopath

About 10 years ago, I traveled out of state to see a naturopathic physician. He was very thoughtful and understanding and convinced me that I was not a hypochondriac. However, he also couldn’t give me a comprehensive plan for combating the syndrome. His primary suggestion was to take the numerous supplements he recommended.  After many months of doing that and spending no little amount of money, I still had little relief from the fatigue.

A Lack Of Information

When I developed CFS in 1986, there was no such thing as the internet. That meant that we had little access to important medical information. Unless you had access to a medical library, it was virtually impossible to find information on CFS.

So, for the first 20 years of having CFS, mainstream medicine couldn’t help me at all. The best I could do was to reduce my fatigue by relying on trial and error. In other words, I learned which activities caused me the most fatigue, and I tried not to do them.

After about 20 years living with the disease, I regained about 20% of my former energy level. This allowed me to function at about 60% of normal. Some days I did reach 80%. But that generally lasted for only a short time. And even when I was at 80%, some aspect of the disease was always with me whether it was muscle aches, IBS, or headaches.

However, there would also be days when I would regress to about 40% of my energy levels. This could last for weeks at a time. For 20 years, I can honestly say that I didn’t have one single day where I felt perfectly healthy. I was beginning to forget what it was like to feel good.

Pathway To Healing

My healing didn’t really begin in earnest until about 8 years ago when I began searching out health and wellness websites that suggested alternative paths to healing. These sites emphasized strategies that stressed the elimination of toxicity, the reduction of chronic inflammation, strengthening the immune system, and optimizing cellular metabolism.

The idea was that by following specific practices my body would strengthen and eventually heal itself.

It took me about 7 years to put all these strategies into a comprehensive protocol for getting well and staying well.

I will be very specific concerning what I did to be healed, but first I want it to be clear that I didn’t just have a general fatigue or malaise. I had full-blown CFS. For those unfamiliar with CFS, let me tell you how bad it really is.

What Is CFS?

There is no confirmed diagnostic test for CFS or it’s lesser known name, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (from now on I’ll use the abbreviation ME/CFS for CFS). The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), however, suggests that the three following core symptoms are required to make a diagnosis.

1. Greatly lowered ability to do activities that were usual before the illness. This drop in activity level occurs along with fatigue and must last six months or longer. Fatigue is usually severe and is of a different type than one experiences after hard physical work or exercise. It is not relieved by rest and has not been present for someone’s lifetime.
2. Worsening of ME/CFS symptoms after physical or mental activity that would not have caused a problem before the illness. This is known as post-exertional malaise (PEM). ME/CFS sufferers often improve to a point where they think they’re healed. They then resume their normal activities only to experience a severe relapse of fatigue and other symptoms.
3. Sleep problems. Individuals with ME/CFS often experience sleep disturbances. That includes falling asleep and staying asleep. Often, a good night’s sleep will not alleviate fatigue.

Additional Symptoms

In addition to these core symptoms, one of the following two symptoms is required for diagnosis:

• Problems with thinking and memory. This is commonly known as brain fog.
• Worsening of symptoms while standing or sitting upright. This is known as orthostatic intolerance and is caused by a dysfunction in the autonomic nervous system. In my case, I suffered from postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). With this syndrome, one’s heart rate will raise at least 30 bpm in at least 10 minutes after standing from a sitting position. See here.

Those are some bad symptoms, right? Well, it gets worse. Many ME/CFS sufferers also can experience the following symptoms in varying degrees:

• Muscle pain and aches (For years it felt as if I had clamps affixed to my arms and legs)
• Joint pain without swelling or redness (Several of my finger joints were inflamed for years)
• Headaches, either new or worsening
• Tender lymph nodes in the neck or armpits
• A sore throat that happens often
• Digestive issues, like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Chills and night sweats
• Allergies and sensitivities to foods, odors, chemicals, or noise

In my case, I hit the jackpot. Over the span of 28 years I experienced every single one of these symptoms to a greater or lesser degree. My worse symptoms were extreme fatigue, PEM, muscle aches, joint pain, headaches, and POTS. I also had an endoscopy done because of IBS.

Note that ME/CFS is considered only after everything else that could cause chronic fatigue is ruled out.

One question still remains unanswered: Why did I get ME/CFS?

Developing ME/CFS?

It was a beautiful autumn day in October 1986. A perfect day for a run. The air was fresh and the trees in New York were exploding with color. My 3-mile jog was uneventful except that I experienced a slight cold feeling in my chest which lasted for about an hour.

I went to sleep that night feeling fine. However, upon waking the next morning I didn’t feel quite right. As I attempted to get out of the bed, I realized that something was really wrong with my body.

My legs felt like they were made out of concrete. I had to literally struggle to get them to move. Eventually, I got out of the bed, but I found that I couldn’t stand for more than about 30 seconds. I had no other symptoms except extreme fatigue when standing and walking.

After a few hours, I gained some ability to walk around for a few minutes at a time, but that was it. I was bedridden for the next 3 days. After about 3 weeks, I did regain some energy, but on the whole, I’d lost on average 40% – 50% of my normal energy levels.

Subsequently, I was forced to give up my podiatry practice and find work that would allow me to rest often. As the years went on, I would at times improve slightly. But, then, thinking I was better, I would engage in some strenuous activity only to eventually relapse back into a state of severe fatigue.

As I mentioned, the only answer I got from doctors was that I probably had chronic fatigue syndrome and suggestions that I should try and rest more. They didn’t know why I had gotten it or if I would ever heal 100%.

That wasn’t something a 30-something husband and father of 4 young children who was now running his own business wanted to hear. Fortunately, my business allowed me to take off and rest whenever I wanted. That helped a lot. But you can never take time off from your family, can you?

Why Do People Get ME/CFS?

To date, no one knows why people get ME/CFS. Researchers have suggested that there is an underlying viral component to the disease. In my case, I didn’t experience any acute flu-like symptoms prior to getting sick.

As the years went by, several physicians stated that I probably had some underlying inflammation going on. This belief was prompted by a slightly elevated liver enzyme. That was the only blood test that showed an abnormality. My sed rate (ESR) and CRP were always normal.

A Psychological Component To CFS

Other researchers believe “that physiological and psychological factors work together to predispose an individual to the illness and to precipitate and perpetuate the illness.” They are, however, unsure of what exactly these are.

From my experience, I concur that there is a psychological component to ME/CFS. I was under extreme stress for about 10 years prior to the onset of the disease. As I found out much later, my cortisol levels were completely out of whack. This meant that my adrenal glands were also in very bad shape.

Why did it take 22 years for a physician to finally check their status? Sheesh!

The Dysautonomia Angle

As I mentioned before, some researchers believe that a dysfunctional autonomic nervous system (ANS) plays a part in ME/CFS. This is the part of the nervous system that controls internal organs. One part of the ANS (parasympathetic) helps the body rest, relax, and digest food and another part (sympathetic) helps a person fight or take flight in an emergency.

What researchers are not sure of is whether dysautonomia causes or simply exacerbates the symptoms of ME/CFS.

After mentioning to one doctor that my pulse seemed to race at night especially after rising, he had me wear a Holter monitor for 24 hours. The data revealed that my heartbeat varied wildly during the night. The cardiologist who examined the data suspected that there was some type of dysautonomia involved.

My doctor told me that there was basically nothing you can do for dysautonomias (Not true! More on that later).

I Have POTS

I figured out later that the dysautonomia was POTS! It’s highly associated with ME/CFS. While there’s no cure for POTS, it is manageable.

As you can see, ME/CFS is a disease that involves many physiological systems. Not only does it cause extreme fatigue, it can also cause disruptions in the nervous system, cardiovascular system, musculoskeletal system, gastrointestinal system, immune system, gene expression, and sleep patterns. And if POTS is involved, the urinary tract can also be affected. See here.

For an extensive list of research being done into how ME/CFS affects the various system of the body, see here. If you want to know more about ME/CFS, the British ME Association has an excellent website with loads of very good information. Also, see Dr. Myhill’s site.

ME/CFS sufferers are not hypochondriacs. We just have a terrible disease without a specific cause and without a specific cure. But, in my case, it was curable.

Could I Have Healed Sooner?

I’ve read that some people with ME/CFS are healed after months of just complete rest. That usually entails no work and eliminating all kinds of stress.

In my case, that wasn’t an option. I had a family and financial responsibilities to consider. Would complete bed rest have healed me, though? I don’t think so. My dysautonomia and poor reaction to stress probably wouldn’t have allowed it.

Now, let’s get on with what I did to heal. Bear in mind that though this process took me many years to discover, I continue to use all the strategies to stay healthy and fit. I will list them in the order I discovered them.

Strategy 1: Going Gluten Free

About 12 years ago, I went gluten-free. This was the first major change I made on my health journey. Though I never had any of the major intestinal problems associated with celiac disease, I did have moderate IBS and a lot of the other associated symptoms.

As it turns out, myself and several family members have non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). With this condition, the ingestion of gluten doesn’t cause the destructive autoimmune inflammatory response in the gut like celiac disease does. However, it does cause an immune response that can result in systemic inflammation. See here.

Even if you don’t have NCGS, gluten has been proven to cause leaky gut by disrupting the tight junctions in the epithelial lining of your gut. Because of this, toxins, pathologic organisms, and their byproducts can pass into your bloodstream causing a chronic inflammatory response throughout your body. See here.

Strategy 2: Avoiding Antibiotics

From the time I had my tonsils out at age 4 to about 24 years old, I suffered from one throat and sinus ailment after another. Of course, the first treatment of choice for most doctors was to prescribe antibiotics. Needless to say, I took a lot of antibiotics throughout my life.

While antibiotics can be a life-saving gift from God, they also come with a downside. Often antibiotics don’t discriminate in their killing of bacteria. Meaning they eliminate bad bacteria but they may also destroy good bacteria found in your gut.

In a healthy situation, there are good bacteria (microbiota) that inhabit your intestinal tract. These beneficial bacteria aid in digestion, fighting bad bacteria, and in the production of some vitamins.

When your microbiome is disrupted, as when you take antibiotics, a condition called dysbiosis can result. Dysbiosis has been associated with a number of serious diseases including ME/CFS.

Since I went GF, I’ve only taken antibiotics one time. That was only to determine if I had Lyme disease.

These first two strategies didn’t result in a fantastic immediate improvement in my condition. But what they did do was begin to reduce the inflammation in my gut, help restore a healthy microbiome, and stop my gut from leaking dangerous toxins into my bloodstream.

A healthy gut is key for overall healing.

I didn’t yet understand how to fully heal my damaged gut microbiome. I’ll explain how I further did that when I get to diet strategies.

Next, I’ll reveal the first major strategy I used to gain back some significant energy.

Strategy 3: Daily Walking

About 10 years ago, I read an article about a condition called neurasthenia. This was a mysterious medical condition reported by doctors in the 19th and early 20th century. The description of the symptoms of the disease was very similar to what we now call ME/CFS. One of the treatments recommended for that condition was a daily walk.

I initially thought that that idea was absurd. Walking requires energy, right? Why would I want to expend energy when I had such little energy to start with?

Nevertheless, I decided to give it a try. I started out slowly by walking around the neighborhood for just a few minutes. Surprisingly, I found that I felt energized during the walk.

After gradually increasing the distance, within a month I was walking about 1.5 miles daily at a moderate pace without any fatigue at all. After the walks, I felt fine, though the fatigue returned after an hour or so. But I found that over a few months I actually did gain back, and keep, about 10% of the energy I lost.

There is some evidence (also see here) that graded exercise can help some ME/CFS sufferers. For me, a gradual increase in walking distance and speed seemed to work.

I Walk No Matter What The Weather

Walking continues to be an important part of my fitness routine, and I walk regardless of the weather. When it rains or the weather gets cold, I use a treadmill. For me, my treadmill is not only an important piece of fitness equipment, it’s also an indispensable piece of healthcare equipment. I’ve used this one for over 4 years without any issues.

Why Did Walking Work For Me?

I mentioned previously that a dysfunctional autonomic nervous system is closely associated with ME/CFS. This dysfunction usually presents with the sympathetic nervous system (fight and flight) dominating the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest).

Studies have shown that moderate aerobic exercise especially daily walking can enhance parasympathetic activity thus bringing the autonomic nervous system back into balance.

Recent studies have also shown that walking in nature is a powerful therapy for enhancing parasympathetic activity.

To this day, I continue to do a brisk walk (3.5 mph) for at least 1.5 miles 5 -6 times a week.

For the extraordinary health benefits of walking, see my post here.

Okay, that’s it for this post. I’ve given you the first three strategies I discovered that set me on the road to healing from ME/CFS. In my next post, I’ll give you the remaining seven.

I want to emphasize that these are the strategies that worked for me. I’m not recommending them for anyone. However, I believe that science has proven that they are efficacious for health and wellness. Remember, always check with your doctor before you start any treatment protocol.

Have a healthy and blessed week. In my next post, I promise I will present the next 7 strategies that helped me heal from ME/CFS. Also, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

The post The 10 Most Important Strategies I Used To Beat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Part 1 appeared first on Gluten Free Homestead.

Some of you are looking at the title of this post and might be saying, “Hey, that’s not a fair comparison. A gluten-free diet (GFD) is not a comprehensive diet like the paleo diet. The GFD simply eliminates gluten from your diet whereas a paleo diet has a specific template for macro and micronutrient consumption. You’re really comparing apples and oranges.”

Well, that’s kind of true but not wholly true.

Do you know what a PWAG is?

I didn’t until I read this Washington Post article.

PWAG is an acronym for “people without celiac disease avoiding gluten.”

Yes, dear readers, the mainstream medical community has categorized me and given me a special name.

I’m a PWAG. I have not been diagnosed with celiac disease (CD), but I’m GF.

The Mayo Clinic has even counted us. This past January, they reported that as of 2014 the number of PWAGs have tripled to approximately 3.1 million people.

At the same time, the incidence of CD has stayed the same.

The Mayo Clinic’s study didn’t give a reason for the rise in PWAGs.

However, the WaPo article quotes Benjamin Lebwohl, the director of clinical research at Columbia University’s Celiac Disease Center, who states that at least half of PWAGs have non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). See here.

This is significant because at least some prominent CD researchers are starting to acknowledge that NCGS is a real medical condition that requires a GFD. See here.

While NCGS doesn’t cause the serious intestinal autoimmune damage associated with CD, it is capable of causing an intestinal and body-wide inflammatory immune response.

This is why people with NCGS must be on a GF diet.

However, is a GFD alone the best diet to deal with inflammation caused by gluten, wheat, or any other source?

Today, let’s examine the differences between a GFD and a GF paleo type diet and see why a GF paleo diet might be the better choice for dealing with CD, NCGS, and any other disease associated with inflammation.

I’ll do this by highlighting 5 key differences between a GFD and a paleo diet.

Some Preliminary Remarks on a Paleo-Type Diet and a GFD

Loren Cordain, one of the foremost proponents of the paleo diet, has described it as being “based upon everyday, modern foods that mimic the food groups of our pre-agricultural, hunter-gatherer ancestors.”

Let me make one thing clear from the outset. Since I’m a creationist, I don’t believe that an appeal to evolutionary theory is acceptable scientific evidence for why the paleo diet works.

Using theory as evidence in order to prove another theory true is specious and not good science.

However, with that being said, I personally believe the scientific data proves the merits of the paleo diet.

I agree with Cordain, that the paleo diet can help you, “optimize your health, minimize your risk of chronic disease, and lose weight.”

Because I disagree with the so-called paleolithic origins upon which some base the efficacy of the diet I’d prefer calling the diet a paleo-type diet.

However, for ease of readability, I’ll refer to the diet as the paleo diet for the rest of this post.

Intramural Disagreements

Within paleo circles, there is also some intramural disagreement as to whether some dairy products (yogurt), potatoes, and legumes can be consumed in moderation or should be eliminated altogether.

I don’t believe these differences affect the overall intended effect of the diet.

What’s A GFD

As for a GFD, I think we’re pretty sure what that entails.

If you’re GF only, then you’ll remove only gluten from your diet regardless of the source.

5 Important Differences Between A Gluten Free Diet And A Paleo Diet

Okay, let’s get to the 5 differences between a paleo diet and a GFD and how they can affect your health.

1. Anti-nutrient Content

We all know what nutrients are. They are components in foods that we consume in order to survive and thrive.

More specifically, they are the three macronutrients (fats, proteins, and carbohydrates) along with vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and water.

Unfortunately, today’s standard American diet (SAD) and other diets considered healthy such as the Mediterranean Diet contain large amounts of anti-nutrients.

Anti-nutrients are compounds in plant-derived foods that have the potential to harm human health.

These include:

Lectins

Plant lectins are compounds that make up part of a plant’s defense mechanism against microorganisms and pests.

They are found in abundance in the seeds of legumes and grains.

The ingestion of lectins has been found to be especially problematic for the human digestive tract.

Research has shown that lectins are able to bind to epithelial cells along the intestinal lining and actually prevent their repair.

Here’s why this is a problem.

During digestion, some of the cells of your intestinal lining can become damaged by the simple mechanical processes of digesting food.

In order to maintain the integrity of the intestinal lining, your body must repair these cells as fast as possible.

However, lectins which are non-digestible can prevent your body from doing this.

Damaged gut epithelial cells that cannot be repaired might eventually cause increased intestinal permeability, a situation also known as a leaky gut.

In the presence of a leaky gut, proteins, viruses, bacteria, and bacterial products can pass into the lamina of the intestine and eventually the bloodstream.

This could result in inflammation, autoimmune disease and possibly other chronic diseases.

Some researchers also believe that lectins can interfere with nutrient digestion and absorption, stimulate shifts in the bacterial flora, and disrupt the immune state of the digestive tract. Of course, all of these factors could contribute to systemic disease.

Phytates

Phytates are another type of plant anti-nutrient. They are commonly found in grains, legumes, and nuts.

Their function in plants is to bind minerals so that they can be stored and used later by seeds.

However, when humans consume phytates, the phytates can cause a decrease in mineral absorption by binding to calcium, magnesium, zinc and manganese.

Saponins

Saponins are compounds found in many types of plant foods including legumes, nuts, potatoes (especially the skins), and pseudo-grains such as quinoa and amaranth.

Their function appears to be the protection of the plant from insects and microbes.

The name saponin is derived from the Latin word (sapo) for soap.

Because of their chemical design, saponins have a detergent-like ability to dissolve the cell membranes of predators.

Research has also shown that saponins can combine with and disrupt the lipid membrane of the mammalian digestive tract.

This can damage enterocytes (cells that line the gut), increasing the likelihood of leaky gut.

The next time you have a yearning for potato skins, especially if you have intestinal issues, consider this study.

Saponin damage is probably weak, but the risk could be cumulative when combined with damage from lectins and gluten.

Gluten

Gluten is a mixture of proteins found in wheat, barley, and rye. It might be the worst anti-nutrient of them all.

Celiacs are completely intolerant to gluten because of its ability to initiate an autoimmune response in the gut that can cause intestinal damage leading to malabsorption of nutrients and other potentially serious health problems.

Further, people who suffer from NCGS must also diligently avoid gluten.

Researchers have also demonstrated that gluten can be a direct cause of leaky gut.

Dr. Alessio Fasano and others have shown that gluten activates the protein zonulin which causes intestinal tight junctions between enterocytes to open up thus increasing intestinal permeability.

A GFD and anti-nutrients

A GFD solely seeks to eliminate gluten from any source.

It’s not generally concerned with eliminating other anti-nutrients which have the potential to cause intestinal inflammation and leaky gut.

In fact, many GF products seeking to mimic the SAD include other potentially inflammatory GF grains (corn, brown rice, quinoa) in their products. See here.

A Paleo diet and anti-nutrients

Like a GFD, a paleo diet theoretically eliminates gluten from your diet because it eliminates grains.

However, it doesn’t seek to eliminate gluten meticulously from every hidden source as a strict GFD would.

Some paleo adherents question the consumption of white rice in a paleo diet.

White rice is a grain. However, some paleo adherents find it less problematic because its anti-nutrient content is significantly reduced by the removal of the husk, bran, and germ during processing.

However, because of its relatively high glycemic load, some people concerned with their carb intake or insulin response might shy away from it.

While it’s not possible to eliminate all anti-nutrients from your diet, a paleo diet does attempt to reduce them to more appropriate health levels.

2. Anti-Inflammatory Properties

When I first went on a GFD, I had been suffering for years with several chronic health issues (CFS, NCGS and adrenal fatigue).

While going GF was a good initial step in reducing the inflammation raging in my body, it was simply not enough.

What I needed to do was remove as many inflammatory foods as possible and add in anti-inflammatory ones.

For example, as we’ve seen, a GFD doesn’t eliminate anti-nutrients which could play a role in creating inflammation.

It also doesn’t explicitly eliminate foods like processed vegetable oils, refined sugar, HFCS, synthetic sweeteners, artificial additives, foods high in omega-6 fatty acids, and processed foods, all of which can be highly inflammatory.

A paleo diet attempts to eliminate these types of foods and increase the consumption of foods that contribute to the healing process.

These foods include antioxidant-rich vegetables and fruits, fermented vegetables, pastured eggs, extra virgin olive oil, spices like turmeric and cinnamon, bone broth, foods high in omega-3 fatty acids like wild caught salmon, sardines, and herring, and meats from pasture raised animals.

Some of these foods might be included in a regular GFD, but the diet doesn’t emphasize the consumption of beneficial anti-inflammatory ingredients.

If you are healing from a chronic inflammatory disease, you will need these foods to increase healing.

Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, wasn’t wrong in the advice he gave us over 2000 years ago,

Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.

However, if you want to heal or prevent disease, it’s vitally important to consume the right kind of foods and eliminate the wrong ones.

3. The Effect of a GFD and A Paleo Diet on Intestinal Healing

Hippocrates was also said to have uttered these wise words concerning health,

All diseases begin in the gut.

Of course, this is not entirely true. Some diseases such as genetic diseases don’t originate in the gut.

However, many diseases such as autoimmune disease, poor immune health, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, cancer, mental health disorders, skin conditions, IBS and IBD can and do begin in the gut.

Therefore, it’s essential for any good diet to protect and enhance gut health as much as possible.

This means limiting the possibility of a leaky gut.

A GFD takes an important first step by eliminating gluten, one of the primary causes of a leaky gut.

It doesn’t however, as we have seen, eliminate other offenders such as anti-nutrients.

It also doesn’t limit foods that might be potentially harmful to the intestine such as refined grains (brown rice and corn).

Brown rice is packed with phytates and lectins. Corn has the potential to cross react as gluten in the intestine.

A GFD diet also doesn’t limit gums and thickeners found in many processed foods. See Chris Kresser’s excellent series on food additives here.

While many people with celiac disease will limit dairy products because of associated lactose intolerance a GFD doesn’t specifically eliminate dairy.

However, a paleo diet does generally limit high lactose-containing dairy products because of the possibility of intolerance.

A paleo diet with its reliance on whole foods seeks to eliminate foods that could possibly be detrimental to intestinal health and instead focuses on foods that are easy to digest.

The Gut Microbiota

Maintaining healthy gut microbiota is also a priority of the paleo diet.

Dysbiosis, a disruption in your gut microbiota, can lead to serious disease. See here.

In order to maintain a healthy microbiome, a paleo diet places an emphasis on consuming fermented vegetables like sauerkraut or kombucha.

If you have IBS, IBD, CD, NCGS, or an autoimmune disease like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, or MS, gut health (especially decreasing leaky gut and restoring intestinal microbiome) is vitally important. See here and here.

Ditching gluten is a good first step in your healing process but adopting a paleo diet might be what’s needed to take your health to the next level.

4. Nutrient Density

In order to survive and thrive, we not only need to consume macronutrients, we also need to consume adequate quantities of micronutrients.

Micronutrients consist of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that we get from plants (e.g. antioxidants).

Since not all foods have been created equal, they don’t all offer the same amount of micronutrients.

One way for you to identify the micronutrient quality of a food is by considering its nutrient density.

Nutrient density refers to the amount and variety of nutrients provided per calorie of food or the ratio of nutrients to calories (energy).

You may have heard the term empty calories. This refers to foods that may have a high caloric content but little nutrient value.

For example, white rice is exceptional at supplying carbohydrates and calories but is not a very nutrient dense food.

Eggs, on the other hand, have a high nutrient density, because they provide protein and many vitamins and minerals in proportion their calories.

Nutrient Density Rating

Dr. Joel Fuhrman‘s nutrient density ratings provide for us a good perspective when comparing nutrients in foods.

Since oatmeal has a score of 53, you would have to eat almost 4 bowls of oatmeal to equal the nutrient density of just one bowl of strawberries (182).

However, you would have to eat about 20 bowls of oatmeal to equal one bowl of kale (1000).

Obviously, if you’re trying to heal your body or if you want to prevent disease, you need all the nutrients you can get for the lowest calorie cost.

A paleo diet does this by placing an emphasis on high nutrient dense foods.

This includes foods such as low glycemic load fruits, low starch vegetables, nuts, berries, healthy oils (olive and coconut), lean sources of protein such as pastured meats, wild caught seafood, pastured eggs, bone broth, and fermented vegetables.

Unfortunately, a GFD doesn’t place an emphasis on consuming nutrient dense food.

Sure, some people may include some healing super foods into their diets, but a GFD only demands the removal of gluten.

Often a GFD simply mimics the SAD staple foods such as bread, pasta, pizza, and cookies that are made with GF ingredients that are the opposite of nutrient dense.

Criticism of The Paleo Diet

The paleo diet has not been without criticism. Let’s take a look.

Criticism 1: The paleo diet eliminates two food groups. Therefore, it’s nutrient deficient

Since the diet eliminates grains and legumes, critics say that the diet is nutrient deficient.

Paleo proponents respond by arguing that since the high phytate content in grains and legumes can impair the absorption of minerals, avoiding grains and legumes would increase mineral availability. See here and here.

Further, paleo diet proponents argue that the nutrient density of foods advocated on the paleo diet more than compensate for the nutrients lost from the elimination of grains.

Dr. Cordain has put together a chart showing the superior nutrient density of foods on a paleo diet as compared to the nutrient density of legumes and grains. See here.

Criticism 2: Since a paleo diet eliminates milk, your calcium and vitamin D intake might be deficient

To this criticism, paleo proponents answer this way.

First, since it’s possible that 70% of the world’s population is lactose intolerant, most people should avoid milk in general.

Secondly, they argue that calcium metabolism involves more than just calcium intake.

Many foods in the paleo diet actually increase the body’s ability to absorb calcium and thus create better calcium homeostasis.

Some proponents of the paleo diet also point out that calcium and magnesium work synergistically in our body.

Thus if our magnesium intake is high, our calcium needs will dramatically decrease.

Since the paleo diet is abundant in magnesium, calcium intake shouldn’t be an issue.

As to vitamin D, paleo adherents point out that you would need to drink six 8 oz. glasses (1,680 calories or approximately 75% of your daily caloric intake) of vitamin D-fortified milk to meet the USDA’s daily requirement of vitamin D.

Thus, they suggest that it would make more sense to take a vitamin D supplement or go for a walk in the sunshine.

5. Which is Better For Weight Loss – A Paleo Diet or a GFD?

When I first went GF, weight loss wasn’t an issue.

My primary concern was healing my body.

However, after initially going GF I subsequently lost a good amount of weight.

This was probably due to my decreased consumption of refined carbs.

Unfortunately, once I began to discover GF pasta, bread, and pizza, I quickly gained back the weight I lost plus another 15 pounds.

Now weight gain was a problem.

This is not to say that GF products made me over-weight. I made myself over-weight.

But, a GF diet doesn’t necessarily contribute to weight loss.

On the other hand, a paleo diet does appear to encourage weight loss.

This is why.

A Paleo Diet is often a low carb diet

By eliminating grains and starchy vegetables and replacing them with nutrient-dense vegetables and low glycemic load fruits, the paleo diet lowers total carbohydrate consumption.

Scientific evidence has consistently shown that low carb diets are extremely effective in promoting weight loss and health. See here.

One study also found that a low carb diet was even better for weight loss than the Mediterranean Diet.

The carbohydrate content of low-carbohydrate diets is generally as follows:

Liberal low carb diet (<130 grams of carbs/day)

Moderate low carb diet (20-50 grams of carbs/day)

Strict low carb diet (ketogenic) (<20 grams of carbs/day)

This template is a general scheme. Various low carb advocates propose slightly different carb amounts.

Also, low carb diets tend to be high healthy fat diets but I’ll get into that in another post.

Low carb diets also seem to confer positive health benefits. See here, here and here.

It’s important to note that not all paleo diets have to be low carb.

Athletes often need a higher carb diet.

I also know from experience that my children need a higher carb diet.

While a paleo diet will probably encourage weight loss it’s not simply a weight loss diet.

It encourages good food choices that can contribute to better health.

The Takeaway

Before I end I’d like to mention that many paleo proponents adhere to an 80%- 20% policy when eating paleo.

That means in certain circumstances it may not be possible to eat paleo. Therefore it’s possible within reason to cheat sometimes.

There will be times when you just can’t say no to that GF birthday cake.

However, if you’re gluten intolerant it’s never okay to cheat with gluten!

Phew, I know that’s a lot of information.

I hope I have helped you see how going GF might be a good first step on your journey to better health.

But if you want to take your health to the next level a GF paleo-type diet might be the way to go.

Read this next

Study Finds You Can Lose 11% Body Fat And Get Healthier In Only 8 Weeks On A Low-Carb Egg Based Diet

Researchers Say A Gluten-Free Diet May Harm Your Heart: Is it True?

How Our Food Philosophy And Mission Developed

The post 5 Important Differences Between A Gluten Free Diet And A Paleo Diet appeared first on Gluten Free Homestead.

Recently, Barbara and I received a wonderful comment from a reader telling us how our blog had helped her go gluten free. This reminded me of why we originally started The Gluten Free Homestead.

In 2004, four members of our family went gluten-free (GF) after we found out that we have a sensitivity to gluten and wheat.

As many of you know, making the transition to GF can be traumatic. Giving up pasta and pizza is not easy, especially for teens.

To make the transition easier for us, Barbara set out to not just recreate our old meals into GF knock-offs but to create new exciting GF recipes that would make us forget our old standard American diet (SAD).

As a homeschool mom of four children, she also knew what it meant to be busy. So her GF recipes were designed to be made quickly and easily.

After years of meticulously crafting incredibly delicious meals, we suggested that she ought to share them with the entire GF community.

In 2013, she began to do so, and the Gluten Free Homestead was born.

Our mission was to show others journeying on the GF lifestyle that it didn’t have to be hard, uninspiring or something to fear. GF food could, in fact, be better than the old non-GF food.

And better yet, a tasty GF meal could be whipped up for the entire family often in a matter of minutes.

However, since the start of the Gluten Free Homestead, our food philosophy has matured and evolved beyond GF.

Yes, all are recipes are still GF, but we believe eating healthy means so much more than simply ditching the gluten.

In order to explain our philosophy, allow me to take you on our health journey.

It’s a long one so fasten your seatbelts. You’re in for a bumpy ride.

The Lead Up To Going Gluten Free

When he was a child, our son Michael was a hard gainer. He always measured underweight for his age and height.

We had all kinds of tests done, but nothing ever turned up positive.

Every MD and dietician we visited just recommended that he consume more calories. At seven years old, he was already eating almost as much as his teen-aged siblings, but it wasn’t working.

Nothing we tried helped him gain enough weight to get to normal on the height and weight charts.

We eventually assumed he was just taking after me.

As a child, I also was severely underweight. I ate normally, as much as all the other kids around.

I also consumed weight-gain drinks and drank at least a half of a gallon of milk a day. It didn’t work.

At 17 years old, I was almost 6′ tall and weighed only 127 pounds.

Now I realize some of you guys and gals out there who have the opposite issue with weight are saying, “I wish I had that problem.”

Let me just say skinny insults hurt just as much as other body shaming slurs.

Nonetheless, we just thought Michael was following in my footsteps.

However, we eventually began to notice a decrease in his energy levels. At one point, he had difficulty making it from one side of a football field to the other.

He was also becoming sullen and moody.

We didn’t know what to do, and the mainstream medical community didn’t have any answers.

What’s Celiac Disease?

On Thanksgiving Day 2003, my cousin related to me that his father (no blood relation) was diagnosed with celiac disease (CD).

“Celiac disease,” I said. “What’s that?”

I was kind of embarrassed that I didn’t know what it was. After all, I did have a degree in podiatric medicine.

Since many systemic diseases and their sequelae can manifest in the foot and ankle (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, gout, neuropathies etc.), our training in internal medicine is pretty thorough.

But CD was a condition I’d never heard of.

However, as my cousin listed the symptoms, my interest piqued.

Many, except for diarrhea, seemed to apply to Michael and me.

The following day I checked the internet for what information there was on CD (there wasn’t a whole lot in 2003), and again I found that we had many of the symptoms of CD (except for diarrhea).

These symptoms included fatigue, abdominal bloating (both of us), mouth ulcers, headaches, high liver enzymes, arthritis, joint pain and abdominal pain (me). And, of course, our low weight as children.

I should also mention that my dad and my grandfather had a similar history to mine. They also were underweight until their twenties, and they also suffered from fatigue problems.

My grandfather died from lymphoma in his 50s.

Was it possible that we had CD?

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Muddies The Water

At this point, I should also mention that in 1986, I had come down with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

At 30 years old, I was a pretty active person. I maintained a podiatry practice, ran every day, and lifted weights.

However, one day in 1986, I woke up and had difficulty getting out of bed. My legs felt like they weighed a 1,000 pounds.

I could stand for no more than a few minutes, and then I had to sit down. Throughout the day, it didn’t get better. Curiously, extreme fatigue was the only symptom I had.

After about three days, I was able to go back to work, but I still couldn’t stand for more than fifteen minutes at a time.

All told, I had lost about 70% of my previous energy level.

After a few months, it didn’t resolve. Some days my symptoms were better, but then a day or two later they were back in full force.

There is no standard diagnosis for CFS. You basically have to meet a standardized set of criteria. I easily met the criteria.

Since the fatigue came on me quite suddenly, my doctors theorized I had contracted some unidentified virus.

Because of the CFS, I was forced to give up my podiatry practice.

In 2003, I was still functioning at only 50% of my normal energy level. Some days I could function adequately for a few hours, and others I was totally wiped out.

I wasn’t dramatically improving, and my doctors had no answer.

I now suspect that I probably needed months of complete rest. But with a family to support that wasn’t going to happen.

Nonetheless, after that Thanksgiving day, I began to suspect that gluten could be one of the reasons why I wasn’t healing properly from CFS.

Going Gluten Free

A few days after Thanksgiving 2003, Michael and I went GF.

Okay, in retrospect I know that we should have been tested first. But in my zeal to try something, we decided to adopt a GF diet.

I figured we could always do a gluten challenge later and get tested.

After about two weeks, the change in Michael’s energy level was significant. It was about 50% better.

Within a month, it was almost 100%. It was as if he was a completely changed person. He had excellent energy and a new positive attitude.

Now, what was I supposed to do? Should I have put him back on gluten in order to get tested and perhaps risk a relapse?

No, I didn’t have the heart to do that. My job as a parent is to get him to adulthood as healthy as possible.

And he was significantly healthier off gluten than on it. If he wanted to get tested later on, then it would be his choice.

He also gradually began to put on weight. Today, at 20 years old, he is still slim at 5’7″, 120 pounds.

But he can bench press 135#, deadlift 205#, squat 175# and press 80#. He is now in the process of upping his caloric intake because he wants to get stronger.

I’ll let you know how it turns out.

John And Nicole Get Tested For Celiac Disease

In February 2004, my oldest son, John, and my daughter, Nicole, wanted to be tested for CD.

Neither one suffered from diarrhea, but John often had bad gas and bloating after eating, and Nicole had very bad eczema as a child (as did I). Peter had absolutely no problems with gluten so we held off on his test (he later tested negative).

John and Nicole’s blood tests showed they didn’t have CD. Their tissue transglutaminase (tTG) was normal, thus indicating no intestinal damage from CD.

However, they did have two abnormal results.

Their gliadin IgG and wheat IgG numbers were extremely high.

I didn’t have much knowledge about celiac tests, but it seemed to me that if an antibody result was abnormal something was going on.

When I questioned the pediatrician on the significance of high gliadin antibodies, he had no answer.

Interpreting Older Celiac Test Results

At the time, most practitioners didn’t have a lot of experience interpreting the AGA IgG test.

Also, I don’t believe most labs today even test for AGA IgG. It’s been replaced with the newer deamidated gliadin antibodies, IgA or IgG test.

Today some researchers believe that a high result for the older AGA IgG test is suggestive of a condition called non-celiac wheat sensitivity (NCWS) or non-celiac gluten sensitivity. See here, here, and here.

In this condition, an exposure to wheat can trigger a systemic immune reaction with accompanying intestinal cell damage (leaky gut). See this recent study by researchers at Columbia University.

Symptoms caused by NCWS can include GI discomfort (IBS-like), skin reactions, fatigue, and other neurological issues.

While our children probably didn’t have classic CD damage to their intestinal villi, they still could have been experiencing an immune reaction to wheat.

Because of the ambiguous results and in light of Michael’s dramatic recovery, John and Nicole decided to go GF.

One of the confirming factors of NCWS is feeling well once gluten is removed from the diet.

John said he immediately felt better and no longer had stomach issues after eating wheat.

He says that when he cheated and ate gluten while in college, he would be sick and fatigued for days. He’s now 28 and still GF.

Nicole is still GF too. Her eczema is much improved.

In 2006, everyone was tested for the celiac DQ gene. Everyone tested positive except Barbara and Peter.

Since gluten sensitivities are often familial and because of his fantastic recovery off of gluten Mike is GF.

Because of the children’s results and my history, I’m also GF.

Barbara is GF because she prefers to eat that way. Peter, while he may sneak a hard roll every now and then, is always GF at home.

Today, however, even if I didn’t have a medical reason to be GF, I still would go that route. I’ll get to that later.

Our food philosophy, however, doesn’t stop at GF.

Our Food Philosophy Continues To Evolve

A picture of Barbara and me circa 2009

After seven years of being on a GF diet, I had some improvement with my health but not a significant amount.

I attribute part of this to consuming gluten for 47 years and suffering from CFS.

My digestion and elimination were a lot better. However, my energy levels had only improved about 10 – 20%.

I still had significant fatigue and was only functioning at about 50% of my pre-CFS energy levels.

I also continued to have arthritic changes and pain in my finger joints, continuous muscle pain, sinus problems, headaches, and high liver enzymes.

Any kind of strenuous exercise was out of the question.

During a routine check-up, I mentioned to my doctor that I was having moments of increased heart rate in the evenings, and it felt like my blood pressure was high.

I was right. My pressure was high, and he suggested that I wear a halter monitor to record my heart rate through a 24 hour period.

The halter monitor results were confusing. It revealed that my heart rate was elevated at night but during the early morning hours it fell to only 43 beats per minute.

The cardiologist’s report stated that it was possible that I had some kind of problem with my autonomic nervous system. See here.

My doctor gave me a prescription for BP meds and said I could see a neurologist if I wanted to be tested for dysautonomia. See also here.

I had had enough of doctors so I declined and just took the meds.

While I knew a GF diet was a necessity and it had given me some improvement, it was not the spectacular improvement that Michael had.

I was beginning to think I would have to live the rest of my life feeling miserable every day.

A Daily Walking Program Helps

In 2007, Barbara and I started a program of daily walking.

I started slowly but within a few months, I was able to do a brisk 1.75 miles daily walk without suffering additional post exercise fatigue.

In fact, I gained another 10-15% recovery in my fatigue levels. I was now at about 65% recovery.

I stayed this way for the next 6 years except for the fact that I had gained about 23 pounds after I went GF.

A picture of me circa 2009

During college, I actually gained about 40 pounds, and since then I had kept my weight at about 170 pounds.

Now I had ballooned up to 193 pounds. For me, that was a lot of weight.

I should mention that I did see a naturopath. He gave me a lot of supplements but never made a suggestion of a change in diet.

However, a further change in diet was exactly what I needed.

I Start To Research Juicing

In September of 2013, a friend of mine who recently had heart surgery mentioned that he had bought a Vitamix blender and was juicing vegetables (technically, the Vitamix blends).

I had heard about juicing before and had tried it in the past, but it was such a nuisance cleaning the machine that I gave it up after a couple of weeks.

This time was different. I read all I could about juicing.

One extremely important point juicing advocates and others stress is that many chronic diseases are a result of chronic low-grade inflammation.

In order to heal chronic inflammation, the body must be deprived of things that drive inflammation and supplied with the necessary nutrients to fight it. This made a lot of sense.

In my case, chronic inflammation was evident (arthritic changes, high liver enzymes, fatigue). The question was where was it coming from?

The Columbia study I cited earlier showed that NCWS can cause a leaky gut.

A leaky gut, could, in turn, allow bacteria to leak into the bloodstream, inducing a low-grade, chronic inflammatory response from the immune system

Also, CFS is thought to have an inflammatory component.

It was becoming clear to me that in order to get well I needed a diet that would help heal the chronic inflammation and not create new inflammation.

By eliminating gluten, I had eliminated one possible inflammatory source.

Would juicing be the nutrient source I needed?

A Gluten-Free Diet Is Not Necessarily An Anti-Inflammatory Diet

An important thing to understand about a GF diet is that it’s not necessarily an anti-inflammatory diet.

It will stop the autoimmune inflammatory reaction taking place in the celiac’s gut, but it may not stop generalized chronic inflammation. And it may not be enough to enable the body to heal from the damage done by years of gluten consumption.

A GF diet may not even be sufficient to heal the gut of some celiacs. See: New Study Reveals Almost 20% Of Celiac Children May Not Heal On A Gluten-Free Diet.

Also, many GF diets simply replace non-GF meals with a GF replica.

For example, instead of wheat pasta or bread, a GF version will contain either rice or corn or some combination of GF grain.

The problem is that these products are usually highly processed and contain high amounts of sugar.

Thus, they can be highly pro-inflammatory.

So a GF diet might help those with gluten problems but at the same time not help them if they are suffering from chronic inflammation.

Green Smoothies Give Me Another 10% Energy Boost

Healing Green Smoothie recipe here

For about 3 months, I religiously consumed at least 32 ounces of a green smoothie daily.

They usually consisted of some combination of organic kale, carrot, avocado, Romaine lettuce, apple, celery, collards, chard or spinach.

Consequently, I received another big boost in my energy.

I was now at about 75%. This meant that while some days were still intolerable, more were becoming tolerable. There were no days however when I felt absolutely great.

Since the smoothies had given me such a boost of energy in a short period of time, I knew there was something to the concept of a healing diet.

I Increase My Vegetable Intake And Decrease My Meat Intake

If juicing large amounts of organic vegetables was making me feel better, then doing even more of that should obviously make me feel even better, right? The logic seemed inescapable.

So I dramatically increased my vegetable consumption.

I also started to cut way down on my meat consumption. This was part of that theory that says animal products can cause your blood to become too acidic thus creating a toxic environment.

Consequently, I lost about 25 pounds over the next 3 months.

However, I also began to relapse. Not badly, but I felt my energy levels regressing.

I See A CFS Specialist

In January 2013, I began seeing a specialist in CFS and auto-immune disorders.

He basically confirmed everything I had already learned. I had chronic inflammation and one liver enzyme was still slightly elevated.

He also suspected a viral component. Surprisingly, my BP had normalized.

However, he did find that my cortisol levels were abnormal at night. That suggested that I had adrenal fatigue.

He recommended that I eat more protein, and he gave me a bunch of supplements including one for adrenal fatigue. He also suggested I rest more and destress.

About the same time, another friend mentioned that I should take a look at the dietary suggestions in Mark Sisson’s Primal Blueprint.

He pointed out that the diet is heavy on vegetables and at the same time encourages the consumption of “good” meat and fish.

I decided to take a look.

The Pale-Type Diet

Pan Seared Flat Iron Steak recipe here

Sisson’s way of eating is part of what he calls the Primal Blueprint. It’s his version of a paleo-type diet.

Let me first say that I don’t ascribe to the theory that the diet is valid because it mimics the way our paleolithic or “caveman” ancestors ate.

Since I am a creationist, I don’t believe there is a cogent evolutionary premise for the diet.

However, that also doesn’t preclude the diet from being healthy and having good scientific evidence to support it.

Here are some of the basics of the paleo diet. Some proponents are more strict than others on some items.

Foods Eliminated On A Paleo-type Diet

1. Cereal grains including corn (some allow white rice in limited amounts)
2. Sugary beverages and desserts (except dark chocolate in limited amounts)
3. Processed meats and other processed foods
4. Certain oils: Processed seed and vegetable oils like soybean and corn oil (See: The extraordinary health benefits of extra virgin olive oil)
5. Trans fats
6. Dairy (except butter, some allow aged cheese in limited amounts and fermented dairy like probiotic yogurt)

Foods Encouraged On A Paleo-type Diet

1. Vegetables (Broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, etc.)
2. Legumes (some paleo diet proponents allow specific types of legumes in limited quantities, but others forbid them all together)
3. Fruit (those with low glycemic index in limited amounts)
4. High-fat fruits (Avocados and olives)
5. Healthy fats (Olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil)
6. Grass fed pastured meats
7. Wild caught fatty fish (Salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel etc.)
8. Free-range Poultry and Eggs
9. Nuts (in limited amounts)
10. Peppers (bell peppers and chili peppers)
11. Dark chocolate (limited amounts)
12. Spices: Such as turmeric, fenugreek, and cinnamon.
13. Tea (green or black)
14. Red wine (in limited amounts)
15. Potatoes (some paleo diet proponents allow potatoes in limited quantities others forbid them)
16. Fermented vegetables (sauerkraut etc.)
17. Bone broth

Macro Nutrient Profile Of A Paleo Diet

An important concept concerning the paleo diet is that it’s not really a diet. There is no need to count calories. It’s a way of eating.

For those who want a macronutrient breakdown, it would be something like the following (remember different proponents also have slightly varying recommendations as to how much of each macronutrient should comprise your diet):

Protein

Paleo diets contain a protein intake of about 10-35 % of your calorie intake. See here and here.

This is higher than that found in the SAD.

If you are a moderately active adult, you would need about 0.5 – 0.8 grams of protein per pound of lean mass/per day on average to maintain your “structure”.

Carbohydrates

Pomegranate Spinach Salad With Apple Cider Vinaigrette recipe here

Fresh organic vegetables and fresh fruits are the main source of carbohydrates and will make up about 10-45 % of your daily calories.

This is much lower than what is recommended in the SAD which is generally about 45 – 65% of calorie intake.

Without eating bread and potatoes, it would be hard to consume more than a 100 grams of carbs a day.

Fats

If we take the average percentages of protein and carbs recommended in a paleo diet, we would see that fats make up at least 50% of the diet.

Omega-6 polyunsaturated fats should be limited and healthful monounsaturated and Omega-3 fats should be increased.

Also, there have been numerous studies that show saturated fats have no adverse effects on health. See: What You Need To Know About Healthy And Unhealthy Cooking Fats.

As you can see, the paleo diet contains nutrient-dense foods. This means it includes foods that contain high amounts of minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants with relatively few calories.

It also eliminates pro-inflammatory products such as cereal grains, sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, refined carbs, processed packaged foods, vegetable oils, and processed meat. See here.

Most paleo diet proponents advocate an 85-15% rule which allows you to consume three non-paleo meals per week.

Of course, this should not include cereal grains.

Over the course of about two weeks, I studied the scientific literature and found that the diet was well supported by the data.

This was no fad diet.

My Experience With The Paleo Diet

I began the paleo diet and made sure to include sufficient amounts of fermented vegetables and 24hr probiotic yogurt.

Since I was one of those individuals who took way too many antibiotics from the time I was a child, I probably severely disrupted my gut microbiome. See: How probiotic yogurt can help improve your health.

Within two months on the paleo diet, I picked up that extra 15% in energy level I coveted.

My BP remained normal, my weight stabilized at 172 pounds, I stopped snoring, my sleep improved, and I was feeling the best I had in over 28 years.

I also made some important lifestyle choices. I began to optimize my sleep and reduce my stress levels.

By the end of 2013, I was about 90% healed. I felt so good that I was even ready to start strength training.

Twenty-eight years of a sedentary lifestyle had done a lot of damage to my musculature. I wanted to reverse that.

2017

Today, I’m still about 90% healed. However, some days I’m at 99%. I praise God for that.

I’ve been barbell training for 2 1/2 years without interruption. I’m currently almost as strong as I was at 30 years old.

Because I’m now doing squats and deadlifts, I may be stronger.

Here are some of my current 1RM’s: bench press, 200#; deadlift, 290#; squat, 175#; press, 90#. I weigh 180 lbs.

I still have to be careful with my energy levels. My adrenals still need care and fatigue will creep up on me from time to time.

I carefully track my macronutrients, and I do take some supplements. I’ll talk about them another time.

The most important element in my healing process has been juicing and the GF paleo-type diet.

I’m feeling better than I ever thought I would and doing things I never thought I would ever do again at my age.

Our Mission

Barbara and I turned 60 this year. Many might think that’s a signal to start thinking about retirement or old age stuff.

However, we’re not interested in growing older. Instead, we’re focused on getting healthier and stronger and trying to help others do the same.

Even though the clock is ticking for everyone that doesn’t mean you have to look forward to a life of decreasing health that ends in disability or frailness.

Through this blog, we will continue to bring you healthy and tasty GF and often paleo recipes that will make your life so much more enjoyable.

And we will explore current trends (often those which go against the mainstream) in health, diet, fitness, and anti-aging that can empower you to have a healthy, happy, fit, balanced, active lifestyle.

Now if I could only pick up that last 10% of energy.

Read this next

Strategies I Used To Beat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome – Here are a series of articles with my strategies to beat CFS. If you or a loved one are suffering from a chronic illness, we hope you’ll find John’s story helpful and inspiring.

65 Years Old And Getting Stronger: How We’re Doing It! – Here is the update, five years later and getting stronger.

How My Morning Routine Gives Me a Healthy Start to the Day – A gentle morning routine can set you up for the day without feeling rushed. I hope to inspire you to create a routine that will work for you.

The post How Our Food Philosophy And Mission Developed appeared first on Gluten Free Homestead.

I have an extra special post for you today! I’ve compiled my family’s favorite gluten-free recipes that I make each year for our Thanksgiving dinner.

I love cooking for our holiday feast, but it can be a little tricky to reinvent the Thanksgiving staples for those who have gluten intolerance. How to enjoy stuffing or turkey gravy or apple pie that are usually made with wheat flour?

Not to fear! Whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving in your home or visiting friends and family, you’ll be the top chef with these delicious dishes that can be enjoyed by everyone at the holiday table.

Gluten Free Velvety Smooth Gravy

Most gravy is thickened with wheat flour so I love to accompany the turkey with my own homemade, velvety smooth gravy made with the turkey drippings. Yum.

Velvety Smooth Gluten Free Gravy

Get all my tips and techniques to make velvety smooth gluten free gravy in this quick and easy tutorial.

Check out this recipe

Gluten Free Stuffing Recipe

Thanksgiving just doesn’t seem like Thanksgiving without the stuffing. Several of the secret ingredients to my savory, gluten-free version are Udi’s bread, onions, celery, bell peppers, garlic, parsley, sage, and thyme.

And, best of all, it takes only twenty minutes to prepare and then an hour in the oven. I make sure to use my biggest casserole dish as everyone always clamors for seconds and thirds. 

Savory Gluten Free Stuffing Or Dressing Recipe

This gluten free stuffing is out of this world delicious, easy to make, and everyone at your table will love it. It’s sure to become a favorite trimming at your Thanksgiving feast or any holiday meal. 

Check out this recipe

Bacon Brussels Sprouts Recipe

Next up, bacon Brussels sprouts! I love serving up a special vegetable on holidays. Delicious side dishes don’t get any better than this. 😊

Bacon Brussels Sprouts: Restaurant Style Recipe

You can never go wrong with bacon, right? These super easy Brussels sprouts are always an instant hit with adults and kids alike. And they're keto because they're low carb and full of fiber.

Check out this recipe

Gluten Free Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

Now, this beautiful pie could be reserved for dessert, but I usually sneak it onto the table as a side dish with the ham and turkey. What’s more, it can be made in a gluten free pie shell or without the crust as a creamy pudding. Let me show you how to make this scrumptious sweet potato dish both ways. With the first bite, you’ll fall in love with its sweet, creamy goodness. 

Gluten Free Sweet Potato Pie

This is a traditional Thanksgiving dish in the Southern United States; one taste and you will fall in love with gluten free sweet potato pie's sweet, creamy goodness.

Check out this recipe

Gluten Free Pumpkin Crisp Recipe

Finally, your gluten-free taste buds don’t have to skip dessert at this year’s Thanksgiving. This pumpkin crisp combines all the wonderful flavors of fall with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg and a topping of crunchy chopped pecans. 

Gluten Free Pumpkin Crisp

Fill your home with the wonderful aroma of gluten free pumpkin crisp baking in the oven. It's a great tasting alternative to traditional pumpkin pie.

Check out this recipe

Gluten Free Apple Pie Recipe

Yes, I’ve saved the best for last. Here it is. A delectable gluten-free apple pie just for you. Juicy apple slices tossed with spices and covered in a flakey, flavorful crust. Is your mouth watering yet? 😉 

Irresistible Gluten Free Apple Pie (With Step By Step Pictures)

Easy gluten free apple pie is a delicious homemade pie you can whip up and serve hot from the oven in about an hour.

Check out this recipe

Gluten Free Apple Pie may be the grand finale, but I’ve got a few more new recipes up my sleeve! Here are four more irresistible Thanksgiving recipes you won’t want to miss!

Hearty Gluten Free Chicken Noodle Soup in the Slow Cooker

Here's an easy traditional chicken noodle soup recipe for you. It's made from a whole chicken. It simmers in your slow cooker (or on the stove), filling the house with its healing aroma.

Check out this recipe

Gluten Free Chocolate Cream Pie with MI-DEL's Graham Style Pie Crust

Gluten Free Chocolate Cream Pie with MI-DEL's Graham Style Pie Crust is a quick easy delicious dessert.

Check out this recipe

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes Recipe (Gluten Free)

These gluten free pancakes are so easy to make and absolutely delicious. They're moist and fluffy on the inside, slightly crispy around the edges, and flavored with pumpkin spice to make them a tasty breakfast.

Check out this recipe

Gluten Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

These healthy cookies are loaded with milk chocolate chips. They're refined sugar free and gluten free so everyone can enjoy them. And they smell heavenly when they're baking in your oven.

Check out this recipe

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope these quick and easy recipes will become favorites in your house as they are in mine. Have a blessed and delicious Thanksgiving feast!

You might also like

12 Nutritious Soups And Side Dishes To Grace Your Holiday Table – This collection of a dozen delicious dishes can be enjoyed by everyone at the holiday table.

Cucumber Bites With Three Amazing Topping – These cucumber bites are a quick and easy appetizer that are ready in 10 minutes. They’re a cinch to make and so fun to eat. 

Irish Nachos Pub Style Potatoes – This amazing appetizer is a fun twist on traditional nachos. Crispy, seasoned potato slices are drowned in cheese and bacon.

Parmesan Baked Sweet Potatoes – These sweet potatoes are roasted in lots of butter with a hint of garlic and parmesan cheese that forms an out-of-this-world delicious parmesan crust on top. Yum.

Rosemary Sweet Potatoes And Mushrooms – Caramelized shallots, roasted sweet potatoes, mushrooms and chopped garlic cloves are sprinkled with fresh parsley in this delectable holiday treat. They’re utterly addictive!

Love these recipes? Save to Pinterest

The post 10 Favorite Gluten Free Thanksgiving Recipes appeared first on Gluten Free Homestead.

Featured comment

Here’s what one Pinterest fan had to say after trying this method:

Easy […] Always dreaded the struggle so I never bought pomegranates. Thank you for posting this! It makes me wanna buy them on the regular. Plus, no pink fingers! #winning”

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I’m excited to share my latest YouTube video: How to Cut Open a Pomegranate! You can watch it right here or head over to YouTube.

If you’ve ever struggled with getting those jewel-like seeds out of a pomegranate without making a mess, this video is just for you.

You’ll see exactly how to properly cut open a pomegranate safely and efficiently, revealing the hundreds of nutritious seeds nestled within its vibrant, juicy pulp.

Pomegranates are truly remarkable fruits. Like a tiny gem, each seed is bursting with a unique, tangy-sweet flavor that can be added to so many dishes.

Try your seeds in my Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar And Honey Glazed Carrots or toss some into this Christmas Mojito Recipe for a seasonal spin.

Plus, these little gems aren’t just delicious. They’re packed with nutritious benefits. Pomegranates have been revered across cultures for centuries, not only for their taste but also for their impressive nutritional profile.

Why Pomegranates Are Worth the Effort

Pomegranates are considered one of the healthiest fruits in the world. They’re loaded with powerful antioxidants, such as polyphenols and flavonoids, which help fight free radicals in the body and reduce inflammation.

Additionally, pomegranates are rich in vitamins like vitamin C and vitamin K, and minerals such as potassium.

As a result, these nutrients contribute to a variety of benefits, including improved heart health, reduced risk of certain cancers, and better cognitive function.

I invite you to delve deeper into incredible pomegranates in our guide, “Amazing Pomegranates: One Of The Healthiest Foods In The World” packed with fascinating facts about pomegranates.

Step-by-Step Guide to Cutting and Seeding a Pomegranate

Here is a summary of the video breaking down the process into simple steps, complete with pictures to guide you through:

1. Cut Off the Flower: Start by washing and drying your pomegranate. Then cut off the flower (also known as the crown) from the top of the pomegranate. This will expose the segments within.

2. Score the Skin: Hold the pomegranate with one hand and use a knife to score the skin down one side. Make sure to only cut through the skin and not too deeply into the seeds. Rotate the pomegranate and make another score down the opposite side.

3. Twist and Break Apart: Gently twist and pull apart the pomegranate into sections. You should be able to break it into segments with ease.

4. Soak in Water: Fill a bowl with water and place a strainer in it. Soak the pomegranate segments in the water for about 5 minutes. This helps loosen the seeds from the membrane and makes the process much easier.

5. Remove the Seeds: After soaking, gently pry the seeds out from the spongy pulp. The seeds will sink to the bottom of the bowl, while the lighter pieces of pith will float to the top.

6. Clean Up: Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the pith and discard it. 

What you’re left with are those beautiful, edible pomegranate seeds!

This method is not only effective but also minimizes mess. By soaking the pomegranate in water, you prevent the juice from splattering, and the water helps in separating the seeds from the pith. This technique ensures you get the most out of your pomegranate while keeping your kitchen clean.

Creative Ways to Enjoy Pomegranate Seeds

Once you’ve mastered cutting and seeding a pomegranate, you’ll want to make the most of these delicious seeds. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Salad recipes: Sprinkle pomegranate seeds over salads for a burst of color and flavor. They pair exceptionally well with spinach, feta, goat cheese, and walnuts.
• Smoothie recipes: Add a handful of pomegranate seeds to your smoothies for a refreshing twist and extra antioxidants.
• Dessert recipes: Top yogurt, ice cream, or gluten free baked goods with pomegranate seeds for a vibrant and tangy touch. Or simply enjoy them by the handful!
• Salsas and Sauces: Incorporate seeds into salsas or sauces for a unique, fruity flavor.

Pro tips And Recipe Notes

Storing pomegranate seeds properly helps maintain their freshness and flavor. Here’s how to do it:

1. Refrigeration: Place the seeds in an airtight container to keep them fresh in the refrigerator, pomegranate seeds can last for about 1 to 2 weeks.<br>Tip: If you notice any moisture inside the container, consider adding a paper towel to absorb excess moisture.

2. Freezing: Spread the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze them for a few hours. This prevents them from sticking together. Once frozen, transfer the seeds to an airtight freezer bag or container. Frozen pomegranate seeds can last for up to 6 months. They are best used within this time frame for optimal flavor and texture.<br>Tip: Label the container with the date so you can keep track of how long they’ve been stored.

3. Thawing: To thaw, simply remove the seeds from the freezer and let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes. You can also use them directly from frozen in smoothies or recipes where they will be blended.

By following these storage methods, you can enjoy the vibrant taste of pomegranate seeds anytime you like!

I hope you find this video and guide helpful in making your pomegranate experience enjoyable and rewarding. Don’t forget to check out the video for a visual demonstration of each step, and if you haven’t already, explore our detailed article on amazing pomegranates.

Enjoy your pomegranate, and happy seeding!

And if you have any questions, please reach out to me in the comments or shoot me an email, and I’ll respond ASAP.

Please share this post with your friends.
Also, please give it a “Like” on my YouTube channel and say “hi” in the comments. Thanks!

Before you go, I have one more resource you might enjoy.

On those nights when you’re staring at plain meat or fish and wondering how to make dinner a little more exciting, my Sauce Method for Easy Dinners gives you a simple system for turning everyday proteins into meals you’ll look forward to. You’ll spend less time figuring out what to cook and more time enjoying what’s on your plate.

Love pomegranates? Try these recipes.

Festive Autumn Salad with Apples, Pomegranate, Pistachios, and Goat Cheese This pretty autumn salad is so nutritious and delicious.

Pomegranate Spinach Salad Bid goodbye to the boring side salad with this bowl of crisp, baby spinach, juicy pear slices, sweet pomegranate seeds, and tangy goat cheese.

Pomegranate And Berry Blast Green Smoothie This is an incredibly nutritious smoothie, and just wait until you taste how delicious it is too.

Like this video? Pin it!

Print

How To Cut Open A Pomegranate

Discover the easiest way to cut and seed a pomegranate with our straightforward video and step-by-step photo guide. Learn techniques and creative recipes ideas for these nutritious, jewel-like seeds. 

Course Appetizer Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 8kcal

Author Barbara Bianchi

Ingredients

• 1 pomegranate

Instructions

• To begin, wash and dry your pomegranate.

  Then cut off the flower from the top of the pomegranate.
• Grab the bottom with one hand and score the pomegranate down one side, and turn and score down the other side.
• Twist and break your pomegranate apart.
• Place a strainer in a bowl filled with water, and soak your pomegranate for about 5 minutes.
• Now the seeds which are nestled in the spongy pulp can be easily removed. The seeds will sink to the bottom and the smaller pieces of pith will rise to the top.
• Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the pith and discard it. What you’re left with are those beautiful, edible pomegranate seeds!

Video

Notes

Storing pomegranate seeds properly helps maintain their freshness and flavor. Here’s how to do it:

1. Refrigeration: Place the seeds in an airtight container to keep them fresh in the refrigerator, pomegranate seeds can last for about 1 to 2 weeks.
Tip: If you notice any moisture inside the container, consider adding a paper towel to absorb excess moisture.

2. Freezing: Spread the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze them for a few hours. This prevents them from sticking together. Once frozen, transfer the seeds to an airtight freezer bag or container. Frozen pomegranate seeds can last for up to 6 months. They are best used within this time frame for optimal flavor and texture.
Tip: Label the container with the date so you can keep track of how long they’ve been stored.

3. Thawing: To thaw, simply remove the seeds from the freezer and let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes. You can also use them directly from frozen in smoothies or recipes where they will be blended.

By following these storage methods, you can enjoy the vibrant taste of pomegranate seeds anytime you like!

Nutrition

Calories: 8kcal | Carbohydrates: 2.1g | Protein: 0.1g

The post How to Cut Open a Pomegranate appeared first on Gluten Free Homestead.

When I was a child, I remember my mom bringing home an unusual fruit one day. It looked a little like an apple but not exactly. She said it was a Chinese apple. I didn’t know it at the time but that was the British term for pomegranates.

She was so excited to show it to me. “Wait until you see what’s inside,” she said, “You’re not going to believe what you see.”

As she started to slice it open, a ruby red juice immediately poured out. When she exposed the inside, I was amazed to see hundreds of tiny jewel-like seeds. To a seven-year-old, this was no ordinary apple.

She told me to try one of the seeds. Looking at them, I expected that they would have the taste of candy. She broke a couple seeds off the rind, and I tried them.

They didn’t taste like candy at all. They were juicy, but also a little bitter tasting. I was a little disappointed. We continued to break more seeds off and ended up making a complete mess of the pomegranate and everything else around.

That was the last time my mom bought a pomegranate. I guess she figured it was just too difficult to open, and the bitter taste didn’t justify all that work.

However, since that time, my perspective on pomegranates has completely changed. I’ve figured out how to open and deseed them easily, and I’ve come to appreciate their taste and goodness.

In this post, I’ll show you how valued the pomegranate has been, why it’s one of the healthiest fruits created for us, how to open it easily, and how you can really enjoy its taste.

By the way, if culinary history intrigues you, you may enjoy reading my piece, Spoon Bread History And Easy Recipe. It’s a quintessentially delicious American dish that was a favorite among many of the founding fathers.

November is national pomegranate month

Did you know this month is National Pomegranate Month? I’m not exactly sure who officially made the proclamation but according to the Farmer’s Almanac and Wikipedia, it is. So I guess that means it must be true. Tongue in cheek.

Nonetheless, regardless of who made the proclamation, I think it’s a fabulous idea. Pomegranates are certainly worthy of such a high honor. Not only are they a delicious and nutritious fruit, but they have also been a fruit that’s been venerated in cultures throughout the centuries.

When the ancients set apart a food, as important I think that should give us pause to take a closer look at it and see if they knew something important we don’t know or have forgotten. Let’s see what the ancients thought about pomegranates.

Pomegranates in ancient Egypt

In ancient Egypt, the pomegranate was considered a symbol of ambition and prosperity. There is also evidence that around 1500 BC the Egyptians used it to treat stomach worms and other infections.

Pomegranates in ancient Greece

The pomegranate was also a central feature in many ancient Greek mythologies. Hades was said to have tricked Persephone, a vegetation goddess, to remain in Hades by getting her to eat some pomegranate seeds. By eating the seeds, she was condemned to spend part of every year in Hades.

Her yearly decent into the underworld and return to the world above was associated with seasons and harvesting and planting. The pomegranate, which was central to that myth, eventually came to be seen as a symbol of life, regeneration, and marriage.

The fruit still plays a part in many Greek traditions.

Pomegranates in ancient Israel

The pomegranate is mentioned several times in the Bible. In Numbers 13:23, the spies sent by Moses to scout out the promised land brought back pomegranates as a sign of the fertility of the land.

In Deuteronomy 8:8, Moses says that a good land was one that contained pomegranates.

The high priest’s robe was embroidered with pomegranates around its hem (Ex 28:33-34). In 1 Kings 7:20-21, we are told that the capitals of the two pillars that stood in front of Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem were engraved with pomegranates.

In Song of Solomon 4:3, pomegranates are associated with beauty.

According to some rabbinic traditions, the fruit is also said to have 613 seeds, which corresponds to the 613 commandments of the Torah. It is also said to be a food eaten at Rosh Hashanah and is associated with blessings.

Pomegranates in other traditions

Madonna of the Pomegranate by Sandro Botticelli, c. 1487

Pomegranates are often depicted in early Christian works of art. A Mosaic from a 4th-century church shows Jesus flanked by pomegranates.

They also show up in religious paintings by DaVinci and Botticelli.

In Persian mythology, Isfandiyar eats a pomegranate and becomes invincible. In The Histories, Herodotus mentions golden pomegranates adorning the spears of warriors in the Persian phalanx.

These warriors could be the Immortals. They were an elite infantry unit in ancient Persia who had spears with pomegranate-shaped counterweights at the butt. You might remember them from the movie 300.

Many other ancient cultures throughout the Middle-East and Asia used the pomegranate as a representation of fertility and prosperity.

There must have been something special for that fruit to be so highly honored in a vast number of ancient cultures.

Did the ancients know something about pomegranates that we’re only recently finding out about today?

Let’s take a look at some of the extraordinary health benefits of pomegranates.

Ancient medicinal uses of pomegranates

As I noted before, the ancient Egyptians used pomegranates as a cure for stomach worms and other infections.

In India, they were used in the Ayurvedic system of medicine for the treatment of diarrhea and dysentery.

Dioscorides, a Greek physician who practiced medicine in Rome during the reign of the emperor Nero and was also a surgeon with the Roman army, described his medical uses of pomegranates,

“All sorts of pommegranats are of a pleasant taste and good for ye stomach . . . The juice of the kernells prest out, being sod and mixed with Hony, are good for the ulcers that are in ye mouth and in ye Genitalls and in the seate, as also for the Pterygia in digitis and for the Nomae and ye excrescencies in ulcers, and for ye paines of ye eares, and for the griefs in ye nosthrills . . . The decoction of ye flowers is a collution of moist flagging gummes and of loose teeth . . . ye rinde having a binding faculty . . . but ye decoction of ye roots doth expell and kill the Latas tineas ventris.”

Dioscorides published a five-volume book on medical treatments and pharmacology which became widely used throughout Asia and Europe for many centuries.

For more on the Medieval Eastern Mediterranean medical uses of pomegranates, see here.

Let’s discover the scientific basis for what made pomegranates a much-desired healing food in the ancient world.

Two potent medicinal compounds in pomegranates

There are two compounds in pomegranates that appear to be responsible for its extraordinary medicinal qualities.

Punicalagins

Punicalagins are extremely potent antioxidants found in the juice and rind of the pomegranate. Antioxidants are extremely important for neutralizing cancer and disease-causing free radicals.

Interestingly, these antioxidants from the pomegranate are not absorbed intact into the bloodstream but are hydrolyzed to ellagic acid over several hours in the intestine. Intestinal flora, therefore, has some role in metabolizing punicalagins. This is another reason to make sure your gut flora is optimized. See here: How 24-Hour Probiotic Yogurt Can Help Improve Your Health.

The antioxidants found in pomegranates are so powerful that they have been found to have three times the antioxidant activity of red wine and green tea. See here.

Punicic acid

Punicic acid is the main fatty acid in the seed or aril of the pomegranate. It is a type of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) with powerful biological properties. Some of the health benefits associated with naturally occurring CLA may include a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and cancer.

There also have been studies showing that CLA may play a beneficial part in preventing heart disease.

Health benefits of pomegranates

1. Lowers inflammation

Many diseases (such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimers Disease, and metabolic syndrome) are thought to be driven by chronic inflammation.

Lowering inflammation should be a priority in your health plan.

Studies have shown that pomegranates have a powerful anti-inflammatory effect in the gastrointestinal system as well as in breast cancer and colon cancer cells.

2. Pomegranates may aid in the fight against prostate cancer

Results from studies in cells, animals, and humans clearly point to the benefit of pomegranate extract in slowing down prostate cancer cell growth.

Some studies have even shown that pomegranate extract can even cause prostate cancer cell death.

Pomegranate juice was also found to have a positive effect on improving prostate-specific antigen (PSA) progression in men following treatment for prostate cancer.

3. Pomegranates may help in breast cancer prevention

Some limited studies have been performed to show that pomegranate extract may be helpful in inhibiting the proliferation of breast cancer cells and inducing apoptosis (cell death). See here and here.

4. Pomegranates may help fight bacterial and fungal infections

As we saw previously in ancient times, pomegranates were used to fight a variety of infections.

Scientific studies have since shown the pomegranate’s efficacy in antimicrobial function. However, this seems to be limited to the pomegranate rind. See here, here and here.

5. Pomegranates may be useful in fighting heart disease

Today, more people in the United States die prematurely from heart disease than any other disease.

As I mentioned earlier, punicic acid (a type of CLA) may be helpful in preventing heart disease. One study has shown that punicic acid significantly lowered triglycerides and improved the triglyceride to HDL ratio in 51 people who had high cholesterol and triglycerides levels.

A smaller study which included 22 patients with type II diabetes and hyperlipidemia found that concentrated pomegranate juice significantly reduced total cholesterol levels.

The oxidation of LDL particles has been implicated in promoting atherosclerosis. Pomegranate juice may aid in limiting this process and thus help in the prevention of heart disease. See here and here.

6. Other health benefits of pomegranates

Pomegranate juice may also be helpful in lowering blood pressure, increasing memory function and increasing exercise performance, especially in aerobic sports.

The bottom line: Pomegranates have been prized by numerous cultures throughout the ages and may be one of the healthiest foods in the world.

Pomegranate cutting tips and recipe ideas

For a hassle-free Way To Cut And Seed Your Pomegranate, watch our video tutorial that demonstrates the easiest and safest method.

You can enjoy pomegranate seeds with these delicious recipes:

Festive Autumn Kale Salad with Apples, Pomegranate, Pistachios, and Goat Cheese

This wonderful autumn kale salad is made with massaged kale, apples, toasted pistachios, and goat cheese topped with pomegranate seeds.

Check out this recipe

Pomegranate Spinach Salad Recipe

Bid goodbye to the boring side salad with this bowl of crisp, baby spinach, juicy pear slices, sweet pomegranate seeds, and tangy goat cheese. This salad is a nutritious feast of fresh and seasonal ingredients.

Check out this recipe

Pomegranate And Berry Blast Green Smoothie (Weekly Workouts)

Five ingredients all add up to an incredibly nutritious smoothie, and just wait until you taste how delicious it is too.

Check out this recipe

Pomegranate, Balsamic, And Raw Honey Glazed Carrots

These glazed carrots will look so bright and beautiful on your table.

Check out this recipe

Enjoy some pomegranate seeds today, in a salad, blended in a juice, or even by the handful. Have a happy and healthy week!

Read this next

What You Need To Know About Healthy And Unhealthy Cooking Fats

How 24-Hour Probiotic Yogurt Can Help Improve Your Health

Is There Arsenic In Your Rice?

Our Summer Garden

Journey to Health: John’s Story

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The post Amazing Pomegranates: One Of The Healthiest Foods In The World appeared first on Gluten Free Homestead.

So many kids are heading off to college this fall, and I know many of you moms are full of anxiety. This is especially true if your child has celiac disease. After being so careful at home to steer them clear of gluten, we worry if they will be as careful when they’re on their own.

When my oldest son went off to college, I took comfort in the fact that his school offered an exceptional gluten-free meal plan. Still, he was finding it difficult to find healthy gluten-free snacks unless he went off campus.

At the same time, I was trying to get used to walking past his empty room and not hearing his conversation at the dinner table.

One way I found to ease the sadness and stay connected was to send care packages filled with gluten-free comfort foods and other thoughtful items.

If he wanted a snack, some gluten-free items would always be there.

If your son or daughter is gluten-free and headed off to college, they’re probably feeling the stress of college life kick in right about now.

Receiving gluten-free care packages with some of their favorite foods will definitely help them adjust.

With those thoughts in mind, I’m revisiting my post on how to prepare the ultimate gluten free college care package.

Here’s how I did it

Typically, I sent a package every week while my son was away.

I kept the box open on the kitchen counter welcoming everyone at home to add any items they thought he’d enjoy.

Every now and then, a sibling would drop something in.

Here’s a tip: the U.S. post office offers free flat rate priority boxes. There’s one postage rate no matter the weight so you can load up the box and even send heavy canned goods at no extra cost.

Here are some of the items I’d include:

Store-bought gluten free foods 

Send your son or daughter’s favorite treats. Some of my son’s favorites were:
Progresso soups (gluten free choices are indicated on the label)
Gluten free muffins (he liked these)
Gluten free crackers
Gluten free energy bar
Gluten free pretzels
Nuts
Raisins

Carefully place homemade baked goods in a plastic container or tin to avoid breakage.

Homemade gluten free foods

Show your love with homemade gluten-free muffins, cookies, or brownies. I prefer sending homemade treats rather than store bought because I can make them healthier and sugar-free.

These grain free blueberry muffins, delicious gluten free corn muffins, gluten free chocolate cake donuts, or decadent gluten free chocolate chip cookies would be perfect for a care package.

Fun stuff

You can throw in photographs, a frisbee, your child’s favorite magazine, a travel mug, gift cards, pens, toiletries, and even a roll of quarters for the laundry.

Encouragement

Don’t forget to send a card or note especially at midterm and finals time. When students are crunched for time, quick gluten-free foods and snacks are a welcome treat. I even have small scripture cards I included in each package, too.

I knew my packages were appreciated when we visited my son at the college.

His roommate greeted me and exclaimed, “Thank you for sending the care packages; the muffins are really good.” It was heartwarming to know that my son was sharing his goodies.

Not only was I blessing my son, but another college boy away from home as well.

Bulging care packages filled with gluten free treats are certainly appreciated every time they arrive.

Sending those care packages only lasted for two years. My son eventually transferred to a college that he could commute to from home.

Nicole completed 2 years of college on-line. Then she commuted to that college also and completed her degree.

Michael (our app developer) took college on-line courses and earned college credit by exam, receiving 75% of his college credits while completing high school requirements at home.

When he graduated from high school, he went on to complete his senior year of college completely on-line the very next year!

If you’re curious to know more about saving money and completing some or all of your college courses at home, ask me.

Along with healthy living, homeschooling is one of my favorite things to talk about.

This will be my final year of homeschooling. Peter (you know him as our talented food photographer) will be in his senior year of high school this fall.

Time goes by fast, and now they’re all grown up.

If you have a student away at school, what will you include in their care package? Do you have any tips to share? Please stay and leave me a comment.

The post How to Prepare the Ultimate Gluten Free College Care Package appeared first on Gluten Free Homestead.

Hello, Gluten Free Recipe Book PRO users! Have you updated to the latest version?

We’ve just completed our latest update for the Gluten Free Recipe Book PRO iPhone app! There are now 150 delicious recipes, a new note taking page for writing up your shopping list, and in-app access to the Gluten Free Homestead blog.

If you haven’t purchased yours yet, now is the time. Get it here.

If you have an iPhone® and/or an iPod touch®, you’ll have instant access to our collection of quick, easy, and delicious gluten free recipes that you can easily access when picking up ingredients at the grocery store or preparing the meals at home.

Watch this short video about the App:

Make sure to update your Gluten Free Recipe Book PRO app today to get the latest version or you can download the app by clicking on the button below:

If you love the app, please rate and leave a review on iTunes — your feedback means a lot and it will help others discover the app in the App Store. Thank you!

iPhone, and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.

The post Gluten Free Recipe Book PRO APP Update appeared first on Gluten Free Homestead.