My 14 Day Gluten Free Journey with Udi's Results

Though I knew I needed to (for health reasons) and I had already began incorporating some gluten free foods into my diet, I hadn't gone completely gluten free.  15 days ago I embarked on a 14 Day Gluten Free Journey inspired by Udi's and now I'm convinced this is where I need to be.

Why?  Here's the quick run-down of things that happened over the past two weeks:

• My belly bloat has nearly vanished.  Particularly the puffy bump I'd often get in my upper mid-section (above the belly button.)  Gone- poof!  Hurray! 
• Which in turn, makes my jeans fit better and makes me feel less self-conscious about muffin top. I even had to wear a belt with a favorite pair of jeans, a great feeling.
• I lost 6 pounds.  This was totally unexpected and a highly welcome result.  Whether that was weight my body was retaining from gluten overload or the result of generally making healthier diet choices, I'll take it!
• I'm more focused.  I didn't realize I had as much brain fog as I did until it was gone.  Mornings prior to 98 percent gluten free (I had a minor slip up or two) were more difficult.  Now I find that I'm waking up quickly, ready to go, and feeling more well rested. 

I also learned a lot about gluten free along the way that I didn't know before, including how many hidden glutens there are in foods we wouldn't suspect like ice cream, soups, and lunch meat.  Even vitamins, shampoos, and mouthwashes can contain gluten.  This has been a real eye opener and I'm beginning to get more adept at reading labels and researching products. CeliacCentral.org has some excellent resources. 

Udi's didn't only provide the inspiration for me to go 100 percent gluten free but they've certainly made it 100 percent easier to accomplish by offering all my favorite staples like pizza crust, muffins, and rolls in gluten free form.  But not only are they gluten free, they are delicious and quite frankly, I find the Udi's gluten free foods to be on par, often better than my old gluten-filled go-to's.  

Where will I go from here?  Straight to enjoying a celebratory Udi's Gluten Free Brownie Stack! 

And next up is working on making my kitchen more gluten free. Did you know that when you bake with wheat flour residual flour dust can stay in the air for up to 24 hours, and certainly finds its way into cracks and crevices.  The trick for holiday baking will be to sanitize and make my gluten free items first.  

While I expect I will not be 100 percent gluten free 100 percent of the time due to hidden glutens and the occasional sampling/restaurant visit/vacation and so, I plan to stay as gluten free as possible in my dietary choices because it makes me a much happy, healthier, focused, and less bloated me!

Thanks to Udi's for the inspiration, education, and amazing gluten free product choices!

Do you think that you may be gluten sensitive? 

If you have fatigue, GI distress, unexplained weight loss/gain, infertility, inability to concentrate, or tingling/numbness in legs, you may be contending with Celiac Disease or a Gluten Intolerance. Be sure to open up a dialogue with your doctor if you have concerns.

If you've been considering or already embarking on a gluten free diet, join me in the 14 day challenge, or follow along as I'll continue to report my findings along the way.

If you are interested in sampling Udi's Gluten Free foods, check out their $1 off coupon offer at http://shop.udisglutenfree.com/special-offers

Disclosure: I received product and information from Udi's for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are solely that of Rural Mom. I am choosing to participate in the 14 day Gluten Free Challenge for personal health reasons, I am not receiving compensation for my time or communications. Email This