Today I asked Bernice, a stay at home mom and blogger,  a few questions about her gluten-free lifestyle:

 Why did you decide to go gluten-free in your diet?

After doctors told me  my daughter had so called "asthma", They put her on all sorts of pumps and pills. When she didn't get better, I decided to take all junk food, gluten and dairy out of her diet  until she was better and then reintroduced each thing separately to see what caused a reaction. When I discovered that wheat was the issue, I had to start looking for gluten-free options.

 Does your whole family eat gluten-free now?

Yes, most of the time. My husband has whole wheat bread every other day. but other than that we are gluten free

 What does the term "gluten-free" mean? 

Gluten free means NO wheat, oats, rye, semolina, spelt, triticale, barley, malt.
Gluten free means wheat free plus the other grains i just mentioned. Gluten is the sticky part that reacts in the flour when you add water to it making it all pliable and rise nicely with baking powder or yeast.

 Is it hard to shop for gluten-free products?

No,  not really anymore. Many stores are stocking rice pasta and corn pasta, as well  as corn bread and other alternatives.
You can also get gluten free flour mix or rice flour (usually in the health section and not with the regular flours)

Where do you usually get your gluten-free products from?

I often shop at health shops and Wellness Warehouse - but you can also get some gluten free products at bigger stores

 Do you have any cooking advice for people who want to eat gluten-free?

 you just need to start thinking outside the box when cooking. Not just hamburgers and pizza (although you can make your own pizza dough that is gluten free). Think about cooking vegetables and free range chicken, potatoe bake and salads as well as fruit not just bread and pasta all the time. but when you want pasta opt for rice pasta. There are plenty of gluten free recipes for baking too, so you can still have all your favourite baked goods 

Has your body changed at all since going gluten-free?

Yes, myself and my family are hardly ever sick now and we don't get runny noses any more. Plus, I have noticed that we all have alot more energy :)

 Who, in your opinion, should consider a gluten-free diet?

I think babies and children under 3 should be gluten-free, as that is part of why my daughter had breathing and nasal passage problems at such a young age .

 Personally, I think everyone should consider a gluten free diet or at least cut down on gluten to a large degree. When people buy wheat products, they should stay away from everythingthat is super refined(as in made from fine flours and very white), as it is not great for your body.

* Note:  for great gluten-free recipes you can check out Bernice's blog over Here