I’ve been a carb lover my entire life. Since I was a tinier version of myself I would get giddy at the sound of the words "bread", "pasta" and "pizza" and, truly, who doesn’t!? The convenience that loaves of bread and the pocket friendliness of pasta represent in any parent’s life have made us all gluten addicts and I’m not full-blown ashamed to admit I am one of them.
It’s a tricky situation to navigate through life loving and indulging in those things you truly like and dismissing the effect that they have on your body—until you arrive at a point in your life (the exact one I’m at) and try not being so indulgent and not giving into the pleasures of entire French baguettes with butter and countless bowls of pasta topped with Parmesan—then, you arrive at the terrifying realization that while those scrumptious foods feel good in your mouth, your body feels better without them.
Yes, I’m becoming one of those people who worry about gluten... and while I truly dislike some people excusing their true motives (weight-loss and fitness) by self-labeling themselves as "gluten intolerant", I must admit my body THRIVES when I eat less of it. It’s not only my body to be honest; it’s my energy levels. It’s the way I’m able to process things mentally and even my mood.
The more I research about this topic and the more I try to go gluten free some days of the week, I realize my little pasta-loving monster aka EP, 9-year-old thinker and most recently beach volleyball athlete daughter, might just feel the same way. Thankfully we have an entire world of delicious food at our disposal and while our options might become a little more limited, our bodies will thank us in the end.
These pancakes are a testament to how wide the gluten-free world is becoming and I’m ready to expand my views and invite my daughter to jump on this train with me.
Where do you stand when it comes to gluten? Have you ever gone without it?
