Deets on a Gluten-Free Lifestyle with Blogger Erica Stolman

Lately gluten-free is the new, hip food trend. Since there have been countless questions about it I sat down with my friend, Erica & she gave me the 411 on her gluten allergy. Oh, and not only is Erica gluten-free, she’s also extremely talented. Yesterday she crafted me this gold chained camera strap– I am way too excited to test this pretty addition out. Be sure to check out her super fashionable blog, Fashionlush; it has the most insane DIY projects.

[ Erica’s handmade floral Coachella headband ]

Here’s the skinny on a gluten-free lifestyle:

+ Describe being gluten-free.

Everyone thinks that living a GF lifestyle will be one of the most difficult things, I was one of those people. People always ask me “how hard is it to be GF”, my response…. easy. At first I was freaked out because I had a serious love affair with bagels, burritos, & pasta, but after a while I adjusted. Now that I have incorporated it into my life, it is something I rarely think twice about. Not only are there tons of great recipes and modifications, but now a days most restaurants have GF options as well.

+ How did you discover you were gluten-free?

I have always been a very tired person, & have always had pesky undereye circles. I have seen many different doctors, allergists, and even dermatologists (for the eyes). None of them could find the answer. My cousin suggested that I go see a naturopath, and since I really have run out of options, I decided to give it a try. The doctor ran a food allergy blood test, which came back saying that I have an intolerance to gluten. A gluten intolerance simply means my body can not digest gluten products as well as others. People think that because of this intolerance, I have celiacs disease, which is a common misconception. Celiac is much more serious, people who do have celiacs have to be really careful about not even eating food that has so much as touched gluten. Luckily, that was not the case for me. I just had to change my diet.

+ Best gluten-free product?

Right now my favorite gluten-free product is the corn pasta from Trader Joe’s. Growing up my favorite food was always spaghetti, and it was one of the hardest to give up. I personally was not a fan of rice pasta (it always turned out to slimy), and quinoa was only a tiny bit better. When I stumbled across GF corn pasta, I decided to give it a try & was beyond pleased. My roommates have even said that it tastes better than regular pasta.

So…let’s get down to the important stuff: are there gluten-free cocktails?

Prior to my gluten free lifestyle, beer was my alcoholic beverage of choice [ light beer that is ]. I was never a huge fan of wine and couldn’t handle the taste of hard liquor- gag. I really stopped drinking for a bit because I couldn’t find an option I was fond of, until someone recommended I try apple cider. I found a six-pack at of Apple Cider at Trader Joe’s, & it is my absolute favorite drink. EVER. It tastes like sparkling apple juice, and gives me just the buzz I need after a long day of work.

+ Would you recommend this lifestyle to everyone?

Absolutely NOT! The gluten free diet has become a bit of a trend nowadays, mostly because people think it will make them lose weight. That is not the case. If you do not have an intolerance to gluten, cutting it out of your diet may actually cause you to have various deficiencies and effect your health negatively. As far as weight loss goes. At first I did drop a few lbs, but once my body readjusted, so did my weight. Being healthy means giving your body what it needs, and avoiding the things it doesn’t. If you want to lose weight, work out regularly, eat healthy without depriving yourself, and read the Skinny Confidential (obviously).

+ Favorite gluten-free recipe that we all HAVE to try?

Butternut squash gluten-free cheesecake. You can find it here.