A New Year!

It’s 2011, can you believe it? Where did 2010 go anyway? Am I the only one that feels that the years are flying by all too quickly? Our world seems to be moving faster and faster every year.

Is this the year that you are going to take the plunge and see if eating gluten-free will help relieve some of your symptoms? Have you been told by a doctor that you need to avoid wheat and gluten rich foods in order to solve your health issues? Does that thought scare you?

You are not alone!

Gluten intolerance and allergies are growing, it is becoming more and more common to find gluten-free items in grocery stores, on restaurant menus and in other places you least expect them. In one way, this is a good thing for those that are eating and living this way. On the other hand, it’s almost alarming how common it has become.

Many years ago, when we were told by my son’s doctor to avoid gluten to see if it solved his stomach and intestinal issues there was little readily available to us. Before that, my husbands brother also went through a time of having to avoid gluten to see if it would solve his health issues as well. For him and his wife, it was even harder to deal with.

Today, you can go into most any grocery store and find gluten-free items. Breads, breakfast cereal, snacks and condiments are labeled as gluten-free. Companies like Better Crocker, General Mills and others are jumping onto the gluten-free band wagon. They see what we have known for some time, gluten-free products will sell because it is so much more common than ever before. Money talks, sad, but true!

So, you are joining this “movement” of sorts and are feeling lost. Don’t feel alone, everyone does at first. Thankfully, you have come here to a place where information, recipes and product information abounds. Gling was created to give you a place to learn, share and connect with others who face or have faced just what you see before you now! How great is that?

Our recipe section has a recipe for just about anything you could think of from bread to cookies and breakfast to dinner. We’ve got a bit of everything. Party foods tasty desserts. If you are missing it, or craving it, we’ve got it. If you don’t find it, ask and we’ll do our best as a community to find it for you!

Join a tribe and connect with other people who are going through what you are. We have tribes for parents of autistic children, cooking for kids, dairy free, egg free, and nut free to name a few. The tribes offer places to share, connect and learn. Ask questions, share information and make friends.

Connect with the community of Gling through tweets. You can share a bit of what you are doing, cooking or looking for. Find people to connect with on our friends page. Yet another way to connect with others facing what you are facing.

So much to learn, so much information out there about what you are facing, thinking about and needing to know. We have pages of blog posts that you can read, all about cooking, shopping, planning, entertaining and feeding your family.

Looking for a location near you that sells gluten-free products or foods? Our locations page has a host of places. If you know of one in your area and don’t see it on our list, please add it! That goes for any other area of Gling from recipes to foods, add your favorites!

While the thought of avoiding gluten in a gluten-rich world is overwhelming, thankfully there are resources available to you. There is information here that we hope will help to simplify your new year of gluten-free living. Even the seasoned gluten-free person will find resources here that they’ve been missing, and we hope that they will share some of what they’ve learned as well.

Have a Happy New Year! 2011 could be your tastiest year yet...with a little help from our recipe section.