Review: better safe than sorry
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 14, 2013
What is a gluten-free diet?  Is it a fad or a must?I read an article in New York Times about gluten-free diet and whether it is needed or not.  In a society where the culture includes pizza, pasta, cupcakes, and bread to name a few, a gluten-free diet is something that will raise eyebrows - even if some celebrities follow this regimen.Here are the facts where gluten-free diet is a must:1) if a person has celiac disease  - this is a disease that is according to the website of US National Library of Medicine "is a condition that damages the lining of the small intestine and prevents it from absorbing parts of food that are important for staying healthy.  The damage is due to a reaction to eating gluten, which is found in wheat, barley, rye, and possibly oats.2) if a person is gluten sensitive (medically termed as non-celiac gluten sensitivity) -  this means that a person doesn't have the celiac disease but responds negatively on a diet with gluten after becoming healthy with a gluten-free diet.3) if a person has an allergy to wheat and not necessarily gluten.Incidentally, I also learned that gluten-sensitivity is still an unknown malady to the medical world.  Medical experts agree that the said condition exists but they are just beginning to explore it and it is still unidentifiable.Here is also another fact, many people have celiac disease but do not know it.  Consequently, for an unknown but considered illness, many people can also be gluten-sensitive but ignorant about it, too.Where does this book fit in?This is book is not just for those who know that they are gluten-sensitive or that they have celiac disease or wheat allergy.  This book is also for those who do not know that they have those diseases.  Therefore, this book is for all of us - whether we have the disease or not.  Either way, we will not know unless we take lab tests for celiac but for non-celiac gluten-sensitivity, identifying the disease is still unreliable as of present time.This book is helpful to those who want to follow the diet.  Stephen Williams gave us several servings of easy to cook recipes that are nutritious, appetizing, and gluten-free.  It gives us palates of gastronomic delicacies that are healthy and satisfying.  This book is a good give-away for people who want to give their loved ones a gift.My only downbeat note here is that other people may appreciate the writer's style of presenting the recipes in narrative format but I prefer recipes in standard recipe format for a clearer perspective.Lastly, I'd like to quote a passage of Stephen Williams in this book, "Health is one of our most important gifts. Without it, we are worth nothing."  It is best that we take care of what is really important - and that is our health.  Do not wait to experience the complications of the disease when you have the power of determining it now.  Remember that prevention is better than cure.