Review: Helpful but Bland
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 02 25, 2013
To be honest eating foods that have gluten in it never really bothered me until I read in a magazine that a gluten free diet can help people who suffer with migraines, chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. It has been proven that the diet cures these problems but some studies have shown that it provides some relief. Gluten is the stuff that makes comfort foods like bread and pizza taste so good. Its a protein that adds the texture and consistency that we like in these foods.I suffer with terrible migraines so naturally the moment I read that taking the gluten out of my diet can help, I was intrigued. I just had to get my hands on a book that showed me the different foods that were gluten free. On my own I discovered it is really difficult to put a healthy list together because its not just about reading the labels to see if it has gluten or not, you have to look at the fat content as well. Since manufactures make up for the lack of gluten in foods by adding fat and sugar to make it more tasty, the food essentially becomes unhealthy.I did not want to fill my body with junk simply because it claimed to be gluten free. It's overwhelming enough having to stand in the supermarket reading cans and box labels to determine whether those products should go into my trolley or not.  I needed a comprehensive list compiled by an expert to save me all the trouble. From all the self-help books I have read from Stephen Williams so far, this was the one that I was least impressed with. The recipes were limited. They were helpful and easy to follow but very bland.I was hoping for some more exciting recipes to be included to get me sold on preparing and eating gluten free meals. This book reminded me of the Buckley's commercial slogan "It tastes awful but it works!". The bottom line is that Stephen listed the foods that were gluten free, he included some basic recipes to follow and tightened things up with a few helpful tips along the way. I can definitely see myself preparing some of these dishes and possibly enjoying them, I just have to add a few Caribbean spices to give it a kick.It will work but I would have liked this book to be longer, include a wider range of recipes, have more exciting selections and focus more on the benefits of eating gluten free. Stephen did manage to show me what comfort foods I could enjoy without the gluten. I think with a little editing to beef up the content so to speak, this book would be a very good addition to my kitchen library.