Back in undergrad, I used to work with local bands planning shows and organizing events. It was an exhausting but fun process. When traveling, it was difficult to get the time to relax let alone fine anything but a quick bite to eat. You were surrounded often by beer, pizza, and fries. By the time I went gluten free I was no longer helping to book show but it all came back to me when the publicist for a gluten free musician contacted me sharing the musician’s story and upcoming cooking videos. I couldn’t imagine being gluten free and living a musician’s life style, so I couldn’t help but connect with them and provide my readers with some insight into the lives of a gluten free musician, someone truly living a gluten free life in a fast paced world, through my first Guest Post.

As the lead singer of Sons of Levi, Chris Levy is described as “leading a lactose- and gluten-free lifestyle. Not only does he produce award-winning songs (his song, “What You Feel,” was even featured in CW’s Smallville), but Chris has also posted a few gluten- and lactose-free cooking webisodes on YouTube” by his publicist. For more about Sons of Levi you can visit their page: http://cyberpr.biz/clients/3087 . For his current webisodes on gluten free and dairy free living visit their youtube page at: http://www.youtube.com/user/sonoflevimusic

Please read below for his guest post. Please note: I am not endorsing his music or any of the companies or products mentioned below. Rather, I am sharing his story and his helpful tips for gluten free living. Please use any of the information below at your own discretion, but enjoy the story!

Gluten-Free Living

Making the decision to be gluten free wasn’t just dietary; it was about lifestyle. I had a lot of negative symptoms that sent me in for a check-up with my doctor, which led him to give me an allergy test. Among other foods one of the things he recommended I give up was gluten. He said it was a known allergen and that it would be best to give my body a break for a while and see if I got better. For the past year or so I have kept to those restrictions rigidly, and only very recently have I begun to reintroduce small amounts of gluten into my diet to see if I have improved. Throughout the year in which I was gluten-free I definitely felt my abdominal pains go away; I had a little more energy and other improvements. Eating became very difficult though because my food selection really became limited fast. Here are some things that I found helpful in my new diet. Any of the gluten free items from Amy’s are really good, like the bean burritos, the tamales, the mac & cheese, even the pizza! I also love the company Food for Life: http://www.foodforlife.com/product-catalog/gluten-free-wheat-free-breads/gluten-free/wheat-gluten-free-rice-almond-bread, they have great gluten free almond bread which I used for sandwiches and toast. Nature’s Path homestyle waffles: http://www.naturespath.com/products/waffles?tid=9&brand=All&nutri=53 with Barney Almond Butterhttp://www.barneybutter.com/products/category/barney-butter-smooth/ spread on top with a touch of honey is a great snack in between meals. One of my favorite recipes to make ahead of time for a meal throughout the whole week was called tuna & quinoa:    
Tuna & Quinoa

6 cans of wild caught albacore tuna (in water, salt added)
Organic vegenaise (mix in to your liking) http://www.followyourheart.com/products/organic-vegenaise/A few pinches of himalania fine pink salt, Garlic powder, & Onion powder
Then add a splash of Organic Rice Vinegar http://www.marukan-usa.com/Product_New_Detail.html2 or 3 tablespoons of Organic Capers
Cook two boxes of Quinoa Pasta Garden Pagodas http://www.quinoa.net/145/163.htmlThen add a touch of Olive Oil over the pasta once cooked & strained and spoon over some tuna for a great meal. Save the leftovers in your Tupperware and enjoy throughout the week. 

If you’re allergic to gluten it isn’t just about giving up a food group, it’s about gaining more energy, and feeling good throughout the day rather than having irritation and abdominal bloat. I would recommend to anyone a short period of refraining from foods that contain gluten to see if it changes your lifestyle, you could get hooked!