Welcome to the community section of our new website!

There are a lot of new happenings here at Applegate, new website (sweet!), new Blog (let’s talk about it!), new commercials (#moo) and new Applegate team members (like me!). The Community section of the website is intended to be a source of inspiration - a place where you can find useful information, delicious recipes, and connect with like-minded people.

To kick things off, I decided to write about a topic that is important to me: Gluten Free eating. I’m going to share why I chose to go gluten free, how I’ve made the transition, and the blessings that mindful eating can bring into your life.

After college, I moved from Massachusetts to New Jersey to begin a career in marketing and was thrilled to finally be out in the “wild” and on my own. Strangely, it was when I started to kick some reckless college habits (partying late into the night, eating poor-quality meals at erratic times), that the problems began. The healthier I ate and more I worked out, the worse I felt. Puzzled, I turned to The Institute of Integrative Nutrition for answers, eventually deciding to become a nutrition counselor. The program opened my mind to a whole new world, but my body was still hurting. Fast-forward a few years, many doctors’ appointments, and plenty of uncomfortable digestive experiences later, I found the answer: “You have Celiac disease.” I had my last “real” slice of pizza and committed to becoming completely Gluten Free.

A change in diet may seem like a simple thing, but my transition was actually one of the most emotionally fraught and difficult endeavors of my life. I faced alienation from family for choosing brown rice and grilled fish on holidays instead of traditional meals, and broke down in tears at times because I didn’t know how to cook or what I could eat.

Today, I know that the hard part is over and feel better each day. My mother and two sisters no longer mock me – in fact, they are now gluten free and it has transformed their lives as well! We share GF product tips, enjoy new experiences and have fun bonding on a new level.*

This journey even led me to find my ideal career path: learning how to live with vitality and health fueled my desire to learn more about how food is made and where it comes from, and to share this knowledge with others. I followed that passion and ended up here at Applegate where I have the chance to cultivate it each day. It is an honor to share my experience with you and curate this community section to help inspire you and continue your own journeys.

Please share your own experiences of being gluten free, or your journey to optimal health in the comment section below.

*Celiac Disease is a genetic condition, it not recommended for everyone to be on Gluten Free diet

Click here to for a list of Applegate Products that are Gluten Free