Jenny Basselin, who blogs at www.glutenfreebirmingham.com, eliminated wheat, rye and barley with her family of six when her oldest daughter was diagnosed with celiac four years ago. Basselin herself has a sensitivity to gluten, and one of her other daughters has severe stomach issues, so a gluten-free diet benefitted the whole family. 

Basselin started her blog in October 2010 in order to share money-saving tips with other people on the diet, posting coupons and listing  restaurants in Birmingham that have gluten-free menus. She explains that the number of gluten-free products on the market can seem overwhelming, not to mention expensive, when changing one’s diet. Rather than embarking on a gluten-free shopping binge, she recommends streamlining one’s diet first and going gluten-free “just by eating your plain meats, fruits and vegetables, all of which are naturally gluten-free.”