Somebody once said, the only constant in life is change. That certainly seems to be true when it comes to the multi-trillion dollar world of the food and diet industry. Sometimes it seems as though a new diet is introduced every month, or certainly every year. Each promises results if only the dieter will commit to a lifetime of abstinence from this food or that food, or alternatively, as seen with the grapefruit diet, a lifetime devoted to one super special, magic food.

It can be difficult to know what to believe anymore. People desperate to lose weight or to fight disease can be prime targets to fall for carefully marketed, logical-sounding solutions to the problems they’re facing. The formula is fairly standard. Create a documentary, add a personal testimony here, some seemingly sound scientific evidence there, and soon, people are dishing out money to buy the latest food product, supplement or cookbook. Then, like pouring gasoline on a fire, the whole thing blows up with the first week of success and a person is hooked. At least for a while ”“ until the next great thing comes along.

Most fad diets will allow for a moderate amount of short term success, but are hardly realistic for the long haul. But what about when a diet isn’t exactly a fad? What if a diet is medically necessary? Such is the case with gluten-free and those who suffer from celiac disease or who have non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Take care as you read up on it, though, to understand where the information you’re reading is coming from.

See, this is how food and diet conspiracies come about: Some food company somewhere saw dollar signs when the general public started mumbling about gluten-free products a few years back, and now those same food companies are going out of their way to fund studies that prove that everyone and their brother has a gluten allergy. The more people they convince, the more money people will spend on their products. The media picks up on it and soon TV doctors are spouting off on the benefits of avoiding gluten and soon every other Facebook and Pinterest post is a new gluten-free diet. Fad on. This, of course, is making the wheat, barley and rye producers angry because they’re experiencing a dip in sales, so they fund their own studies to disprove the anti-gluten folks. After a few years, on some random back page of a health magazine, a retraction is printed, but nobody really picks up on it because, by now, too many people are gluten free fanatics. It will take several more years before the gluten free fad fades, and the food companies are already searching for the next great thing to introduce to take its place.

None of that means that celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity are anything but real. They are absolutely real, and gluten free diets are the best treatment for both. Still, the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness mentions a 2012 study, saying, “New research suggests that gluten alone may not be responsible for the symptoms produced by the condition currently called gluten sensitivity. Instead, it is showing that perhaps FODMAPs, a group of poorly digested carbohydrates, may be the cause of the symptoms instead.” Of course, they fail to mention which study, or who funded said study. We may never know for sure, so, if you believe you suffer from a gluten sensitivity, then, by all means, check out this gluten free peanut butter cookie recipe. It’s still relatively high in fats and sugars, but at least it’s free of those troublesome glutens. If you also suffer a peanut allergy, then try substituting an almond butter for the peanut butter.

Almost Like Mom’s,

But Not Quite,

Peanut Butter Cookies

2 cups of creamy or chunky peanut butter

3⁄4 cup granulated sugar

3⁄4 cup light brown sugar

2 large or extra-large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla

2 level teaspoons baking soda

1⁄2 teaspoon pure (no caking agents) sea salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix peanut butter and sugars with a mixer on high speed for about three minutes. Mix in remaining ingredients until well-blended on medium speed. Roll dough into balls and place on lined cookie sheet. Press down with a fork. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, turning the cookie sheets about halfway through. Cool cookies for about one minute before transferring to a cooling rack. Best served warm with milk ”“ unless you also have a milk intolerance, in which case, give almond or cashew milk a try.