A few weeks ago, Advertiser food writer Wanda Adams was faced with a culinary challenge when she had two house guests who were both gluten- and dairy-intolerant. One guest couldn't eat soy, either.

After going through a menu planning process, Wanda scored with a fresh monchong, green beans and a mashed potatoes (no dairy) dinner. The next day the girls went to Whole Foods and came back with some corn chips, hummus, fruits and vegetables, gluten-free waffles and pancake mix.

Since I am faced with this challenge every day, I was inspired by Wanda's column about this experience. I drove down to Kale's and bought a bag of Namaste Foods Waffle and Pancake Mix. I added my own touches to the original recipe and it turned out quite well. Don't expect the texture to resemble regular wheat waffles. These have a crispier and chewier texture. My additions of coconut oil, apple sauce, cinnamon and walnuts really gave them some great flavor.

A gluten-free diet is a lifestyle for people with celiac disease, a digestive disorder caused by an intolerance to gluten, an elastic protein found in wheat. According to the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Program, one out of every 133 healthy adults in the United States has celiac disorder and accompanying digestive problems if they eat anything containing gluten.

If you are suffering from joint pain, brain fog or other neurologic and auto-immune disorders, you may also benefit from a gluten-free diet. Fortunately, we live at a time when new and convenient products are being created for this condition. The variety of foods and brands are growing each year. The next time you go to Whole Foods or your nearest natural health food store, check out the gluten-free section. You will be amazed by the many different products and brands. As Wanda said, "There's life after wheat."

Just an aside: You may wonder what namaste means. It's a Sanskrit word generally translated as "The spirit within me honors and respects the spirit within you."

GLUTEN-FREE NAMASTE WAFFLES

• Nonstick cooking spray

• 2 eggs or equivalent egg replacer

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil

• 1/2 cup rice milk

• 2 cups Namaste Foods Waffle and Pancake Mix

• 1 tablespoon unsweetened apple sauce

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 3/4- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Spray a waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat the waffle iron. Thoroughly combine the eggs, oil and rice milk. Add the dry mix, apple sauce, cinnamon and walnuts and blend well. Pour and cover the entire bottom of the preheated and sprayed waffle iron. Allow to cook for about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with a non-dairy butter, all-fruit spread, agave or pure maple syrup.

Makes six 4-inch waffles.

Per serving (two waffles, including 3/4 cup walnuts, no toppings): 600 calories, 27 g fat, 10 g saturated fat, 150 mg cholesterol, 650 mg sodium, 81 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 10 g protein