Yes. I know that stuff isn't optimal, and I keep it to a very low percentage of my diet because I want to feel my best and perform at a high level, but, man, life is too short to exist in a state of deprivation.

I've said it in other threads and I'll say it again here; work with your emotional and mental health to reduce dependence on and cravings for sub-optimal foods, including periods of sustained abstinence, but if you spend three days desperately wanting brownies because you're PMSing and all you can think about is brownies, then make some damn coconut flour brownies and eat them and enjoy them, because in the grand scheme of things we are on this planet to be happy and have a good time.

Congratulations on all of you that have achieved mastery over your cravings and never go for the "candy cigarettes." But if you aren't there, to me it is better to indulge mindfully than to exist in a state of stressful Want, like a puppy staring out the window, longing to be outside.

Or, in the words of a greater man than I could ever hope to be: "You know I'm born to lose, and gambling's for fools, But that's the way I like it baby, I don't wanna live forever."

I guess it depends on your reaction to gluten. If you are just doing paleo for fitness or something, I say have a slice of grandma's cake. But if you are like me and that would give you a serious stomach-ache, then it's time to look for alternatives. I think having them available makes it MUCH easier and nicer to be gluten-free. For work parties and potlucks I sometimes purchase or make gluten free cupcakes or cookies. I often meet other gluten free people that way too!

This is a serious edit:

I came back here to actually answer the question, instead of just posting a pic from my collection of Primal Cookery photos that I have taken in the last year or so...

http://flickr.com/gp/27184499@N06/85A52c Primal Cookery link

My household loves the occasional variation in the strictness of the elimination rules. When we do this, we are still eating things that are much better than what we used to eat, while avoiding the most poisonous items.

Some things are forever off the list, like bread made with gluten grains and CAFO meats (eww).

Some are rarities/unexpected treats: Example, when we went out for dinner on Valentine's day. Having given the restaurant warning that we were gluten-free, they came to the table with a batch of gluten-free dinner rolls that their pastry chef had made as a challenge, served with local butter. (now really, how could you not try them?) Turns out they were some mix of rice and almonds.

Some happen about monthly, like the Cheese (cauliflower) pizza {see below} with green olives, mushrooms, and other veggies or the almond flour biscuits that my wife makes. They get served up with butter, eggs, and bacon.

We are not strict, and prefer being happy. Being relaxed about life can lower that cortisol level and improve sleep, too.

Here is my good example of what we like at my house.

We'll be having cauliflower cheese pizza tonight!

Roughly: 1 cup shredded steamed cauliflower 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded 1 or 2 eggs handful of mixed Italian herbs for flavor

bake for 12-15 min at 450F, take the crust out and add all the toppings, and put it back in for 10 minutes or until the cheese on top is just browning.

(I use grassfed cheese if I can find it, organic if I cannot, conventional cheese gives me trouble) Applegate farms has a pretty good pepperoni. This is super delicious with a homemade meat sauce as the red sauce.

Every Saturday and Sunday I make My sons Gluten Free Pancakes and occasionally I will give them gluten free cookies. For myself, I stay pretty strict because I dont miss those foods and rather would have a glass of wine.

I bought a gluten free frozen pizza at the health food store for myself and it was... different. It was still a better option than the gluten/sugar/sodium bomb of regular pizza.

I was always an "everything in moderation" person until I became Paleo and that part of me still pops up here and there. My household is not gluten free and not likely to ever become gluten free, so the candy cigarettes are entirely for me. They are not a daily choice and mostly not even a weekly choice, but I do like to have the option.

Oh yes! This is the only way I survive. On days like this I label myself Primal and invoke the 80/20% rule. Works like a charm.

Yes to all of your questions. Mainly for the kiddos. I just don't see the harm. They have a high quality meat and veggie diet with NO gluten. A few high quality grains, perhaps soaked, can't hurt too much. It is way better than the crap that I was raised on - Pringles, poptarts, and crap.

Yes, we do this for birthdays. I've made a batch of gluten-free cupcakes for the children to take to other people's parties, too, so they don't feel so left out.

I have some normal beer in the fridge, I never mention my own preferences unless asked.

I totally do this (gluten does a number on me). Life is for enjoying, and I get the maximum enjoyment out of living on a paleo diet with a few treats thrown in. My health wouldn't be any better (or only marginally better) by being paleo 100% of the time, and it's not like I'm eating gluten-free toast for breakfast with gluten-free pasta for lunch, snacking on gluten-free cookies during the afternoon "brain fog" and rounding it off with a couple of gluten-free beers every night, like the celiacs in my family do.

If you gluten-free pizza eaters live near a BJs, they have a really good one. It has a super thin crust that is made of rice flour, tapioca starch, olive oil and some herbs. So it's not that horrible as a once in a awhile cheat. I get it every few weeks. It's seriously good and you can have any of the toppings except the meatballs. Tastes exactly like a lot of the thin crust New York pizzas to me, no weird gluten-free pizza taste.

There's a pizza chain out here in Tucson/Phoenix called Picazzo's and they have GF crusts. They also claim no nitrates in their meat and just in general no preservatives in their organic ingredients.

We've eaten there twice and I don't feel bad at all about using their GF crust as a "candy cigarette". Like somebody said earlier, life is too short to deprive yourself of things, just make sure you enjoy some things in moderation. <---My humble opinion

Our household just went gluten free(tired of cross contamination).Candy cigarettes will abound for awhile,as my poor BF tries to understand what he can and can't bring in the kitchen.As long as the Dark Side has cookies,there is no hope of converting him...just placating.I will rarely buy some Udis muffins or an Against the Grain pizza for myself.

You bet! It keeps everyone on track since gluten isn't an option for any of us. Without the occasional "candy cigarette" the corn cobs take over, and we all know corn is not paleo. :-)

We usually have homemade GF cookies or GF cupcakes for our occasional sanity checks. For birthdays, we always break out the GF cake. Birthdays are the one time I miss cake, but luckily there are many great recipes for GF cake around that can be tinkered with to reach cake nirvana.

I just bought 4 lbs. of coconut flour, and I'm anxious to bake anything and everything! Can I please have you biscuit/muffin recipe? Thanks! :-D

yyyyep, youre all VERY psychotic...organic chips for the super bowl, its the SUPER BOWL...live a little, WOW.....just.....WOW