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Gluten IntoleranceMany people discover that they have a gluten intolerance. What is Gluten?Gluten is the substance in flour responsible for forming the structure of dough, holding products together and leavening.The presence of this substance is evident in baked goods, but it is often a hidden ingredient in many other items such as
Even Communion Wafers are made with a small amount of specially processed wheat starch. ProlaminsGluten is the general name for the storage proteins (prolamins) found in wheat, rye and barley.These particular prolamins damage the small intestine in people with celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis. The actual names of the toxic prolamins are
There is an entire list of Grains to Avoid when you have a gluten intolerance. All forms of wheat, rye and barley must be avoided and are outlined next. Oats and Testing Results It is widely debated whether oats are toxic to a person with a gluten intolerance or not. When using a pure, uncontaminated oat product, some individuals experienced gastrointestinal symptoms, although these were generally mild and transient in nature. Barley is often one of the main contaminating grains in oats. Oats has been cross-contaminated by the impurity of seed used in planting. Even the equipment used for planting, harvesting, transporting and processing the oats has been present to the contaminating. Wheat, rye and barley are often detected during testing. Some highly sensitive individuals with celiac disease do not tolerate this pure and uncontaminated oats. In spite of different test results and the evaluating the safety of oats, some health professionals, celiac organizations and celiac research centers allow consumption of moderate amounts of pure, uncontaminated oat products while on a gluten-free diet, while others restrict oats and do not recommend oats at all. A comprehensive list of Foods and Ingredients to Avoid when a Gluten Intolerance is present:
Seitan – A meat like food derived from wheat gluten used in many vegetarian dishes. Sometimes called “wheat meat” Rice and Corn The prolamins in rice and corn are not toxic to persons with Celiac disease. Rice flour is easier to digest than wheat flour. There are a lot of baby food products made from rice flour because of it's lightness and the ease in which it is to digest. Rice flour is used to make noodles and other products in South east Asia. The greatest advantage to rice flour is that it's gluten free and because of it's milder taste it's a great substitute to use in gluten free baking like for example in this oh so yummy Peanut Butter Cookie recipe... Some of this information was taken from The Gluten-Free Diet by Shelley Case. It is really important to read the labels, even on additives, flavour agents, sweeteners, food colouring agents and vegetable gums. These products can be very toxic with anyone with celiac disease. Learn how to eliminate these products by reading labels. You realize this means, no more doughnuts, no more hot cross buns, danishes, icecream cones or ice cream! All those scrumptuous treats that we crave are the troublemakers! Believe it or not,you can live without these foods! You can eat lots of tasty foods and live very comfortably when you are aware of the grains and other safe foods. Foods AllowedThere are some grains that are gluten free.Rice is one of them. However, some people who are gluten intolerance sufferers have reported that rice bothers them. My suggestion is to try basmati brown rice or long grained wild rice instead of white rice. Try a small serving occasionally and see how you feel. Quinoa: is a ancient grain. It is the best source of protein in the vegetable kingdom. It is gluten free. It provides all of the eight essential amino acids. Quinoa is low on the glycemic index. Corn: You can eat corn and anything made from corn flour. You can use cornstarch instead of wheat flour when making gravy. Millet: Millet is very reasonably priced and can be used as a cereal or an addition to your evening meal. Buckwheat: Despite the name, buckwheat does not contain and is gluten free. There are buckwheat pancake mixes available in my local health food store. Sorghum: Sorghum looks a lot like sugar cane. It is an ingredient in some commercial ice cream. Amaranth: Amaranth is my favourite breakfast cereal. I cook it and serve with a banana cut up into it and rice or almond milk. I certainly hope that you will try some of the above suggested gluten free products and check out some of the gluten free recipes that I have for any of you with a gluten intolerance.
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