Gluten-Free Diet Articles

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Even if you weren’t cooking gluten-free, you’d want to give these gluten-free ingredients a go. Not only are these gluten-free grains acceptable substitutes for the traditional grains like wheat, rye, and barley, but these gluten-free puppies also offer unique characteristics: Amaranth: Amaranth is an excellent source of protein and has a pleasant peppery and nutty flavor. Arrowroot: With a look and texture similar to cornstarch, arrowroot makes a great substitute for cornstarch. Buckwheat: Buckwheat (shown in this figure) is actually a fruit (and is also known as groats and kasha). Garfava: Garfava is the name of a commercial blend of chickpea (garbanzo beans) and fava bean flours made by a company called Authentic Foods. Job’s Tears: A tall, tropical plant that produces a grain that’s gluten-free, often dried and cooked as a grain like rice or barley. Mesquite: A plant that produces bean pods which can be dried and ground into flour. It adds a sweet, nutty taste that bears a hint of molasses. Millet: Actually a grass — with a small seed that grows in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Montina (Indian ricegrass): Montina is actually a trademarked name by a company called Amazing Grains. Montina is a type of flour made from Indian ricegrass. Quinoa (hie): A fruit, not a grain. Quinoa flours and pastas are available. Ragi: Especially valuable nutrient-wise because it has the amino acid methionine. Rice: A common staple in the gluten-free diet (see this figure). Sorghum: Also known as milo, this gluten-free insoluble fiber’s bland flavor and light color don’t change the taste or look of foods when it’s used instead of wheat flour. Soy: Actually a legume, not a grain. It’s commonly used in the gluten-free diet. Tapioca: This flour is used in a lot of gluten-free recipes. Because it’s flavorless, tapioca flour or starch makes a great thickener. Teff: Actually a grass with a seed that looks (and cooks) a lot like quinoa and millet, but it’s smaller.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

A gluten-free diet isn’t just for those with celiac disease or a wheat allergy. Although eating wheat products, especially whole wheat, does offer some health benefits, the gluten can actually be harmful. Here are some reasons you may want to go gluten-free. Humans don’t fully digest wheat. The undigested portions of wheat begin to ferment, producing gas. Icky, belchable, fart-forming gas. Wheat is a pro-inflammatory agent. A pro-inflammatory agent is rapidly converted to sugar, causing a rise in the body’s insulin levels, causing a burst of inflammation at the cellular level, among other problems. Wheat can cause leaky gut syndrome. Leaky gut syndrome is a condition whereby stuff is leaking from your gut into your bloodstream — stuff that shouldn’t be there, such as toxins. Refined wheat has little nutritional value. Did you know that manufacturers actually have to enrich refined wheat because they’ve taken out all the nutrients? And even then, the wheat’s not that valuable, nutritionally speaking. Wheat is one of the top-eight allergens. Millions of people are allergic to wheat — so many, in fact, that it has made it onto the top-eight allergen list. Many people have gluten sensitivity or celiac disease, and don’t know it. So, how many people fall into this category? No one knows for sure. But 1 in 100 people has celiac disease — but most don’t know it. No one knows how many people have gluten sensitivity, but estimates are that it may be as high as 50 percent, or even 70 percent, of the population.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Wheat by any other name still has gluten and if you have celiac disease or are gluten-intolerant, you need to avoid wheat in all its forms and varieties. Beware of aliases like flour, bulgur, semolina, spelt, frumento, durum (also spelled duram), kamut, graham, einkorn, farina, couscous, seitan, matzoh, matzah, matzo, and cake flour. Often marketed as a “wheat alternative,” none of these is even remotely gluten-free. You need to avoid (or at least question) anything with the word wheat in it. This includes hydrolyzed wheat protein, wheat starch, wheat germ, and so on. Wheat grass, however, like all grasses, is gluten-free. Keep these few additional wheat-related details in mind: Derivatives of gluten-containing grains aren’t allowed on a gluten-free diet. The most common derivative you have to avoid is malt, which usually comes from barley. If malt is derived from another source, such as corn, that fact usually appears on the label. If not specified, though, don’t eat it. Triticale is a made-up grain — a hybrid of wheat and rye. Inventors developed it to combine the productivity of wheat with the ruggedness of rye, not just to add another grain to your list of forbidden foods. And relatively speaking, it’s fairly nutritious for people who can eat gluten. Wheat starch is actually wheat that’s had the gluten washed out. In some countries, a special type of wheat starch called Codex Alimentarius wheat starch is permitted on the gluten-free diet — but it’s not allowed in North America, because some people question whether the washing process completely removes all residual gluten. You can find a complete listing of gluten-free foods and gluten-containing foods at Celiac.com.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Gluten is sometimes behind the scenes wreaking havoc on behavior and moods. Behaviors including “fuzzy brain” or an inability to concentrate — including attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) type behaviors — irritability and lack of motivation can be caused by gluten. Other behavioral manifestations of gluten sensitivity and celiac disease include Autism: Evidence shows that some people with autism show extraordinary improvement on a gluten-free (and casein-free) diet. Some people with autism may metabolize gluten and casein into the form of an opiate — much like heroin. Basically, when they eat gluten and casein, they’re getting a high off it. This high may account for traits typical in autistic kids, such as monotonous body movements (for instance, finger-flicking in front of their eyes, spinning, and head-banging), as well as being withdrawn and having a fascination with parts of objects (like fixating on one part of a toy rather than the toy itself). Also typical of opiate users and autistic kids is the distress they feel when there are small changes in their environment or routine. Depression and other mood disorders: Clinical depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and a variety of mood disorders can sometimes be associated with or exacerbated by gluten sensitivity and celiac disease, and these conditions can sometimes improve on a gluten-free diet. Schizophrenia has been associated with gluten sensitivity and celiac disease since the 1960s, when it was first noted that a gluten- (and dairy-) restricted diet led to improvement in some institutionalized patients. Interestingly, the same opiate-like chemicals found in the urine of autistic people are often found in schizophrenics.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

The list of grains forbidden to you if you have celiac disease or gluten intolerance is a lot shorter than the list of grains you can eat. That's the good news. And the other part of the optimistic picture is that bad grains go by a name, so you can identify them when you see them. The grains you need to avoid on a gluten-free diet are: Barley and its derivative, malt (take malt vinegar out of your diet too, along with malted milk and those chocolate-covered malt balls — sigh). Oats because they’re frequently contaminated with wheat and other grains as they’re processed. Rye and triticale, which is a hybrid of wheat and rye. Wheat, which has several names and varieties. Beware of aliases like flour, bulgur, semolina, spelt, frumento, durum (also spelled duram), kamut, graham, einkorn, farina, couscous, seitan, matzoh, matzah, matzo, and cake flour. Beware substituting spelt: Often marketed as a “wheat alternative,” spelt is not even remotely gluten-free. You need to avoid (or at least question) anything with the word wheat in it. This includes hydrolyzed wheat protein, wheat starch, wheat germ, and so on. Wheat grass, however, like all grasses, is gluten-free. You have lots of choices for gluten-free grains and starches. Even if you’re an old pro who’s been gluten-free for years, some of these may be new to you. Amaranth Arrowroot Buckwheat/groats/kasha Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, besan, cici, chana, or gram — not to be confused with graham, which does have gluten) Corn (You may run across different names or forms of corn that are gluten-free in addition to plain ol’ corn. They include grits, hominy, masa, masa harina, harinilla (blue corn), atole, maize, polenta, corn gluten, and of course, cornstarch, corn flour, corn bran, and cornmeal.) Garfava Job’s Tears Mesquite (pinole) Millet Montina (Indian ricegrass) Potato Quinoa (hie) Ragi Rice (Remember that glutinous rice does not contain gluten! Glutinous rice, also called sweet rice or mochi, is made by grinding high-starch, short-grain rice. Glutinous rice thickens sauces and desserts in Asian cooking and is often the rice used in sushi.) Sorghum Soy Tapioca (gari, cassava, casaba, manioc, yucca) Taro root Teff

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Some people who have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity are underweight because their gluten issues prevent them from absorbing nutrients. So you may actually need to gain weight to be at the peak of health. When you go gluten-free, your gut usually heals quickly, and you begin to absorb nutrients and calories. Your weight usually normalizes quickly simply as a result of being gluten-free. Sometimes when people go gluten-free, they inadvertently cut calories by leaving out things like bread and butter. If you’re already underweight, you may need to supplement a healthy diet with high-calorie foods like nuts, avocados, tuna, and salmon.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

If you're on a gluten-free diet, you need to know what foods are safe to eat. Gluten-free foods are not hard to find — if you know what to include on your shopping list. Grains and starches you can eat safely You have lots of choices for gluten-free grains and starches. Even if you’re an old pro who’s been gluten-free for years, some of these may be new to you: Amaranth Arrowroot Beans Buckwheat/groats/kasha Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, besan, cici, chana, or gram — not to be confused with graham, which does have gluten) Corn Garfava Job’s Tears Mesquite (pinole) Millet Montina (Indian ricegrass) Oats (but they may be contaminated with wheat and other grains) Potato Quinoa (hie) Ragi Rice Sorghum Soy Tapioca (gari, cassava, casaba, manioc, yucca) Taro root Teff Glutinous rice does not contain gluten! Manufacturers make glutinous rice, or sweet rice or mochi, by grinding high-starch, short-grain rice. Glutinous rice thickens sauces and desserts in Asian cooking and is often the rice used in sushi. Other gluten-free foods In general, the following foods are gluten-free, as long as they're purchased without seasoning or additives: Beans Dairy products Eggs Fish Fruit Legumes Meat Nuts Poultry Seafood Vegetables These foods are naturally gluten-free. You can buy specialty products, such as cookies, cakes, brownies, breads, crackers, pretzels, and other products made with gluten-free ingredients.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Things with flour in them (white or wheat) are the most common culprits when you’re avoiding gluten. The following foods are among the more obvious edibles and beverages that are gluten packed: Bagels Beer Bread Cookies, cakes, and most other baked goods Crackers Pasta Pizza Pretzels All these foods and drink are made with wheat or wheat flour, so they’re pretty easy to identify. But you need to watch out for foods that contain oats as well because, although they don’t contain gluten, the way they’re processed makes them inedible for gluten-intolerant folks.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

The bad news for beer drinkers is that beer, which is made with hops and barley, contains gluten. But lots of alcoholic beverages are gluten-free — and if you try, you can even find gluten-free beer. The list of gluten-free alcoholic beverages is way longer than the list of off-limits drinks. Other forms of alcoholic beverages may be gluten-free in addition to these, but this list covers the basics of the booze you can use: Bourbon Brandy Cider (occasionally contains barley, so be careful) Cognac Gin Rum Schnapps Tequila Vodka Whiskey (such as Crown Royal and Jack Daniels) Wine (and sparkling wine or Champagne) Knowing what kinds of liquor you can consume can be confusing, because some alcoholic beverages are distilled from gluten-containing grains. However, as long as the drinks are distilled and the grains aren’t added back into the gluten-containing mash, the beverage remains gluten-free.