The gluten-free diet is for people who have the Celiac disease-that is their small intestine does not have the ability to digest the gluten protein. Gluten are the particles that bond the fibers of wheat together so that-in the case of wheat flour-it can stay firm and rise without losing integrity. Let’s take a look at a little background on the Celiac disease.
The Celiac disease, because glutens are insoluble and indigestible, is a disease afflicting millions of people. Barley, wheat, and rye can be very harmful to anyone with the disease, as well as a large number of products that are derived from the former. Typical symptoms are irritable or inflamed bowels; chronic weakness; mental/behavior problems; very dry skin; bone density loss and a prolonged, increased appetite. While that is not an exhaustive list, it contains most of the more-common symptoms.
Those, in addition to a variety of less-common symptoms, must be diagnosed by a doctor and treated with a gluten free diet with such things as gluten free flour. Anything that substitutes the gluten protein found in wheat, barley and rye for something else is good–generally speaking. In addition to gluten free flour, there are a ton of other products that are safe to cook with and eat.
The rule of thumb is to stay away from highly-processed, highly-unnatural foods and go towards things like gluten free flour and other organic foods. For obvious reasons, don’t even let “fast food” enter your mind-as that can be a one-way ticket to a very unpleasant life, to put it mildly. Think of it like this: you not only improve your chances of your intestines becoming inflamed, you also get to lose weight (if you happen to be overweight, that is).
Let’s get back to the gluten-free good life, though. More varieties of gluten free flours exist than you may think. Corn flour is made from the corn’s kernel and may be combined with corn meal and other kinds of non-gluten flours. “Boil-in the Bag” rice is quite common; it’s cooked and packaged rice that is often sold in bags at health stores and some grocery stores. Even corn malt and coconut flour (ground coconut meat that’s high in fiber, protein and adds great taste) are gluten-free.
Sweet rice flour, glutinous flour or rice (don’t mind the word, which is different from “gluten” in this case), gram-flour from chick peas, and enriched rice are all excellent examples of gluten free flour. Furthermore, the enriched rice variety has a great supply of folic acid, iron, and B vitamins–niacin as well sometimes.
These are only a few of the possibilities concerning those suffering from Celiac. In any case, it’s so important that you make sure that (even if a food item says it is “gluten free”) that it is indeed that, and that no cross-contamination has occurred in the plants where they are produced. It’s also very beneficial to have access to a regular doctor, dietitian and/or gastroenterologist. They will be able to assist you in a diet more than anything or anyone.
Something else that is pertinent to the gluten-free individual: when replacing traditional grains, it’s very important to make sure you are compensating for the potential vitamin-loss. This is because most grain that’s sold contains vitamins, like fiber; folate; iron and calcium. Working in conjunction with your doctor and a dietitian, you can easily learn how to eat the right foods and make them taste great simultaneously.
Do not be one of the unlucky individuals who (very often) go undiagnosed/untreated for years for Celiac disease. Watch for the warning signs, watch your diet, and follow-up with your physician at even the slightest hint that you may have this digestive disease. In addition to having a specialized doctor, a dietitian can be especially beneficial in this case.
Marisca DeJolie is a normal housewife and mother who decided years ago to become a food expert for the sake of her health and that of her family. She has recently found The Gluten Free Family site and it excited about all the health benefits that a gluten free diet can have and invites you to learn more as well.