The gluten-free diet is very important to a person who has been diagnosed with Celiac disease, or even one that has good reason to believe that he/she has it. This disease can be very harmful and toxic to the small intestine, and also impedes nutrient absorption. All can be blamed on gluten--a protein that exists in many grains, especially wheat, barley and rye.
Typical symptoms of Celiac disease are, essentially: bloating and cramping; chronic weakness; excessive, involuntary weight loss and vomiting; and unusual/foul-smelling bowel movements. Other known symptoms, especially in adults, are: bone loss or a number of bone-related conditions and diseases; anemia (lack of iron); join pain and ongoing fatigue.
If you shop at a large grocery store chain or supermarket, you could be exposing yourself to additional risk. Since most of the breads, bagels, chips, candy, etc are wheat-based and are made with gluten, you have to take extra care to stay away from those products. Also, there are a ton of frozen foods, pasta and pasta mixes, and cake mixes that are full of preservatives-therefore, inevitably-glutens.
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).
Gluten free flour is one of the most important things to consider whilst cooking. Never use any flour that contains barley or rye; instead, things like gluten free flour, potato and/or corn starch, organic fruits and vegetables, and fresh meat (given that it's not marinated, breaded or coated in batter). Even wine and liquor is usually acceptable (beer is not, because it is not distilled).
It's very important to note that substituting wheat-based flour with a gluten free flour alternative is going to affect the taste of what you are probably accustomed to. Therefore, when using gluten free flour, you it's a great idea to know a few tips to spice-up what will otherwise be rather tasteless, bland flour.
It's also worth mentioning that you have to keep your nutrient-intake up. Since legacy wheat-based products are often enriched with many vitamins, if you are on a gluten-free diet-you may not be compensating enough for the lack of those nutrients. A few of them include niacin, foliate, iron and B12; and can be easily-obtained through the rights foods or a multi-vitamin supplement pill.
Here's a good recipe for rising-flour that you can even make right in your kitchen. Gather a half-teaspoon cream of tartar, a half-teaspoon of bicarbonate soft drink, two tablespoons potato flour + the difference left of a cup of rice flour (1 cup rice flour MINUS the 2 tablespoons potato flour it takes to fill it to the top), and finally-a teaspoon xanthan gum. As far as meats are concerned, you're covered! Pot roast, Peppercorn-flavored beef (that's 100% fresh, with all meat products), fresh turkey, fresh-unflavored pork and lightly-seasoned steak that has no marinades are usually good. Stay away from any breaded or fried foods though, stay far away.
...health-food stores. They can be light-years ahead of grocery stores when it comes to Celiac and finding what you need. That's because they are specialized not-only for the celiac patient, but also for vegetarians and people with other food allergies. However, even in a health food grocery store, always be alert and discerning about buying groceries. Make positively sure they do not contain gluten, and even call the manufacturer (almost always printed right there on the back of the package) to verify if you're uncertain.
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.
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