If you are diagnosed with Coeliac or if you are gluten sensitive, you would have to change your dieting completely. But what is a gluten-free diet? is it as strange and scary as most people would like to think? We will take a look for more gluten information
Best gluten-free foods
If you are sensitive to gluten or you just want to try to live without it, there are plenty of options how you can be healthier and still enjoy a delicious meal. There are a number of gluten-free (naturally!) foods in our markets – fruits, vegetables, fish, meal, eggs. Gluten is a protein in our body but if your body is unable to process it efficiently – you must focus on those foods. Soups and sauces are probably the biggest enemy of the gluten-free diet as they contain the special protein in hidden forms – many companies are using gluten as a thickener. There is a common conception that cereals are to be avoided as well and usually that is true. Most of them contain gluten but if you are looking long enough you will spot the “gluten-free” labels on some of them.
Can I eat grains?
While you should be avoiding wheat, rye, there are still ways you can have certain grains in your diet. Some of them can be easily found in the local supermarket and for some you would need to look in specialized healthy stores. Naturally gluten-free grains are – rice, soy, corn, chia, quinoa, beans, gluten-free oats. Tip – avoid purchasing those grains in bulk as they might have been in contact with gluten-containing foods.
What can I drink?
Juices, sodas, sports drink – all good for the gluten-free diet. Wine, cider, liqueurs can be included in your lifestyle as well. On the other side, beer, lagers have to be avoided as most of them are containing gluten.
Probably the best advice you can get if you are on a gluten-free dieting is label reading and then education. You must be reading each label when purchasing your food – at least in the beginning when you get used to it. There is nothing scary in this endeavor and it can lead to many benefits but you must be careful. Base your diet on naturally gluten-free foods and you will be as happy as you were.
Who Should Have a Gluten-Free Diet
Gluten-free diets are the modern way people are turning from the regular lifestyle. But it is not just a fashion thing that you can brag with your friends inside the local mall. Many people are diagnosed with a condition called “Coeliac” and the doctors have informed them that they will have to stay away from gluten-containing foods for the rest of their lives. Sounds scary at first and it could be if you let it run your life but the internet is full of information and more people are writing good books about this topic.
What is gluten?
Gluten is a special kind of protein. It can be found in wheat, grains, rye. The main purpose is to keep food elasticity intact during the production phase. Sounds good so far, right? The problem is that not everyone can digest gluten properly and it could be harmful. Less than 10% of world’s population is not tolerant to gluten and they can be diagnosed with Coeliac.
Coeliac symptoms
Being diagnosed with a disease is always a game changer. This one is no different. Anemia, diarrhea, bone pain, severe skin rash – some of the symptoms connected to coeliac and if you have any of them, make sure to see your doctor. Sometimes you might have the disease without any of those symptoms as well. Regular appointments with the good doctors are needed. Gluten-free diets are a must only when you are diagnosed with Coeliac or you are sensitive to foods containing gluten. Everything else is a choice. If you think you might be sensitive, keep eating foods and ask for a blood test. This way you will be certain that the blood test is accurate – if you have not eaten gluten-containing foods, the test will be normal.
The good news
Gluten-free diets are not all bad, in fact they can be a healthier path to success. A lot of foods are gluten-free naturally like fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs and cheese, so you would not need to sacrifice a big portion of your diet. You can still enjoy the company of a good wine (or cider, sherry) but beer should be avoided. If you just want to try the gluten-free diet you can – focus on the foods above, check grains like quinoa (gluten-free) and be certain to always check the labels of all the products that you purchase from the local store.
Gluten-Free Food List
In this day and age, embracing a gluten-free diet has never been easier. YouÕre going to find that when you know how to shop for gluten-free groceries, finding things that are filling, delicious, and healthy is a snap. You will naturally have to make some changes to how you grocery shop. You will also need to change the way you feel/look at certain foods. A gluten-free diet is far more flexible than it often gets credit for being, but youÕll still need to make some basic lifestyle changes.
Even so, these changes are worth making. When you consider even a small list of gluten-free foods you can find at virtually any grocery store, youÕre going to be impressed.
Check Out Our Gluten-Free Food List
If you’re going to come up with a gluten-free food list that’s worth getting excited about, then you’ll want to keep the following items in mind:
# Cold cereal: Products like Rice Chex are not just a great option for a gluten-free breakfast, but they can also give you the vitamins and minerals you are absolutely going to want for yourself in the morning.
# Hot cereal: Another breakfast option, you can shop around for gluten-free oats without too much trouble. One of the nice things about an option like this is the fact that you have so many different possibilities for flavoring things up.
# Dry pasta: Gluten-free pasta is pretty easy to come by these days. There are also plenty of pasta recipes that can let you take care of at least a couple daysÕ worth of your lunches and dinners.
# Baked pasta: To be fair, there are a lot of gluten-free baked pasta options out there that can strike you as something of an overindulgence. Still, if you want to treat yourself to something like a yummy baked lasagna, there are a number of gluten-free products out there.
# Bread: Canyon Bakehouse is just one of the companies that makes a variety of different gluten-free products. No one said you actually had to give up bread!
# Chicken: Your new gluten-free diet can find a ton of different ways to enjoy chicken. Believe it or not, but there are even gluten-free chicken tenders and similar products that feature breading.
# Healthy fats: This includes stuff like sesame oil, cheese, almond milk, and nut butters.
# Proteins: Eggs are a good example. Wild fish and grass-fed meats are okay, too.
# Veggies: Leafy greens and lettuces are always a smart idea.
