Check out this post in the new blog
www.nutrizonia.com
in the previous post I discussed
What you need to know about gluten (Part 1) about gluten,
celiac disease, gluten sensitivity and when you should go for gluten-
free diet. In this post I’ll talk about the gluten-free diet.
Gluten
free diet
Is the only current
treatment for celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. It's based on eliminating all sources of gluten from your diet which naturally exist in
many staple food. You may feel like this will be a punishment or even very depriving
diet, but the good news is that you are already eat a lot of
naturally free-gluten food.
Gluten-free Natural food:
These are
food items that are naturally free of gluten: Fresh Meat and poultry,
fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, legumes and seeds, and fats & oils
Food
containing gluten
- Wheat and everything made from wheat like flour, pasta, noodles, bulgar , semolina, bread, cake, pies, candies, pancakes, waffles, breaded mix products, bread crumbs, crackers and pretzels, cookies, doughnuts, pies and pastries ..etc.
- Wheat varieties such as Spelt & Kamut and triticale (a cross between wheat and rye).
- Barley.
- Rye.
Hidden Sources of gluten:
Some food that normally didn’t contain gluten but manufactures
adds gluten because it works like stabilizing and thickening agent, these are
some of them:
- Soy sauce.
- Ketchup.
- Marinades.
- Mustard (maybe contain undistilled vinegar).
- White pepper and dry mustard (they have gluten to prevent caking.
- Vinegars (white one must be distilled, malt vinegars should be avoided).
- Gravies & Sauces made with flour,
- Some fries especially the one that made in restaurants.
- Chocolate sauces, fruit pie fillings (maybe contain starch).
- Non-food products like Medications and vitamin supplements, stamps , glue, envelope, spray starch.
- Some cosmetics and hair products.
- Malt flavorings & colors like caramel color are often made from barley malt, maltodextrin sugars, could be made from wheat.
Cross
contamination
This
happens when some products were manufactured in places that may interfere with wheat or
any other gluten sources like oats. I advise you to choose the
oat that is labeled gluten- free. Using toaster for wheat bread and
gluten free bread is one of the major cross contamination, utensil and working
surface should be cleaned thoroughly when using gluten products. Makeup, soaps
, shampoos and hair products contain gluten that you will not ingest, but they
will be in the air or on your skin, touching your mouth or nose might cause it to
inter your body.
Dining
out with gluten free diets
Preferably,
go for restaurants that serve gluten-free dishes. If you want to choose
an item on menu that not labeled gluten-free, asks the waiter about the cross
contamination possibilities (usage of utensil, deep fryers, and toasters) and
ask if they use any packaged mix for your meals or any ready to use marinades
and sauces.
Can celiac disease (CD) or gluten sensitivity ruin your life?
Unfortunately,
there is no cure till now for celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. The only
current treatment is eliminating gluten from your diet. Being diagnosed with (CD)
or (GS) doesn’t mean the end of the world. I know it’s easy to say this
when you are not sick, but this is a life-time challenge, and you should try to
accept it. As a dietitian, I advise you to do the following:
•
Limit the intake of processed food, because it
has many flavorings, additives and stabilizing or thickening agent, that may derive
from wheat or its derivatives. It’s not safe unless it’s as labeled gluten-free products.
•
Support yourself with friends and family, look
for community support group.
•
Seek help from registered dietitian(RD) so it will
help you choose food items.
•
Educate
yourself and read about latest researches about gluten.
•
look for recipes so you don’t feel bored of same
recipes (preferably RD blogs &websites).
• Avoid cross contamination.
Check
out these blogs
GLUTEN-FREE DIET
No comments:
Post a Comment