Gluten Free Diet Plan
A gluten free diet is a diet completely free of ingredients derived from gluten-containing cereals: wheat, barley, rye, and triticale, as well as the use of gluten as a food additive in the form of a flavoring, stabilizing or thickening agent. Gluten-free diet is a must for those with gluten sensitivity.
Gluten sensitivity- celiac sprue is an intestinal auto-immune disease that is caused by gluten, anyone with gluten sensitivity must follow a gluten-free diet. It is also seen as a genetically inheritable problem.
Gluten is a composite of the proteins gliadin and glutenin, which exist in various grass-related grains, especially wheat, rye, tritacale and barley.
Foods such as soybean flour, tapioca flour, rice, corn, buckwheat and potatoes are usually safe for people with celiac disease.
What is Gluten Found in?
Gluten is mainly found in wheat, rye and barley. Most flours and breakfast cereals have gluten in them. Flours are commonly used in baking to help the dough stick together.
Gluten is sometimes used in some pretty unexpected ways, as a thickener or a stabilizing agent in products like ketchup and ice-cream.
Some vitamins and medication as well as lipstick, lip gloss and lip balms may also contain gluten and need to be investigated before use.
Are Oats Gluten Free?
Some practitioners say oats may be permitted, but there is some controversy about including them in a gluten-free diet because studies on whether oats are gluten free are incomplete. If you decide to include them in your diet, it is important to make sure they are from a gluten free facility and they are not contaminated during processing.
The fact is oats are tolerated in small amounts by some celiac sprue sufferers, although those with severe conditions normally do not tolerate the oats well.
What About Alcohol?
While you’re busy trying to work out the gluten content in breads and cereals, you may forget about the gluten in alcohol. If you have gluten sensitivity, it will be sensible to avoid alcoholic drinks that contain gluten.
Gluten allergy is not like your typical hangover. The not so nice effects start straight after you’ve had a drink, not the next day: nausea, stomach cramps, abdominal discomfort and you may even faint.
Some types of alcoholic drinks are gluten free, provided no colourings or additives have been added as these ingredients may contain gluten.Beers and lagers should be avoided except for gluten free varieties.Liqueurs and pre-mixed drinks should be examined carefully for gluten-derived ingredients.
Spirits made without any grain such as wine, brandy, cider, port, rum and tequila do not contain gluten, although some vineyards use a flour paste to caulk the oak barrels in which wine is aged. If you like a glass of wine then you should always look for the gluten free variety. Gluten free alcohol is becoming more popular as many more people learn about the disease.
Low GI Gluten Free Foods:
People with coeliac disease must eat a gluten free diet for the rest of their lives. It is triggered by gluten in foods and is the most common hereditary autoimmune disease with no cure.
Gluten free diet may save your life if you have coeliac disease but if not well planned it can be an unhealthy diet due to the absence of grain foods and the high GI, higher fat and sugar content of many gluten-free foods. Gluten free is usually high GI because slowly digested wheat-based low GI breads and breakfast cereals and pasta must be eliminated in your diet.
Pasta is low GI due to the starch granules in a sponge-like network of gluten molecules in the dough. Asian noodles, rice vermicelli, Indian dahls, sushi, stir fries with rice also have low to intermediate glycemic index values and are gluten free.
Fruits, vegetables and legumes are all low GI and gluten free.
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References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten-free_diet.
Lieberman S (2007). The gluten connection. pp. 124–136.
Pat Kendall, Ph.D., R.D. (March 31, 2003). “Gluten sensitivity more widespread than previously thought”. Colorado State University Extension.
“Following a Gluten-free Diet”. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. A Harvard teaching hospital.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/mostof_coeliac1.shtml.
http://allergies.about.com/od/ foodallergies/a/ glutenfreediet.htm.
Lakness J. Allergy Elimination Diets. In: Lawlor GJ, Fischer TJ, Adelman DC, eds. Manual of Allergy and Immunology. 3rd ed. Boston: Little, Brown and Co;1995:553-55.
http://ginews.blogspot.com/2006/09/low-gi-food-of-month.html
