The Gluten-FREE Survival Guide
Gluten-Free Diets:
The Latest Fad or a Sustainable Reaction to Our Modern Diet?
By Dawn Thorpe Jarvis, MS, RD, LDN
Sales of gluten-free foods have soared over the last
five years and are projected to reach $2.6 billion annually by 2012.
Increasing numbers of people are choosing to adopt a gluten-free diet
and lifestyle, not just people with certain medical conditions (like
Celiac disease) who are prescribed a strict gluten-free diet for life.
So what exactly is a gluten-free diet, and why are people choosing to
adopt what seems to be a fairly restrictive diet?
Gluten is a protein that is found in the seeds of
certain plants, notably in grains such as wheat, rye and barley and
foods made from them. Gluten is what gives kneaded dough its elasticity,
allows leavening and contributes to the chewiness of baked products. As
we all know, consumption of highly refined grains, particularly wheat,
has increased significantly this century.
For many the modern American diet has come to consist
largely of highly processed and packaged convenience foods often made
with genetically modified grains and laced with chemical additives. The
worldwide weight-gain rates rising at unprecedented levels plus an
increasing number of other conditions have made us all aware of the need
for healthier eating. Gradually, consumers are becoming more educated
about their health and more aware of the wisdom of a traditional and
natural diet based on fresh foods with fewer highly processed grains.
The popularity of the gluten-free diet over the past
five years is perhaps an indication that people are discovering that
following a gluten-free diet based on natural whole unprocessed
gluten-free grains and chemical-free foods may not only be beneficial
for those with some gut-related issues and other conditions, but also
can be a much healthier diet in general. They may well argue that it is
a more diverse and sustainable diet for maintaining good health in the
long term. So if you’ve never tried grains such as millet, quinoa,
amaranth or bean flours, maybe you should think about trying some of
these healthy gluten-free grains.
For those of you wishing to try a gluten free
lifestyle here are some helpful hints. Also, below are some lists to
help you figure out which foods contain gluten, which foods don’t
contain gluten and more importantly where gluten may be “hidden” in your
diet!
Disclaimer: Information should only be regarded as
general information and is not intended as dietary advice for anyone
with a medical condition or regarded as a complete reference guide on
gluten-free diets. Always consult your doctor for individual advice if
you have been diagnosed with any medical condition or suspect you may
have one.
Grains NOT ALLOWED On Gluten-FREE Diets:
People following gluten-free diets should AVOID
foods and products made with the following grains:
Research shows that pure oats do not appear to be
toxic to those with gluten intolerance; however, there is significant
risk of contamination with gluten-containing grains.
MORE Specific Gluten-Containing Grains and Food
Products to Be AVOIDED:
- Barley Graham Flour Rye
- Bulgar Kamut Semolina
- Cereal Binding Malt Spelt (Dinkel)
- Couscous Malt Extract Triticale
- Durum Malt Flavoring Wheat
- Einkorn Malt Syrup Wheat Bran
- Emmer Oat Bran Wheat Germ
- Filler Oats Wheat Starch
- Farro Oat Syrup
Tips for Following a Gluten-FREE Diet:
- Beware - wheat-free on a label is not necessarily
gluten-free
- Look for gluten-free symbol on labels
- Use gluten-free pocket guides and recipes
- Food manufacturers can often change their
ingredients - check ingredient listings
- Regularly and especially if product is not labeled
as gluten-free - call manufacturer and check
- When dining out you are safest ordering plain foods
with minimal ingredients
- At restaurants, inform your server so the kitchen
takes special care with your meal to avoid your food coming into
contact with gluten-containing foods or surfaces where
gluten-containing foods have been prepared
- Prepare gluten-free foods at home separately and
use separate utensils and chopping boards
- Use separate cooking oils for gluten-free foods
- Prepared gluten-free products can be found in
health food stores
- Try to eat mostly fresh unprocessed food
Common Foods Containing Gluten:
- Breads Bagels Stuffing
- Rolls Ice Cream Cones Cereals
- Biscuits Pastas Pizza
- Croissants Fried Vegetables Cookies
- Doughnuts Graham Crackers Pies
- Flour Tortillas Crackers Cakes
- Chicken Nuggets Pretzels Pastries
- Croutons Pita Bread Cupcakes
- Breaded Fish or Foods Corn Bread French Fries – if
frozen
- Hamburger/Hot Dog Buns Waffles Toast
Foods with Hidden Gluten (Examples - NOT and
Exclusive List)
- Alcohol Products Made From Grains Some Potato Chips
- Lunch Meats, Cold Cuts Cheese Products Made With
Gluten Stabilizers
- Hot Dogs Bleu Cheese (May Be Made With Bread
- Sausages Conventional Yogurt
- Hamburgers Commercial Ice Creams and Frozen Yogurts
- Meat Loaf Sour Cream
- Fish or Poultry Products Made With Cereal Fillers
Commercial Chocolate Milk
- Meat and Fish Pastes Non-Dairy Creamer
- Self-Basting Turkeys Sherbet
- Soy Burgers Custard
- Imitation Seafood Fruit Fillings
- Frozen Dinners Crumbled Toppings
- Powdered Gravy and Sauce Mixes Puddings
- Commercial Bouillon Syrups
- Conventional Stock Dry-Roasted Nuts - (Processing
Agents May Contain Wheat)
- Sauces and Marinades Root Beer
- Soy Sauce Licorice
- Teriyaki Sauce Gum
- White Pepper Inexpensive Chocolate
- Chutneys and Pickles Instant Coffee
- Mustard (Dry Mustard Powder Contains Gluten) Some
Lipsticks
- Some Spice Mixtures Some Toothpastes
- Commercial Salad Dressings Some Supplements
- Some Soups (May Include Flour) Some Medicines
- Canned Baked Beans Some Cough Drops
FOOD Sources That Need To Be Confirmed (May Contain
Gluten):
- Brown Rice Syrup (Often from barley)
- Caramel Color (Sometimes from barley)
- Dextrin (Mainly from corn but can be wheat)
- Flavorings
- Flour or Cereal Products
- Hydrolyzed Plant or Vegetable Protein (HPP/HVP)
- Maize meal (May include wheat with the corn)
- Malt, Malt Vinegar or Malt Flavoring (Okay if made
from corn but usually from barley)
- Modified food starch (From unspecified or not
allowed sources)
- Mono- or Di-Glycerides (Only in dry products)
- Flavorings (Can contain barley malt)
- Seasonings (Wheat flour is often used as a carrier
for the spices)
- Soy Sauce (Often contains wheat)
- Starch (Could be wheat if the source is not
specified—i.e. corn starch)
GRAINS ALLOWED On Gluten-FREE DIETS:
- Amaranth Potato
- Arrowroot Quinoa
- Bean Flours Rice
- Buckwheat Soy
- Corn Sorghum
- Millet Tapioca
- Nut Flours Tef
KEY Nutrients Commonly Found To Be DEFICIENT In Those
With Gluten SENSITIVITIES:
- Vitamin B 12
- Folic Acid
- Iron
- Calcium
- Vitamin D
- Riboflavin
- Thiamin
- Niacin
- Vitamin B 6
- Fiber
Notes from Christine:
 Garden
of Life’s new
Immune Balance Gluten FREEze provides multidimensional support for
those with Gluten Sensitivities and/or those on a Gluten-Free Diet.
Immune Balance Gluten FREEze provides essential nutrients typically
deficient in those on a gluten-free diet. It also helps to digest hidden
gluten and dairy with highly active digestive and proteolytic enzymes
that specifically target the protein (proteases) found in gluten.
Additionally, many people who are on a gluten-free diet are also on a
casein-free diet. Casein is the primary protein found in dairy products,
and it has a molecular structure similar to gluten.
Immune Balance Gluten FREEze contains enzymes that can help break
down the hidden casein found in the diet.
Immune Balance Gluten FREEze by Garden of Life does not replace a
Gluten-Free diet. It can help you by aiding in the digestion of hidden
gluten and casein in foods, restoring the healthy balance of probiotics
in your digestive system, supporting immune function and providing
critical nutrients that are often missing in a gluten-free diet and
lifestyle.
For more information on the Immune Balance Gluten FREEze
by
Garden of Life, click here.
For more information on the complete product line of
Immune
Balance Formulas, click here.
Author’s Bio:
Dawn Thorpe Jarvis has been a Registered
Dietitian and Licensed Nutritionist for 30 years. She is also the
Director of Education and Product Support at Garden of Life.
The statements contained in this article have not been
evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The information contained
here is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Suggestions and ideas presented in this document are for information
only and should not be interpreted as medical advice, meant for
diagnosing illness, or for prescriptive purposes. Readers are encouraged
to consult their health care provider before beginning any cleanse,
diet, detoxification program, or any supplement regimen. The information
in this document is not to be used to replace the services or
instructions of a physician or qualified health care practitioner. |
