What we call a gluten-free diet is one that is has to be consumed by anyone with celiac disease or people who may have wheat allergies or an intolerance. Some other conditions suggest that a gluten-free diet is of importance for those who suffer from dermatitis herpetiformis, which causes skin lesions. And some start to consume a gluten-free diet because they discover that it helps their digestion, even though they are not allergic or sensitive to wheat.
The key point of this diet is to eradicate every form of:
- Wheat
- Barley
- Kamut
- Spelt
- Rye
- Oat
For those people out there who have been diagnosed with coeliac disease, a strict adherence to such a diet is essential for the best results. Additionally, by not consuming wheat in its traditional way, as in bread, cereals, or crackers, people must eliminate a number of additives to foods, and know about ingredients in foods that gave been derived from wheat.
It is vital to know if any ingredients are contaminated with wheat flour, which may occur if foods have been processed in any food plants that use wheat.
Available Foods
There are still an abundance of foods still available for anyone following a gluten-free diet, which can be made into flours or thickeners to help bind food together. Breads and baked goods can be made from different ingredients like potatoes, corn, some beans, nuts, and quinoa, a healthy grain.
In many cases, a gluten-free diet won’t restrict anyone from consuming nearly all:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Meats
- Fish
- Oils
- Dairy products
However, anything food which is not prepared at home must be viewed as potentially containing wheat. For instance, a lot of sausages contain gluten fillers, and the presence of MSG in soups can make it banned to those who follow a gluten-free diet. In fact, everybody should refrain from the ingesting of MSG!
Preparation of Food at Home
The startling presence of so many wheat by-products in a huge amount of foods means that eating a gluten-free diet can definitely be time consuming! A lot of people are much better off when preparing their foods at their home due to the fact that they can then take full control of all of the ingredients and avoid any mistaken contact with wheat. But, there are some companies that do produce gluten-free diet foods, including products like bread made with gluten-free flours, pizzas, crackers and more. These are often somewhat more expensive than foods that use wheat.
You can find cookbooks which specialise in gluten-free diets and how to prepare lots of interesting and alternative food types. One more wonderful place to seek information on packaged or processed gluten-free foods, includes websites which are devoted to anyone living with coeliac disease. They are also gluten free communities and a superb list of services for those who are in need.
Simply go online and check out what superb services they have to offer!
