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Gluten Free Diet
A Gluten-Free Diet is a diet completely free of gluten. Gluten is a protein found in most grains (specifically those that include rye, barley, or wheat).
A Gluten-Free diet is required for sufferers of Celiac disease – a disease that affects the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. People can have different degrees of gluten sensitivity ranging from minor digestive issues, wheat allergies, and IBS to severe Celiac disease.
Glutenous grains have also been linked to obesity and diabetes, but this is likely due to the fact that processed white wheat flour is in an abundance of products and it’s also usually combined with sugar. Proponents of Ancestral diets claim that the human body has never evolved to eat glutinous grains which is why wheat is linked to so many health problems including obesity.
Foods That Contain Gluten
Basically any product that contains wheat, barely, or rye will contain gluten. Also, any product that is manufactured in the same plant as those processing those grains can also contain traces of gluten.
Flour, cakes, pastries, pastas, breads, couscous, cereals, processed foods, frozen dinners, some medications, pizza crust, cookies, pretzels, crackers, biscuits, some types of chocolate, some candy and candy bars, some ice creams, and beer . Even if a product doesn’t list wheat as an ingredient, it could still have wheat derivatives. Food starches, semolina, spelt, graham flour, atta, triticale, hydrolyzed plant protein and malt are some of the other ingredients to be aware of.
Diet Without Gluten
It is possible to eat a well-balanced diet without gluten. Plain meat, fish, rice, fruits, and vegetables do not contain gluten, so people with celiac disease can eat as much of these foods as they like. Over the last several years the manufacturing and marketing of gluten free products has become lucrative for many companies since people are giving up wheat based products for the many reasons cited above. There are gluten free sections in many super markets and major brands now have gluten free products.
Instead of wheat flour, people can use oats, potato flour, corn flour, rice flour, soy flour, coconut flour, nut flours or even bean flour. Or, they can buy gluten-free bread, pasta, and other products from special food companies.
However, like many specialized diets, social situations can be very difficult. All food ingredients should be read carefully to ensure the food does not contain gluten. Many restaurant chains now have gluten free options available on their menus.
Gluten-Free Diet Plans
There has also been a surge in gluten free diet plans and cookbooks over the last 10 years. There are different plans to suit different needs. Some are aimed at curing disease, while others are aimed at weight loss. There are also programs that are recipe based, giving dieters meal ideas in order to make the gluten free lifestyle easier. Below are some of the programs available.
| Gluten Free and Low GI Recipes | Gourmet gluten free recipes created by award winning chef Debbie Johnson. |
| Gluten Free Daily | An online program that offers education about how to eat a gluten free diet combined with a holistic approach to health and wellness. |
| Gluten Free Fat Loss | This is aimed at people with slight sensitivity who’s goals are weight loss. |
| Gluten Free and Dairy Free Recipes | Contains a large number of gourmet gluten free French recipes. |
| Wheat Belly | This book includes detailed information about the potentially negative effects of wheat and offers guidance on how to get started with a wheat free diet. |
Resources
Gluten intolerance group of North America
National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC)
Hi! I hope someone can answer me. I have been on a gluten free diet for 6 years. When I was diagnosed I weighed 106pds, I immediately went on a GF diet…I am now 150…too much for me. I am very active. I cannot seem to lose an ounce…I have been to every dr., you can think of..
My Gastro Dr., suggested that I go back to eating gluten for 6 months and see if I lose any weight. I just started. Does anyone know anyone that went back to eating gluten????
Three different Dr’s told me to try it…Since I was thin my entire life…Celiac did this to me…If anyone knows anyone that tried this…e-mail me. thank you, myrna
@catie no, I’ve been on a gluten free diet for many years and have bad acne.
is it true that a gluten free diet can help with acne?
MY TEN YEAR OLD GRAND DAUGHTER NEEDS TO GO ON A GLUTEN FREE DIET NEED ALL ADVICE GIVEN
m a celiac , & ‘ve been living on a gluten-free diet for 7 months & now,m quiet used to !!
i have been gluten and wheat free for over a year now and the diet has gone really well until last wk when i made the mistake of buying and gluten free brownie from costa coffee evan though its says gluten free on the pack it isn’t so be carefull with that apparently they use gluten free wheat but in the email they sent me they actually admitted to putting some levels of gluten in the gluten free brownie have actually reported them to trading standards as wot there doing cant be legal
I am looking for diet that gluten and Wheat free…..
Help me bc elargy of wheat
no long found out i have CD finding it really ard and even getting scared to eat now i need help??
I kept losing weight so some people can be the other way go to the search engine and put in Celiac disease and I think its web md and they tell you what you can have and what to look for i havent been diognosed but I really have had bad experiences with doctors they dont like you telling them what to look for and this isnt always recognized as a disease
Read every label on packets when shopping, and make sure you don’t buy products with barley, or glucose(from wheat) as they have gluten in them.
my doctor told me today 4/21/2010 i was allergic to gluten i have no clue what that is and what thats in and not in wow its scary
My daughter fouteen months is diagonised celiac disease,so i need a total gluten free diet plan 4 her
I’m looking to join (Praying) to join a gluten free diet online. I think it would be so much easier to go with the flow.
Dear rajashakeel amjad,
I just want you to know that there is no such thing as gluten free wheat. I am on a gluten free diet and at 32 yrs old it takes a bit of getting used to. But on the other hand there are a lot of alternatives to the gluten containing grains. I have found that a return to more indigenous diets help. I happen to eat a lot of polenta now and don’t really miss the big bread products. Sometimes cookies though, but I have found alternatives that are great.
There is the drawback that you tend to miss certain bread products, but I think the nice thing about your daughter being diagnosed with celiac so early is she won’t learn to miss wheat products.
David
i would like find a suport group as i am fairly new to this and would love to find out bout glutten wheat free diet
my seven years old daughter has diagnosed celiac disease. i want gluton free wheat for her.please help
Coeliac UK is a brilliant site, for people in the UK, they have a book you can order with lists of all the food you can eat inside.
I am looking for diet that gluten and weat free…..
Help!!!!!!
My daughter went on a gluten-free diet. It was amazing. First she maintained her weight and her body shrunk in size. She went from a size 12 to a size 8. After three months she started losing weight. It is very difficult to eat out but many chains now offer a “gluten-free” menu.