A Gluten Free Diet is a rising fad for people who don't have gluten intolerance! The TRUTH is that no one except those diagnosed with a gluten intolerance disease need to totally eliminate gluten from their diet. Many who go gluten-free may be at risk for certain deficiencies due to eliminating many gluten-containing whole grains which have essential vitamins and minerals. However, you can go gluten-free and still maintain a balanced healthy diet by eating lots of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and other whole grain starchy foods without gluten such as rice, quinoa, corn, and potatoes. Although many lose weight going gluten free, it is probably due to the fact that they are giving up calorie-dense grains which make it easy to overeat.
Gluten Free Guide: Celiac Disease
Gluten Intolerance: is a disorder of the intestines caused by sensitivity to the protein gluten. Gluten intolerance can be diagnosed at any age and is a lifelong condition. Gluten is found in wheat, rye, barley, and most oats.
Gluten Intolerance can be classified as celiac disease (CD), celiac sprue (CS), nontropical sprue (NTS), or gluten sensitive enteropathy (GSE). Gluten Intolerance may cause dermatitis herpetiformis a skin condition of itchy skin and skin eruptions.
Symptoms of Gluten Intolerance: Different Combinations of Symptoms may be present in each individual. Symptoms are related to the amount of damage to the intestines and how long the individual has had gluten intolerance. Some Symptoms…..
Children: Poor growth, distended belly, belly pain, diarrhea, constipation, irritability.
Adults: Abdominal distress, excess gas, and cramps, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, feelings of fullness, anemia, breathlessness, weight loss or gain, decreased appetite, weakness
Tempororay Lactose Intolerance (bothered by eating milk products) frequently accompanies gluten intolerance making gastrointestinal distress worse. For those with lactose intolerance, limit the amount of dairy products you eat or use lactase enzymes or lactaid products. After you’ve been eating gluten/lactose free diet for a while try adding dairy products back into diet.
Autoimmune disorders and certain syndromes lead to increased risk of celiac disease. These include: Type 1 DM, Autoimmune Thyroid Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Down Syndrome, Sjogren Syndrome, and Turner Syndrome.
Diagnoses: You can get tested for gluten intolerance. Your doctor may order a blood test that measures endomysial antibodies (EMA), tissue transglutaminase (TTG), or antigliadin antibodies. If these blood tests show you have gluten intolerance, your doctor can then order a bowel biopsy which is the best way to diagnose celiac disease. In the Bowel Biopsy they take a small piece of bowel and send it to the laboratory however this can be very expensive. Sometimes to diagnose gluten intolerance (instead of the expensive biopsy) it may be best for the individual to go on a gluten free diet to see if that helps relieve symptoms.
Treatment: Removing gluten from your diet allows your intestines to heal. You’ll have to continue to eat gluten-free even after you feel well. If you eat gluten again it may damage your small intestine, cause nutrient deficiencies and malnutrition. It may make it so your immune system doesn’t work well so you won’t be able to fight infection as well. It can also make it hard for children to grow properly.
Even if no symptoms return other problems can happen such as osteoporosis, lymphoma and other cancers.
Getting the Nutrients you Need!!!!: Gluten intolerance can cause your intestines to not absorb many of the essential nutrients you need. A Gluten free diet is low in fiber, B vitamins (especially folate), and iron. Tips for getting the nutrients you need:
Gluten-free Vit/Mineral Supp until bowel has time to heal (this may take 6-12 months)
Eat whole grain gluten-free flours, brown rice, and plenty of fruits and vegetables (to help get more fiber).
Eat leafy green vegys, orange juice, legumes (help get folate)
Eat meats, nuts, and seeds (help get more iron)
Adults with Celiac disease commonly have osteoporosis to reduce risk:
Get baseline bone scan from doctor and take gluten-free calcium and vitamin D supp.
Diet Instructions:
Eat: Fresh, Frozen or canned fruits, veggies, meat and milk. There are also a wide variety of gluten-free grains and plant products available. You can eat these too.
Grains and Plants Allowed: (these grains do not contain gluten)
Amaranth, Montina, Salba, Arrowroot, Nut flours, Sorghum, Bean/Pea Flours, Oats(see below), Soy, Corn, Potato Flour and Starch, Sweet Potato (Manioc), Flax, Quinoa, Tapioca, Guar gum, Rice (in all forms), Tef or Teff, Millet, Sago, Xantham gum
Don’t Eat/Grains to Avoid: (these grains contain gluten)
Barley, Graham flour, Semolina, Bulgar, Kamut, Spelt, Couscous, Malt, Sprouted Wheat or Barley, Durum, Matzo, Einkorn, Tabbouleh, Emmer, Pasta, Triticale, Farina, Rye, Udon, Farro, Seitan, Wheat (in all forms)
Oats: pure, uncontaminated Oats, used in moderation are safe for most people with gluten intolerance. Oats have a high risk of being contaminated from what products during processing. Two Sources of Acceptable Oats are: Gluten-Free Oats from Powell, Wyoming (information at www.glutenfreeoats.com) and McCann’s Irish Oatmeal. Tips for eating Oats:
Wait 6-12 months before you eat oats to allow GI tract to heal.
Adults shouldn’t eat more than 1 cup cooked oats or 2/3 cups raw oats per day and children shouldn’t eat more than ½ cup cooked or 1/3 cup raw oats per day.
Don’t eat more than 3 servings of oats per week.
Add oats to you diet slowly to let your body get used to oats.
Ingredients to Watch:
Brown Rice Syrup: Is often made form barley
Carob-Soy Flour: flour itself does not contain gluten but it is usually contaminated with grains or flours that contain gluten.
Dextrin: Rare Ingredient that is usually made with corn but may be made from wheat (call manufacturer to find out)
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein: made from wheat
Modified Food Starch (MFS): Mostly made from corn, tapioca, potato, wheat or other starches, wheat is rare most are made from corn.
Malt, Malt Extract, or Malt Flavoring: Usually made from Barley
Modified Hop Extract: Made from barley
Natural or Artificial Flavors: Rarely but some meat products have gluten-containing ingredients.
Sacrament Bread of Communion Wafers: Talk to your bishop, priest, or minister.
Seasonings: Pkg should ingredients on label if not call manufacturer
Soy Sauce, Soy Sauce Solids and Teriyaki Sauce: may be fermented with wheat. Check food label. Tamari soy sauce by Eden and soy sauce by La Choy are gluten-free.
Starch: In foods, starch always means cornstarch. However in medicines or supplements the starch may contain gluten.
Vinegar: Malt vinegar contains gluten.
Vit/Min Supplement: Avoid supplements that contain starch or other gluten-containing ingredients. Avoid generics (researching is harder). Go to www.glutenfreedrugs.com to check gluten free status.
Wheat Starch: In North America wheat starch has gluten in it. Europe has a pure form (some imported products labeled gluten-free may have this pure form)
Worcestershire Sauce: contains soy sauce. Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce uses a non-wheat containing soy sauce.
Yeast-Malt Sprout Extract: contains barley
Non-Food Items: lipstick, lip gloss, vits/mineral supp, stamp, stickers, envelope glue, toothpaste, mouthwash, play dough, pet food, and other products children might nibble on.
Maltodextrin does not contain Malt
Gluten Free Guide: Celiac Disease
Gluten Intolerance: is a disorder of the intestines caused by sensitivity to the protein gluten. Gluten intolerance can be diagnosed at any age and is a lifelong condition. Gluten is found in wheat, rye, barley, and most oats.
Gluten Intolerance can be classified as celiac disease (CD), celiac sprue (CS), nontropical sprue (NTS), or gluten sensitive enteropathy (GSE). Gluten Intolerance may cause dermatitis herpetiformis a skin condition of itchy skin and skin eruptions.
Symptoms of Gluten Intolerance: Different Combinations of Symptoms may be present in each individual. Symptoms are related to the amount of damage to the intestines and how long the individual has had gluten intolerance. Some Symptoms…..
Children: Poor growth, distended belly, belly pain, diarrhea, constipation, irritability.
Adults: Abdominal distress, excess gas, and cramps, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, feelings of fullness, anemia, breathlessness, weight loss or gain, decreased appetite, weakness
Tempororay Lactose Intolerance (bothered by eating milk products) frequently accompanies gluten intolerance making gastrointestinal distress worse. For those with lactose intolerance, limit the amount of dairy products you eat or use lactase enzymes or lactaid products. After you’ve been eating gluten/lactose free diet for a while try adding dairy products back into diet.
Autoimmune disorders and certain syndromes lead to increased risk of celiac disease. These include: Type 1 DM, Autoimmune Thyroid Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Down Syndrome, Sjogren Syndrome, and Turner Syndrome.
Diagnoses: You can get tested for gluten intolerance. Your doctor may order a blood test that measures endomysial antibodies (EMA), tissue transglutaminase (TTG), or antigliadin antibodies. If these blood tests show you have gluten intolerance, your doctor can then order a bowel biopsy which is the best way to diagnose celiac disease. In the Bowel Biopsy they take a small piece of bowel and send it to the laboratory however this can be very expensive. Sometimes to diagnose gluten intolerance (instead of the expensive biopsy) it may be best for the individual to go on a gluten free diet to see if that helps relieve symptoms.
Treatment: Removing gluten from your diet allows your intestines to heal. You’ll have to continue to eat gluten-free even after you feel well. If you eat gluten again it may damage your small intestine, cause nutrient deficiencies and malnutrition. It may make it so your immune system doesn’t work well so you won’t be able to fight infection as well. It can also make it hard for children to grow properly.
Even if no symptoms return other problems can happen such as osteoporosis, lymphoma and other cancers.
Getting the Nutrients you Need!!!!: Gluten intolerance can cause your intestines to not absorb many of the essential nutrients you need. A Gluten free diet is low in fiber, B vitamins (especially folate), and iron. Tips for getting the nutrients you need:
Gluten-free Vit/Mineral Supp until bowel has time to heal (this may take 6-12 months)
Eat whole grain gluten-free flours, brown rice, and plenty of fruits and vegetables (to help get more fiber).
Eat leafy green vegys, orange juice, legumes (help get folate)
Eat meats, nuts, and seeds (help get more iron)
Adults with Celiac disease commonly have osteoporosis to reduce risk:
Get baseline bone scan from doctor and take gluten-free calcium and vitamin D supp.
Diet Instructions:
Eat: Fresh, Frozen or canned fruits, veggies, meat and milk. There are also a wide variety of gluten-free grains and plant products available. You can eat these too.
Grains and Plants Allowed: (these grains do not contain gluten)
Amaranth, Montina, Salba, Arrowroot, Nut flours, Sorghum, Bean/Pea Flours, Oats(see below), Soy, Corn, Potato Flour and Starch, Sweet Potato (Manioc), Flax, Quinoa, Tapioca, Guar gum, Rice (in all forms), Tef or Teff, Millet, Sago, Xantham gum
Don’t Eat/Grains to Avoid: (these grains contain gluten)
Barley, Graham flour, Semolina, Bulgar, Kamut, Spelt, Couscous, Malt, Sprouted Wheat or Barley, Durum, Matzo, Einkorn, Tabbouleh, Emmer, Pasta, Triticale, Farina, Rye, Udon, Farro, Seitan, Wheat (in all forms)
Oats: pure, uncontaminated Oats, used in moderation are safe for most people with gluten intolerance. Oats have a high risk of being contaminated from what products during processing. Two Sources of Acceptable Oats are: Gluten-Free Oats from Powell, Wyoming (information at www.glutenfreeoats.com) and McCann’s Irish Oatmeal. Tips for eating Oats:
Wait 6-12 months before you eat oats to allow GI tract to heal.
Adults shouldn’t eat more than 1 cup cooked oats or 2/3 cups raw oats per day and children shouldn’t eat more than ½ cup cooked or 1/3 cup raw oats per day.
Don’t eat more than 3 servings of oats per week.
Add oats to you diet slowly to let your body get used to oats.
Ingredients to Watch:
Brown Rice Syrup: Is often made form barley
Carob-Soy Flour: flour itself does not contain gluten but it is usually contaminated with grains or flours that contain gluten.
Dextrin: Rare Ingredient that is usually made with corn but may be made from wheat (call manufacturer to find out)
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein: made from wheat
Modified Food Starch (MFS): Mostly made from corn, tapioca, potato, wheat or other starches, wheat is rare most are made from corn.
Malt, Malt Extract, or Malt Flavoring: Usually made from Barley
Modified Hop Extract: Made from barley
Natural or Artificial Flavors: Rarely but some meat products have gluten-containing ingredients.
Sacrament Bread of Communion Wafers: Talk to your bishop, priest, or minister.
Seasonings: Pkg should ingredients on label if not call manufacturer
Soy Sauce, Soy Sauce Solids and Teriyaki Sauce: may be fermented with wheat. Check food label. Tamari soy sauce by Eden and soy sauce by La Choy are gluten-free.
Starch: In foods, starch always means cornstarch. However in medicines or supplements the starch may contain gluten.
Vinegar: Malt vinegar contains gluten.
Vit/Min Supplement: Avoid supplements that contain starch or other gluten-containing ingredients. Avoid generics (researching is harder). Go to www.glutenfreedrugs.com to check gluten free status.
Wheat Starch: In North America wheat starch has gluten in it. Europe has a pure form (some imported products labeled gluten-free may have this pure form)
Worcestershire Sauce: contains soy sauce. Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce uses a non-wheat containing soy sauce.
Yeast-Malt Sprout Extract: contains barley
Non-Food Items: lipstick, lip gloss, vits/mineral supp, stamp, stickers, envelope glue, toothpaste, mouthwash, play dough, pet food, and other products children might nibble on.
Maltodextrin does not contain Malt