Saturday, April 27, 2013

Gluten Free Desserts - Some Ideas

People seem to think that gluten free living means no desserts, or no nice desserts, anyway. But it really doesn't have to be that way...

When it comes to gluten free desserts, you're best to stay away from the "Free From" shelves. Well, to be honest, apart from pasta, I would give those a miss anyway. Most of the products are pretty tasteless at best, and very pricey indeed.

But so far as desserts go, really, there's not much need for flour, anyway. Hopefully, you will have eaten enough bulk in the main course, and the sweet course is just a kind of codicil - more of a taste sensation than anything.

So, what can you eat for afters that isn't full of gluten? Here are a few suggestions.

First off, there's nothing much nicer in the summer time than a fresh fruit salad, and it's very easy to do. You just get a bunch of fruit, cut it up and add some juice or syrup. The trick is to leave fruit that browns in the air until last. So, by all means include banana and apple chunks, but put them in after you've made the liquid which holds it all together. And to be on the safe side, put some lemon or orange juice in as well (the acid stops the reaction from occurring).

Cut the fruit into pieces all about the same size. If you're including grapes or cherries (which you will probably cut in half to take out the stones or pips), then aim for that sort of size. Obviously, raspberries and blackberries are left whole, but strawberries can be cut in half or even into quarters, if they are too big. Chinese gooseberries/kiwi fruit should be skinned before you slice them up. The easiest way to do this is by cutting the stalk end off, then scoring all the way round, and dropping them into a bowl of very hot (even boiling) water for a few seconds, then into another bowl of cold water. After this, the skin should peel off quite easily.

For the liquid, you can either make a sugar syrup (just dissolve some sugar in a little hot water and make up with cold), or better is grape or apple juice. I have a friend who uses fizzy lemonade, but this has never appealed to me. You could also include a tin of mandarin oranges, and add the juice from that. Serve the fruit salad on its own or with a dollop of cream or other topping, or some gluten free ice cream and there's your dessert.

If you've got a bit more time to prepare, you could make a fruit jelly (jello). This may sound like kids' stuff = and it's certainly likely to go down well with children - but it's surprising how nice it is, and of course, there's no gluten in jelly.

You can use fresh or canned fruit. I generally use canned, and use the liquid from the can as part of the liquid when making up the jelly. Just put your jello mix or cubes into a measuring jug, add the least amount of boiling water to dissolve it, mix well, and when all the mixture has dissolved, pour in the juice from the can. You can add water to make it up to just under the right amount if you don't have enough juice. There will be a little bit of juice still clinging to the fruit, so don't overdo the water!

Put the fruit into the jelly mold or bowl and pour over the jelly, then cover and put into the fridge to set. This goes great with cream or evaporated milk, gluten free ice cream or your choice of topping.

For a most exotic dessert, which you will most likely want to keep for special occasions, you can make a pavlova. This is just a huge nest of meringue filled with fruit and cream, and is very yummy. You make the meringue the day before, so it has time to cool, then fill it just before serving. You can also buy frozen pavlovas (remember to check the label). The name pavlova (which is coming up as a spelling mistake, even though it's correct) comes from the name of the ballerina, Anna Pavlova, for whom the dessert was originally created. I don't know how often she ate it though, as ballerinas have to watch their weight, and this dessert definitely ain't for weight watchers!

Another idea, which is a bit old fashioned, but really nice, is a home made rice pudding. You need a big casserole dish, 1½ pints of breakfast milk (or full cream milk), 4 ounces of pudding (round grain) rice, 2-4 tablespoonfuls of sugar (according to your taste), and a pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon. If you're using nutmeg, be careful not to overdo it, or the whole pudding will go bitter, and be completely inedible. Less is more with nutmeg, as they say. If you don't have creamy milk, then you add 2 or 3 little bits of butter.

Optionally, you can add a handful of raisins, but personally, I like my rice pudding plain.

Just put all the ingredients into the casserole dish and put it into the oven either in the center, or if you're cooking something else at the same time, near the bottom will do. Turn the oven on to about 300°F (150°C, gas mark 2). After half an hour, give it a stir, and again 30 minutes later. Cook for a further hour, and check to see if the rice is nice and soft - carefully lift the beautiful brown skin so as not to spoil it, and spoon out a little bit, let it cool down and taste to see if it's done. If not, give it another 15-30 minutes.

As you can see, it takes a long time to cook a decent rice pudding. But it's well worth the wait even though the fragrance of rice pudding being cooked is almost unbearably tempting. You can make it before you cook the main course and just put it in for 15 minutes to warm up again while you eat, if you like. If you find that there is too little milk in the pudding, pour a bit more in before reheating or add some milk or cream when serving (this also helps to cool it down a bit, which is useful if you're serving it to children). Of course, you can also eat it cold, but if you're going to do that, you may as well buy a can.

You don't get that delectable skin in a can, though (I'm not sure how nice it would be cold, anyway).

Children often like to put a spoonful of jam (jelly) in the middle of their bowl of rice pudding (after they've savored their portion of skin) and stir it in before they eat it. It makes a nice swirly pattern that kids really enjoy.

I hope these ideas have been helpful, and remember - when it comes to gluten free desserts, forget about the "free from" shelf.

Gluten Free Desserts - Some Ideas

Gluten Free

Gluten Free Desserts - Some Ideas

Gluten Free Desserts - Some Ideas
Gluten Free Desserts - Some Ideas

Gluten Free

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Does a Gluten Free Diet Work for Weight Loss?

What is gluten?

Gluten is a type of complex protein. Unlike other common proteins, gluten mostly occurs in certain carbohydrates. Wheat, rye etc are rich in gluten. Gluten is an essential component of any bread. It is the reason why bread rises and gains a chewy texture. Gluten makes the bread stretchy.

What foods are rich in gluten?

Though gluten is most commonly found in wheat, there are many other foods which contain significant quantities of gluten. Some examples are as follows:

Since gluten is one of the main ingredients in wheat, all products containing wheat are rich sources of wheat. These include all breads, cakes, pasta, cookies, doughnuts, flour, spaghetti, biscuits, waffles, bagels and many more.
Apart from wheat, few other cereals also contain significant quantities of gluten. These include grains like barley and farina.
In foods which do not naturally contain gluten, it is added for a number of purposes. Gluten is a thickening agent and used widely in sauces, ice creams, puddings and gravy.
Almost all refined and processed foods contain gluten. Examples include pizza, salami, sausages, soups, chips, hamburger etc.

So, you can see that gluten is a very common component in many common foods. If you are thinking of adopting a gluten free diet, then you should know that you may have to do without some of your favorite foods.

What gluten free foods can you include in your diet?

The list of foods containing gluten is a long one. So, if you are considering a diet free of gluten, you need to know what foods you can include in your daily diet.
Though gluten is commonly found in cereals, it is not present in every cereal. Rice, quinoa, amaranth, millets etc are excellent gluten free alternatives.
Yams, potatoes, arrowroot, sorghum etc are good sources of starch free of gluten.
Fresh fruits and vegetables do not contain gluten and so can be easily included in your diet.
Lean animal proteins are also free of gluten. However, they should not be breaded which adds gluten to the preparation.
Nuts and legumes can be eaten in a no gluten diet.
Finally, in recent days, gluten free breads, biscuits, cereals and desserts have been introduced in the market. However, in many cases, though they are labeled free of gluten, they do contain a small quantity of gluten.

How can gluten free diet help in weight loss?

Though people from various walks of life say that gluten free diet is ideal for weight loss, it requires some in depth analysis before you switch to such a diet. Here are some points that you should consider:

According to the American dietetic association, there is no proven gluten free diet for weight loss. Little research has been made in this connection. So, there are no statistical data to prove or disprove no gluten for weight loss.
Some people suffer from gluten intolerance and gluten allergy. They have to eat a gluten free diet in order to stay fit and in good health. An extreme form of gluten related disorder is the celiac disease. This is a form of immune disorder where the intestine cannot absorb the nutrition which is present in the food that you eat. Celiac disease is aggravated by gluten intake.
Apart from the people who are suffering from intolerance and other similar disorders, gluten probably plays an indirect role in weight loss. If you examine the list of gluten rich foods, you will see that they are also high in calories and sugar which lead to weight loss. So, if you avoid gluten rich foods, you are actually avoiding processed foods which add a lot of needless calories to your diet. As a result, you will obviously lose weight.
A few studies have been conducted. They reveal that if you go on a no gluten diet, you are actually opting for healthier food choices. As a result, you may lose an average of 15 to twenty pounds of your body weight at the end of the first month of your gluten free diet.
According to one research, no matter how tall you are, eating gluten rich foods continuously will make you heavier and bulkier.
While scientific evidence of no gluten for weight loss is still being collected, there are a number of conclusive studies which show that overweight people who are suffering from celiac disease enjoy definite benefit from a diet free of gluten. A clear trend of weight loss can be seen in them.
The fact is that gluten itself is not causing any significant increase in your weight. So, eliminating gluten is not likely to have a severe impact on your weight. However, the gluten rich foods also tend to be rich in salt, fats and calories. So, when you avoid them consistently, a noticeable difference is seen in your weight.
You need to be careful about what foods you choose to replace the gluten rich food that you are eliminating from your diet. These free of gluten substitutes actually may contain higher calories. At the same time, replacing wheat cereals with refined cereals may affect your nutrition because these are often not enriched with added nutrition. In these cases, a diet free of gluten will not be helpful for you in losing weight.
In fact, except in celiac, gluten free diet exercises little direct influence on weight. But, it does have a lot of indirect influence. So, if you can stick to gluten free healthy alternatives for long time, you are bound to notice a loss in weight.

Does a Gluten Free Diet Work for Weight Loss?

Gluten Free

Does a Gluten Free Diet Work for Weight Loss?

Does a Gluten Free Diet Work for Weight Loss?
Does a Gluten Free Diet Work for Weight Loss?

Gluten Free

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Gluten Free Eating - What is Teff and What Do I Do With It?

Teff is a gluten free grain that is a native of northern Ethiopia. It contains high levels of calcium, iron, fiber, and other important nutrients. Teff flour can be used with other flours for gluten free baked goods and as a whole grain, it makes a nutty porridge. The primary cross-contamination risk comes during milling; it must be milled using equipment that is only used for gluten free flour.

Teff is grain that originates in northern Ethiopia where it is the primary grain used to make injera, a pancake-like bread. It has tiny seeds (about 1 mm or about 1/32 of an inch) that are nothing like wheat, rye, or barley seeds. With such tiny seeds, it is very difficult to separate the bran from the inner endosperm, so teff flour is generally made with the whole grain.

Teff has is high in calcium and it also contains phosphorus, iron, copper, aluminum, barium and thiamine (vitamin B1). Teff is high in protein and fiber, especially compared to the "white" gluten free flours - white rice, corn starch, and tapioca starch.

You can replace some of the flour in your gluten free baked goods with teff to add both flavor and nutrients. Teff has a slightly sweet, nutty flavor. You might want to start by adding teff to your muffin or bread recipes. If you like the taste, increase the amount of teff.

You might also like to try teff pancakes. You will find lots of recipes available. Make sure you choose a gluten free recipe because you will find some that call for wheat flour. Many of the posted recipes are vegan, but you will find also find recipes that include eggs and milk if you prefer.

You may also want to try teff porridge. It is made with teff seeds rather than flour. Some people toast the seeds briefly before adding water to enhance the nutty flavor. Most recipes call for four parts water to one part teff along with some kind of sweetener and a tiny bit of salt. Simmer about 20 minutes or until the water is all absorbed. If the porridge gets too thick, add a bit more water or milk.

Traditionally teff is used to make injera, Ethiopian flat bread. Teff flour, water and a sourdough-like starter or yeast are allowed to ferment at room temperature, then mixed with a little salt and cooked with a small amount of oil. The injera flat bread is used both as a plate and an eating utensil for traditional stews. If you try injera in a restaurant, make sure that no gluten flours have been used in the starter or to modify the texture of the bread.

Because the teff seeds are so much smaller than wheat or barley seeds, the only real cross-contamination concern with teff comes when it is milled into flour. It is virtually impossible to clean equipment used to mill wheat well enough to mill gluten free grains without cross-contamination. As a gluten free consumer, this means you have to take the extra step to make sure your flour is safe. Make sure you ask the manufacturer if the teff was ground on shared equipment. If they purchase the teff in bulk and repackage it, follow the trail back to the milling company.

Gluten Free Eating - What is Teff and What Do I Do With It?

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CHECK US OUT ON ELLEN! www.youtube.com My 3 year old fibbing to my face, and it is surprisingly cute haha! After I filmed it we had a VERY long talk about the difference between telling the truth and not telling the truth. He has an amazing imagination and loves to tell us stories. I saw this as a sweet moment, something that every child goes through...where they try to push the boundaries to see how far they can go. And I thought I'd share it with my friends and family. And apparently, the world seems to enjoy it, too. We are currently working on the difference, and he is doing really well. :) Side note: My son does NOT have a filling or a cavaty. He was eating breakfast at the time of Sprinklegate, and that is just some of his breakfast cereal in his teeth. It is a low quality video, and it just showed up in a funky color. But he does NOT eat sweets all the time (ah! Hence the binge!), and his teeth are healthy and beautiful.

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Healthy Cookie Recipes - Vegan and Gluten Free

Vegan cookies, gluten-free cookies, wheat-free cookies...healthy cookie recipes are easy to make if you are willing to experiment with a few alternative quality ingredients. Agave nectar is the perfect sweetener for such baked treats. Not only because of its superiority to refined sugars, but also for its moisture-retaining qualities.

Healthy Cookie Recipes Can Be Made Without Sugar, Butter, Eggs, Or Milk!

Let's start with a solid base of ground nuts. We can use whatever fits best our personal preferences and budget. Pecans tend to be a bit more expensive than almonds and hazelnuts (filberts), walnuts are often on sale or available at a less expensive regular price. Always buy bulk, and halves and pieces are just fine. No need to get whole nuts since we ground them up anyway.

A good cookie recipe should include some fat. As we want to keep this healthy, nutritious, and acceptable for vegans, let's forget about the butter and choose instead almond, cashew, or peanut butter, or a combination thereof. If you don't like the flavor or price of nut butters, substitute with organic canola oil.

Great, but what about the flour if we want to make gluten-free cookies? The answer is: organic brown rice flour! Works like a charm and is much healthier than white flour.

Next up: which sweetener? As stated above, agave nectar is a great sweetener for baked goods. Similar to honey, it helps retain the moisture in cookies and cakes. It also blends quickly and easily with all other ingredients for a well-mixed batter.

To add flavor to this basic healthy cookie mix, use some vanilla or almond extract, ground cinnamon, crushed anise seeds, and a pinch of salt, of course.

And to add even more nutritional value, consider lightly toasted rolled oats, raisins, sesame seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin and sunflower seeds. My goodness...what to do with all that energy?

Why This Is An Easy Healthy Cookie Recipe For Vegan Cookies And Gluten-Free Cookies

We don't really need a recipe for these incredible power morsels of nutrition. It all depends on what we have on hand, or what we like to eat, or what we want to buy. Here is a simple recipe template utilizing the ingredients discussed above:
4 cups ground nuts 1 cup nut butter or 1/2 cup organic canola oil 1 cup organic brown rice flour 3/4 cups agave nectar 1 Tablespoon vanilla or almond extract 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon crushed anise seeds, cardamom, or other spices 1 teaspoon salt Optional: 1/2 cup each raisins or toasted oats or seeds The individual ingredient quantities don't really matter that much. The template is just a general guide line. Our goal is to mix a batter that holds its shape when divided into cookie-size balls. We might have to add a little water if the mix is too dry and crumbly. Or, we might have to add more brown rice flour to a wet and sloppy batter.

This is the best part: As we are not using raw eggs, we can taste our cookie batter before we bake it off! Add more agave nectar if you like it sweeter, more spices or seeds, until you are happy!

Important points for the baking process!
Place 2-inch balls on a parchment-lined cookie pan and flatten lightly with a fork (similar to making peanut butter cookies, dip the fork in cold water before pressing it on the cookie portions) Use a fairly low oven temperature: 8-10 minutes at 300-325 degrees; agave nectar browns a little faster than sugar, so keep an eye on your cookies and don't let them get too dark on the bottom! Remember, there are no raw eggs in our batter; we won't have to bake it completely through. A lightly "under-baked" interior is wonderful! So, be adventurous and experiment with a variety of nuts, seeds, dried fruits, spices, and whatever you love in your gourmet vegan cookie. As long as you don't burn them black, they will always be good eating. And because they are so healthy and nutritious, they'll be good for you, too!

Healthy Cookie Recipes - Vegan and Gluten Free

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Justin Timberlake - Suit & Tie (Official) ft. JAY Z

Preorder on iTunes: smarturl.it Preorder at Target: smarturl.it Preorder from JustinTimberlake.com: smarturl.it Official music video by Justin Timberlake performing Suit & Tie featuring JAY Z. (C) 2013 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment Directed by David Fincher

Justin Timberlake - Suit & Tie (Official) ft. JAY Z

Justin Timberlake - Suit & Tie (Official) ft. JAY Z

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Controlling Type 2 Diabetes With a Gluten Free Diet

Diabetics most definitely benefit from a gluten free diet. This type of diet is a way of life for people suffering from diabetes as well as other diseases such as celiac, autism and many other diseases.

Many people especially diabetics have severe gluten sensitivities. Many illnesses have been associated with gluten consumption and one out of every hundred has gluten intolerances. People that suffer from infections such as diabetics develop this type of sensitivity.

Eating gluten free has helped people not only with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes but also diseases like celiac, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammation of the nervous system, peripheral neuropathies, anaemia, seizures and loss of balance.

What is a gluten free diet? Foods that contain gluten such as wheat, oats, rye, barley, pasta, cereal, beer and spelt should be avoided. Many processed foods also contain gluten. One can buy bread and pastas that are gluten free as well as many other products which can be obtained from most supermarkets and health outlets. All fresh fruits and vegetables are gluten free as well as potato, rice, soy, and buckwheat and bean flour.

Farmers that grow grain increase the amount of gluten in their products because grain having a higher protein content fetches a higher market price. However companies are aware of the fact that many people suffer from gluten intolerance are improving the taste of gluten free products. Those that suffer from gluten intolerances can also opt for integrative manual therapy which helps with physical pain and loss of function as in diabetics as well as change their diet to gluten free diet as it has been noted recently that there is a gluten sensitivity epidemic.

It has also been noted that those with gluten sensitivity have deficiencies in manganese, zinc and chlorophyll as well as smooth and skeletal muscle weakness which are linked to the large intestine and gluten. A gluten free diet will improve one's health all round and also ensures that more nutrients will reach areas that have already been damaged and will also help stabilize blood sugar levels in diabetics.

There have been positive results and diabetics have reported back that their symptoms were alleviated after a few weeks when they changed to a gluten free diet. However it is important to remember that a diabetic patient should first discuss any and all diet plan with their primary medical practitioner or dietician.

Controlling Type 2 Diabetes With a Gluten Free Diet

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A List of Flours For the Gluten Free Diet

When you just learn that you have to eat a gluten-free diet and first start trying to bake things without wheat flour, it becomes rapidly apparent that wheat is the best thing in the world to make bread out of. But you can't use wheat, so you are faced with having to learn what all these other kinds of flours are. Many of these flours are costly and temperamental. With others it can be hard to find a place to buy them. Even worse, it can be hard to figure out which ones are good for what.

Most of these are used by gluten-free bakers to mix along with other flours into versatile mixes which are put together ahead of time and then kept around for when the person wants to do some baking.

Amaranth - This flour isn't strong flavored but the flavor is malt-like and can be nutty. It is made from a plant seed and is nutritious with lots of protein. Should be used in mixes.

Arrowroot - A handy substitute for cornstarch, this is a actually a ground up root (as the name would indicate.) When substituting for cornstarch you use it one for one. Arrowroot stores on the shelf and isn't very flavorful.

Buckwheat - It sounds like it must be wheat, but it isn't. It is actually made from the ground seeds of a plant related to rhubarb. The flour is flavorful and has a dark color. Works really well for more robust whole grain breads.

Cornstarch - Flour that has been refined from corn. It has almost no flavor, and is used in mixes. It doesn't go bad easily when stored in a cool dark place.

Garbanzo Bean - A.k.a. Chick Peas, the flour is very flavorful and contains lots of protein. It should be refrigerated.

Garfava - Fava beans and garbanzos. Like the garbanzo bean flour, it has a strong flavor, but it stores better. You can use this flour as a substitute for rice flour. Has lots of protein. Good for a wide variety of baked goodies.

Millet - An excellent source of protein. Popular for breads. Millet has been cultivated for thousands of years and is a member of the grass family. The flavor is sweet and subtle. Best used in mixes. Works well in breads.

Potato - Popular as a thickening agent for stews, soups, and gravies. Ground dried pototoes. Bob's Red Mill declares that potato flour imparts a "moist crumb." Used sparingly in flour mixes. It tastes like potatoes (like one would expect) and stores well. Great for baking. Helps make dough elastic. Has more subtle flavor than Potato Flour.

Quinoa - Ground from seeds of a plant that is related to beets and spinach. The resulting flour is a good source of protien. The flavor is not strong. Works the best in flour mixes.

Brown Rice - Frequently used in breads, and a great flour mix ingredient. It is nutty and imparts a "whole grain" feel to breads. Has more flavor than white rice flour and needs to be refrigerated.

White Rice - One of the few flours on this list that is used alone in baking. It is ground white rice. Is still best when mixed with other flours. Baked goods are spongy and the flour imparts a light texture. Not very nutritious and much less flavorful. Stores nicely.

Sorghum - Has a sweet flavor. Contains B vitamins and protein. Should be used mixed with other flours. Good for all kinds of baked goodies. Easy to store.

Soy Flour - Should be refrigerated because of high protein content. Has nutty tasts. Works very well in mixes, especially when used with rice flour.

Tapioca - Although it isn't called tapioca starch, it is the same product. Cassava root in ground form. Imparts a chewiness to gluten-free treats. Not very nutritious. Little flavor. Stores easily. Needs to be used in flour mixes.

Teff - Popular in flour mixes for cookies and bread. Very nutritious and contains protein, zinc, iron, calcium, and lots of fiber. Bob's Red Mill says that teff is the smallest of grains.

Xanthan Gum - Xanthomonas campestris is a bacteria used to make xanthan gum from. Xanthan Gum absorbs moisture and becomes sticky. Handy for replacing gluten in baked goods. Used in very small amounts.

Of course there are more kinds of flour than this, and more coming every day, but that's a lot of kinds of flour. It is certainly more than we have in our kitchen. Check here if you are looking for more information on gluten-free diet how to Hopefully this list is useful to others.

A List of Flours For the Gluten Free Diet

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What Is Gluten and What Is Gluten Free?

I've noticed many websites work with an incomplete or inaccurate definition for what is gluten. We tend to refer to it as a protein when it actually is a composite of different proteins. To really understand why a gluten-free diet is so restrictive you need to understand what really defines gluten.

So What Is Gluten Exactly?

It is a composite of four types of proteins: prolamins, glutelins, albumins and globulins. These are plant storage proteins. Albumin and globulins are common in may grains, including grains acceptable on a gluten-free diet, such as corn and rice.

Prolamins and glutenins are the real culprit when it comes to gluten intolerance. They exist in the cereal grains or grassy grains related to wheat, such as barley, rye, spelt, kamut and triticale. In these grains, the prolamins and glutelins make up as much as eighty percent of the protein composite that constitutes gluten.

The two specific proteins in wheat are gliadin (the prolamin) and glutenin (the glutelin). The most common blood test for celiac disease actually looks for anti-gliadin antibodies in your bloodstream.

When gliadin and glutenin cross-link, they create the stretchy, elastic quality we have come to know well in gluten-containing foods.

What Foods Contain Gluten?

This unique protein composite is used in a surprising number of foods. If you think going gluten-free just means avoiding bread and baked goods, I'm afraid you are sorely mistaken. Wheat starches, which contain gluten, and gluten itself are used as food additives, flavor enhancers and product fillers for a disturbingly broad range of products.

Seasonings such as curries, sauces such as soy sauce and barbecue sauce frequently hide sources of gluten in them. Vitamins and supplements sometimes have gluten in them as a binder or filler. Flavor enhancer ingredients such as hyrolyzed protein or autolyzed yeast extract may have this harmful protein composite in them.

What Is Gluten Free?

So then the question becomes, how do you avoid gluten if it is so pervasive and insidious in our food industry? The first step is to try to avoid packaged foods and eat natural foods you prepare yourself. Hidden sources of gluten are often found in pre-made or packaged foods, so if you want complete control of your diet and your health you will need to take on more cooking and food preparation.

For gluten-free replacement of common gluten-containing foods, look to flour made from rice, corn, nuts, quinoa and soy and supplemented with a gum such as xanthan gum or guar gum.

What Is Gluten and What Is Gluten Free?

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Could Your Stomach Problems Be Caused by Gluten?

It seems that a rather large population is on a gluten-free diet, and I have to admit, I have started one myself. The number of cases of Celiac disease and its counterparts, gluten intolerance and gluten sensitivity, are substantially increasing. At a rate four times that of 1950, it is estimated that one of every 100 people have some form of the disease.

Celiac disease is the inability of the gut to digest gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. It is also found in many other grains and processed foods, including deli and canned meats, dry roasted nuts, salad dressings, beer, and condiments. Additionally, products containing emulsifiers, starches, stabilizers, dextrin, modified food starch, and a host of other extremely common processed food ingredients contain gluten. The list is long.

In Celiacs, foods containing specific types of proteins become virtually glued to the lining of the small intestine. Lined with tiny finger-like projections called villi that normally increase surface area of the intestine for absorption of nutrients, a Celiac's intestine turns the above foods into balls of glue that flatten the fingers. That prevents digestion and nutrition, and causes symptoms of bloating, diarrhea, and stomach aches. Untreated Celiac disease can lead to many serious health issues, including cancers, osteoporosis, joint pain, rashes, and infertility.

The disease itself is really an immune response to gluten, as the body attacks the stomach lining when specific gluten proteins are present. Some researchers believe we have made our environment too clean, weakening our immune systems in the process. Others believe the mixture of processed foods, which were not a part of our predecessors' diets, are to blame. Some find fault with the hybridization of grains, especially wheat, having turned the natural proteins into super-proteins, through genetic tinkering, with some side effects.

Diagnosing Celiac disease is relatively easy, done with a simple blood test that reveals positive or negative results. Patients that undergo the test after eliminating gluten from their diet sometimes receive false negative results, so it is important to get tested before going gluten-free.

Approximately one-third of the population is genetically predisposed to Celiac disease, with just one percent actually developing it. Most who eliminate gluten ultimately see a full recovery of their intestinal linings with continued gluten-free diets. One of every 50 patients with the disease will not experience recovery in their intestines, even after eliminating gluten, causing severe complications.

Those numbers may not seem dramatic, but if cases increase in the future as they have since 1950, celiac disease will begin to rival cancer as a major health concern. If you are experiencing symptoms indicative of the disease,it is a good idea to talk with your health care provider about getting tested. Even if you aren't diagnosed with Celiac, the benefits of a Gluten Free diet may still be worth while. After 6 weeks on the diet I've found my energy level dramatically increased and my stomach aches fewer and farther between.

Could Your Stomach Problems Be Caused by Gluten?

Justin Timberlake - Suit & Tie (Official) ft. JAY Z

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Could Your Stomach Problems Be Caused by Gluten?

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Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Recipes

"What do you mean that you have to eat gluten-free and dairy-free? Those products come from the earth and an animal." This is often the question that many people have who do not have sensitivities to food. They actually think that someone is strange, crazy, or they have a weak stomach if they cannot eat the traditional American way. But, when you have to make the switch to this lifestyle, despite the ridicule, it is necessary to get good quality gluten-free, dairy-free, recipes.

My sons were born allergic to dairy. It took me awhile to figure out that reality, and my oldest son suffered for two years with unnecessary severe congestion. He was constantly congested, had red eyes, and was sick all of the time. When I finally realized what I was doing to him, I quickly began to cook dairy free. The challenge was that I grew up on a dairy farm, and I also married a dairy farmer. What is the irony in that? I had to cook in a way that was completely against how I was raised and also against my husband's occupation. Many asked, "How do you cook without milk, especially when you have access to an endless supply?" I would tell them that I had to change recipes to accommodate for my sons' health and it was worth it to see him healthy.

Then, years later, my two young daughters were diagnosed with epilepsy at the same time. I asked the neurologist if diet had anything to do with seizures. He denied that theory. So, despite his denial, I went home and did some research. I was determined to improve the health of my sickly daughters. Through a lengthy search, I went out on a limb and put them on a gluten-free diet as well as a dairy-free diet. I decided to put myself on that diet as well. Now, I only cook gluten-free, dairy-free, recipes. It has simply taken some time to get used to this change, and with a lot of experimenting, some fabulous dishes have been found.

One of my favorite meals includes a potato soup that is made with coconut milk. The other ingredients that are required are some vegetables, salt, pepper, paprika, and cornstarch. It is so easy and meets the special needs of my family. Another favorite of mine is a homemade honey barbeque sauce. We use it on chicken, meatloaf, and meatballs. It only contains a few ingredients including, ketchup, mustard, honey, coconut aminos, salt, pepper, and chili powder.

What about desserts? I have found that those are the most challenging, since most tasty desserts contain flour. How do I make a good dessert without wheat? That one is a lot harder. I have come up with some good combinations. I like to make chocolate covered almonds. The ingredients that are needed for this combination are dark chocolate chips, peanut butter, an all natural butter spread, vanilla, and almonds. It is a simple recipe and does not require flour.

I did come up with a way to make a banana cream pie that falls into the gluten-free, dairy-free, recipe category. It took a long time to find the kind of ingredients that would make it taste good, but at last it worked. I use coconut milk, eggs, a gluten-free flour blend, evaporated cane juice crystals, natural butter spread, and vanilla. This combination filled a void for the flour that I used to eat.

When it comes to changing the way you eat, it is worth it to make a sacrifice and find quality all natural gluten-free, dairy-free, recipes. It does not matter if others think that you are strange for going against the American diet. What matters is your health and how you feel. If you have sensitivity to foods, take the plunge and find new ways to cook that will accommodate this new lifestyle.

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Recipes

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Gluten Free Shopping List

Tips For Making A Gluten Free Shopping List

It is now much easier to make a gluten free shopping list than it once was. There are numerous websites online that list all of the foods that you can purchase without fear when gluten free grocery shopping. Furthermore many grocery store chains sell products free of gluten intended especially for people with Celiac disease. When you are making your gluten free shopping list make sure that it contains items from every food group so that you can eat a nutritionally well-balanced diet.

What You Can Eat

A gluten free shopping list cannot contain any products that contain wheat, rye or barley. However, there is still a lot of food a person with Celiac disease can eat without worrying. All fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices are free of gluten. You can also eat all fresh unprocessed meat, poultry, fish and seafood. Milk, cream, vegetable oil, olive oil and butter are all safe to eat. You can also eat eggs, nuts, peas, beans, jam, jello, peanut butter, honey, wild rice, most cheeses and yogurts, certain cereals and some brands of ice cream. If you are unsure if a product is safe to eat check the ingredients or do a little research to find out for sure before you add it to your gluten free shopping list.

Special Products

When it comes to writing a shopping list for people with Celiac disease have many more options than they once did. Many grocery stores and specialist online retailers now stock products especially designed for people who are gluten intolerant. These products include things that Celiac disease sufferers would not normally be able to eat such as flour, xanthan gum, cereals, waffles, pasta, cakes, candy, cookies, bread, crackers and pizza. These special products allow people with Celiac disease to eat a diet as rich and varied as anyone else's. The gluten free shopping list is constantly getting longer so that people with Celiac disease no longer have to feel like the odd one out.

Make People Aware

If your local grocery store does not stock special products free of gluten then you may feel as though your shopping list is still rather limited. If this is the case then it is your duty to speak up and suggest that your grocery store should stock special gluten free items. Bear in mind that five out of every one hundred people in the United States has Celiac disease, therefore there is definitely a market for products free of gluten. What's more you have a right to eat a diverse diet without fear of developing unpleasant symptoms.

Gluten Free Shopping List

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The Relationship Between Celiac Disease And Food

Celiac disease, which prevents the absorption of food nutrients through the small intestine, is suffered by many people throughout the world. This is a disease allows no tolerance to foodstuffs which contain rye, wheat, triticale or malts. It causes such things as stomach pains, malnutrition, gas, and other health problems.

For many years, this condition was not understood by the medical profession, although the symptoms were described in 250 A D and translated to English in 1856. It was not until 1954 that the link was made between the ingestion of certain edible products and the damage that they do to the intestines.

For many years, the only relief for people suffering from this disease was to prepare their own bread and other foods, in order to make sure that none of the offending ingredients were present. Once the need for foodstuffs with no glutens was recognized, for many years this type of product was only to be found in the frozen food department of grocery or specialty stores.

Today it is not unusual to find many products in a large grocery store that are clearly marked gluten free. This is thanks to manufacturers who came to realize the importance of this kind of product for a large number of their customers. Currently there are manufacturers who concentrate on producing this type of product for customers throughout the world.

It was in 1979 that the Codex Alimentarius Commission adopted a standard for the processing of labeled gluten-free products. In 1998, these standards were updated to the 'Draft Revised Standard for Gluten-Free Foods'. This draft was again revised in 2006 and in 2007. They strictly regulate the gluten level that can appear in edible foods manufactured and labeled under this designation.

The original products advertised as 'gluten-free' lacked a great deal in things such as taste, how long they would last unfrozen, and so forth. Today that has completely changed. Current regulations cover all foodstuffs, which include barley, rye, wheat, or a combination of these grains. When processed, each type must undergo special procedures to specifically reduce or omit the offending ingredients.

Today gluten free food manufacturers produce products that are on par with regularly manufactured edible products regarding availability, attractiveness, taste, and so forth. It is through their awareness of the need for such a product that it has grown by leaps and bounds in popularity. People currently suffering from this disease no longer have to endure the pain endured by people through previous centuries, thanks to the diligence of these companies.

The Relationship Between Celiac Disease And Food

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