Could you imagine a world without bread?
It would be horrible! Bread is my kryptonite! Whole wheat bread, Arnold’s potato bread, pita bread, etc. Could you do without having a small piece of cake on your birthday? Which one of us could go without a favorite pasta dish such as spaghetti or lasagna? If you could do without bread or even a small slice of cake every now and then, there is something wrong with you! Actually, you may be someone who is suffering with Celiac Disease or someone who is sensitive to gluten.
Before I give this boring lecture I would like to say, people with Celiac Disease or gluten sensitivity inspire me! Why? This Gluten Disease, or sensitivity, is genetically based and it’s not like they had a choice to live this way. Celiac Disease is a digestive and autoimmune disorder that results in damage to the lining of the small intestine when foods containing gluten are eaten.[1] Gluten is a protein that consists of a mixture of glutelin and gliadin. Gluten is present in food products containing wheat, barley, rye, and controversially oats. People who suffer with Celiac Disease are like people who suffer from a peanut allergy. If there is the slightest chance of Cross Contamination[2] the person will suffer. Symptoms range from horrible abdominal pain, behavioral changes, fatigue, and itchy skin[3]. What is cross contamination in food? It is when bacteria or certain foods touch other foods, which makes someone with food allergies or someone with a weak immune system very ill. For Example; “Apparently, if oats are planted in one field, and wheat in the neighboring one, wheat spores can waft over to the oats, glom onto them, and contaminate them with gluten. Worse yet, most oats, or oats products are produced in plants that also produce wheat products. If the oats roll over machines that have recently touched wheat, I get sick. It’s just that insidious. Sigh.” Taken from Gluten Free Girl’s blog. [4]
Gluten, a.k.a. Wheat, is in almost EVERYTHING! Did you know gluten is in candy (ex. liquorish), beer, gravies, condiments (ex. ketchup), soups, some deserts, fast food items, restaurant menu items, etc.[5] My eagerness to learn more about gluten was inspired by my friend Tiffany. Last year, Tiffany was diagnosed with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and sensitivity to gluten products. I had never heard of gluten until Tiffany’s ordeal and I’m glad I took the time to research it.
Consuming gluten products for many years with no affect and suddenly you find yourself eating little to no wheat at all. Without knowledge of gluten products, you would feel absolutely stumped. You are the one responsible for finding out what food products you are able to consume safely. How wonderful, right? A great way to find out more on gluten free products is to just Google it (yes, I just used Google as a verb).
Recently, I’ve noticed more “Gluten Free” labels are making their way on various food products in my local grocery store. Many of the food products were located in different areas of the store such as the deli, bakery, and cereal aisle. I’ve actually tried Udi’s gluten-free blueberry muffins from Kroger’s bakery section. To my amazement, the muffins were awesome; soft, sweet, nice big pieces of blueberries with each bite. Another plus, the muffins didn’t contain high amounts of sodium or sugar. I would honestly recommend trying Udi’s gluten-free products even if you don’t have a gluten allergy. If you can’t find Udi’s products at your local grocery store, you can purchase their products online at www.udisglutenfree.com.
Just imagine dining out with family or friends; having to ask a manager how something is made or cooked. Dining out may seem intimidating but having a gluten allergy shouldn’t stop them from going out. If you do suffer from celiac disease or irritability from wheat, be sure to call the restaurant ahead of time. Ask the manager to pull the chefs recipe book for the list of ingredients in their menu items. Make a list of foods you can consume so when you get to the restaurant you can order from the list of foods you can eat.
Lastly, there are amazing gluten free recipes to make at home. To find these recipes you can Google search, visit your local library, local book store, or buy gluten free recipe books online (ex. Amazon.com). One of my favorite gluten free recipes is making homemade guacamole. Ingredients: 2 avocados, 1 lime for lime juice, 2 large Roma tomatoes diced into chunks, ¾ a cup of onion, salt and pepper for taste. Recipe: First mash up avocados with a fork. Next add your Roma tomatoes, onions, lime juice and mix together. Lastly add salt and pepper for taste. Enjoy your homemade guacamole with On the Border Restaurant Style chips
People with Celiac Disease need the will power not to eat gluten food products. If someone has just been recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease or sensitivity to gluten, could you imagine what they are going through? I could imagine how reprogramming your body not to eat most of the foods they are use to eating. However these people are incredibly inspiring, because they have to remain strong for their health’s sake.
For those of you who are in the fight to losing weight, Stay strong for your health’s sake! Unfortunately, a person who consumes any wheat products with a gluten allergy is playing Russian Roulette. Same principle goes for those of you who decide to not care about yourself or the foods you consume. Eventually your body will throw up warning signs that you are not treating your body right. Every person’s body reacts in a different way and ultimately you are the only one who can make that change. Consequences can range from depression, weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc.
This blog is very special because I’ve learned from personal experience how foods can affect a person. Weight loss, weight gain, food allergies, and food sensitivity are most of the time caused by food. From my biology class, I took winter semester; I learned people weren’t meant to break down many of the foods they consume. Did you know lactose intolerance in adults is actually normal? The reason for this is because they lack lactose enzymes. Adults who are able to continue to break down lactose are actually a genetic mutation, which they are able to produce more lactose enzymes to break down milk. Scientists believe that ancestry plays a huge roll in DNA. The ancestors of the lactose enzyme producing adults found milk as a form of sustenance and abundance. The same goes for gluten. The ability to digest gluten is another mutation, but one that allowed civilization to grow from the Rift Valley to Mesopotamia to the entire globe.
Just for fun! The next time you take a trip your local grocery store (or pantry), pick up a random food item and take a look at the nutrition label. I want you to look for key words.[6]
· Hydrolyzed corn, soy or vegetable protein: All of these have the potential of containing gluten. Wheat is often used in the process of making these proteins
· Soy sauce: Soy sauce is made with wheat
· Malt: Malt is sometimes also called barley malt. All malt is made from barley even if it is called "rice malt."
· (Modified) food starch: Not all food starch contains gluten but, unless you know what kind of starch it is, i.e. corn starch or wheat starch, it is best to avoid it.
· Check labels continuously. Even if you have bought a product before, it is a good idea to read the label periodically to check if the ingredients have changed. Companies change ingredients often and without warning.
· Don't be fooled. Some foods with gluten are easy to spot like breads, pastas and pastries. Others can be harder to identify. Here are a few to look out for:
· Dairy: Sometimes starch fillers are added to yogurt and soft cheeses.
· Cereal: Most cereals contain some form of gluten, for example, cornflakes contain malt.
· Alcoholic beverages: Beer is made with hops, a barley relative, and all beers contain a wheat relative as their base, such as wheat, barley, and rye. Gin and vodka are mainly wheat based. And some whiskies, such as scotch, are primarily from barley.
· Canned soups, stews, and prepackaged meals: Look for starch fillers, soy sauce, hydrolyzed vegetable protein and pasta.
Thanks for reading my blog
The Rogue Foodie
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