Gluten Free - Healthy Living
gf-gluten.com aims to try and help people understand what Celiac Disease is, and how to live with it on a day to day basis. Life for most people is very busy and having to add a special diet to the family routine would be something most of us could do without. Hopefully after reading the articles on this site, you will have gained confidence and have a better understanding in knowing how to live with Celiac Disease.
Just because you have celiac disease doesn't mean you have to eat and stay at home for the rest of your life. If you would like to find out more information on a gluten free lifestyle please feel free to browse the various articles I have written. I hope this will help you on your road to understanding and conquering celiac disease.
Food Additives
Food additives are chemicals added to food and beverages to preserve flavor, help keep them fresh, improve its taste, texture and appearance. Food additives are listed on food labels, along with all other ingredients. There has always been some misconception that food additives are 'bad' and that they all contain gluten. Well, this is not true. What is necessary, is to understand what the additives are used for and what source they are derived from.
Some people are sensitive to particular food additives and may have reactions like diarrhea or hives. This doesn't mean that all foods containing additives need to be automatically deleted or treated with suspicion. Many of the food additives used occur naturally within foods that are regularly eaten.
Gluten Free Grains
The flours listed below are alternatives to wheat flour and are all GLUTEN FREE. It is important to be aware that there is no exact substitute for wheat flour and any recipe made with gluten-free alternative flours will be different from those containing wheat. (Gluten, that is contained in wheat flour, is a protein that strengthens and binds dough in baking so any substitute may not turn out as well). It is recommended to have a “trial” with any baking before you cook it for your first dinner party or Thanksgiving Dinner!!.
Living with a Celiac
Living with a Celiac sounds rather scary!! But, it is not that scary and most of the time there is no difference.
You, as the partner, friend or family member of a person diagnosed with Celiac Disease has to realize that this person does not live a Gluten free diet by choice. It is not a “fad” that they are going through. Who would choose not to eat cookies and fresh bread if they had a choice??
What is Celiac Disease?
Celiac Disease is a medical condition where sufferers have a sensitivity to gluten.
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and oats. Gluten containing grains are used in many products like flours, breads, biscuits, cakes, cookies and pastries. Gluten is a rubbery, elastic protein which helps to bind dough and assist in baking.
The sensitivity to gluten causes damage to the small finger-like projections, called villi, in the small intestine. This reaction by the body to the consumption of gluten, can be so severe that the damage caused to the small intestine (villi) does not allow nutrients to be absorbed properly. This can lead to malnutrition as the villi are unable to absorb water, vitamins, folic acid, iron and calcium.
