Living Gluten Free

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The other day I read that up to 1% of the United States has celiac disease - an autoimmune disorder brought on by the intake of gluten. If you are one of these few people, living gluten-free may be your only option. It can be difficult at first. While there are many benefits that can be gleaned from living gluten free, trying to switch your diet is an incredible hardship for many.

One of the first things that can be done to make this transition easier is to become a dedicated label reader. While you would think that only baked goods contained gluten it can be found in many different items. This is particularly true of salad dressings, soy sauces, and other sauces. Celiac sufferers in particular need to do all they can to eliminate gluten from their diet. This means reading through the ingredient listings for practically everything you eat.

Wheat gluten is a popular additive in sauces because it helps everything congeal better. It can even be found in soups, vegetable blends and frozen foods. In order to start living your life gluten-free is necessary to cut all of these items out of your diet. When you first get started it can seem like there is literally nothing left on earth you can eat except fresh vegetables, fruit and meat. However it is possible to live completely gluten-free and still eat plenty of delicious foods.

The first step is to consider whether or not you would like to purchase gluten-free food that is already made or you may want to consider dusting off a cookbook and learning how to make your own gluten-free food. For those with children that need to live gluten free, cooking is a popular option since it will give you the ability to make a greater variety of foods.

There are many stores, both off-line and online that now offer a wide variety of different gluten-free foods. You can even find actual loaves of bread, hamburger buns, and even popular desserts that are all made with gluten-free flour. It can take a little getting used to but after awhile you will become accustomed to the taste of gluten-free foods. It is best to experiment with several different gluten-free brands until you find the one that is right for you.

If you are trying to bake your own gluten-free foods you will need to get an ingredient that will help everything congeal, much like gluten does. Xantham gum is a very popular option for many celiacs. Once again, experimentation is necessary until you find the recipes that are palatable for you. It can actually be somewhat fun to try many different recipes until you come up with the perfect gluten-free bread, desert, or treat. With practice, living gluten free gets much easier and more enjoyable.

You may also want to consider joining a support group for others that are trying to live the gluten-free life. You can pick up some great tips and these groups and learn more about which products are the best.

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This post deals with:

celiac disease, gluten free food, gluten free foods, wheat gluten

... and focuses on:

Food Choice, Nutrition

Posted by Lazy Man on August 21, 2008 in Food Choice, Nutrition.

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