glu•ten
[gloot-n]
Archaic. glue or a gluey substance.
There have been a few trends happening in the food industry. I'll be discussing some of them in various posts but we begin this one with gluten-free.
I'm sure by now you've seen something somewhere advertised as gluten-free. You might have known what that is if you've encountered someone with a dietary need to be on a gluten-free diet such as an individual with celiac disease. Or maybe you just thought it's another craze like trans-fat for weight loss or healthy eating. Or you looked it up on your smartphone or tablet and discovered that gluten is in every meal you eat.
Gluten is a protein in wheat, rye, and barley. This protein can affect some individuals autoimmune which is known as celiac disease. However, there are others who have gluten or wheat sensitivity or who have benefited from going on a gluten-free diet for example autistic individuals.
I've recently noticed that my body is not a big fan of gluten. I can be fine all day and I ingest one gluten product and I experience fatigue. It's clear to me that my body has a hard time digesting it. It was interesting when I began to notice friends posting recipes for gluten-free dishes, others make statements about how our bodies were never designed to handle wheat and a friend became healthy and lost unwanted weight from being on a gluten-free diet for medical reasons. I began to be more conscious of what I purchased and whether or not it contained gluten. But there are so many hidden forms of gluten and I'm slowly discovering them.
Kamut is an old grain, but after enjoying some Kamut pasta I did some research to discover it's wheat just an old strain.
While researching Kamut I stumbled on a comment where someone referenced a book call Wheat Belly. It definitely peeked my interest and I set out to buy it.
I've just scratched the surface of the book but I have to admit that I don't fully agree with the author in certain areas but the results of those who went on a wheat-free (not gluten but wheat only) diet has been extraordinary.
Now, I'm not telling you that you should cut wheat from your diet but I think that you should make note of how it might affect you and whether or not other gluten containing foods cause reactions. However, be careful. For some people they cut out cereal, that means no milk which can mean less calcium intake and less vitamin D. Others on gluten-free diet notice a decrease in their intake of folate. What I'm trying to say is: everything is about balance.
Now, I've began my gluten-free diet for what I thought to be a few days. Only to discover that the delicious cream of mushroom (canned)soup that I love and just had the other day contains gluten!
The other battle I'm facing is bread. I've read about some gluten-free recipes and some who have successfully made them in their slow-cooker. So I think if I can't find a pre-made loaf, I'll be making my own (if I do, I'll keep you posted).
This is the saddest, the one object that is often forgotten that it contains gluten is: beer!
"she was hungry so hungry
and she was trying to think clear
but she kept opening the fridge door
and looking at the mustard and the beer "
[gloot-n]
Archaic. glue or a gluey substance.
There have been a few trends happening in the food industry. I'll be discussing some of them in various posts but we begin this one with gluten-free.
I'm sure by now you've seen something somewhere advertised as gluten-free. You might have known what that is if you've encountered someone with a dietary need to be on a gluten-free diet such as an individual with celiac disease. Or maybe you just thought it's another craze like trans-fat for weight loss or healthy eating. Or you looked it up on your smartphone or tablet and discovered that gluten is in every meal you eat.
Gluten is a protein in wheat, rye, and barley. This protein can affect some individuals autoimmune which is known as celiac disease. However, there are others who have gluten or wheat sensitivity or who have benefited from going on a gluten-free diet for example autistic individuals.
I've recently noticed that my body is not a big fan of gluten. I can be fine all day and I ingest one gluten product and I experience fatigue. It's clear to me that my body has a hard time digesting it. It was interesting when I began to notice friends posting recipes for gluten-free dishes, others make statements about how our bodies were never designed to handle wheat and a friend became healthy and lost unwanted weight from being on a gluten-free diet for medical reasons. I began to be more conscious of what I purchased and whether or not it contained gluten. But there are so many hidden forms of gluten and I'm slowly discovering them.
Kamut is an old grain, but after enjoying some Kamut pasta I did some research to discover it's wheat just an old strain.
While researching Kamut I stumbled on a comment where someone referenced a book call Wheat Belly. It definitely peeked my interest and I set out to buy it.
I've just scratched the surface of the book but I have to admit that I don't fully agree with the author in certain areas but the results of those who went on a wheat-free (not gluten but wheat only) diet has been extraordinary.
Now, I'm not telling you that you should cut wheat from your diet but I think that you should make note of how it might affect you and whether or not other gluten containing foods cause reactions. However, be careful. For some people they cut out cereal, that means no milk which can mean less calcium intake and less vitamin D. Others on gluten-free diet notice a decrease in their intake of folate. What I'm trying to say is: everything is about balance.
Now, I've began my gluten-free diet for what I thought to be a few days. Only to discover that the delicious cream of mushroom (canned)soup that I love and just had the other day contains gluten!
The other battle I'm facing is bread. I've read about some gluten-free recipes and some who have successfully made them in their slow-cooker. So I think if I can't find a pre-made loaf, I'll be making my own (if I do, I'll keep you posted).
This is the saddest, the one object that is often forgotten that it contains gluten is: beer!
"she was hungry so hungry
and she was trying to think clear
but she kept opening the fridge door
and looking at the mustard and the beer "
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