Gluten Free Foods

By on March 22, 2012 in Additional Resources, Gluten Free Foods

Gluten free foods are foods with no gluten. These foods are mainly very important for those people suffering from gluten intolerance or celiac disease because their bodies cannot digest gluten. After researching this topic, we have interviewed several health experts and compiled a list of foods which are free from gluten to ensure that you can live healthy even if you suffer from gluten allergy symptoms.

Examples of Gluten Free Foods

The following are some of the gluten free foods: acacia gum, algae, almond flour, almond nut, aromatic rice, arrowroots, ascorbic acid, baking yeast, beans, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, buckwheat, calcium carbonate, camphor, carrageenan, castor oil, cellulose, chestnuts, chlorella, coconut, corn, chickpea, cotton seed oil, cowpeas, dasheen flour, distilled vinegar, eggs, ester gum, flax, flax seed, fructose, fruit, folic acid, glucose, glutamic acid, glycol, herbs, honey, hydrogen peroxide, iodine, invert sugar, keratin, lactic acid, lactose, maize, masa flour, milk, millet, mineral oil, mineral salts, montina, nuts (some), oats, peas, pepsin, polyglycerol, potatoes, seaweed, sorbic acid, sorghum, soy, stearates, tea-tree oil, vanilla extract, white sugar, wines, po corns, yogurt, millet, fruit juice, fresh herbs, coconuts, pulses, tapioca, cheese, shellfish, molasses, among others. Of course the list cannot be exhausted.

Benefits of gluten free foods

Adopting a gluten free diet has a lot of benefits on one’s health. Some of these benefits are as follows.

Increases your energy level: gluten free foods contain a lot of energy thus when absorbed in the body boosts the body energy.

Improves digestion: gluten free foods will eliminate gastrointestinal problems thus cleansing the intestines and making digestion effective with no bloating or constipation.

Regulates sugar levels in the body: with gluten free diet, the combination of these foods allows intake of fruits and vegetables will definitely increases the blood sugar level stressed by previous elimination of desserts from your diet.

Gluten free foods will also prevent skin disorders like itchy skins and several skin rashes.

With gluten free foods, all the gluten intolerance disorders like fatigue, nausea, anaemia, diarrhoea, etc will be eliminated.

A gluten free diet also help those suffering from celiac disease recover their health.

These foods are also a big relief for those who are allergic to gluten. There will be no associated health disorders as previously experienced.

These foods also prevent weight gain. They help your digestive system break down any excess fats with increased energy raising the rate of metabolism accordingly.

The gluten free diet also helps those with brain disorders especially those with Down’s syndrome.

Joint pains and bone pains can also be prevented by consumption of foods free from gluten.

Therefore as you start selecting foods free from gluten so as to enjoy their health benefits, health experts have highly recommended yogurt, noodles, tortilla, coffee, chili, quinoa and spelt. These foods have all the nutrients that can guarantee you 100% health benefits mentioned above.

But before you turn to gluten free foods, it is better to consult your doctor for confirmation if the diet you want to implement will do well with your blood type.

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Gluten Allergy Symptoms – Should You Be Avoiding Gluten?

By on March 19, 2012 in Gluten Allergy Symptoms

Gluten allergy symptoms are very common and can be experienced by anybody; both children and adults, who experience stomach and digestive problems. In most cases, it is very difficult to differentiate between gluten allergy symptoms and celiac symptoms though there are some slight differences. Therefore, to be very sure if you have symptoms for gluten allergy, consult your doctor for approval by carrying out a test.

Gluten allergy is mainly caused by consumption of gluten which is in most cases found in wheat and barley. This means that avoiding these products, among many others, is one of the ways of preventing gluten allergy. However, it is not easy for a person to figure out exactly what gluten-containing food is causing the allergy. This is due to the fact that people consume many types of gluten-foods daily and this sometimes leads to misconception.

On the other hand, gluten allergy can be verified in case you exhibit most of its symptoms.

Some of these symptoms associated with gluten allergy are:

Fatigue: although fatigue can be as a result of many other reasons, gluten is mostly associated with it and your body will feel very tired after consuming gluten-containing food.

Weight loss: feeding on foods rich in gluten can reduce your weight drastically.

Unknown and unanticipated weight gain

Anaemia

Diarrhea

Indigestion

Constipation

Slow child-growth especially in small children.

Infants may not grow well in their mothers’ wombs.

Abdominal pains

Depression

Having problems with your skin including development of rashes and feeling itchy all the time.

Irritability and swing moods

Asthma

Respiratory problems: mainly your upper respiratory tract can feel like it is blocked thus causing breathing problems

Diverticulitis

Nausea and vomiting

Mouth ulcers; mouth or throat irritation

Watery eyes

Frequent heart burns

Osteoporosis

Behavioral change

Anaphylaxis: this happens to a few people and it is a very chronic symptom of gluten. Anaphylaxis is mainly associated with other symptoms including:

Pale blue skin

Problems during swallowing

The heart beating at a higher rate

Dizziness

Autism

Fainting

Chest pains

Problems with breathing

It must be noted that these symptoms vary from one individual to another. You should not wait to exhibit all the symptoms before consulting your doctor. The time taken for the symptoms to be experienced may also vary depending on the age or type of symptom. For instance, small children are likely to experience gluten allergy a few hours after consuming food containing gluten.

Also, experiencing some of the above mentioned symptoms should not make you automatically rule out that you have a gluten allergy.  Some symptoms are caused by several other health disorders. However, in case you strongly feel that the symptoms are due to gluten, take a test at home or visit your doctor for a test. With the results, you will now be sure of what to do, in fact the doctor will advice you on the appropriate way of dealing with the allergy.

For those with small children, you should check out in case your child shows any of the symptoms or a combination of several. Therefore, in case you are consuming gluten-containing food, it is better to be on the lookout for gluten allergy symptoms to take precaution and avoid complications.

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What Food Contains Gluten?

By on February 28, 2012 in Foods That Contain Gluten

If you suffer from wheat allergy, celiac illness or gluten allergy, foods that have gluten are food you should try to avoid at every meal. Gluten is contained in numerous foods and some alcohols and thus it is really crucial to check the labels of any food product to confirm if it has gluten or not. Therefore, in the event you have been prescribed to avoid foods with gluten, then we’re going to give you a list of what foods have gluten so you avoid them by every means.

List of some foods that contain gluten…

Basically, gluten is a protein and is mostly contained in grains and additives. Some of the types of food with gluten include: wheat, barley, farina, biscuits, bread, rye, rolls, cakes, pizza, cereals, doughnuts, spaghetti, ice cream, wheatgrass, wheat germ, stuffing, hot dogs, puddings, sausages, pies, cookies, seafood, custard, syrups, soups, cold nuts, salami, breaded fish, gravy, bran, flour, scones, bagels, chips, hamburger buns, donuts, dumplings, waffles, and so on. It is obvious the listing of foods containing gluten is never-ending.

Definitely you have to be surprised at the amount of food containing gluten. There’s a high probability that at least every day you consume food with gluten. Therefore it is very important to check the food labels to determine if they contain gluten or not. Especially if you are a celiac illness victim or have an allergy to gluten, because you will be adversely affected if you consume these varieties of foods.

Taking a look at the different types of food with gluten, here are the broad classifications of foods likely to contain gluten. Grains and cereals, processed meat (chicken, ham, etc.), sea foods, baked foods, beverages, puddings, oats, packaged foods, seasonings, alcohols, for example. The most important ingredients of foods with gluten are flour, yeast, liquid, salt and additives.

In the act of somebody suffering from celiac illness or fighting to get rid of gluten from the body, several symptoms will be exhibited. Some of them include: fatigue, dysentery, bowel obstruction, intestinal pain, bloating, anaemia, tooth rots, sudden weight reduction, slowed growth in children, joint pains, for example.

How To Avoid Gluten

Gluten is a protein that people with a gluten allergy or celiac disease can’t digest, thus it causes health abnormalities. That is the reason why it is very important to know which foods have gluten. As a general rule, the most effective way to identify foods with no gluten is by looking at the labels on them. Make sure that food are labeled “gluten-free“. Often, non-processed foods may not contain gluten though it isn’t a guarantee; some of them do contain it. Also , cut back on food additives including colorings, flavourings, preservatives etc. There is also a high probability that ready-made foods contain gluten.

While some foods with gluten are straightforward to identify, others insist that you read the manufacturer’s labels. Remember that gluten can cause many issues if you’re allergic to it and therefore it is highly important to avoid gluten, for your health. The main way for gluten allergies to end up being terribly dangerous, is when gluten is consumed in large quantities. But for the celiac disease sufferers, we suggest that foods with gluten should be absolutely avoided, at all times.

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Gluten Allergy Symptoms

By on February 21, 2012 in Gluten Allergy Symptoms

Gluten sensitivity (GS) or gluten allergy occurs due to the consumption of gluten over a period of time.

Gluten is found in foods processed from wheat, barley or rye. Gluten is what gives wheat dough its shape and elasticity. Gluten is also present in many foods such as sauces, flavorings and taste enhancers along with vitamins and supplements. So, removing breads and baked items from your diet does not mean that you can avoid gluten.

The symptoms of gluten allergy are similar to those symptoms observed in patients with celiac disease or wheat allergy. Treatment for all three conditions is a gluten-free diet.

Celiac disease, gluten allergy and wheat allergy are often confused altogether. Gluten allergy is an autoimmune disease which can be subtle and undetected. The symptoms arise slowly over time and can be severe but not abrupt.

Wheat allergy however, manifests itself as a typical allergy i.e. immediately after you subject yourself to gluten rich food.

People of all age groups ranging from infants to elderly can suffer from this auto-immune disorder of small intestine known as celiac disease which can be hereditary. Blood test and/or an intestinal biopsy to some extent can determine that you have celiac disease. Negative results of these tests do not however mean you’re free from gluten allergy. In fact, most people experiencing gluten allergy symptoms have officially negative results for Celiac Disease.

One way to identify and diagnose your gluten allergy symptoms is to follow a strict diet and completely eliminate gluten and foods containing gluten for a few weeks. You should then carefully keep record of your symptoms and discuss with your doctor.

Symptoms of Gluten Allergy

There are around 250 known symptoms of gluten allergy. The presence or absence along with intensity of these symptoms may vary from person to person. The most commonly experienced symptoms of gluten allergy are listed below.

  • Abdominal pain and cramps
  • Alternating Diarrhea and Constipation
  • Anemia
  • Arthritis( bone and joint pain)
  • schizophrenia
  • Muscular disturbances
  • Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
  • Hyperactivity
  • Autism
  • Bloating
  • Bone Density Loss
  • Stomach rumbling
  • Depression, Anxiety and Irritability
  • Skin rash
  • Diabetes
  • Fatigue, lethargy and tiredness
  • Grayish Stools or floating stools due to high lipids
  • Hair Loss
  • Headaches and Migraines
  • Infertility
  • Lactose intolerance
  • Mouth sores
  • Teeth and Gum Problems
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Numbness or tingling in hands and feet(tingling or swelling of toes and fingers)
  • Osteoporosis
  • Vitamin and Mineral deficiencies
  • Weight loss for unknown reason

The above mentioned list of gluten allergy symptoms should not keep you from consulting a doctor. You should always get your sensitivity to gluten diagnosed by a professional physician. Gluten-free diets can be difficult to follow as gluten is present in many of the staple foods used in the West. Doctors will often evaluate a patient’s condition thoroughly before going ahead and prescribing a gluten free diet.

 

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