Gluten Free Lifestyle

Introduction
You visit the doctor regularly to maintain your health. That’s certainly smart. Before your next appointment, however, consider this: when was the last time your doctor asked about your diet?
Although physicians are perfectly aware of the connection between our health and the food we put into our body, this is a question they rarely, if ever, pose. They appear to be more interested in prescribing medications than treating and preventing health problems in a more natural and effective way. This is especially disconcerting as more and more people suffer from wheat sensitivity, allergy, or celiac disease.
The problem with wheat is caused by gluten, one of the proteins found in modern-day wheat. It can damage the smaller intestine and make digesting wheat difficult or impossible. It can cause fatigue, nausea, diarrhea and other, more serious discomforts, such as damaging the small intestine. Celiac disease is serious, and physicians need to start paying attention.
Processed wheat, which is found everywhere, isn’t healthy for anyone. For people with celiac disease, it can be a daily nightmare. That is why going gluten-free is becoming increasingly popular. People are learning the effects of modern wheat and are starting to take control of their own health.
For people who are sensitive or allergic to wheat, going gluten-free can be life-changing. It can help them rid the body of irritating toxins and help them function normally again.
For others, who are not gluten-sensitive, abstaining from gluten is a way of eating healthier, feeling better, and having more energy.
Food matters. What we consume is critical to our health. The fact is, gluten adds little to our lives but can cause considerable damage. Going gluten-free is a return to eating in a way that promotes optimum health and wellbeing. For anyone who believes that we have been eating wheat for thousands of years without a problem, you will soon learn why that is incorrect.
Even for those who are not suffering from celiac disease or wheat sensitivity, a gluten-free diet can be prevention against disease. Gluten is known to cause serious inflammations, and inflammations can increase the risk of arthritis and coronary diseases. Using food to prevent the onset of these problems enables us to enjoy a healthier lifestyle. This makes far more sense than treating diseases with medications that can have harmful side effects.
Gluten is all around us, which can make going gluten-free quite a challenge. With so many food items made of wheat, barley, or rye, all of which contain gluten, and with more food products containing hidden wheat, the idea of eating gluten-free may seem like deprivation. Quite the contrary. You can still eat the cookies, cakes, and pasta you love. You will simply be preparing them differently.
If you are suffering from celiac disease, going gluten-free is a must. But other intestinal issues, such as diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome have also been relieved with a gluten-free diet. Researchers are linking more and more gastrointestinal problems to gluten.
In addition, we’ll take a look at the surprising connection between gluten-free, ADHD, and autism.
You will soon discover the options available to you, and how to make gluten-free eating a part of your healthy lifestyle.

Wheat and Celiac Disease – The Downside of Gluten
Wheat has been around for thousands of years. It’s easy to grow and quite nutritious. It was probably one of the first food items our forefathers gathered to feed themselves. Wheat was truly life-giving.
For all these thousands of years, the whole grain kernel was ground and used to bake bread or prepare cereals. Fresh, whole grain has always been a part of our diet without being harmful to our health.
It’s not until the 1960s and 70s that people began to realize that the wheat they are consuming is making them sick.
What happened? Have our bodies changed? No. It’s the wheat we have relied on for thousands of years that has been changed and twisted into something our forefathers wouldn’t recognize.
Industrialization has been good to mankind, but it hasn’t always been kind to the food we consume.
Let’s start with white flour, the first food that we would call “processed.” In 1870, the steel roller mill allowed wheat to be separated to refine the wheat into a white powder. “White” flour was considered fancy.
So, to meet consumer demand, white flour was produced en masse, and the rest of the kernel, the nutritious part, was tossed aside. Within 10 years, all flour was white and seriously lacking in nutrients. Ten years was all the time it took to change thousands of years of nourishment into something “fancy” and lacking in many nutrients.
That was only the beginning, however. By the 1950s, technology once again let us “improve” our wheat. New techniques allowed for genetically-altered seeds, fertilizers, and harmful pesticides to increase wheat production. Again, everyone rejoiced. More wheat for everyone! Cake for one and all!
While the production of wheat increased, its nutritional value was being mangled into something unrecognizable. At the same time,
inflammations and immune diseases were being linked directly to this new, “improved” wheat.
Anyone who believes that gluten-free is just a modern phase is half-right. It is indeed something new and modern. But it is not a phase. An increasing number of people are suffering from the effects of modern wheat and refined flour.
The degree can vary – from a bit of wheat sensitivity to greater intolerance to celiac disease, which is the inability to process any amount of wheat due to problems in the small intestines. Especially in the case of celiac disease, the digestive system views gluten as invaders and reacts accordingly. As it tries to attack these toxins, the lining of the gut itself can become damaged, resulting in leaks, inflammation, and other problems. Serious gastrointestinal problems are the result.
The number of people diagnosed with celiac disease has quadrupled in the past 50 years. One percent of the population suffers from celiac disease, and the number is rising. Wheat sensitivity affects up to 8 percent of the population. It is obvious that new “improved” wheat is making people sick.
In studies comparing modern, “improved” wheat to old wheat (called Einkorn), it was found that the old wheat had no harmful effects at all. No one who consumed unrefined wheat suffered any ill side effects or gastrointestinal problems. The same studies showed that modern wheat can affect our autoimmune system in harmful ways, leading to celiac disease and allergies.
People who are not allergic to modern wheat can still suffer. A 2013 study had healthy participants eat either new or old wheat for two months. The group that consumed the old wheat found their cholesterol level had decreased and their level of potassium and magnesium had increased. The opposite was true of the group given new wheat.
It is important to distinguish between gluten sensitivity and celiac disease, although they can have the same symptoms. Gluten sensitivity results in feelings of fatigue, bloating, diarrhea, nausea, and headaches. Many people don’t even associate those feeling with wheat, so it’s critical that doctors ask the right questions and test for wheat allergy.
People diagnosed with celiac disease suffer from identical symptoms, but the problem is more specifically defined. The gluten attacks the inflammatory system and can damage the small
intestine. Inflammation is linked with a myriad of problems, such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and others.
The role of gluten itself is still being studied. What is clear, however, is that this modern, improved wheat is causing some serious illness. While wheat can be found almost everywhere, it is most commonly used in breads, cakes, cookies, pasta, creamed soups, sauces, cereal, and some salad dressings.
Rye wheat can be found in rye breads, beer, and some cereals.
Of course, wheat can be found in many other hidden places, and we will discuss this in much greater detail.
What is clear is that people who have eliminated wheat and gluten from their diet feel better and become healthier. With anyone suffering from celiac disease going gluten-free is a necessity. For others, it is a choice in an effort to enjoy increased health.

Shopping Gluten-Free
When you begin to shop gluten-free, it can be a bit confusing and overwhelming. You might panic about missing out on your favorite meals. It may seem that there is nothing for you to eat. You’ll quickly find, however, that is not the case. You won’t miss anything.
Finding delicious foods that are gluten-free is easier than you think. You are likely to find a few tasty food options that you haven’t considered. Once you know what to watch out for, you’ll master the supermarket aisle like a gluten pro.
Besides, if one or more member of your family is gluten-intolerant while the rest are able to eat wheat, don’t prepare separate meals. Gluten-free meals are NOT a punishment, and anyone suffering from celiac disease or gluten intolerance should not be made to feel guilty or different. Omitting gluten from your diet is eating healthy, and that is something your entire family should be doing.
Have a Plan
Your trip to the market starts with a list. Walking up and down the aisles can lead to serious temptations. Supermarkets are deliberately designed to tempt you and lure you into buying things you don’t need. You don’t want to roam randomly. Before you leave the house, before you even create your shopping list, plan your meals.
Don’t approach meal-planning negatively, as in, “Oh, I can’t eat pasta … bread … cookies.” Eating gluten-free is not about subtracting and deprivation. It’s all about eating better. Plan the meals you enjoy and think in terms of substitutions. How can you improve this recipe? For example, if you want to prepare pasta, do so. Simply plan on using zoodles (zucchini noodles) or gluten-free pasta in your preparation.
Feel like baking some cookies for the kids? All you need to do is substitute wheat-free flour in your recipe. We’ll discuss substitution later in this book. One or two gluten-free cookbooks will provide you with inspiration and help you understand how delicious gluten-free meals can be. They are an excellent investment.
Think in terms of variety. The greater the variety of food you eat, the more nutrition you consume. And don’t forget about herbs and
spices, most of which are quite nutrient-packed. Shopping gluten-free will expand your food world.
There are many places to purchase gluten-free products. (Aren’t you lucky!). There are the around-every-corner supermarkets, specialty stores, health food stores, outdoor farmer markets, and online. By all means, make yourself available to all of these options. However, make the supermarket your main shopping place. There are reasons for that.
First, gluten-free is catching on, and most markets now carry gluten-free products or have an entire gluten-free aisle. The deli section is likely to offer a number of gluten-free items. By shopping at the regular market, you won’t feel that you are shopping “differently,” and that is psychologically important. You’re not different, you’re just smart.
Any farmer’s market, of course, is a treasure trove of healthy produce, so you definitely want to be there whenever possible. As for specialty health food stores and online shopping, keep that in reserve as a valuable last resort for any product you can’t find in stores.
Now that you’ve planed your meals, you are ready to create your shopping list. Keep in mind that prepared and pre-packaged foods frequently have hidden sugars and gluten. If you are unsure, contact the manufacturer for more details. In addition to bringing your shopping list, you should also have a gluten-free food/ingredient list for interpreting difficult labels.
We recommend that if possible, you shop without young children, whose sticky little fingers invariably reach for chocolate, cookies, and other snacks with abandon. You need to maintain control of the shopping situation.
You at the Supermarket
Okay, you are at the supermarket, wheeling that shopping cart down the aisle. Now, what?
All supermarkets tend to be laid out in the same way, so it’s easy to avoid “dangerous” aisles and sections. When shopping gluten-free, you’ll be spending most of your time circling the perimeter of the store, and not the aisles.
The produce section is usually near the entrance, so that’s where you want to head first. Stock up on fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables. This is a chance to pick up produce you haven’t tried before and broaden your food selection. Salads are always healthy, tasty, and gluten-free, but take care with croutons and dressing.
The bread aisle can be tricky and tempting. You need to forego most bread offerings and look for gluten-free bread. However, even here you need to be careful. Anything labeled “gluten-free” may be filled with additional fats and sugars. In addition to studying labels carefully, make a note of the expiration date. Gluten-free breads usually have fewer preservatives and may expire more quickly.
You’ve made it to the deli. You feel pretty safe here, as cheeses don’t contain gluten. Technically, they don’t, but many low-fat cheeses may contain fillers that are wheat-based. As for cold-cut, they are likely to contain wheat-based fillers. More about that later, but ask the person behind the counter before making any purchases.
You should be able to make good use of the bulk food section. The good news is there are many types of gluten-free, wheat-free flours from which to choose. Gluten-free flours can function and taste differently from regular flours, so you should become familiar with how these flours are best used. A gluten-free cookbook can be very helpful in helping you create the delicious desserts you thought you’d never enjoy again.
Some of the most popular, gluten-free, wheat-free flours are as follows:
1. Coconut flour – a great baking flour
2. Corn flour – made from corn and used in baking and coating.
3. Oat flour – when made of natural oats, oat flour is gluten-free. Great for cookies and baking.
4. Brown rice flour – this is easy to digest. In addition, pasta made with brown rice flour is your best alternative to the standard white-flour pasta. There is white rice flour, as well, which is gluten-free. However, the white type of rice flour has been polished of most of its vitamins B and important minerals. It won’t harm you, but you won’t get the same nutrition that you would with brown rice flour.
5. Almond flour – made from healthy nuts. Almond flour can be used in almost any kind of baking.
6. Tapioca flour – this isn’t really a baking/cooking flour. It is frequently used as a thickener for sauces and to create a roux.
7. Chickpea flour – this healthy flour contains needed fiber and minerals. It is best used for pancakes and waffles.
8. Sorghum flour – this is a heavy flour. When used in baking, it is frequently combined with tapioca flour.
9. Cassava flour – this flour contains few nutrients other than vitamin C, but it can easily be used for baking.
10. Amaranth Flour – this is a nutrient-packed flour that, like sorghum, can be mixed with another flour for baking.
11. Buckwheat flour actually isn’t a flour, but a very healthful seed. Great for making pancakes.
12. Teff flour – another flour that can be used with other gluten-free flours for baking.
13. Cricket flour – this is actually made from roasted crickets, but don’t let that keep you from trying it. It’s nutrient-dense and has a nutty flavor.
14. All-purpose gluten-free flour – this is made from a combination of the above flours and can be used for all-purpose baking.
As you can see, gluten-free cooking offers you lots of choices, and you should experiment to see which flour works best for you. Flours made from coconut or almond can lend a delightful flavor to your baked goods.
A word of caution: When flours are displayed in bulk, there can be some cross-contamination when a customer uses the same scooper to bag glutenous and non-gluten types of flours. If that is a serious concern, get your gluten-free flour from a market or a health food.