What Exactly Is A Gluten-Free Diet All About

What is known as a “gluten-free diet,” is a diet which must be followed by anyone with celiac disease or others who may have wheat allergies or some kind of intolerance.

It’s also suggested that a gluten-free diet is important for anybody who suffer from dermatitis herpetiformis, which causes skin lesions. Others begin to eat a gluten-free diet because they have found that it helps with their digestion, even when they have no problem with or are allergic or sensitive to wheat.

The essential point of this diet is to eliminate all forms of:

Wheat
Barley
Kamut
Spelt
Rye
Oat

For people out there who are diagnosed with coeliac disease, a rigid adherence to this type of diet is indeed essential for the best results. Plus, by not eating wheat in its traditional way, as in bread, cereals, or crackers, people must also remove a number of additives to foods, and be aware of ingredients in foods which are derived from wheat.

It is crucial to know if any ingredients have been contaminated with wheat flour, which can happen if foods have been processed in any food factories which make use of wheat.

Foods Which Can Be Safely Consumed

There are still many great foods out there which are still available for those on a gluten-free diet, and can be made into flours or thickeners which help to bind food together.

Breads and baked goods can be made from various ingredients such as potatoes, corn, a number of beans, nuts, and quinoa, a healthy grain.

In most cases, a gluten-free diet won’t stop people from eating practically all:

Fruits
Vegetables
Meats
Fish
Oils
Dairy products

But, remember that any food that is not prepared at home has to be seen as possibly containing wheat. For example, many sausages contain gluten fillers, and MSG in soups makes it a definite no for those following a gluten-free diet. As a matter of fact, we all should stop using MSG!

Home Food Preparation

The unbelievable presence of wheat by-products being in a large amount of foods means that eating a gluten-free diet can certainly be a time consuming affair! Many folk are much better to prepare their foods at home because they can then take full control of the ingredients and avoid any erroneous contact with wheat.

However, there are companies such as Juvela, which do produce amazing gluten-free diet foods, including things such as bread made with gluten-free flours, pizzas, crackers and a lot more.

Book and Web sites

You can also find some great cookbooks which specialise in gluten-free diets, showing you how to make loads of interesting and alternative food types. Another place to get information on packaged or processed gluten-free foods, is on websites that are devoted to people living with coeliac disease.