Some years ago now, I started my gluten free journey. At that time, GF was not referred to as such, just that I had food issues! It was difficult and still is and I am not adverse to going with the flow and cheating from time to time; it is just too easy! As a food industry professional, I have watched a virtually nonexistent food category, grow from bricks of rice bread as my only sandwich bread option to entire aisles and freezer sections in natural food and grocery stores dedicated to the GF revolution. It is almost heaven not to have to read the labels intently now that I wear readers.
What exactly is gluten you ask? Well it is in fact a protein component of grain, found in wheat, barley and rye among others, even oats. Gluten is the element of flour that thickens sauces, makes pizza dough stretchy and gives breads and bagels texture. May seem like a good quality to the average reader, but the question is, how does gluten affect the body and does it affect everyone?
Not everyone is sensitive to gluten, but for those of us who are, including theceliac disease sufferer, gluten can wreak havoc in the body. The problems arise in the gluten sensitive system when it tries to digest the gluten when it enters the small intestine. The gluten sensitive body does not have the enzymes to break it down so it treats it as an alien, attacking it as it would the bacteria or a virus found in the intestines. When our bodies fight off foreign anti-bodies, it sends in the troops to attack which causes inflammation. This inflammation is normal if it has bacteria and or viruses to expunge; when this is not the case, the inflammation only ends up causing damage to the intestines. Without getting technical as we are not doctors or scientists, the damage to the villi* can create holes in the small intestine allowing food particles to make their way into our bloodstream and decrease the absorption of nutrients our bodies desperately need.
Here are a few resources I have found very helpful for my own guidance:
Why we should stay away from conventional wheat products:
The conventional wheat that is feeding the masses is genetically modified and has higher gluten content than the wheat that was grown 20 years ago. So now that we are learning about what gluten can do to the body, is this really a good thing? With the effects gluten has on the body, the high consumption of starch products made with genetically modified wheat and the addition of wheat starch and wheat gluten to so many of the prepared foods on the grocery store shelves, it is no wonder we have the obesity epidemic on our hands. If what I have presented here interests you enough to delve further in to the GMO world, Google Monsanto or visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsanto. Monsanto is the biggest producer of genetically modified seeds and herbicides in the world. I could write more, but that is really for another topic!
Villi* are the tiny, finger like protrusions lining the small intestine. Villi normally allow nutrients from food to be absorbed through the walls of the small intestine into the bloodstream. Without healthy villi, a person becomes malnourished, no matter how much food one eats http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/celiac/
I am in many of the natural food stores in the Ottawa Canada area on a weekly basis and have participated in gluten free days on behalf of gluten free products I represent. I notice that many of the carts are filled with gluten free breads, frozen meals and treats. Don’t get me wrong, I am of the opinion that going gluten free is definitely beneficial for the masses, but just because it says GF does not necessarily mean it is good for us to eat on a regular basis. As with all of our food, we suggest you do as much as you can to eat whole foods, organic or non GMO grains and lightly cooked foods. We live busy lives and we do understand the need to save time which is why we created www.vegmenufortheweek.com.
Here are some tips to keeping it gluten free and whole:
- Avoid all wheat products and this includes whole wheat products, bulgur, durum flour, farina, graham flour, kamut, semolina and spelt. As stated above, avoid barley, rye and look for gluten free oats.
- Cook using whole grains. Quinoa, brown rice and millet are ones we incorporate regularly in our menus.
- Arrowroot and rice flour are great alternatives as thickening agents.
- Look for food additives, such as malt flavoring, modified food starch and others on prepared and processed food labels and avoid these products.
- Soy products often have wheat starch as an ingredient. Look for GF label or check the label. We suggest Bragg or wheat free Tamari products.
- Another label issue: many medications and supplements use gluten as a binding agent. We look for dairy free, gluten free, vegetable based labels.
- When purchasing nuts, seeds and grains, purchase whole and raw, less opportunity for cross contamination at the processing level.
This is a topic that I could literally write on and on about, but there is too much information to truly summarize everything. I will leave you with a book I would highly suggest reading is The Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis. It really changed things for me and put things into perspective. At the beginning I thought I was at a disadvantage because of my sensitivities but then I realized I was fortunate to have symptoms that were noticeable so I could avoid gluten early on in life. A large amount of the population is not aware that gluten can be a silent killer.
So I guess that question lies – are you willing to take control and be a part of the Gluten Free Revolution?
_______________________________________
What’s on the menu this week?
- Tempeh Hash Submarines
- Lemon Pasta with Zucchini and Spring Peas
- Greek Salad with Chick Peas
- Country Style Soup
- Tofu and Vegetable Stirfry with Almond Tahine Sauce on Brown Rice
- Brunch: Mushroom, Spinach and Tofu Souffle
- Dessert: Raw Cocoa Power Balls
Enjoy!
Lyndsay & Laurie
Interesting Food Fact
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
That a 1/2% of the world have Celiacs desease, however more recent studies have showed that there are 30 times more people in the world who have a gluten sensitivity. That is about 15% of the population that are sensitive to gluten. These people suffer symptoms after eating gluten but when tested for celiacs disease the test would show up negative.
RECIPE Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies
From: Gluten Free Menu For The Week - http://www.gfmenufortheweek.com
4 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup peanut butter (I use the creamy variety)
1 egg
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Brown rice flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Allow all ingredients to come to room temperature.
- Cream together butter, peanut butter, and egg using a large spoon.
- Add the brown sugar, brown rice flour, salt, and baking powder. Stir until combined.
- Drop a rounded tablespoon of the dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or golden brown.
- Let stand on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Allow the cookie sheet to cool completely before placing the dough for the second batch or use a second cookie sheet.
Contact us at lyndsay@vegmenufortheweek.com
No comments:
Post a Comment