Is a Gluten-Free Diet Right For You?:

Many people are currently discovering that they are gluten intolerant. This means that their bodies cannot process gluten, which is found normally in wheat. Gluten intolerance can lead to a myriad of problems and is normally associated with Celiac Disease.

Symptoms of Celiac Disease include constipation, bloating, irritable bowel syndrome, and in advanced cases, malnutrition due to a decrease in nutrients that are normally absorbed through the wall of the intestine.

Other conditions, such as autism and even ADHD or ADD, have been successfully treated with the introduction of a gluten free diet. It is believed that gluten intolerance can lead to a worsening of the symptoms of the above mentioned conditions.

However, it is not easy to completely stamp gluten out of your life. Many different products contain wheat, which naturally contains gluten, or have wheat gluten as an ingredient. In addition, many Celiac sufferers have found that they are also intolerant to the gluten that is found in oats as well as wheat.

First, what does gluten do? Gluten acts as sticky substance that binds flour together. It is a protein that is particularly useful in making bread, as it helps bind the ingredients together.

In order to remove gluten from your diet, you will need to substitute these products with healthy alternatives. It is easy to feel as though there is nothing left that you can eat, but with careful shopping, you can easily eat many normal foods.

Common foods that contain gluten include: Bread, cereal, cake, rolls, pasta, bagels, muffins, pizza crust or basically anything that is made with wheat. There are many alternatives for the above items, and they usually use rice flour as a substitute.

There are also many common food items that contain gluten, such as salad dressings, sauces, food preparation ingredient and yeast. If you are intensely intolerant to gluten, you will need to completely remove it from your diet, eliminating these extra items.

If you decide to try out your own wheat-free recipes, it is important to add an extra ingredient that will allow gluten-free flours to bind together. Since they do not contain the protein, flours such as rice flour, do not hold together well for bread and pasta recipes. However, you can easily add xantham gum or guar gum to overcome this problem.

Living wheat free isn't easy, but it can be done. All it takes is a little extra care, making sure to read all of your food labels, and finding the right ingredients to supplement your new diet. If you have had trouble with IBS, or you feel that you may be gluten intolerant, this type of diet is very beneficial. For more information, recipes and gluten-free products, you can visit www.celiac.com or www.glutensolutions.com.

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