Gluten Free Tips

Archive for July, 2008

Gluten Free Resturants
Often people search for gluten free resturants in order that they can go out for a family meal and enjoy the occasion without suffering the consequences of being allergic to gluten the next day. If you do conduct such a search you might find that gluten free resturants are hard to find and poorly advertised, and the reason is that all restaurants should be able to serve gluten free food on demand.

When visiting a new restaurant the first thing to do is make sure that your waiter or waitress is aware that a member of your party needs gluten free food. This isn’t an outrageous request, these days many people have some form of food allergy and requests that meals are served lactose free, gluten free, nut free or without other ingredients are common . Your server will most probably look upon the request has an opportunity to deliver good service and reap the rewards by way of a good tip at the end of the meal.

If you are travelling to a foreign country make sure that you take pre printed gluten free restaurant cards with you. These cards should contain an explanation of what coeliac condition intolerances are and what foods are gluten free, spelled out in the local language to avoid any confusion. Once again do not be hesitant in producing these cards in the restaurant as you will find that the waiter appreciates the information presented in their own language to avoid any confusion.

Dealing with the food preparation issues for people with food intolerances is now a standard part of the training for any decent chef. They will understand the need to keep the different types of food separate and use clean cooking utensils to avoiding cross and food contamination.

Once you have found several gluten free restaurants near you make sure that you visit them regularly and that the restaurant understands that you are a regular customer. If you have friends and acquaintances who are similarly gluten intolerant and make sure that you recommend the venues to them. Restaurants will respond very positively to regular customer visits and this will help to maintain their approach to gluten-free food.

Gluten Free Medications
If you have gluten intollerance it is important when you are ill that you have gluten free medications. Being ill is bad enough and can have its own complications without overlaying onto this any further issues which will arise from the introduction of gluten into your system. Remember that, as a celiac, gluten in your system can overload your immune system leading to you becoming ill and this is the last thing you want to do when you have an existing illness.

Make sure that the doctor or pharmacist are aware that you need gluten free medications, this is particularly important if you are not being treated by your own doctor, for example if you are on holiday, or you are visiting a chemists that you have not frequented before. Inform them before the prescription is made up, drugs companies always provide lists of ingredients for their drugs and gluten free alternatives are usually available. This may require a small amount of further research, perhaps a telephone call to the manufacturer or a visit to their website but rest assured that the information will be available as all prescription drugs are regulated and the ingredients have to be listed.

If you are going on holiday it is advisable to take a number of common medications with you taking the varieties that you know to be gluten free. We are not talking of prescription medications such as antibiotics and other more powerful medications but the types of gluten free medication that you or your children might commonly require when on holiday. Stomach upset preparations, headache cures, sleeping tablets or anti-diarrhoea capsules are all things to consider and taking these with you can give you some peace of mind should a member of your family who is gluten intollerant become ill.

On the occasion that you are unlucky and a gluten intolerant member of your family is admitted to hospital when on holiday it is important that they are accompanied by an adult so that the requirement for gluten free medications can be followed through. Medical people are infamous for focusing more on the solution to the illness without taking into account the wider factors and the emotions of the patient. The well person should be able to stress the requirement for gluten-free medications and follow through in that discussion to ensure that the patient does receive these rather than leaving the stress of the discussion to the ill patient, as this will not help them to make a rapid recovery.

If you have coeliac condition you need gluten free medications and in most civilised part of the world this should not be an issue. Be assertive and ensure that and the doctors clearly understand your requirement early in the consultation and you will find that there is no problem.

Gluten Free Grains
Gluten is a sticky protein found in many grain crops, wheat, oats, rye and barley being the main ones found in the western diet. As these are found in many pre-processed meals and restaurant offerings, either directly or indirectly by way of inclusion in sauces, they represent a problem to Celiacs and there is often a search for altenative gluten free grains.

Part of the problem appears to be that these grain crops have developed faster than man’s ability to evolve to digest these food products. A sizeable percentage of the population has some sensitivity to gluten resulting in mild and stomach upsets through to full gluten intolerance and coeliac disease.

There has long been a debate as to whether oats can be considered a gluten free grain. The debate is complicated by the means of production. To produce a gluten free grain crop gluten needs to be excluded all the way from the first sewing in the field through the harvesting and on to the manufacturing plant resulting in the final bag of flour. Often there is a greater risk of cross contamination of the crop in the field by air blown seeds from wheat crops. Once these crops have been harvested there is risk of cross contamination in the milling and bagging production line where the factory would either need to be dedicated to gluten free grains or to undergo a complete cleaning process before processing oats.

On a positive note there are many stable products which can be included as gluten-free grains in your daily diet and they include corn, rice,coconut flour, legumes, millet, soybean and tapioca.

With the arrival of genetically modified foods are there is always in the potential in the future for the development of a reliable gluten-free grain crop which had all the normal properties of wheat but excluded gluten. One potential concern here is that, by trying to do good, man actually creates another problem and introduces some new components into the DNA of these crops which causes other dietary problems.

With a little imagination it is possible to introduce gluten free grains into your normal daily diet and have a varied menu whilst treating your body kindly.

Gluten Free Cooking
Gluten free cooking is just one of the many dietary restrictions which Cook’s encounter these days. Food induced dietary issues are commonplace and at one family gathering there can seem to be several food intollerances to cater for. Gluten most commonly occurs in flour based products, such as breads and cakes, and also is used to bind other products in recipes and often appears in sauces or coatings to pre-purchased products.

People with gluten intollerance find that microscopic amounts of gluten can cause an upset to their system. This means that the Cook has to be very disciplined in the preparation of foods and avoid cross contamination of one food item by another. This is not an option, and should not be treated as a chore, gluten should be treated as toxic and as a poison to those with coeliac condition and they will rely on the chief to take great care in the preparation of their food.

At first you may perceive that gluten free cooking is quite restrictive and produces a meal which tastes like cardboard. This is far from the truth and with a little familiarity and practice you will find that gluten free cooking results in a healthy, nutritious meal which everyone in the family can enjoy.

Additionally, most restaurants these days have become aware of the requirements for gluten-free cooking and also financially aware of the benefits of catering for the needs of a large percentage of the community. Gluten free options are frequently quoted on menus and the restaurant chef in most cases is very happy to make minor adjustments to selected meals to ensure that they are gluten free.

With a little imagination and practice you will find that gluten free cooking starts to produce meals which are actually more nutritious than the normal dietary fare that you have being presenting to your family. This is because you are forced to reconsider the ingredients and how they are made rather than cooking on autopilot.

Gluten-free recipes abound on the Internet these days and hence there is no reason why gluten-free cooking should be a problem, treat it as an opportunity to reinvigorate your meal times and set the family off on a healthy gluten free diet.

Gluten Free Products
Gluten Free Products are the lifeline for Celiacs who need to live gluten free and avoid gluten in their regular diet. Gluten is a protein present in some common grains such as wheat, oats and rye and it is also frequently hidden in elements of pre-processed foods.

In previous years gluten free products were hard to find. The diagnosis of people with coeliac condition and intollerance of gluten was hit and miss. It appeared that the medical community were not familiar with coeliac condition and frequently misdiagnosed the condition as irritable bowel syndrome or just an upset stomach. As a result few people were ‘labelled’ as Celiacs and hence there was no perceived market demand for gluten free products.

In the last decade and awareness of the coeliac condition has increased greatly, probably through the arrival of coeliac support groups and increased lobbying. With increased awareness has come increased diagnosis and as a result the percentage of people in the population diagnosed with the condition and needing to live gluten free has increased significantly. This has created a ready-made market for manufacturers who wished to create and sell gluten free products at normal, high street prices.

The latter point is important as previously gluten free products came at a premium price for a minority niche market. Now, most supermarkets carry extensive ranges of gluten free breads, biscuits, cakes and almost any other product you can think of at prices comparable with their gluten rich alternatives.

Whilst the situation has vastly improved for Celiacs manufacturers can sometimes make life difficult with certain tricks they play. A coeliac and can never relax from reviewing the labels on products known to be gluten free as recipes and ingredients change. That nice cauliflower cheese preprocessed meal was completely gluten-free last week and, look out, it now contains some form of modified starch sneaking some gluten into your meal.

The requirement to review labels is somewhat reduced with the permanent ranges of gluten free products produced at some supermarkets. These ranges are now labelled as gluten free and guaranteed to be so attracting a loyal band of coeliac shoppers. Progress has been so good that you can now often spot people who do not have coeliac condition and do not need to use gluten free products cruising the aisles and putting some of the gluten free confectionery in their baskets!

Gluten Free Diets
We have 3 daughters (twins aged 6 and a 3-year-old), who have been diagnosed with the coeliac disease. All 3 are on strict gluten-free diets. The problem with gluten-free diets (and other food allergies and intolerance) is the social isolation element that goes with eating, food and social interactions.

Going to a restaurant with 3 small children on gluten-free diets is no small feat! Children?s menu?s always feature spaghetti (pasta contains flour), or hamburgers (contain rusk), or meatballs in tomato sauce (again contain flour or rusk for binding).

Why can?t restaurant menus change their children?s menus to feature foods for children?s gluten-free diets, such as chicken breasts, drumsticks or small steaks. Gravy and sauces could be adapted by using cornstarch. Pancakes and waffles can be made according to gluten-free recipe by using rice flour and buckwheat flour. When we eat in a restaurant with our children they end up (always) having omelet with chips; followed by ice cream (without sauce or biscuit/wafer!).

There are a number of arrangements in force at school to ensure compliance with the gluten-free diets of our children. As the girls are in 3 different classes, I keep track of over 60 birthdays to ensure the girls follow their gluten-free diets when the children are treated to birthday cake at school.

What will I do in a couple of years when they go on overnight trips, camping trips and other excursions with their classmates? I shall have to persevere and ensure the school, teachers and facilitators are provided with gluten-free foods, recipes and food lists. I?m sure that together we will find a way.

Already I notice a lot more awareness of the coeliac condition than a few years ago. However, there is still a lot of ignorance on the subject.

People unfamiliar with the gluten-free diet don?t realize how many products contain wheat, barley, oats and rye ? as well as other derivatives such as wheat starch, rusk, semolina, conscious, etc. Recently I met a lady who thought they could eliminate gluten from bread just by toasting the bread!

Luckily, coeliac patients on gluten-free diets can rely on organizations like the Coeliac Society who provide information, such as a gluten-free food list, support groups, gluten-free recipes and other useful information.

Gluten Free Cornbread Recipe
The Native Americans made cornbread long before the first Europeans settled in the Americas. The earliest cornbreads were called “pone”, from the Algonquin word “apan”, and were a simple mixture of cornmeal, salt, and water. Because the recipe calls for cornmeal instead of wheatflour, a gluten free cornbread recipe is, in some ways, a natural gluten-free food.

Corn is a staple crop in the United States and many parts of South America as well. Corn provides necessary calories for daily metabolism of the body and it is good for skin care, boosting the nervous system, digestion, and maintaining low cholesterol levels. Corn is rich in phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, zinc, copper, iron and selenium. It also contains Vitamin B (Thiamin, Vitamin B6, Niacin, Riboflavin, Folate) and has traces of Vitamin A and Vitamin E.

I?ve tried many a gluten-free cornbread recipe over the years and would like to share with you 3 variations of a gluten-free cornbread recipe for you to try.

The first gluten-free cornbread recipe is a quick, cheesy cornbread. It uses a combination of 150gr cornmeal (also called polenta), 125gr of chickpea (or gram) flour, ? teaspoon of salt, 2.5 teaspoon baking powder, 500 gr grated cheese, 50gr butter, 2 eggs and 300 ml milk. Bake in an oven at 160 degrees centigrade (or Gasmark 3) for 30-35 minutes.

The second gluten free cornbread recipe is made with 200 ml milk, 200 ml water, 350 gr brown rice flour, 50 gr buckwheat flour and 50 gr cornmeal, 1 tsp caster sugar, 1 tsp salt, 7 gr dried yeast, 40 gr margarine and 1 egg. Mix the ingredients together and leave to rest for 1 hour. Then, bake in 200 degree overn (Gas Mark 6) for 30 minutes.

The third gluten free cornbread recipe is made with 15ml sunflower oil, 1 onion (cooked) sliced, 175gr cornmeal, 75 gr rice flour, 25 gr soya flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon caster sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 115 gr grated cheese, 200 ml milk, 2 eggs, and 40 gr margarine. Bake in the oven on 190 degrees centigrade or Gas Mark 5 for 30 minutes.

Even if you have a normal diet you should try these gluten free cornbread recipes, you will find them delicious.

Gluten Free Holidays
Once diagnosed with coeliac condition you will need to maintain a gluten free diet. This means being gluten-free at all times including when on vacation and gluten free holidays will be a requirement for you, year after year.

The best gluten free holidays are created by planning in advance. Aa simple tool to make eating out gluten-free is to take a gluten free restaurant card with you containing a local translation of your needs, explaining what foods contain gluten, which foods do not contain gluten and why you must avoid the substance.

Gluten-free holidays can also be successful if you take some foods with you which you know to be gluten-free. if you have a favourite bread, fruit bar or biscuit package them up and put them in your hand luggage (not in your suitcase which could be delayed with baggage problems). In this way you will be able to have a snack and a simple breakfast on arrival without relying on the local shops to be open.

Often people decide to cook for themselves to guarantee gluten free holidays. Many larger supermarket chains now post gluten-free lists and food ingredient lists on the Internet and these are accessible from anywhere in the world. If you are going to a popular tourist destination in a less remote part of the world your research may find that one of these restaurants is hereby and you can do all your food shopping research before you get on holiday. In this way you will arrive confident that you can get the foods that you want before you ever leave your home.

Remember that all restaurant owners are in competition with other restaurants and welcome your custom. If the vacation provider you have selected for the holiday are able to advise you of the names and addresses of some recommended local restaurants you could always on e-mail them beforehand to ask how they could cater for a gluten free diet. Assess the responses that you get and build a relationship with the restaurant before you set foot on the plane.

Having gluten free holidays should not be a challenge and, as with everything in life, the second and third one you take will be easier than the first as you will have learned many of the little tricks that go into making a holiday truly gluten free. So the message is don’t delay, go out and book a holiday for yourself this year and take those little planning steps that will ensure that it is relaxing, enjoyable and gluten-free.

Coeliac Disease in Children
Coeliac disease is very hard to identify in children. Intollerance to gluten can exhibit itself at any age although very young babies will not have been exposed to gluten if breast-fed or given quality manufactured baby foods, hence coeliac and disorder will not be observed. Once the child has started to be weaned they will incur gluten in their diet and any gluten intollerance will be noticed some three to six months after this stage.

With mild gluten intolerance you might see that your child is restless after eating, has a mildly swollen abdomen and is generally irritable. Actually the reaction to gluten might be so mild that it is takes many years before the gradual reduced ability to absorb food nutrients shows as poor appetite with poor growth and a skinny appearance.

In the more extreme situations your child could refuse to eat, be lacking in energy, have a large, swollen abdomen and produce pale, greasy stools with each nappy change. Continued exposure to gluten will lead to a ‘failure to thrive’ as your child’s ability to absorb food gradually decreases and they extract little value from each meal.

If, after discussions with your doctor, you suspect that your child is intollerant to gluten and has coeliac disease one of the first actions to be taken is to order a coeliac blood test. Modern tests are very sensitive to the antibodies the body produces when it reacts to gluten and show with high percentage accuracy where the gluten intolerance is present.

Coeliac disease in children is then confirmed by a biopsy where a microscopic tube is passed through the mouth and stomach to facilitate the extraction of a small section of the small intestine. The presence of gluten in a Celiacs diet leads to the flattening of the small hairlike projections in the small intestine limiting their ability to absorb food nutrients. As this process carries on these hairlike projections are damaged and this can be seen under a microscope when examining the biopsy.

This process is not as stressful as it may appear although of course it is not undertaken lightly. Coeliac disease in children needs to be diagnosed properly as other conditions, such as lactose intollerance, can produce very similar symptoms and you do not want to condemn your child to follow a gluten free diet for the rest of their life on a miss diagnosis.

Hidden Gluten
If you have been recently diagnosed with a coeliac condition you know that you must now attempt to exclude gluten from all of your meals. This can be harder than it seems as gluten likes to play the game of hide and seek with you and there could be hidden gluten in seemingly innocent food products. Don’t worry, whilst initially this seems daunting you will find over time you learn where to look for all this hidden gluten and what food labels are commonly used to disguise the enemy.

Obviously, if you prepare your meals yourself at home you will be quite clear on what you putting in to the meal and you will be able to review the food labels to ensure that gluten is absent. The main issue comes where pre-processed foods are purchased at the supermarket and when eating out at restaurants. With preprocessed foods there are often differing terms used to describe the same ingredient and this can help to hide gluten. At the restaurant of course you will rely upon the waiter to advise you whether gluten is present in the meal and you may need to help the serving staff to understand where it can hide.

Some of the common ingredients to avoid and their are most frequently used descriptions are:-

Modified food starch. This is a real tricky one as sometimes modified food starch is quite innocent and on other occasions it actually represents gluten. There appears to be no known statutory requirement to clearly indicate the type of food starch used and if you see this item on the ingredients list the best action is to not buy the product.

Starches. This term has different meanings in different continents. It could represent gluten in Europe whereas starch is often used to describe corn in the United States of America. Once again if in doubt keep it out, you don’t want gluten in your meal.

Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein or Hydrolyzed Plant Protein. The situation here is improving in that laws are being introduced to require food producers to identify the underlying food plant source and that should help to establish whether gluten is hidden in the meal or not.

Dextrin. Dextrin can be made from several different grains including rice, tapioca, corn, potato or unfortunately wheat. You need to investigate further to see whether it gluten is present.

Don’t let this list put you off. The challenge of finding hidden gluten is greatest immediately after you have been diagnosed with coeliac condition and when you buy preprocessed foods or visit a restaurant for the first time. Once you have gone through the learning curve you will find that you develop your own set of preferred food products and places to eat where you are more comfortable that you can readily identify sources of gluten and ensure that they are excluded from your food.

The final point to note is that you should always be on your guard for hidden gluten reappearing in a product. Manufacturers often change their recipes without warning or restaurants can change their main chef unbeknown to you. This causes a requirement for you to check each and every time that there is no gluten in your food.