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Gluten Free Living
What is Gluten? Gluten is an elastic protein that is found in barley, wheat and rye. It's elasticity is why breads hold together and why cakes rise. Gluten is the "glue" that holds pasta dough together. While other starches contain proteins that act as "glue," they do not contain gluten. Potatoes and rice are a good example of these. |
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What is Gluten Sensitivity?
Celiac Sprue or Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disorder caused by the body's sensitivity to gluten that is found in barley, wheat and rye. Gluten damages the small intestines of a person with Celiac Disease, and prevents absorption of nutrients. This can lead to malnutrition, osteoporosis, anemia, infertility, and some cancers. The only way to treat Celiac Disease is to live a Gluten Free lifestyle. Until the past few years, Celiac Disease was practically unheard of, and many people who suffered from it were misdiagnosed. Now more than ever before, doctors are diagnosing people and Celiac Disease is getting more attention. It is estimated that 1 in 133 people suffer from this disorder.
What are symptoms of Celiac Disease?
The inside of our intestines are filled with little finger-like parts called villi. Villi absorb nutrients during digestion. When a person with Celiac Disease ingests gluten, these villi become damaged and can't do their job. Instead of food being broken down and absorbed into the bloodstream, foods go through the small intestine undigested. This can result in diarrhea, bloating, weight loss, irritability, increased appetite, and fatigue. However, many people never have any symptoms of their condition. A simple blood test is performed to diagnose the disease, but more intensive testing may be required for some.
Foods to Avoid
While gluten is only found in barley, wheat and rye, cross contamination of products can make it extremely difficult to know what foods can trigger a reaction. Below is a list of ingredients to watch for when checking labels. This list is not complete. Contact your dietician or doctor for more information on foods to avoid. Always check the label of the product in question, and contact the manufacturer if you are unsure of it's contents.
- Barley
- Barley Malt
- Beer
- Bouillon Cubes
- Cous Cous
- Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
- Maltodextrin
- Malt Vinegar
- Wheat Pastas
- Rye, Spelt, Kamut, Triticale, Oats (cross contamination is possible)
- Soy Sauce
- Wheat Germ
Foods that are Naturally Gluten Free
While it might seem like everything has gluten in it, there are many products that are completely gluten free! These are just a few:
- Fruits and Vegetables (plain, canned, frozen)
- Most cheeses
- Milk
- Eggs
- Meats (plain)
- Vegetable and Canola Oil
- Potato Flour
- Rice
- Soy Milk
- Tapioca
Helpful Links
- We at Martin's have gone through our products aisle by aisle to put together a shopping guide to help you. For a printable copy of our Gluten Free Store Guide, click here.
- Martin's School of Cooking program offers gluten free cooking classes on a regular basis. To view recipes from previous classes, click here.
- There are a small number of Celiac support groups that meet in the South Bend and Mishawaka areas. "Living Gluten Free" meets the second Monday of each month at 6:00pm. The meeting location changes each month depending on activities planned, so contact group leader Jeannie Derrow by phone (574-231-1296) or email.
- The Celiac Sprue Association is a great resource. Visit their website here.
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