Everywhere you turn — from the corner bakery to the stadium concession stand — you’re likely to find gluten-free foods. Americans spend a great deal of money on gluten-free products. Clearly gluten — a protein found in wheat, barley and rye — is today's ingredient non grata. You might ask is gluten-free just another foodie fad? Or is it a potentially dangerous ingredient? The answer is complicated.
For the estimated 3 million Americans with celiac disease -- an auto-immune illness that damages the lining of the digestive tract -- exposure to gluten can trigger a host of serious symptoms, including vomiting and severe abdominal pain. Of all the digestive health troubles, gluten intolerance can be one of the most challenging. It can be hiding everywhere: most breads, cakes, cookies, cereals and crusts are completely off-limits. You can find it in processed cheese spreads, ice cream, flavored teas and soft drinks, burgers, sausages, soups and sauces. For the millions more who test negative for celiac, but insist they feel better after eliminating gluten, the scientific evidence is less convincing. Those people may be legitimately gluten-sensitive. Or perhaps they're simply eating a healthier diet. Junk food tends to have very high amounts of gluten. Suspect you're gluten-sensitive? Give up gluten for two weeks, then reintroduce it and see how you react. That's a very powerful way to find out if gluten affects you.
Here’s how you can go gluten-free…………
Scan ingredient lists carefully: Gluten may be listed as semolina, durum or enriched flour.
Choose whole foods over processed ones: Fruits, vegetables, beans meats, seafood, dairy products, nuts and seeds are naturally gluten-free.
Experiment with new grains: Brown rice and quinoa can stand in for some wheat-based foods.
Don’t assume that gluten-free is fat-free: Pizza is pizza, gluten-free or not. So the cheese would be the high-fat culprit.
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