THE GLUTEN-FREE DIET
Following the diet may eliminate many of your favorite foods unless they bear the gluten-free tag. Pizza? Out. Pasta? Out. Hamburgers with the buns? Out. You get the idea, but for those with celiac disease, it’s a must to adhere to avoiding the protein in order to control the disease and risk complications. Fortunately, there are specialty -- and even mainstream stores -- that carry a gluten-free assortment, and many fast-food businesses are now awakening to the gluten-free market and offering alternatives to their traditional fare. Best bet: find a celiac disease support group in the area for up-to-date information on gluten-free products and dining.
Many people new to the gluten-free diet will consult a nutritionist. That allows them to ask questions and plan a diet based around the new restrictions while maintaining the vital nutrients needed for good health.
Some foods that are gluten-free include fresh eggs, fresh meats, fish and poultry (not breaded, coated in batter or marinated), beans, seeds, unprocessed nuts, fruits, vegetables and most dairy products. Any food you eat should not have gluten grains, preservatives or additives, but such grains and starches as buckwheat, arrowroot, amaranth, fax, corn, cornmeal, hominy, gluten-free flours like soy, rice, corn, potato and bear, millet, quinoa, rice, sorghum, tapioca, soy and teff are fine.
THE DANGER ZONE
While the list of permitted foods is extensive, avoiding wheat in the diet can be a challenge. That’s because many foods and drinks are processed using enriched, bromated, phosphate, plan and self-rising gluten products. Particular dangers to watch for include farina, durum flour, graham flour, semolina, spelt and kamut.