Living a Gluten-Free Life

You pick up a food you think should be gluten-free, but it turns out it's not. Many foods have hidden gluten in them as well as other everyday items such as toothpaste or shampoo.

Reading the ingredients and simply looking to see that there is not wheat in the product does not mean that you will have a gluten-free product, only wheat free. Gluten comes in other forms. Other wheat based products such as oats, rye, barley, bran and couscous are all products that contain gluten.

Products that you might not think to check could be contaminates in your diet. Most soy sauces contain gluten in some form. Other foods like gravies, dressings, marinades and soups contain wheat flour as thickener, or may contain malt, which is derived from wheat. Malt is also used in products like vinegar and beer. Even things like potato chips, corn chips or cereals that are rice or corn based may have wheat mixed in with them during the manufacturing process or used in various flavorings. Do not assume that buying a non wheat based product means that it will be safe.

Eating out can be very tricky when you have a gluten allergy or gluten intolerance. Some restaurants deep fry all their foods in the same oil. This can mean that your non-breaded French fries have been in same oil as your breaded fish or onion rings. You can also experience cross contamination during the cooking process. Depending on your level of ability to handle wheat based products, simply using the same spatula on both wheat based and otherwise clean foods can cause you to have a reaction. Be aware that recipes can use flour as a binder or thickening agent. Most hamburgers and meatloaf recipes use bread crumbs as a binder to keep the meat together during the cooking process. Do not be afraid to ask questions or speak up when you are ordering. This is your health you are dealing with and you have a right to know what goes into your food.

Organic or all natural does not mean gluten-free. Wheat is all natural and can be organic, but you certainly don't want to include it in your diet. All natural means no additives or preservatives. Organic means that no pesticides were used during the growing process.

Gluten can also be hidden in surprising places. Medications, vitamins and minerals, and health and beauty care products often contain gluten. Carefully read the ingredients before your purchase your products or order from an online company that lists each ingredient.

If you are cooking at home and not everyone in the family will be going gluten-free, have separate appliances for cooking your food. Toasters and bread machines should be at the top of the list. If you will be doing baking, keep separate baking sheets, muffin tins and bread pans. This will help you to avoid cross contamination. You might also considering having separate foods like mayonnaise and peanut butter that may come in contact with wheat based bread.

Go to your library and check out gluten-free cookbooks. Most libraries carry a wide variety and will give you an idea of items that you will need to stock in your pantry that are unique to gluten-free baking. Products like xanthan gum, tapioca flour, rice flour and potato starch flour are all key ingredients in gluten-free baking, but not found in your average kitchen.

Cooking and baking your own food is not always convenient. Most regular grocery stores carry a small selection of gluten-free products. These can usually be found in the baking aisle, or the organic aisle of the grocery store. Occasionally the products will be mixed in with the regular products, but in most case they are in different sections. The downside is that the selection is usually small and prices are generally higher. Gluten-free specialty stores are becoming more common in many major cities. Do a search on gluten-free and the name of your nearest major city to find locations of physical stores near you. You can also search for food co-ops. These stores often carry specialty products for organic and all natural diets that also happen to be gluten-free.

Many gluten-free products can be easily obtained online now. Websites such as Amazon.com carry a very large selection of gluten-free products. The downside is that some products require you to purchase them in a larger quantity. This is fine if you know that you like the product, but not so great if you are just looking to try it. Glutenfreemall.com is another major website offering both gluten-free foods and personal care items. They also offer cookbooks, books on ordering in restaurants, as well as pocket cards on spotting hidden gluten in foods and a book listing grocery store foods that are gluten-free.

Going gluten-free can be overwhelming, but once you know where to find the resources and the products that you need, you can keep yourself healthy while enjoying the types of foods you liked before.