| What is the gluten free diet? | | | | back, you've nailed it. |
| The gluten free diet is not a fad diet, it is not a | | | | The reason I suggest this method, is that it will |
| weight loss diet, it is not a "health diet" and it is | | | | usually cost you money to get a diagnosis, and |
| not a detox diet, no matter what Oprah says. | | | | there's no clear benefit, since the treatment is |
| You don't choose to be a celiac or to be gluten | | | | just to go gluten free. Why pay money to find |
| intolerant. People who have celiac disease or are | | | | out if you shouldn't eat something, when you can |
| gluten intolerant cannot eat gluten without | | | | just try it and find out for free? In addition, you |
| experiencing serious health problems. For other | | | | have to eat a "normal" gluten rich diet for some |
| people, gluten is pretty much a neutral substance. | | | | time before the tests if they are to work. |
| You hear about the gluten free diet all over - | | | | There's also a "silent" form of celiac disease which |
| why? | | | | is recognized because it doesn't show up in tests, |
| More and more people every day are finding out | | | | which makes the whole exercise pretty futile in |
| they have this problem, because at least 90% of | | | | my opinion. |
| processed food - the stuff we all eat every day - | | | | It's not uncommon to hear about people who had |
| contains gluten. | | | | celiac disease for 15 years before they were |
| Natural food doesn't have gluten in everything, the | | | | diagnosed correctly. It's a serious matter, because |
| way processed food does. Gluten is added in the | | | | in celiac disease, gluten causes repeated damage |
| course of processing for lots of different reasons, | | | | to the intestine, which can lead to bowel cancer. |
| including flavoring. What this means is, even if you | | | | Living gluten free: it's not easy |
| avoid bread, pastry, pizza, pasta and other | | | | So, anyway, assuming you're just starting the |
| obvious sources of gluten (a protein found in | | | | gluten free diet - and please read the first |
| wheat, rye, barley and some other closely related | | | | paragraph here before you start - it's not that |
| grains), you are probably still getting lots of gluten | | | | easy. |
| in your food without realizing it. | | | | Like I said before, almost all processed food has |
| So it's almost always the case that people who | | | | gluten in it, to thicken it, to give it a creamy |
| are following a gluten free diet have to go gluten | | | | texture, to flavor it, dida dida dida... |
| free - although you might be told to "try going | | | | There are some very expensive gluten free |
| gluten free" by your doctor as a diagnostic | | | | substitutes for many of the foods you probably |
| method, or you might recognize your symptoms | | | | take for granted - but even if you can afford |
| match the ones that go with gluten intolerance | | | | them, you might not be pleased with what you |
| and decide to try it for yourself. | | | | get. Many are so vile, I took one mouthful and |
| Is the gluten free diet right for you? | | | | threw the rest away. Not something I want to |
| If you think you might be gluten intolerant, | | | | repeat too often at the sort of prices we are |
| probably the first step would be the quiz, "Are | | | | talking about here. |
| You Gluten Intolerant?" It's just 5 multiple choice | | | | You know, I used to buy the cheapest pasta - |
| questions and covers things like your symptoms | | | | well pasta is pasta, right? 35p a kilo packet, and |
| and family history. At the end, you get a result | | | | that did quite a few meals. Now, after trying all |
| which is calculated from your answers to all the | | | | the alternatives, I've settled on a nice gluten free |
| questions, and you can go from there. | | | | pasta brand (Orgran), but that is £1.65 - |
| If it comes up with a "likely" or "probable" result, | | | | five times the price, for a quarter the quantity. |
| you should decide what you want to do next. In | | | | They don't do kilo packs, you can only get a 250g |
| the UK, there are good reasons for trying to get | | | | pack. It's priced so high, I often don't put any |
| a diagnosis of celiac disease - because many | | | | meat with it any more, just eat it with pesto or a |
| special foods can be obtained on prescription. | | | | tomato sauce. |
| In other countries, it may be better to just go | | | | I know I'm rambling. Sorry about that. In my next |
| gluten free on an experimental basis, and see if | | | | article I will write about cleaning out your kitchen |
| your symptoms recede. If so, eat something with | | | | so you have a safe cooking environment for your |
| gluten in it as a test. If your symptoms come | | | | new diet. |