Fine Dining, Gluten-Free
Most people enjoy eating out now and then; it’s fun to forget about kitchen duty and head for a favorite restaurant. For people who eat a gluten-free diet, though, eating out isn’t always easy.
Many restaurants serve food that’s laden with gluten and fat. And though some are happy to cater to special requirements, others don’t want to be bothered. It can be a challenge to find a restaurant that offers a great gluten-free meal; but the challenge can become a pleasant experience--with a little preparation
If you want to insure a good experience, call the restaurant beforehand. Talk with the chef—not a waitress or the manager. The chef is the only person who can address the issue authoritatively, because s/he is the person who will prepare the food. Ask what gluten-free dishes the chef can prepare—and then ask questions. Do the vegetables have a sauce? Is the meat breaded? Will the chef use fresh oil instead of oil that’s been used to cook meals containing wheat? These questions will reassure you--and provide guidelines for the chef.
Get to the restaurant before you’re really hungry, and talk with the chef again. There’s a chance that your food will be prepared by a different chef; and even if you spoke with the same person before, it helps to meet face to face and insure that s/he understands your needs.
Always be polite! If you’re courteous, the staff is more likely to want to please you. And afterwards, if they did please you—if your meal was prepared safely and gluten-free—let them know! Promise to return often, and tell them that you’ll spread the good word.
Some people carry a card printed with the details of their diet—including the symptoms they suffer when they eat wheat. The card can include basic instructions for gluten-free cooking, providing the chef with a handy check-list. Diet cards are available at several Internet sites; or you can make your own.
If you’re forced to eat at a new restaurant without advance preparation, talk with the chef and request a very plain meal: sautéed meat and steamed vegetables, for instance. No, it won’t be the best meal you’ve ever eaten in a restaurant; but it will be healthy.
The good news is that many restaurants are beginning to cater to gluten-free eaters. In fact, some restaurants are now registered as being gluten-free, and more are hopping on the band wagon. Glutenfreeregistry.com registers gluten-free restaurants; you can search their site for a gluten-free restaurant near you.
Why be Gluten-Free?
Many of our favorite foods contain a protein called gluten. Gluten is found in wheat, rye and barley, so it’s usually present in breads and cake—and a host of other foods. It can even sneak into unexpected places; processed vegetables and meat often contain gluten. In fact, since the yummiest foods are full of gluten, why would anyone chose to live gluten-free?
Most people on gluten-free diets didn’t choose to stop eating wheat; they chose, instead, to stop suffering. Some have wheat allergies, which can be hard to diagnose and difficult to endure. Symptoms of a wheat allergy can include congestion, hives, swelling of the mouth and throat, nausea and diarrhea. People with severe wheat allergies can even experience anaphylaxis, a life-threatening reaction.
People with Celiac disease leave gluten out of their diets, too. This autoimmunedisorder tricks the body into perceiving gluten as a poison. The body responds reasonably by attacking the small intestine, preventing absorption of the ‘poison’. Celiac patients suffer from gas, bloating, diarrhea, weight loss or weight gain, and abdominal and bone pain. The disease can be debilitating—and in children, it leads to more serious problems.
Compared to the symptoms, the cure is easy! People who suffer from wheat allergies and Celiac disease can find relief simply by leaving gluten out of their diets. It’s not the easiest diet to follow in our society of fast-food and junky snacks, but a gluten-free diet is literally a lifesaver for people who’ve had to live in constant pain.
People who eat gluten-free diets try to focus on what they can eat, which is, in fact, almost everything. Fresh vegetables and meat are gluten-free. Eggs and beans are, too; and so are fish, potatoes and milk.
And many grains are gluten-free. Celiac suffers can eat rice and corn, along with many of the foods that are made with them. Amaranth, quinoa and teff are safe, and in the past few years many companies have started producing noodles and breads made from these grains.
People who eat gluten-free diets are usually very careful when they shop. All processed foods are automatically suspect, so labels have to be read carefully. In 2004 the government initiated the Food Allergen and Consumer Protection Act, which dictates that all ingredients are labeled in plain English. Now consumers don’t have to memorize a list of pseudoscientific ingredients; if there’s wheat in the box, the label will say ‘wheat’.
It can be difficult to eat differently than other people; after all, everyone wants to fit in! But the growing availability of gluten-free bread and the plain labeling mandated by the government have both made it easier for people who suffer from wheat allergies or Celiac disease to maintain a gluten-free diet.
Making Your Kitchen Gluten-Free
If you’ve been diagnosed with a wheat allergy, you’ve had to rethink everything about the way you eat. Suddenly many of the food staples you’ve relied upon—flour, cereal, pizza!—are forbidden, and you’re left wondering if there’s anything you can enjoy.
Most people eat a lot of their meals at home, so your kitchen is the logical place to make changes. You’ve probably learned which foods to avoid; but how can you adapt your kitchen to a gluten-free diet?
Wheat is out, so you won’t be buying flour—right? Wrong! Amaranth, cornmeal, sorghum flour, soy flour, chickpea flour, rice flour—they’re all gluten-free. Experiment with different flours and decide which you like most. Then stock your kitchen so you can bake when you’re in the mood.
There are a lot of gluten-free grain products on the market, too. Breads and noodles made from soybeans, nut flours or rice flour or rice flour are available; so are cookies, cereals, bagels—and pizza!
You can also buy products made from buckwheat, which contains no gluten—but check the ingredients; many buckwheat products have added wheat. Pure buckwheat, though, is a fine addition to your pantry. Be careful with oats, too; although they’re gluten-free, most commercial oats have been cross-contaminated with wheat. Some brands certify their oats as gluten-free.
You can have grain for dinner, too, if you stick with such gluten-free favorites as corn, rice, millet, quinoa and amaranth. In fact, many people on a gluten-free diet don’t eat enough servings of grain, which can cause harm. Gluten-free grains can be steamed with vegetables for a healthy and delicious side dish. Your kitchen should be stocked with pure herbs, too, to add flavor to the meal.
You should buy xanthan gum , which adds texture to baked goods; and don’t forget cornstarch, guar gum or lecithin, which all act as thickening agents.
Most spices are gluten-free, but if you buy a spice-mixture, check the label for wheat. Check the label for flavorings, too—but most of them will be safe for you to enjoy.
Make sure you stock your freezer with unprocessed meat for gluten-free main courses. Vegetarians can eat beans, but should be aware that dried beans are often contaminated by wheat. Canned beans are safer, and some canned beans are certified gluten-free. Cheese is usually fine for the gluten-free eater, but read the label for vegetable gum and food starch in all cheese products. Tofu is gluten-free as long as it isn’t flavored with soy sauce or another ingredient that contains gluten.
Keep your kitchen well-supplied with vegetables and fruits, too; they form the foundation of any healthy diet.
If you can’t find gluten-free products in your grocery store, check with stores that specialize in natural foods. The Internet is a good source for gluten-free ingredients and baked goods, and you can find support and more information there, too.
Gluten Free – Cross Contamination
If you eat a gluten-free diet, you’ve probably learned the basics. You eat only gluten-free breads and baked goods, and much of your diet is made up of fresh meats, gluten-free grains, and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. You’re doing everything right; so why are you still having symptoms?
Unfortunately, wheat is a product that is so pervasive that it’s difficult to keep it out of processed foods. Even foods that have no wheat ingredients can carry hidden gluten.
In fact, studies have shown that up to 40% of processed ‘gluten-free’ foods actually contained enough gluten to cause problems for some wheat-allergy sufferers. This doesn’t mean that you should give up processed foods; but if you have symptoms after eating certain ‘gluten-free’ products, cross-contamination may be the problem.
There are also grains that, while technically gluten-free, are commonly contaminated during the growing process. Oats fall into this category, and so does buckwheat. Neither of these grains contains gluten; but they each have such a high potential for cross-contamination that you should avoid them unless they’re certified gluten-free.
There are independent agencies which provide gluten-free certification. Their criteria vary. Some are very stringent, and oats, buckwheat and processed foods that bear their labels can be trusted.
While it’s true that most cross-contamination occurs during growth or processing, some of your kitchen habits could unwittingly contribute to the problem. To prevent contamination from occurring in your kitchen, you should always observe a few basic guidelines:
The best way to prevent cross-contamination from occurring in your kitchen is to allow only gluten-free foods into the area. It’s helpful if the entire family takes up a gluten-free diet—especially if the person suffering from Celiac Disease or wheat allergies is a child. A difficult transition to a radically new diet is always easier with support!
If this isn’t practical for some reason, try to prepare all gluten-containing foods in a particular area. If you must prepare both wheat and wheat-free meals on the same surface, wash it thoroughly before you prepare gluten-free foods.
If possible, but two sets of utensils and reserve one for gluten-free use. If your budget doesn’t allow this, make sure that you wash the utensils thoroughly before using them during food preparation. Don’t use the same toaster for both gluten and gluten-free items, and have separate flour sifters, mixing bowls and cutting boards.
Don’t cook gluten-free foods in the same oil you used for regular food.
Mistakes are easy to make, but can be costly for people on a gluten-free diet. If you buy foods that are certified gluten-free and prepare foods carefully, you can minimize the problem.
The Challenge: Gluten-free Teens
It’s not easy to get kids to eat right! Parents provide delicious and healthy meals, but they’re competing with fast food restaurants and junky snack food. Give most kids a choice between French fries and steamed vegetables, and most of them won ‘t pick the veggies!
It’s especially important that kids with wheat allergies eat gluten-free foods. It’s not always easy to convince teens of this, though, especially when their friends chow down on burgers and milkshakes. You can encourage your teen to stay on a gluten-free diet by pointing out the painful symptoms that follow a splurge. Education is important, too; the more your kid understands about wheat allergies, the more likely s/he is to eat healthfully.
But it’s also important to realize that, when it comes to eating, your child has more power than you do. No parent wants to hear that—but it’s true! You can prepare healthy meals, but you can’t force your teen to eat them. And when your child leaves the house to visit a friend or go to school, his or her eating choices are completely out of your hands.
In fact, teens respond negatively to nagging, and to adult attempts to control them. And because gluten-free eating is so important, parents may have to use tactics that are…sneaky.
Kids like to cook, so ask your teen to experiment with new recipes. He’ll be more likely to like food that he made himself—and he’ll learn to ‘tweak’ recipes to make them tastier. Your teen will learn basic cooking skills that are valuable not only for people who follow a gluten-free diet, but for everyone. In fact, look for a class in gluten-free cooking, and sign up with your child. You’ll both learn something!
Involve your teen in other ways, too. Give her a chance to plan meals, or invite him to do some of the shopping. As you give your teen more power over the food your family eats, he’s more likely to take responsibility for his own food choices.
If your kid is computer-savvy, ask her to search for gluten-free recipes. She’ll find dishes that she enjoys—and maybe some information and support, too.
Your teen is more likely to stick to a gluten-free diet if the whole family joins in. Be sure to rely on the nutrition-laden, gluten-free food that your child enjoys. Fruit juice can be made into ‘slurpies’, and smoothies are a great way to make sure your teen gets enough fruit. If your child has favorite vegetables, use them often with rice or another gluten-free grain on the side. Gluten-free pizza crusts can be a great vehicle for vegetables.
It may take time, but teens want to feel good. Giving her the education she needs to make healthy choices—and letting her ‘own’ her gluten free diet—will pay off in the long run.
Shopping for Gluten Free Living
If you or someone in your household has celiac disease, you have to find foods that are gluten free to prevent the painful and inconvenient reactions that happen when the gluten protein is consumed. With this autoimmune disease, gluten triggers the body to attack the intestines when it is consumed, causing diarrhea, muscle cramping, and abdominal pain. Not only is the reaction uncomfortable, but it can happen at unpredictable times, depending on the intestinal activity of the sufferer. In order to avoid these occurrences, some precautions while shopping is necessary.
Your first choice in your shopping adventure should be fresh fruits and vegetables, not canned products or prepared foods. Nature takes care of its own, and those are the choices that do not contain gluten. Lean meats, such as chicken, fish, and turkey are also good choices. If you want pork or beef, be sure the fat content is low, and steaks and chops have been trimmed to remove excess fat, since the animal fat can contain glutens consumed by the animal before butchering. You have to avoid any foods that contain rye, wheat, barley, oats, or malt flavorings. However, depending on where you shop, you can find some prepared foods that are gluten free.
The biggest thing to remember is to read labels. Some products, such as rice cereals or flours, state they are gluten free. But some can contain gluten levels above the recommended level of 20 parts per million (ppm). In most cases, someone with celiac disease needs foods that are less than 10 ppm to avoid severe reactions to the gluten protein. Processed foods often contain flavorings that contain malted wheat or barley in order to thicken sauces. These are usually above the recommended levels, although the label may say “gluten free.”
There are lists available of the different food additives that contain gluten, but they are extensive. Your best option is to choose the foods that nature has given us, rather than the foods that are created for your convenience. Although food preparation times may be longer, you have to consider the consequences of eating those foods that have that hidden enemy in them. Even small amounts of gluten can cause havoc, so it is important to know what you put in your body, and how it will react. That ground turkey hamburger on a lettuce bun will be a better choice than that fatty beef burger from a fast-food restaurant. That is, if you want to avoid a lot of suffering.
Your Path to Gluten Free Living
If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with celiac disease, it is important to eliminate gluten from the home so that the person does not consume it in their everyday diet. Although the reactions from consuming gluten are not immediately apparent, like a reaction to peanuts or seafood, the reactions can become severe over time. Diarrhea, abdominal pain, and muscle cramping can put the strongest person on the couch writhing in pain and misery. So with the new-found diagnosis, it’s time to clean out the cupboards.
First of all, there are some foods that very obviously contain wheat products, like noodles, macaroni, and most crackers. Those cannot be consumed by someone with celiac disease, and should be given away or disposed of. Wheat products are the biggest culprit in causing the symptoms of a reaction in celiac disease, but there are others. You have to read the labels on the foods you have to be sure they are really gluten free. Any foods that contain wheat, rye, barley, oats, and malt flavorings are red flags. If there are people in the household that are not affected by this disease, those products can still be used. But there are some precautions that must be taken.
For example, if one child in the home is affected by celiac disease, but the rest of the family is not, you have to be sure that the surfaces used in preparing his or her food is thoroughly cleaned to prevent and “carry-over” of gluten from other foods for the rest of the family. A family toaster used by others and then used with a gluten free bread product can still allow the gluten free bread to have gluten particles attached to it. Strict adherence to having dedicated gluten free appliances and surfaces is sometimes necessary.
The recommended limit for gluten consumption with celiac disease is 20 parts per million (ppm), but some people still have bad reactions to that level. A better guideline is 10 ppm or less, although some may still react to this level. You have to read labels carefully to be sure that the foods you are serving or eating are actually gluten free. Although some processed products say they are gluten free, they may not be. Testing at different points in the food’s production may not give the correct gluten content. It is best to stick to fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and pure rice products to remain gluten free.
Benefits of Gluten Free Living
People that have been diagnosed with celiac disease are given a diet that is gluten free since that protein causes the autoimmune reaction where the intestines attack themselves when the protein is detected. The disease is serious and painful, and oftentimes difficult to diagnose. But a gluten free diet relieves the symptoms of diarrhea, abdominal pain and muscle cramping that the protein causes. It is estimated that 1 of every 250 people are affected by symptoms of celiac disease, but only 1 in 3000 are actually diagnosed with the condition. But even people that have not been diagnosed with the condition are following the new trend in gluten free living.
The diet cannot include oats, wheat, rye, barley, or malt flavorings, along with some other condiment products and prepackaged foods that contain the gluten protein. This prompts people to eat more fresh fruits, lean meats, and fresh vegetables in order to maintain their nutritional health. Fat-ridden fast foods, which normally have high levels of gluten in them, are eliminated as well as most fried foods because the batter used. A lot of dessert choices are also eliminated since the batters and sugars used in them may contain gluten. Most meals are prepared at home, since eating out is quite often more bother than it is worth. The people that practice gluten free living are eating less junk food, and more healthy fresh foods instead.
Eating the healthier foods can lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which is healthier for your heart as well as your blood pressure, reducing the risk of plaque build-up in your veins and arteries. Fresh foods prepared without the fats is better for your digestion also, since those foods provide a higher level of nutrients that is absorbed by the body faster than fatty foods. And the natural proteins (minus the gluten) gives you more energy without storing fat on your body. You are better able to stay lean and healthy.
Even if you have not been diagnosed with celiac disease, gluten free living has many benefits over the fast-food-focused society that we have become. This is not a fad diet, although it has become popular with many celebrities. For some people, gluten free living is a necessity, not a choice. But the loved ones that live with them can benefit also. Although there are food choices such as pizza made with a gluten free crust, and beer brewed from sorghum, for the most part gluten free living is a healthier choice for everyone.
The Risks of Gluten Intolerance
Celiac disease, most often called gluten intolerance, can be a condition that is mild at first but can pose some significant health risks. First of all, the condition is hard to diagnose, with its symptoms being similar to other health problems that are not as serious. Even a combination of its most common symptoms does not trigger an immediate diagnosis, delaying its treatment and exacerbating (heightening) its effects. Celiac disease can occur at any age, and is most prevalent in Caucasians and people of European decent. It also affects more women than men. Its exact cause is not known, but it is an autoimmune disease where the villi of the small intestine flatten with the consumption of Gluten, preventing the proper absorption of nutrients Gluten is found in wheat, oats, barley and rye, and consuming it, for some people, can pose the following risks:
- Autoimmune diseases. Conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus can develop, since there is already an autoimmune disease present.
- Neurological conditions. Ranging from mild to severe, conditions resulting from a lack of neurological nutrients can cause numbness, tingling and even paralysis if not treated.
- Osteoporosis or osteopenia. A lack of calcium being absorbed by the body can affect the bones and joints, leading to stress fractures, joint swelling, and synovial fluid loss in the joints.
- Anemia. A lack of absorption of nutrients in the body, especially iron, can lead to anemia. If the condition gets serious enough, it leads to systemic shut-down of the liver and kidneys, and can cause severe organ damage or death.
- Thyroid disease. With nutrients not properly absorbed in the intestines, necessary iodine components are lacking, leading to hypothyroidism which causes fatigue and irritability.
- Miscarriage and unexplained infertility. If a woman’s body is undernourished due to the lack of nutrient absorption in the intestines, she may miscarry a pregnancy or be unable to conceive, since the body signals that she is not able to sustain the fetus’s life.
There are other risks associated with celiac disease, or gluten intolerance. The best thing is to do a little bit of research and speak to your doctor for your personal health risks in having this disease, if it has been diagnosed. He or she will also suggest that you eat a diet that is gluten free in order to reverse some or all of the damage done in the disease process, and will suggest diet guidelines in order for you to live gluten free.
Gluten Intolerance – The Basics
Gluten intolerance, or celiac disease, is an inherited condition. It is an autoimmune disease in which the villi of the small intestine are flattened. The villi are small projections that absorb nutrients as food passes through the intestines. They can be damaged by eating gluten-rich foods that contain wheat, rye, barley, and possibly even oats. There are many people that are unaware that they have this condition, since the symptoms vary widely from person to person. General practitioner physicians find celiac disease difficult to diagnose, so there are many tests needed in order to pinpoint the cause of some common symptoms.
The symptoms can include, but are not limited to:
- Unexplained weight loss. This can also be found with other medical conditions such as cancer or chronic viral infections.
- Bone and joint pain. Quite often, doctors have the first impression of arthritis or injury.
- Depression. Usually this is attributed to psychological and environmental factors.
- Muscle cramps. This can also be a symptom of dehydration.
- Nosebleeds. Most often thought to be a result of high blood pressure.
- Seizures. Quite often, seizures are suffered after a head injury or in children with birth defects such as Down Syndrome.
- Skin Disorders. Conditions such as dermatitis or herpetiformis can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or allergens.
- Vitamin and mineral deficiency. This can be due to not eating a complete and healthy diet, and may materializes in patients that are following some fad diets.
- Hypoglycemia. This can be a condition related to an overabundance of insulin secreted by the pancreas, or can indicated poor eating habits.
- Hair loss. This can be attributed to genetics, other medical treatments, or diet.
- Short stature. Some people are genetically predisposed to a short stature.
- Irritability. This symptom can have causes such as sleep deprivation, hormonal changes, or daily stress levels.
As you can see, some of the symptoms of celiac disease are common to other conditions, making a diagnosis of the condition difficult. Not all people display all of these symptoms, so other conditions are usually diagnosed and treated without success before celiac disease is even considered. A diagnosis can take a long time, even years for some people. Persistent symptoms should be a clue to doctors and patients alike that more testing and closer scrutiny of the combination of symptoms should be explored in order to begin treatment as soon as possible.