Allergy | - Celiac

Gluten Free Diet and Oats

Gluten Free Diet — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:29:15 -0400

Many on a gluten-free diet wonder if they are safe to eat oats or oatmeal. Some sources say that oats are safe for celiacs, others say stay away. So which one is it? Are oats safe or not?

There are two problems with oatmeal. Even if the first problem can be solved, the second one makes solving the first pretty much irrelevant.

The first problem with oats is that they can be contaminated with wheat, and wheat contains gluten.

Gluten Free List

Gluten Free Diet — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 11:42:39 -0400

This gluten free list will help you with your gluten-free diet. Following this diet can seem challenging at first. The list you first see is everything you can’t eat.

Yes, it is important to know what foods contain gluten, otherwise you will poison yourself. The problem is that most people focus on everything they can’t eat at first, leading to depression. In many cases, eating gluten also leads to depression.

Pseudocereal

Gluten Free Diet — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 11:22:19 -0400

Pseudocereals Ideal for a Gluten Free Diet

Pseudocereals, or pseudograins, are ideal for the gluten-free diet. Pseudograins look like grain, and in many ways you can cook with them as you would with grains.

The difference is that they are not members of the grass family. They are also completely gluten-free. This makes them an excellent choice if you have a gluten allergy or are celiac.

Gluten Free Diet Favorite Posts

Gluten Free Diet — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 23:12:30 -0400

The gluten-free diet is becoming ever more popular, and with good reason. As more and more people discover they have a gluten allergy or are celiac, the idea of completely eliminating gluten from the diet is gaining ground.

Should everyone go gluten-free? This is debatable.

Certainly, anyone with celiac must avoid all gluten, in all forms, at all times.

Gluten Free Bread – Home Made #6

Gluten Free Diet — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:48:24 -0400

Gluten free bread in a bread maker – its tasty, convenient, and eventually cheaper than buying gluten free bread. It really helps reduce the cost of your gluten-free diet.

My home made bread has been very successful so far. The bread is tasty and has a good to great consistency.

Here is my challenge:

Make bread within 15 minutes (and let the bread maker do the rest.
Have consistently great consistency
Have it rise properly into a beautifully shaped loaf.

Gluten Allergy And Grain Damage

Gluten Free Diet — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 13:16:13 -0400

Gluten Allergy And Grain Damage

Gluten allergy sufferers may have an advantage over the rest of the population.

By following a gluten-free diet, those with a gluten allergy or celiac are reducing the intake of grains that may in fact be harmful to the general population.

According to the book The Gluten Connection the shift in diet when our ancestors switched from hunter-gatherer to farmer did not have a positive effect on our health, even as it boosted the population.

Gluten Free Bread 4

Gluten Free Diet — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 22:02:28 -0400

I’ve been making gluten free bread for a few weeks now, this is I think the fourth loaf. It tastes great, and it is really fantastic to have absolutely fresh bread – you can’t beat bread, still hot from the oven (or in this case the bread maker) slathered with butter that melts right into the bread!

The previous bread making exercises were all successful, and my my gluten-free diet was well satisfied.. I kept forgetting to take a picture of the finished product, so this time I’ve included one and so I may as well write about the experience.

Gluten Allergy on the Rise

Gluten Free Diet — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 19:31:12 -0400

Gluten allergy cases are on the rise, or at least people are more aware of the negative health effects gluten can have.

Is this a good or bad thing?

Its a mixture of both.

The good news is that those who have been suffering from gluten allergy symptoms for years are finally discovering the cause of the problem, due to an increased awareness of what to look for, and even that something and common as wheat might be a major source of trouble.

Gluten Free Beer

Gluten Free Diet — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:29:03 -0400

Gluten free beer is an important consideration if you have a gluten allergy or celiac.

Most beer is made with gluten-containing wheat, or more often barley. This has made drinking regular beer pretty much out of the question for many people.

As the number of people avoiding gluten rises rapidly, a relatively new market for gluten-free beer has been filled by a number of companies.

Buckwheat

Allergy — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Buckwheat is not a type of wheat, it is not even a member of the grass family, and is therefore not a type of grain or cereal. Buckwheat is in the knotweed (smartweed) family and is considered a pseudocereal.

There are several types of buckwheat, but the type most often consumed by humans is Fagopyrum esculentum, or common buckwheat.

Buckwheat is a nutritious food and a great addition to a gluten-free diet.

Gluten-free Diet

Gluten Free Diet — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 13:20:33 -0400

Gluten-free diet is becoming increasingly popular for two main
reasons:

1) More people are discovering that they are celiac.

2) More people are discovering that they have a gluten allergy or that gluten makes them feel sick.

Gluten

admin — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Gluten

Gluten is a class of proteins found many grains.

Of all the types of gluten found in grains, it is the specific types found in wheat, rye, barley and oats that are problematic for celiacs.

When most people refer to "gluten", they usually mean the types found in the grains listed above.

Wheat gluten consists largely of two specific proteins: gliadin and glutenin. Together, they make up 80% of the total protein content in wheat.

Gluten Allergy Cause

Gluten-free — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:03:22 -0400

Gluten allergy may have a cause.

First, note that a gluten allergy is considered rare. More common is gluten sensitivity, or celiac disease.

Some people are allergic to wheat, but not the gluten in wheat. For such people, following a gluten-free diet, now growing ever more popular, is a convenient way of avoiding wheat, using language (“gluten-free”) that more and more people are familiar with.

The medical establishment is very conservative in attributing cause and effect, especially when there is not clear surgical intervention or prescription medicine to manage a specific set of symptoms. Keep this in mind as you continue to read this article.

Gluten Free Bread Experiment

Gluten-free — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:29:29 -0400

Gluten-free bread, good bread, is a truly amazing food if you haven't had any bread at all for over 20 years.

That's the situation I've been in - I only just started eating bread regularly about a year ago. What passed for gluten-free bread 20 years ago was so bad, that I decided I was better without bread entirely.

Gluten-Free Grains

Gluten-free — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 19:24:31 -0400

Gluten-free diets are easier to follow when you know what you can eat as well as what you must avoid.

Grains are edible seeds from the grass family. The grass family is enormous, and includes such diverse plants as bamboo and your front lawn. They also include problematic foods like wheat, and gluten-free grains like rice.

This article lists many gluten-free grains. It also lists grains you must avoid.

Gluten Free

admin — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 19:20:46 -0400

Gluten Free food is the basis of managing celiac and gluten allergies.

This section contains information about gluten free food.

For specific information about gluten free food and the gluten-free diet, see articles listed below.

Allergy to Lectin

Allergy — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 11:35:56 -0400

Lectin allergy problems are associated with the protein lectin.

Lectin is found the the nightshade family of plants, including:

Tomatoes
Potatoes (not yams or sweet potatoes)
Eggplant
Bell peppers
Tobacco

Other Lectin-foods include:

Soy
Peanuts

Besides their high lectin content, peanuts, and especially soy have other negative health effects for a wide range of people.

Skin rash, doctors and gluten

Gluten-free — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 11:56:45 -0500

I just received the following comment, posted under the Self-Testing for Food Allergies page.

I decided to provide the reply as a separate article, rather than burying it in the comments, because there are a few important points here that I think you will find useful, and I want to make sure you can easily find this article.

Wow! I have been dealing with this since Nov of 2008 and have been to the doc twice. It just don't seem to go away just very little. The Doc put me on some steriod cream which easied it a little then he put me on Aluminum latate cream which really burns bad but helps the nasty rash ease a little. I have it on my hands and clear up to my elbows but no where else. I notice I itch after anything with flour. As my mother has this gluten allergy the Doc says this isn't that. I have scedualed a appointment with a dermatoligist and hope to get to the root of this. It drives me nuts. I have patches that are red and very tiny blisters that bust and ooze. I put these creams on and it clears up the irritated spots and new blisters come out around the edge. I will let you know if this is what I have after I get to this dermatoligist. Thanks this did help a little!
–Suzy

Here is my reply:

Wheat, Gluten and Asthma

admin — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:42:33 -0500

Asthma is strongly linked to environmental irritants and allergens. It is often triggered by physical exertion.

Typical asthma triggers include smoke (tobacco, wood fires etc.), chemicals, pollen, dust and dust mites, mold, pet dander and cockroaches.

Here are hidden asthma factors that no one is talking about: wheat and gluten.

These foods are probably not direct asthma triggers for most people.

A surprising number of people may be experiencing asthma from wheat and gluten, but indirectly.

Gluten-Free Snacks - Dried Fruit and Nuts

Wheat-Free — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 19:01:56 -0500

I'm going on another trip, and as usual, bringing all my food with me.

In the past, I have brought a large bag of granola to supply wheat-free snacking requirements.

As far as celiac goes, there is debate as to whether oats are truly gluten-free and therefore safe, or not.

I am not celiac (according to two biopsy tests, but there is still room for error), so I am less worried about gluten and more worried about wheat. Or anything else that makes me feel lousy for that matter.

Gluten and Cross-Reactivity

admin — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 09:42:56 -0500

If you are sensitive to gluten in any way (allergic, celiac, etc.), the you must eliminate gluten from your diet in order to improve your health.

Even if you do eliminate all gluten from your diet, you may still find that your level of improvement is not nearly as much as it should be.

The fact is that most people who discover one allergy, find out that they have other allergies and sensitivities as well.

Some of the common problem foods for the gluten sensitive are:

Celiac Symptoms

admin — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 14:56:21 -0500

Celiac symptoms can appear as early as 6 months of age, with slow growth and under-weight of your baby.

In some cases, symptoms may be less severe, going unnoticed for years, even well into adulthood.

In other cases, the symptoms are so severe, that there is clearly a problem in childhood.

One the one hand, severe celiac cases are distressing, especially to parents who have no idea what is wrong with their child. Of course they are propelled into action, looking for the cause.

Celiac

Doug — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 14:02:38 -0500

Celiac

Celiac disease is a disorder that causes severe symptoms when you eat gluten.

Stop eating gluten, and the short-term symptoms are reversed.

Celiac disease is hereditary. If you have the genes for it, inherited from either or both of your parents, then you have celiac for the rest of your life.

This sounds bad, but unlike many other hereditary diseases, it is relatively easy to manage: just stop eating gluten.

Cardiomyopathy and Gluten

admin — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 12:02:34 -0500

Cardiomyopathy is a heart condition where the heart muscle becomes inflamed and the heart does not pump properly.

There is a little-known connection between cardiomyopathy and gluten. It is called celiac disease. While not the cause in the majority of cardiomyopathy cases, gluten and celiac disease is a significant cause of cardiomyopathy.

There are three types of cardiomyopathy: dilated, hypertrophic and restrictive.

Cardiomyopathy can be caused by infection. It can also be caused by autoimmune disorders. In the second case it is called myocarditis.

Gluten-Free Product Review: PatsyPie Peanut Butter Cookies

Gluten Free Diet — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:32:36 -0400

Like other PatsyPie products, their gluten-free peanut butter cookies are good. Like their other products, they are tasty, have a nice texture, and are not too sweat.

This flavor produces a lot of crumbs when you eat it, so it is not a cookie for all occasions.

It is more salty than their other flavors, almost (but not quite) too salty.

They are not too sweet - which is a big plus. They seem to use quality ingredients over all.

Gluten-Free Product Review: PatsyPie Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Gluten Free Diet — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:34:14 -0400

PatsyPie makes some excellent gluten-free cookies. I've not had a chance to review them all yet; this is the first, and several other reviews will be coming soon.

I like their biscotti recipe. When combined with the chocolate chips that they use, it is not as good as it could be. Good but not great.

They are not too sweet - which is a big plus. They seem to use quality ingredients over all.

For one thing, I think the quality of the chocolate they use could be improved. That would make a big difference.

Gluten-Free Product Review: MI-DEL Ginger Snap Cookies

Gluten Free Diet — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 14:02:17 -0400

For a reasonably-priced gluten-free product, I was pretty impressed with the quality. You can pay a lot more for a lot less in both quality and quantity.

These cookies are quite small, so you can have a really tiny snack if you want to, or eat several if you want more. Of course their size makes them slightly addictive.

Although called a ginger-snap, they are neither snappy nor very gingery.

Gluten-Free Product Review: Enjoy Life Snack Bar

Gluten Free Diet — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 23:53:16 -0400

Enjoy Life snack bars are neatly packaged, allergen-free, and convenient.

That's the good news.

The trouble with them though, is that they seem to have been designed by food scientists, not cooks or bakers.

While the photo on the package looks appetizing, the bars themselves do not look like much of anything. And that is a good indication of the taste and texture as well.

Basically, this is highly processed food, its just a matter of using a different feed-stock from the usual allergens like wheat and milk.

Gluten Allergy

admin — Sun, 11 May 2008 11:17:47 -0400

"Gluten Allergy" tends to get used pretty loosely. There is confusion and misuse of gluten allergy.

I admit it: the term event gets misused on this site.
This article will explain what a gluten allergy is, what its close cousin, the gluten intolerance is, and celiac disease. I'll also touch on the term "wheat allergy".

The fact is though, that the term "gluten allergy" is pretty convenient. When you tell someone you have a gluten allergy, you are telling them not to feed you gluten or it will make you sick.

Foods That Contain Barley

admin — Fri, 02 May 2008 00:25:39 -0400

For those of you who are celiac or aallergic to barley, avoiding barley may not seem so bad. After all, it is much less common that wheat.

There are a few things to watch out for, and some of them are literally trick questions. Some ingredients look safe, but are in fact made from barley.

Here is a list of foods and food ingredients that contain (or may contain) barley or are derived from barley.

NOTE: This is not a complete list, but it will be updated as we discover additional information.