What is gluten free or low gluten

bethany7687
bethany7687 Posts: 44
edited September 25 in Food and Nutrition
My gyn thinks I might have adrenal exhaustion which is complicating my perimenopausal symptoms. Some of the suggestions in the adrenal diet include removing gluten from my diet. Can someone explain how I would do that?

Replies

  • ashley0616
    ashley0616 Posts: 579 Member
    Go to celiac.org and they will have a TON of suggestions for you. My mom is gluten free because she has celiac disease. This means, in general, no wheat products or anything with wheat gluten in it. If you look through your kitchen, almost everything has gluten in it! Even salad dressings! It's crazy. There are many, many gluten free products on the market, though, since more is known about Celiac now and more people are being diagnosed with it. If you want to be checked, it is a simple blood test with your Dr's office. It's not an easy thing to do, but many people live gluten free and thrive. Good luck to you!
  • PokenStick
    PokenStick Posts: 204
    Gluten is a protein in wheat. So you either go low carb, or you find gluten free replacements. You can usually find them easily in health food stores or usually big chain stores have a gluten free / organic section.

    I tried to go gluten free recently and gave up. I wasn't really a fan of the replacements. Lots of beans and quinoa.
  • YMTaylor
    YMTaylor Posts: 230 Member
    Gluten is found in wheat, rye, barley and usually contaminates oats processed in the USA. Many people with various medical issues find relief by going gluten-free however it's not like going low sugar or low sodium. If you need to be gluten-free then you need to learn what can contain gluten, start reading labels militantly and do not let gluten things contaminate your food. There are many books and websites with information to help you on our journey. The Gluten-Free Bible was my first book after getting diagnosed with celiac (my body attacks gluten and damages my intestines in the process) 5 years ago. You can find books on amazon.com. I know this was an abbreviated intro but I hope it gives you a little insight. :) Good Luck and I hope get relief.
  • steffilily
    steffilily Posts: 149
    Gluten is any food that has wheat in it. Eliminate anything that might have wheat in it. Focus more on rice, oatmeal. If you enjoy pasta and tortilas, they have gluten free version of that which is made from rice. Many food now days have the gluten free choice.
  • slimkitty
    slimkitty Posts: 418
    My son has celiac disease so he is on a gluten free diet. Gluten is a protein found in grains such as wheat, barley and rye. Oats do not have gluten but because they are used as rotation crop with wheat, may be contaminated with gluten. Basically you would have to avoid any foods made from these grains (breads, pastas, cereals, bars, cookies, crackers, pretzels, bread crumbs).
    This can be very simple if you eat natural whole foods (fibrous and starchy vegetables, fruits, legumes, meats, rice, corn, gluten gree oats).
    There are also a lot of gluten free breads you can buy (with questionable flavor, texture and ingredients. Tinkyada Pasta Joy has really good gluten free pasta made out of brown rice. Mrs. Leepers has really good elbow noodles made out of corn. Schar brand seemes to have the best flavor and texture for crackers.
    Check out www.nourishingmeals.com
    You can find a lot of information on gluten sensitivity as well as delicious gluten free whole foods recipes.
  • tn2010
    tn2010 Posts: 228 Member
    I am gluten free and I find it very easy to substitute. That being said, I don't eat bread at all right now and don't seem to miss it. The hardest thing for me to avoid is Asian foods because soy sauce has gluten. Most good Asian restaurants around me have gf alternatives (made with wheat-free tamari), it's just prepackaged foods I have to be careful of (sushi, salad dressings, marinades, etc.). There are brown rice pastas out there that are really good, and I've found flours that I can substitute into gravy, sauces, etc.
  • lkyeomans
    lkyeomans Posts: 52 Member
    Gluten is in wheat products. You have to read all ingredients very carefully because it sneaks in where you wouldn't think it would. Rice mixes have wheat in them. Malt also has gluten, as does barley and rye. Oats do not but those with Celiac disease can not have oats because they are processed in factories where flour is processed and it gets into the air and on the oats. There are many new products that are gluten free now that more people are becoming aware that they have problems with gluten. There is a great website for recipies Glutenfreegirl.com. She is married to a chef and has Celiac disease. I hope this helps.
  • rockabillydarlin
    rockabillydarlin Posts: 240 Member
    There are so many awesome gluten-free products out there now... my mom has Celiac disease and has to be gluten-free. It's tough, but doable. I wish you the best of luck!
  • freerange
    freerange Posts: 1,722 Member
    Goggle Primal or Paleo diet, or just go to this website http://www.marksdailyapple.com/ to learn about all the health benifits of not eating grains.
  • EmpressOfJudgment
    EmpressOfJudgment Posts: 1,162 Member
    Gluten isn't just found in wheat. Most people here have only mentioned wheat products. It's in most grains (wheat, rye, barley, etc.) Just do some online research, there are plenty of places you can get information. I also second the recommendation of the book "The Gluten Free Bible." You can probably get it at your local library.

    It's a tough lifestyle (I was a strict vegetarian for a decade and that was honestly easier), but if it's truly affecting your health, you will feel so much better. I just hate that recently it's become some strange diet fad. I think anyone who can eat gluten and doesn't, is out of their minds. I'd do anything to be able to not have to worry about it anymore.

    As an edit, gluten free products also cost about 3 times more than the "regular" versions.
  • bethany7687
    bethany7687 Posts: 44
    Thanks for the info everyone.
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