The Beginner's Guide to the Gluten-Free Diet

I hear it literally everyday.  In speaking with someone, the conversation comes up about the gluten and grain-free diet.  The person remarks how she knows this diet could be so "good" for her.  As I smile patiently and encouragingly, she runs off the gazillion symptoms that she has that resemble those of gut inflammation, these same symptoms that can be greatly improved with this diet.  I swear if I look closely enough, I can almost glean a twinkle in her eyes that something (ANYTHING!) could possibly help her, and maybe (JUST MAYBE!) this could be it.  Then without fail, almost every time, I can predict what's coming next: "Yeah, but I just don't think it would work for me. Too much of a bother.  I mean, how do you LIVE without bread?"

So, in honor of all of the naysayers, pessimists, or curious folks out there who may have dabbled with the idea of going gluten-free, here is my best attempt at the beginner's guide to living gluten freely.  Enjoy!

What is gluten?
In very basic terms, gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and other grains. Originating from the Latin word for "glue", gluten is responsible for giving bread and other baked goods their elasticisity and chewiness. It is also why fresh baked bread can so impressively soak up olive oil and other dressings. The gluten in bread gives it the ability to bind with liquids with ease.

The following is a list of symptoms associated with gluten sensitivity/intolerance:
-Abdominal Distention
-Abdominal Pain and Cramping
-Acid Reflux
-Adrenal Fatigue
-Anemia
-Excessive Belching
-Bloating
-Bone Density Loss
-Borborygmi (stomach rumbling)
-Constipation
-Stunted Growth and Failure to Thrive
-Depression, Anxiety, and Irritability
-Dermatitis Herpetiformis (skin rash)
-Diarrhea
-Diverticulitis
-Fatigue
-Grayish Stools
-Hair Loss (Alopecia)
-Headaches and Migraines
-Hypoglycemia
-Indigestion
-Infertility
-Irregular Menstrual Cycles/PMS
-Joint pain
-Lactose intolerance
-Mouth sores or mouth ulcers
-Nausea
-Numbness or tingling in the patient’s hands and feet
-Peripheral Neuropathy (including either a tingling or sensation of swelling your toes and fingers)
-Teeth and Gum Problems
-Vitamin and Mineral deficiencies
-Vomiting
-Unexplained Weight loss

The gluten-free diet has been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of the following diseases/disorders:
-ADD/ADHD
-Addison's Disease
-Allergies (seasonal)
-Arthritis
-Asthma
-Autism Spectrum Disorders
-Autoimmune Thyroid Disease
-Bipolar Disorder
-Celiac Disease
-Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis
-Cystic Fibrosis
-Diabetes
-Endometriosis
-Kidney Disease
-Lyme Disease
-Multiple Sclerosis
-Osteoporosis
-Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
-Schizophrenia
-Sjogren's Disease
-Turner Syndrome

Note: There are over 250 reported symptoms and diseases associated with gluten sensitivity and intolerance.  The above is a condensed list of the most common.

The following are grains that contain gluten:
-wheat
-barley
-rye
-spelt
-bran
-bulgur
-kamut
-semolina
-orzo
-farina

The following are other foods and ingredients that contain gluten:
-alcohol (we will look at gluten-free alcohol in a later article)
-beer
-brewer's yeast
-couscous
-germ
-graham flour
-hydrolyzed wheat starch
-hydrolyzed wheat protein
-soy sauce (there are a few gluten-free soy sauces on the market)
-malt (in all forms- extracts, syrups, flavoring, vinegar)
-matzah
-seitan
-many salad dressings
-tabouli
-teriyaki sauce
-many processed broths and soups
-udon (wheat noodles)
-durum

If, at this point, you are hyperventilating with your eyes crossed, thinking you will never eat a normal meal again, please take a deep breath and continue when you are ready. There is good news coming.

Now for what you can eat.

The following grains are gluten-free:
-rice
-amaranth
-buckwheat
-corn
-millet
-quinoa (KEEN-wah)
-sorghum
-teff
-oats (oats are often contaminated with wheat during growing, so only buy oats that are deemed gluten-free)

As an aside, whenever I tell people that rice does not contain gluten, they typically breath a sigh of relief. They may not be able to eat their shrimp scampi over linguine (actually there are some really tasty gluten-free linguines out there), but they're okay with being able to have it over rice.

The following are local stores that carry a good selection of gluten-free foods:
-Nature's Corner, Spring Lake
-Monmouth Health Food, Manasquan
-Stop and Shop, Point Pleasant Boro
-ShopRite, Wall (Rte 34 and Lakewood Road)
-Whole Foods Market, Middletown
-Wegmans, Englishtown
-Dean's Natural Food Market, Ocean and Shrewsbury
-Trader Joe's- Shrewsbury

(Note: You can pretty much find gluten-free options at all supermarkets nowadays; however, the grocers above have extensive selections from which to choose.)

The following is a list of gluten-free food producers:
-Kinnikinnick http://www.kinnikinnick.com/
-Udi's Gluten Free http://www.udisglutenfree.com/
-Enjoy Life http://www.enjoylifefoods.com/
-1-2-3 Gluten Free http://www.123glutenfree.com/
-Ener-G Foods http://www.ener-g.com/
-Applegate Farms http://www.applegatefarms.com/
-Glutino and Gluten Free Pantry http://www.glutino.com/
-Bakery on Main http://www.bakeryonmain.com/
-Bard's Tale Beer Company http://www.bardsbeer.com/
-Blue Diamond http://www.bluediamond.com/
-Bell and Evans http://www.bellandevans.com/
-Crunchmaster http://www.crunchmaster.com/
-The Grainless Baker http://www.thegrainlessbaker.com/
-San-J Asian-inspired products http://www.san-j.com/
-Rudi's Gluten Free Bakery http://www.rudisbakery.com/
-Pamela's Products http://www.pamelasproducts.com/
-Bob's Red Mill http://www.bobsredmill.com/
-Tree of Life http://www.treeoflife.com/
-Tinkyada http://www.tinkyada.com/
-Simply Asia http://www.simplyasia.com/
-Food For Life http://www.foodforlife.com/
-Coleman Natural http://www.colemannatural.com/
-Cherrybrook Kitchen http://www.cherrybrookkitchen.com/

I hope that this beginner's guide to the gluten-free diet provides you with some confidence and useful resources.  Please note that this list will be constantly updated, as I am always learning more and gathering new information.  Stay tuned.

Good luck on your gluten-free adventure! 

In health,
GFJG