Gluten Free Diet

By Dale

A gluten-free diet is a diet that excludes the protein gluten.

Gluten is found in grains such as wheat, barley and rye.

A gluten-free diet is used to treat celiac disease. Gluten causes inflammation in the small intestines of people with celiac disease. Eating a gluten-free diet helps people with celiac disease control their signs and symptoms and prevent complications.

Gluten-free diets have also become very popular with people who don’t even have celiac disease. The reason is that people feel gluten is harmful to their bodies and they feel better going gluten-free. I know for myself I have less allergies, inflammation in my joints, and better digestion when I remove gluten from my diet.

If you want to follow a gluten-free diet there are some foods you will need to avoid and some foods that you will want to look on the packaging as “Gluten-Free”.

Foods to avoid:

Barley
Bulgar
Durham
Farina
Graham Flour
Kamut
Matzo Meal
Rye
Semolina
Spelt
Triticale
Wheat

Also…avoid these foods unless they’re labeled as “gluten free” or made with corn, rice, soy or other gluten-free grain: beers, breads, candies, cakes and pies, cereals, cookies, crackers, imitation and processed meats or seafoods, oats, pastas, salad dressing, sauces (including soy sauce), soups.

Also check the label to see that they’re processed in a facility that is free of wheat or other contaminating products. Certain grains, such as oats, can be contaminated with wheat during growing and processing stages of production. If you want to eat gluten free, it’s recommended that you avoid oats unless they are specifically labeled “gluten free”. The question of whether people eating a gluten-free diet can consume pure oat products remains a subject of scientific debate.

Cross-contamination also may occur anywhere ingredients come together, such as on a cutting board or a grill surface. You may be exposed to gluten by using the same utensils as others, such as a bread knife, or by sharing the same condiment containers.

Allowed foods: Amaranth, arrowroot, buckwheat, corn, cornmeal, “gluten-free” flours (coconut, rice, potato, bean), grits, quinoa, rice, fresh meats, fruit, most dairy, potatoes, and vegetables.

At Dale’s Raw Foods, we manufacture all of our products with no gluten. Our Raw Protein Bars are made in a Gluten Free Facility. Our surfaces, equipment, and utensils have never been exposed to any gluten foods. It’s very rare and almost unheard of in the food industry to find such a facility. We pride ourselves in keeping the standards high in our raw food products, making sure that you get the best nutrition possible for your body.