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Gluten Free and Lost?
Photo: Seth Anderson
A member, diagnosed with wheat intolerance, recently asked me if I have any recipes for "yummy wheat free foods made with rice flour."
Just in case there are more people with the same concern here is my answer:
Unfortunately I just haven't had to write about or research this topic yet in my work. I would start by doing two things:
- I do know that Bob's Red Mill (www.bobsredmill.com) has a big line of gluten free grain products you should check out. They also have TONS of gluten-free recipes available on their website.
- And then I would search "gluten-free" on amazon.com and check out the various books/cookbooks done on this topic to see if there is one that suits you and your lifestyle.
Photo: Bill Tyne
Related Topics: Technorati Tags: gluten, wheat, Bob's Red Mill, healthy diet
14 Comments:
Excellent blog post. I get asked this question a lot.
I'm glad to see you beginning to address gluten-free diets, but why not ask someone knowledgeable for a little help? As it is, this post is not very helpful. It could easily be, and it shouldn't be hard to find someone who has addressed this since, as you say, everyone who's anyone has celiac disease these days!
To address the question listed in your post, tapioca starch is a good binding/thickening agent which is often needed in gluten-free baking; xanthum gum is crucial but expensive, so use in small amounts; and mixing flours [rice with potato, for example] will provide interesting contrasts in taste and consistency and make people with dietary limitations feel like they have some choices.
It helps some people to have not only a list of "No!" grains, including wheat, spelt, rye, kamut and barley, but also a list of "Yes!" foods such as quinoa, buckwheat, all rices and millet. Soy, potato and chickpea flour can be used in baking and have starkly different tastes, so experiment!
Chic? Are you kidding? How about bloated, rashy, crampy...chic? Please. That's almost insulting. The comments I have read were more helpful than the little article.
It would be nice if we could leave subjectivity out of this, both ways and stay with relevant information.
Add dizziness, muscular fatigue, depression, painful skin rashes,palpitations to what Anonymous said. For people like me who have suffered forever (36 years from birth to diagnosis)I think its downright rude for you to call us "chic". How about we say that its "chic" for "ignorant" doctors to say "its all in the mind"?
I have been retired for 20 years after some 40 years in the wheat flour industry. Very rarely would we get a request for gluten free bread recipes, and then mostly for children with Celiac condition. It would seem the incident of intolerance is growing, and possibly due to lower immunity to foods that have been consumed for hundreds of years.
Wheat gluten is a unique protein which has the ability to form a thin stretchable film which will retain the byproducts of yeast fermentation. Bread is composed of about 6 parts of air to one part of solid matter. Do not expect the same quality from gluten free recipes.
I do not believe the Doc was saying people with this condition are chic it is some people jump on band wagons saying I want no gluten in my diet. For these people it is chic not a necessity as with people with the celiac disease!
I don't think they're referring to us as "chic"....please. "Chic"? Try losing control of your bowels, then we'll talk about "chic". However, with the prevalence of gluten intolerance these days, there are some that ignorantly believe "gluten free" can help them lost weight, since it eliminates many carb sources. Unfortunately, gluten free products are often higher in calories because they are more dense per serving. Bob's RedMill makes a gluten free, all purpose flour that is actually very good. Try substituting it in your favorite muffin or cookie recipes, but just be sure to add 1 tsp xanthum gum per cup of flour to bind it.
I just wanted to comment regarding several people who mentioned adding xanthan gum to recipes. If you do have celiac desease make sure you do NOT follow that advice as xanthum gum is on the "no" list for celiacs which many people are unaware of. If you have celiac are you also aware to avoid some distilled vinegars? Apple cider vinegars and wine vinegars are fine. Beware when buying ice creams and items like cottage cheese or cream cheese since a lot of them also contain xanthan gum. I have done years of research as a doctor and a celiac. Hope it helps others.
I was diagnosed with celiac sprue after being hospitalized for 3 months, losing 65 pounds, dehydration, renal failure, pancreatitis and had therapy to be able to walk again. I did not think this was 'chic.' The symptoms I presented were, needless to say, "puzzling" to the doctors. I had diarrhea and vomiting for 2 weeks before I was even put in the hospital, and even then, I had to be taken there in an ambulance from my doctor's office. This whole thing started with a "simple" case of diarrhea. The doctors were amazed when I survived. It took 6 months of eating the "right" foods to get the minerals in my body on a level that would allow me to feel as normal as possible. This was nearly 10 years ago and I would NEVER eat anything I questioned. If I am not sure it is gluten free, I do not eat it. I am really happy to have survived, but I was left with some problems. The biggest being peripheral neuropathy. I now walk with a cane and sometimes a walker, but I would rather have the neuropathy pain than to go through again what I went through those years ago. Thank you.
Wow, the beginning of this post is quite an insult to every person with wheat and/or gluten intolerance. Yeah right, very chic when cramps knock you off your feet.
Companies jumping on the gluten-free band wagon. Maybe, but they still charge a premium for it. Unfortunately the taste of the products is not always on par with the price tag.
I would have expected something better than this article on WebMD. Looks like it was only posted to get something about this topic online. Some food for the search engines. Really not much help for people who need to avoid gluten.
Re-the March 30-08 comment by the good "doctor" warning against the use of xanthan gum, let me offer these references: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xanthan; and http://glutenfreecooking.about.com/od/glutenfreecookingbasics/a/xanthanguargums.htm...They seem to more than contradict the assertion that xanthan gum is a no-no for celiacs.
I've been avoiding gluten for about 2 years now at the initial suggestion of my chiropractor/nutritionist. I was suffering from major fatigue, depression, high stress, fatigued adrenal glands, bloating, gastro-intestinal complaints similiar to IBS, and so on.
I've discovered that I am in fact quite sensitive to gluten, or at least wheat.
For those just starting out the suspicion that they could be sensitive, I would suggest a couple of things that have really helped me.
Gluten is the elastic protein in wheat, rye, and barley. When you're sensitive to gluten it inflames your intestinal lining and causes villi (fingers that absorb protein) to flatten leading to poor digestion. Gluten can stay in your system for up to a week after eating it.
I've found that I can feel ok after eating gluten initially, but suffer in fatigue, stomach upset, and gas for days afterward. It took me a while to link what I ate a few days before with symptoms I felt later.
Do a 2 week test - cut your diet back to a water fast for a couple of days, slowly introduce juice, vegetables and fruits, meats, and then carbs back into your diet. Keep a detailed journal of your symptoms - this will help you narrow down food allergies.
Gluten free cooking requires a mixture of specialty flours and a gluten synthesizer such as xanthan gum. A common flour blend is suggested at the front of most cookbooks and usually includes rice flour, tapioca flour, potato starch and occasionally sorghoum flour.
Books & Websites I've found helpful:
Gluten Free Baking Classics - Gourmet Magazine boasts that their chocolate chip cookies are as good as ones made with wheat. I love their brownies and biscuits.
Betty Hagman's gluten free gourmet books. She's got the most extensive recipes on some of the less obvious things that contain gluten - e.g., cream of mushroom soup base for casseroles.
Gluten Free Bible - has some great advice for navigating shopping, educating friends & family, and traveling.
Living Without Magazine - they have a great website too and you can sign up for weekly recipes emailed to you.
Celiac.org - Celiac disease is the most extreme form of gluten intolerance and this site has some helpful resources. It's tough to diagnose and there's no cure, except to eat gluten free.
Patsypie.com...amazing cookies, brownies, and biscotti. I myself do not have celiac disease yet love these gluten free snacks...well worth it.
There are so many horrible tasteless desserts out there. these are the best gluten free desserts i've ever had!!!
I found out I was gluten intolerant after months of uncontrollable diarrhea that led to a 15 pound weight loss. I was having occasional accidents and getting very very desperate. I had a full time job and this was interrupting my life. Dr. were trying I.B.S drugs to no avail. I found out I was gluten intolerant on my own after listening to a friend tell me her symptoms. I looked it up on Web M.D. and it fit. After going to the doctor and getting no results I decided to try the diet and within 4 days of being on it... no diarrhea. If I eat any gluten at all the diarrhea is back. Thank you Web M.D. for good honest information. And I guess my next question is why is this such a hard thing to diagnose? My Mother has had it for years and has gone through many, many tests. I believe my brother has had it, my grandfather, my daughter. And the only thing we were ever told was I.B.S.. How frustrating!!! I am now learning to cook, to eat, and to live totally different. I'm NOT enjoying it but it has become something I HAVE to do. By the way,I'm STILL not formally diagnosed. I don't have the patience for the stupidity the doctors put you through!!!
Debra
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