Gluten-free LIFESTYLE                                                                                                                       glutenfree-lifestyle.com   2008     All rights reserved.
St. Charles IL                                                                                                                          
UNITED STATES
dt@glutenfree-lifestyle.com
Gluten-free LIFESTYLE
glutenfree-lifestyle.com
Gluten-free is more than a diet it's a Lifestyle!

GLUTEN-FREE DIET
Gluten-free: no wheat, rye, barley or oats
Some doctors believe you can add oats back to your diet in moderation after being on a
gluten-free diet for a period of time; oats are still controversial.

Learning to eat a gluten-free diet can be time-consuming, overwhelming and just
plain difficult. I prefer to start by telling you what you can eat.

On a gluten-free diet you CAN eat fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, seafood,
eggs, dairy products (such as milk, cottage cheese, plain yogurt, cheese (beware
blue cheese),  potatoes, rice, nuts, brown-rice pasta, juice, gelatin (most, check
label), (selected) puddings, corn tortilla chips, ice cream (without cookie crumbs
etc), popcorn and more.

People with Celiac Disease must adhere to a strict gluten-free diet. Many other
health conditions can also be helped by eating a gluten-free diet, including
Rheumatoid Arthritis, MS, HIV, dermatitis herpetiformis (itchy, blistering skin),
psoriasis, IBS, Chrons Disease, Colitis, thyroid disease, osteoporosis, depression,
and schizophrenia.  Approximately 10% of type 1 Diabetics have Celiac Disease.

On a gluten-free diet you omit wheat, rye, barley and oats and their derivatives.
Some doctors believe after you have been on a gluten-free diet for a period of
time oats can be added back to your diet. Oats are still controversial.

Condiments, sauces, seasonings and many other ingredients may have gluten in
them. Reading labels is much harder than just looking for wheat, rye, barley and
oats.  Beware of malt, spelt, triticale, food starch, hydrolyzed vegetable protein
(HVP), hydrolyzed plant protein (HPP),  kamut and much more.

Gluten can be found in artificial color or flavoring, caramel color, dextrin, MSG,
mono & diglycerides, fillers, binders and even protein.  You should be aware that
"wheat-free" does not mean "gluten-free".

Products other than food also may contain gluten. Medicines, toothpaste, skin
lotion, make-up and many other everyday products we use.

Always call, email, or write to the company if you are in doubt or suspect a product
contains gluten. You can find ingredients for many products online. Companies
change ingredients all the time so don't hesitate to contact them.

You can find gluten-free foods at health food stores and on-line stores. Some
larger grocery stores now have special sections for gluten-free foods. The key is
to learn which gluten-free food and everyday products can be found in any store.
It is time consuming and almost impossible with ingredients changing all the time.  

You almost need to be a scientist to figure it all out on your own. I hope you find
this site helpful. As I receive new information I will be updating this site. I feel
everyone should be able to walk into any store and know which foods and
everyday products are gluten-free without having to stand in the aisle and read
every label.

My favorite snacks were the first foods I researched when I went gluten-free.
I thought that was the perfect starting place!     
In 2006, the FDA required
food labels to clearly state
the 8 main allergens;
wheat, eggs, peanuts,
milk, soy, fish, shellfish,
and tree nuts.  Listing
gluten is not mandatory at
this time.