You might be wondering, “What is Gluten?” Good question. According to the dictionary gluten is a substance present in cereal grains, especially wheat, that is responsible for the elastic texture of dough. A mixture of two proteins, it causes illness in people with celiac disease.
When first diagnosed with Celiacs, I just couldn’t wrap my mind around it. I would read the labels and if it didn’t say wheat in bold letters, I would buy it and then get sick. Very frustrating, so I started doing research. This list helped me a lot.
The Troublesome Twenty
- Artificial color
- Baking powder
- Caramel color/flavoring
- Citric acid (can be fermented from wheat, corn, molasses or beets)
- Coloring
- Dextrins
- Diglycerides
- Emulsifiers
- Enzymes
- Fat replacers
- Flavorings
- Food starch
- Glucose syrup
- Glycerides
- Maltodextrin
- Modified food starch
- Natural juices
- Stabilizers
- Starch
- Wheat starch
I encourage you to print out this list and carry it with you in your wallet.
Here is a great website to go to:
The one that really confuses me is Yeast. It’s not even on this list. Celiacs.org says that Bakers Yeast is Gluten Free but Brewers Yeast is not. I still have to look it up on Google after all these years. Oh! And by the way, just to let you know, when in the liquor department at Safeway and you are googling your favorite type of alcohol to make sure it’s gluten free?? Try to stand still!! We set off the lady that announces that someone needs help in the liquor department! HEHEHEHE!
I feel that eating gluten free is not so tough. Basically, if you make it, make it fresh. Be careful of chicken that has broth added to it. Broth has wheat in it many times. And if you purchase a pig from a farmer, don’t hesitate to ask them what they raised the hog on. I once purchased a pig from a farmer that only fed bread from the leftovers at Franz. The wheat from the bread went into the fat and made me break out from head to toe in a rash and my throat would swell. It took several times to make sure because the meat was delicious and I just did not want that to be the issue. Safest thing to do, is to eat fresh vegetables, make sure that whatever you purchase has the Celiac label.
The million dollar question everyone asks me. If you had a choice, would you still be gluten free?
My answer? NO!
If you are needing help with creating your wellness plan Contact Karen G Clemenson of Wellness Works NW, located in Longview, Washington. Wellness Works NW serves Cowlitz County and the surrounding areas.
Ask Dear Jamie to Research a Topic
Barb Berg lives life to the fullest! She loves horses and people! Over the past few years Barb has had to make changes to her life after finding out that she has Celiac Disease, an autoimmune disorder where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine. In June 2016 Barb also lived though knee replacement surgery. These experiences have encouraged her to learn more about nutrition and exercise. Barb would like to encourage other people living with Celiac Disease to live and thrive on their path toward wellness. Barb resides in Cowlitz County with her husband and grown children and works with Cowlitz AmeriCorps. She is the author of Celiac Living.
