Introduction
Totie Fields, a popular American comedienne in the 60s/70, once remarked: “I've been on a diet for two weeks and all I've lost is fourteen days”. And as in most cases, it’s not watching what you have (or don’t have) on your plate, but it’s what other people are eating that makes you hungry enough to eat the plate (literally speaking!!).
Yet when it comes to folks who are afflicted by varying degrees of allergy to gluten, the only course of treatment that is involved is the avoidance of foods that contain gluten. Yes, and that means a lot of food that you normally like.
Now, before we get to this list, it is important to understand why a gluten-free diet is the only cure for an allergy such as this.
Gluten Sensitivity: An Autoimmune Disease
If one understands the basic working of the human immune system, its primary function involves protecting our body from disease by identifying pathogens of all kinds and destroying them. In the case of an autoimmune disease (such as varying levels of gluten intolerance), the immune system attacks the cells and tissue in identifying these constituents as pathogens despite the advanced adaptive immune system that our body is equipped with.
Now, since the area that is affected (where inflammation occurs) is the small intestine in our body, it’s obvious that the bodily function of digestion is first hit, which then spreads to the stomach as well.
And how do we know this? The symptoms associated with gluten intolerance, of course.
Now we have to remember that it’s the gluten which reaches the small intestine that is the source of the problem.
So, the equation is very simple: If there’s zero intake of gluten, this will eliminate the immune response to the protein and thus circumvent the problem at its root cause.
Apart from this, there are holistic procedures that have been suggested as well as efforts are being made in ongoing research to cure the problem through medicine. Yet the tried-and-tested method is to abstain from food that contains the protein, gluten.
So finally, let’s look at the common foods that contain gluten in the interests of self-preservation.
List of common foods that contain Gluten
This first list has been compiled due to the common fact that they’re made of wheat, barley and rye and are off limits without thinking twice:
Bagels, Biscuits, Bread, Bread crumbs, Breaded fish, Breaded meats or poultry, Bread pudding, Cake, Cereal, Chicken nuggets, Croissants, Cookies, Crackers, Croutons, Doughnuts, Dumplings, Flour, Flour tortillas, Fried vegetables, Graham crackers, Hamburger buns, Ice cream cones, Macaroni, Melba toast, Muffins, Noodles, Pancakes, Pasta, Pastries, Pie crusts, Pizza crusts, Pretzels, Rolls, Spaghetti, Stuffing, Tabbouleh and Waffles.
Now this list contains gluten-containing foods that you might or might not have been aware of, so forewarned is forearmed:
Beer, Canned baked beans, Cold cuts, Packaged cereals (even corn cereals), Commercially prepared broth, soup and chocolate milk, Beverage mixes, Bologna, Custard, Fruit fillings, Root beer, Hot dogs, Candy (many candies are gluten-free, so read labels), Soy sauce, Ice cream, Non-dairy creamer, Potato chips, Pudding, Gravy, Vegetables with commercially prepared sauces, Gum, Syrups and Salad dressing.
Apart from these two lists, there are foods that have ‘hidden gluten’ (ingredients that contain gluten but aren’t suspicious) … so one must study the ingredient labels carefully in order to prevent the allergy from breaking out.
In closing, perhaps there is great truth in the words of Totie Fields, which is why even though the lists above narrow your choices severely, there is a growing market of gluten-free foods that come in the form of the foods listed above. All you have to do is look for them…
Other Posts You'll Find Useful:
Introduction
Totie Fields, a popular American comedienne in the 60s/70, once remarked: “I've been on a diet for two weeks and all I've lost is fourteen days”. And as in most cases, it’s not watching what you have (or don’t have) on your plate, but it’s what other people are eating that makes you hungry enough to eat the plate (literally speaking!!).
Yet when it comes to folks who are afflicted by varying degrees of allergy to gluten, the only course of treatment that is involved is the avoidance of foods that contain gluten. Yes, and that means a lot of food that you normally like.
Now, before we get to this list, it is important to understand why a gluten-free diet is the only cure for an allergy such as this.
Gluten Sensitivity: An Autoimmune Disease
If one understands the basic working of the human immune system, its primary function involves protecting our body from disease by identifying pathogens of all kinds and destroying them. In the case of an autoimmune disease (such as varying levels of gluten intolerance), the immune system attacks the cells and tissue in identifying these constituents as pathogens despite the advanced adaptive immune system that our body is equipped with.
And how do we know this? The symptoms associated with gluten intolerance, of course.
Now we have to remember that it’s the gluten which reaches the small intestine that is the source of the problem.
So, the equation is very simple: If there’s zero intake of gluten, this will eliminate the immune response to the protein and thus circumvent the problem at its root cause.
Apart from this, there are holistic procedures that have been suggested as well as efforts are being made in ongoing research to cure the problem through medicine. Yet the tried-and-tested method is to abstain from food that contains the protein, gluten.
So finally, let’s look at the common foods that contain gluten in the interests of self-preservation.
List of common foods that contain Gluten
This first list has been compiled due to the common fact that they’re made of wheat, barley and rye and are off limits without thinking twice:
Bagels, Biscuits, Bread, Bread crumbs, Breaded fish, Breaded meats or poultry, Bread pudding, Cake, Cereal, Chicken nuggets, Croissants, Cookies, Crackers, Croutons, Doughnuts, Dumplings, Flour, Flour tortillas, Fried vegetables, Graham crackers, Hamburger buns, Ice cream cones, Macaroni, Melba toast, Muffins, Noodles, Pancakes, Pasta, Pastries, Pie crusts, Pizza crusts, Pretzels, Rolls, Spaghetti, Stuffing, Tabbouleh and Waffles.
Now this list contains gluten-containing foods that you might or might not have been aware of, so forewarned is forearmed:
Beer, Canned baked beans, Cold cuts, Packaged cereals (even corn cereals), Commercially prepared broth, soup and chocolate milk, Beverage mixes, Bologna, Custard, Fruit fillings, Root beer, Hot dogs, Candy (many candies are gluten-free, so read labels), Soy sauce, Ice cream, Non-dairy creamer, Potato chips, Pudding, Gravy, Vegetables with commercially prepared sauces, Gum, Syrups and Salad dressing.
Apart from these two lists, there are foods that have ‘hidden gluten’ (ingredients that contain gluten but aren’t suspicious) … so one must study the ingredient labels carefully in order to prevent the allergy from breaking out.
In closing, perhaps there is great truth in the words of Totie Fields, which is why even though the lists above narrow your choices severely, there is a growing market of gluten-free foods that come in the form of the foods listed above. All you have to do is look for them…
Other Posts You'll Find Useful: