Gluten Free Diet

[CandiceM]

After some severe stomach cramps (among other symptons) last week (after a massive bread week), I decided after some googling that I could possibly be gluten intolerant. Fearing the worst, (because gluten seems to be in everything from sweets to sauces and everything in between) I have started on a gluten free diet, and after just under a week some of the worst of my symptons seem to be healing. My eczema on my arms and legs is nearly gone, and I just 'feel' better.

Surprisingly following a gluten free diet is not as bad as I thought. There are lots of gluten free products all over the grocery store, and products with wheat based glucose etc are listed on the packaging in a bold font.

So now I am just going to follow the diet for the rest of the month and depending on whether I feel much better, will go to my doctor for further testing. the only problem is I have to go back to a diet containing gluten to get accurate tests results.

So I was wondering if anyone else on the forum is gluten intolerant and how you substitute gluten free products into normal meals?

Candice

[Veronique]

I think a lot of people are gluten intolerant but don't know it!

My 12 year old diabetic nephew was diagnosed last year in QLD with coeliac's disease meaning he is gluten intolerant. My sister is finding it very difficult to find a balanced diet for him as he has two restrictions....gluten and the normal diabetic restrictions. It is also a very expensive diet to follow, but if not followed can be fatal.

He is monitored by QLD Mater and they are excellent. They have gone out of their way to provide the necessary information and specialists.

Hope your tests are negative and that your body is just wanting a healthier diet!

[nerakinoz]

I belong to the Jamie Oliver Forums website and you should check it out they have an amazing thread on gluten free cooking and ideas

Hope this helps and good luck

[africa2aus]

Hi CandiceM,

I'm gluten intolerant, but it is much easier in Oz to stick to the diet than in SA because there are lots of GF foods available here and most eateries have at least 1 GF meal available. You can PM me with any questions you have. Gluten is found in wheat, rye, barley and oats (some oats claim to be GF because they've been modified), so any products containing any of those will definitely have gluten.

Good luck!

[sonnetjie]

Our household is gluten free. Depends what you cook.

If you follow a gluten free diet, you need to ensure that you get enough Vitamin B and roughage in your diet. It is often advised that you take Vitamin B supplements.

Potato and white rice flour are not as nutritious as the following flours: sorghum, brown rice, amaranth, millet, quinoa, buckwheat or gluten free corn flour, chickpea or bean and nut flours.

It is also important that you add roughage to your baked goods as this helps to clean your gut. You can add psyllium husks or ground flaxseed to your baked goods

You can buy sorghum flour from http://www.wheatfreeworld.com.au/ it is great for baking.

Recent additions to our gluten free cooking collections have been Seriously Good! Gluten free cooking by Phil Vickery http://www.amazon.co.uk/Seriously-Good-Glu...n/dp/1856268284 Dymocks is also selling the book and The gluten free almond flour cookbook by Elana Amsterdam http://www.elanaspantry.com/about/ Dymocks is also selling it.

Gluten free cooking encourages one to become creative. For example, we use mini puppodums by Sharwoods. You get them at Woolworths. Sharwoods is the best, the other brands are yuck. Put 5-6 in a plate in a microwave. Don’t let them touch each other, and microwave for 40-60 seconds max on high. Use them as the base for your bruschetta instead of using bread. You don’t need to brush them with oil as the packet directs. They are yum.

You can usually replace all couscous that is not gluten free with millet. Just cook the millet up in stock as it tastes better.

We use cracked buckwheat as it is gluten free instead of bulgur which is not when making tabouli.

You can use quinoa in salads. Use it instead of pasta in a salad, or make a mixed gluten free grain and seed salad.

Naturis makes the best organic gluten free buckwheat bread, Franklins sells it and I have notice that Harris Farmers is also started to stock one or 2 loaves.

We buy the Orgran buckwheat or sorghum pancake mix http://www.orgran.com/product-information/...fast-range.html

we make it in the waffle maker and then just freeze them in zip logs and use as we like.

We usually cook buckwheat, quinoa and millet up in stock as they have more flavour.

Berconia www.berconia.com makes a fabulous brown rice pasta that you can use or try the Orgran buckwheat pasta www.orgran.com

Orgran gluten free all purpose flour and Orgran gluten free self raising flour is really good. You can use it cup for cup to replace non gluten free flour. Just remember that you need to adjust the liquids. Gluten free flour does not absorb liquid very well and your batter is often really runny. Often baked goods are really dense. This can be adjusted by playing around with the eggs.

Start adding more pulses to your diet.

Have lentil stew for breakfast. Who said it had to be cereal that you had for breakfast? Or pappadums with leg of lamb sliced up and salad.

Use a nut crust when making a Salmon leek tart. We made it over Christmas and it was a royal hit. Even the non gluten free crowd enjoyed it. See page 52 of Elana Amsterdam’s book

Use a sweet potato/kumera to thicken your savoury sauces.

I suggest you buy “The Gluten-Free Nutrition Guide†by Tricia Thompson http://www.amazon.com/Gluten-Free-Nutritio...n/dp/0071545417 You can find it in Dymocks.

You can also join the http://www.coeliacsociety.com.au/, even if you are not a coeliac as long as you have a letter from your doctor that states you need to follow a gluten-free diet. They provide very handy information. It is not expensive to join. They send out a quarterly magazine with recipes and new product information and restaurants that will accommodated a gluten free diet.

We also big supporters of Carol Fenster http://www.savorypalate.com/ you can buy her books from Dymocks. The Bake deliciously gluten and diary free cookbook by Jean Duane http://www.alternativecook.com/ is also really good.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask.