Monday, April 4, 2011

Going Gluten Free


Welcome back readers as mentioned, today I am going to speak about one of the eight allergy monsters WHEAT. That’s right! Wheat is one of the top eight allergies that people suffer from and some may not even know it. In all actuality it is the gluten from the wheat that is the main culprit and even if something is wheat free does not necessarily mean gluten free. The layman’s definition of gluten is” a protein found in wheat, rye and barley.” Therefore we will be discussing gluten and how it affects us all one way or another.

Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity is caused from the protein gluten and when consumed the immune system responds by damaging the finger like villi of the small intestine. When the villi become damaged, the body is unable to absorb nutrients into the blood stream, which can lead to malnourishment. If untreated can lead to much more serious issues.
My son and I live a gluten free diet and as difficult as it was in the beginning it is an all round healthier way of living. Surprisingly enough living a gluten free diet may relieve or even completely alleviate these health problems (and more):

Headaches (including migraines)
Fatigue
Gastrointestinal distress (including gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, reflux)
Depression and anxiety
Joint pain
Infertility
Autistic behaviors
ADD/ADHD behaviors

Yes going gluten free is a life change but what the results will be in the end is a healthy life style. If you suffer from any of these symptoms then start doing research. Change your diet look for recipes that are gluten free.

Here are definite foods to avoid:
Bagels
Baked goods (cookies, cakes, brownies, and so on)
Beer
Bread
Cereal
Crackers
Malt
Pasta
Pizza
Pretzels
Soy sauce

There are other things out there so you will need to read every label. The great thing is there are ways to make all of these without gluten and tasty too. I will end today with another recipe and go into a little more detail of a gluten free diet tomorrow.


 Allergy-Free Pie Crust


MAKES TWO 10-INCH CRUSTS
This gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free crust is light and delicious. The dough is easier to work when it’s rolled out immediately so if you’re making a double-crust pie, prepare the filling first before making the crust. For a one-crust pie, halve the recipe.
    2  cups gluten-free High-Protein Flour Blend (page 62) or gluten-free flour blend of choice
    2  teaspoons xanthan gum
    -  Pinch salt
    2  tablespoons maple crystals or date sugar or granulated sugar
    8  tablespoons coconut oil
    ½  cup cold water
    4  teaspoons cider vinegar

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 10-inch pie pan.
2. In a medium bowl, combine gluten-free flour, xanthan gum, salt and maple crystals. Set aside.
3. Melt coconut oil until liquid but not hot. Add liquid coconut oil to water and cider vinegar, stirring to combine.

4. Pour oil mixture into dry ingredients and mix with your hands until just combined. Do not over-mix or the dough will become tough. Dough will be a little wet.

5. Divide dough in half, keeping half covered. Turn the uncovered half of dough onto a work surface dusted with gluten-free flour and form it into a flat disk. Roll out dough with a floured rolling pin to ¼-inch thickness. Work fast as dough dries out rather quickly.
6. Carefully place dough in prepared pie pan. Crimp edges and add pie filling. If desired, top pie with second crust and crimp edges together. Slit top crust in several places for steam to vent. Chill pie for 30 minutes in the freezer before baking.
7. To precook the crust without filling, chill crust in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove crust from freezer and prick bottom a few times with a fork. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until parchment paper pulls away from crust without sticking. Remove paper, along with weights or beans, and bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until bottom is golden.
Till tomorrow with Life around the allergies

1 comment:

Ismail said...

Thank you for the tip bro