Gluten Free?

To be gluten-free or not to be gluten-free?  A few things to consider.

Gluten has morphed into an alien form from which our grand parents knew.  We started eating it too much, increasing demand which changed farming to focus on mass production and money over health and quality.  So gluten today is not what we knew it to be in the past.  Non organic wheat is very high in pesticide residues so if you're going to eat it, choose organic.

Gluten is an inflammatory food so for people with any niggly or massive health issues, it’s best avoided as it could be aggravating the inflammation in your body

In saying that… for most people it’s certainly not going to kill them so avoid as much as possible when possible is the way to go.  For folks with celiac, it is very serious and needs to be seriously avoided ALWAYS.

Which foods contain gluten other than wheat?

Gluten is a protein found in wheat.  It's also found in rye and, barley, and oats can contain gluten because they are harvested on the same equipment as gluten grains.  Aside from grains there's many food additives that contain gluten as well, especially packaged processed foods.  Eliminating wheat-based foods like bread and pasta, is a good starting place.  Gluten is also found in soy sauce, liquorice and artificial crab - not things you would associate with gluten so be careful and read your labels!!!  Learn the common and not-so-common sources of gluten.

Easy to fill up on gluten-free processed foods.

Price, availability and taste of commercially made gluten-free products are progressing but are generally disappointing.  I recommend getting into the kitchen and making nutrient dense REAL FOOD.

Gluten free products are everywhere these days, which certainly makes transitioning to a gluten-free diet more achievable, however, these products are generally even less nutritious than their gluten containing cousins.  Many people go from a lovely wholegrain loaf of gluten containing bread to a gluten-free option that is equivalent to a white bread that is poor in nutrients and fibre.  Breads, crackers, cookies and other processed foods contain high levels of starch and sugar that wreak havoc with your blood sugar and promote inflammation, and provide little in terms of nutritional value.  When else would you embrace foods like potato starch?  Doesn’t sound nutrient dense or good for your blood sugar to me, right?  They also often contain xanthan gum and guar gum.  Google these gums and you can get some pretty random results that don’t even involve food.  It’s fine occasionally, just not as an everyday food.  If you have issues with your digestive system or are quite sensitive, I’d recommend avoiding them as much as possible.  If you want to read up on both, check out these articles by Chris Kresser, click here and here.

Focus on high quality gluten-free foods.

Many people embark on a gluten-free diet because of health issues.  Instead of simply replacing gluten containing processed foods with gluten-free processed foods, I strongly recommend focusing on whole foods instead. Nutrient dense wholefoods can be naturally gluten-free and significantly better for you than anything out of a packet!  These naturally gluten-free wholefoods include meat, eggs, fish, vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds.

Wholefoods listed above can help reduce inflammation (unlike high starch gluten or gluten-free foods which promote inflammation) and in conjunction with the elimination of gluten can have a huge impact on how you feel overall.  Take the gluggy gluten out, generally means no more glug!

My favourite alternatives to gluggy gluten include:

• Buckwheat
• Almond flour
• Coconut flour
• Tapioca Flour
• Oats (can be contaminated with gluten but I seem to tolerate them just fine so I include these in my diet)

Plus:

• Spelt (treat, definitely performs similarly to gluten containing grains but has low gluten and can be more digestible, not appropriate for celiacs)
• Brown rice (not much of a treat, consistency of sand but some recipes use it occasionally)

Super Berry Banana Bread

1 cup buckwheat flour

½ tsp vanilla powder or 1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

Pinch of sea salt

2 eggs, whisked

2 ½ tbsp coconut oil

3 ripe bananas

3 tbsp water

3 tbsp raw honey

2 tbsp goji berries

¼ cup organic blueberries

2 tbsp blackcurrants

Variation: 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (Trade Aid brand is great) and 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Method

Preheat oven to 175C

Express method: put everything in your blender or food processor except for the last three ingredients (berries) and blitz into a batter. Add the goji berries, blackcurrants and blueberries and stir through gently.

Proper method: In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Add the wet to the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Mix through the berries gently. Pour into a loaf pan.

Bake for approximately 30 minutes