Let's Go The Gluten Freeway!

Written by Dr. Georgia Tetlow, MD Integrative Physician and Fatima Flynn, MS What is Gluten?

• A protein found in most cereals, grains, and breads.
• Gluten is contained in food such as from wheat, barley, rye, spelt, and kamut.
• Gluten helps bread rise and gives it a chewy texture.
• Not all foods from the grain family contain gluten.
• Non-gluten grains include: regular and wild rice, buckwheat, quinoa, corn, millet, oats, etc.

A gluten free diet is completely free of all foods derived from gluten grains. Unfortunately, gluten shows up unexpectedly in many processed foods that contain food additives, flavorings, stabilizers or thickening agents.

Celiac Disease - is a condition that causes many digestive symptoms due to difficulty in digestion of gluten. Those with celiac disease must avoid gluten-containing foods 100% of the time. Certain foods, such as oats, that do not contain gluten should be used carefully due to cross contamination that can occur while growing in fields near wheat or during processing on the same machines. Certain individuals who do not have celiac disease may been found to be sensitive to wheat or to all gluten-containing foods. Often times this is the result of eating wheat of gluten foods many times daily, every day, for many years. Sensitivities develop that only will improve with the removal of wheat or all gluten for a period of time. Some find that the symptoms return any time they eat wheat!

What grain food and starches are acceptable on a gluten-free diet?

• Corn, potatoes, rice, chia seeds, or ground flax seed to improve glycemic index!
• Millet, sorghum, tapioca, arrowroot, teff, amaranth and buckwheat
• Bean and nut flours may be used in gluten-free baking
• Garbanzo bean flour, soy flour, chestnut flour, coconut flour, hazelnut or almond meal and chia seed

When buying products made from these flours, it is important to be careful of other possible sources of gluten. For example, pastas that contain buckwheat or amaranth also may contain wheat flour. Just make sure to read the labels!

Discuss your gluten free options with your Integrative Physician, Dr. Georgia Tetlow or Nurse Practitioner, Lauren Houser at your next PIM appointment! To schedule an appointment, please call us a (888) 702-7974 x 2 or fill out the scheduling form https://goo.gl/forms/oH8uOUUqB1zh56p73.