How to Go Gluten Free.

The thing I hate about my otherwise awesome job is when the body shows stress to a food that a client loves eating, and there are few foods considered more nectarous to many than Gluten!

There are a diverse range of reasons people may adopt a Gluten-free diet, including:

Celiac Disease

Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS)

Reactions to Pesticide, particularly Glyphosate

Gluten Ataxia

Wheat Allergies

Leaky Gut

Auto-immune Conditions

Out of Choice

Many people scoff at an individual's choice to go gluten free but don't be so quick to vilify an individual as they may have a valid point and are entitled to enact agency over their own bodies. A key reason for this choice is that conventional modern wheat is unhealthy. It is not the same grain our ancestors ate, but crops have been engineered for higher yield. The modern grain contains more gluten and higher levels of the Glia-α9 epitope which stimulates Celiac disease, is grown with synthetic fertiliser, sprayed with Pesticides like Glyphosate which damage the gut, disrupt our bodies enzyme reactions and lead to inflammation on the brain, then the husk of the grain, which contains all the nutrients, fibre and healthy plant lipids is removed, and the flour bleached, leaving us with high GI, low nutrient density, mutated, chemical laden, shelf stable starch, that keeps for years, which even pests choose rarely to touch. No wonder it makes some people choose to avoid it, or worse, sick.

If you are experiencing health problems connected with gluten consumption getting a diagnosis can be challenging because symptoms are common to a number of other causes, and some Practitioners still disbelieve the existence of NCGS and Leaky Gut, and really gluten free diets are really only favoured with Functional Medicine Drs. or Naturopaths in treating Auto-Immune diseases, rather than every GP touting them, but you should be vocal or get a second opinion with a Doctor, Naturopath or Health Professional if you have any concerns about your health.

Some tests which confirm diagnosis include blood tests, biopsy or allergy testing, but

for some people whose tests are inconclusive and who aren’t experiencing serious symptoms like airway constriction the best test can be to go on an elimination diet, then cautiously reintroducing various common allergens one by one whilst monitoring for symptoms.

It’s not easy to go GF in a Gluten world. Here are some thoughts to get you on your way.

So, What is Gluten?

Gluten refers to the glue like substance and texture that you get when you make dough, only some grains and cereals contain gluten, namely:

Wheat

Barley

Spelt

Rye

Oats (GF are available but the oats at a standard Grocery store are likely gluten contaminated)

A GF diet avoid products with the above. Becoming savvy in what contains these grains is a process in itself, think mostly baked goods like bread, pastry, cakes, pizza, cookies, porridge, muffins and bread as well as pastas and crumbed/battered foods.

Gluten may also be lurking in other foods, for example wheat can be used as a thickening agent in wet foods like gravy or to bind things like veggie burgers. Other main culprits are really Convenience, Packaged, Processed and Snack foods: (Ready meals, some sausages, cereal, muesli bars, crackers,) Sauces: (soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, marinades) Beer and some alcoholic beverages. Be sure to carefully read labels whenever you consume packaged foods.

So what the heck are you supposed to eat? Everything else!

Try to really see it that way. There is literally soooo much good, tasty, nutritious food out there. We tend toward habit and get stuck in something called “channel eating.” We are supposed to eat a diverse range of seasonal foods year round. Here are some tips around what to eat.

Find Your Substitutes.

Fortunately we are in the golden age of GF and 99% of the time there’s a good GF option in every eatery. Everything on the ‘contains gluten’ list you can find a gluten free version, pastry, bread, muffins, brownies, pasta, practically anything can still be sourced in this day and age. Up the ante on your grocery shop, make it a culinary experience. Take time to shop, try different stores or Markets and treat it like a time to get creative. Here’s a list of foods you may like to try:

Breakfasts: Chia Puddings, Omlettes, Frittatas, GF Oatmeal, Smoothies, Fruit and Yogurt, Sweet Potato “Toast,” Gluten free toast and Avocado or Eggs, Banana “pancakes” (just egg and banana,) Beans, Sweet Potato Rosti.

Lunches: Soups, Salads, Burrito Bowls, Vermicelli salad, Rice-paper rolls,

Dinner: Paella, Eggplant “Lasagne,” Risotto, Fish or meat and salad or steamed veg, Poke bowls, Cauliflower fried ‘rice’, Stuffed Baked Potato, fish tacos with corn tortillas.

Get Inspired.

It’s so much easier when you are looking forward to eating what you “have to” eat! Look for recipe inspo, go through old cook books, recreate (GF versions of) your favourite foods or restaurant dishes, use Pinterest to discover new Recipes, watch cooking shows, pre- plan, add flavour with fresh herbs and focus on the fact you can sample foods you have never tried or used to love and haven’t enjoyed for a while. Why can’t you have oysters on an idle Tuesday?

Instead of thinking conventionally:

Wrap your burger in lettuce

Wrap rolls in Seaweed

Think Vermicelli, soba noodle, rice paper or rice based dishes

Potato, Polenta or sweet potato instead of pastry

Zucchini noodles, seaweed noodles, corn pasta or eggplant instead of pasta

Tamari or Coconut enzymes instead of soy sauce

Buckwheat, millet, sorghum, GF oats, millet, corn, amaranth, rice, coconut flour, almond meal, sago, tapioca or teff over Gluten containing Cereals.

Don’t forget, for everything on the ‘contains gluten’ list you can find a gluten free version. Even Woolworths sometimes does a Gf brioche loaf if once a blue moon you can’t live without brioche french toast…I say go for it! (in moderation.) The sky is the limit to what you can still enjoy! Get on board by focussing on all the cool things you get to try or rediscover.

Learn When/Why you Err.

Ok so you’ll probably have a few missteps at first. Reflect on what happened.

Eg. I ate that Sausage roll at a party at 10:30pm because: I didn’t bring a GF plate, I didn’t ask anyone to cater for me, or eat before I arrived and I was starving.

No big deal! Next time you know to either: Pre-eat, have a snack in your handbag, ask if there will be GF food there or bring a plate, for example.

Reflect and learn from each experience and make changes. Try to pre-plan and anticipate challenges. Have GF Alternatives on hand. If you shop at Supermarkets the range of GF options is usually better at a big store or in built up areas, so be prepared before your camp trip in a remote town, for example.

Understand That you May be Breaking an Addiction of Sorts.

Going GF is sometimes challenging because if you’re becoming inflamed from a food you eat frequently your body will produce opiates to soothe any pain/discomfort. With diminishing exposure you may get a hankering for those old, familiar foods and the cascade of chemicals produced from eating them. Understand that like breaking any addiction, it becomes easier with time and lessening exposure as your body stops devoting so many receptor sites to the addictive chemical. It’ll be hardest at the start, but you won’t always feel that way and won’t miss it forever. Have compassion for yourself as you attack any self improvement project and select the timing of the undertaking consciously to minimise false starts, missteps or giving up altogether.

Try to be Mindful of Eating too Many High GI Substitutes

GI rating refers to how fast carbohydrates are absorbed. To maintain healthy blood sugar we should consume complex carbs which take longer to break down and do not spike blood sugar. A lot of substitutes are either high GI or high in sugar or additives, so opt for whole foods or items from the health food shop. Get good at studying labels. If something has 24 g of carbohydrates it's not necessarily the devil, but if 22 of those grams of carbohydrate are from sugar, be wary. The lower the sugar generally the healthier. Opt for wholemeal, high fibre low sugar and few complicated ingredients the vast majority of the time. If you want to indulge, be my guest, just do so in moderation. For Example: I might have Helga's Gluten free bread from the supermarket in my freezer for the occasional cheese toastie when I am home late, or travelling without refrigeration or can’t be bothered to cook anything complicated, but 90% of the time my everyday bread is a wholemeal organic buckwheat loaf By Naturis from the health food shop.

Create a “Big Picture” Goal.

Why are you doing this? More energy, a flatter tummy, healthy bowel movements?

Flesh out what your big picture is, e.g. “More energy allows me to be in the moment with my kids and do things they love together, therefore I will be the kind of mum I aspire to be and have the relationship with them that really fulfils my life’s purpose.”

Remind yourself of your big picture and come back to this when you want to give up. Pop a reminder on your fridge or where you will see it often.

Not Everyone who is Sensitive to Gluten Will Need to be 100% Gluten Free for Life.

Some people are Ok eating fresh milled organic wholemeal flour and sometimes it’s a case of healing the gut for a period of time and reducing inflammation. Some may benefit from allowing a little gluten sporadically in the long term as sensitivities can sometimes worsen if you never expose yourself to an allergen. Get good advice from a Practitioner who you trust. This advice is really general, so be your own health detective.

Happy Eating!

E xx

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