Gluten Free 101 (and 13 sneaky sources of gluten)
WHAT IS GLUTEN?
Gluten is a hard-to-digest protein found in wheat, barley, and rye.
When combined with water, it forms a stretchy, doughy consistency (it is what makes bread "bready".)
You can think of it as a GLUE.
WHERE IS GLUTEN FOUND?
Beyond bread, anything containing wheat, rye, or barley flour, malt, or germ will contain gluten.
This includes many foods found in the Standard American Diet, because wheat flour is used in most processed products.
WHY WOULD SOMEONE AVOID GLUTEN?
Because of the glue-like structure of gluten, it is difficult for many people to digest.
It can cause the gut membrane to become more permeable, or "leaky".
This can lead to inflammation, immune reactions, and adverse symptoms in your gut, brain, joints, and skin.
SNEAKY SOURCES OF GLUTEN
bread & baked goods
pasta, ramen, cous-cous
processed & breaded meats
cereal, oatmeal, granola
crackers & flavored chips
energy & breakfast bars
processed soups & gravies
ice cream
baked beans
salad dressings, BBQ, soy sauce
foods with caramel color, malt flavoring, MSG, food starch, vague "spices", yeast extract, wheat maltodextrin
NATURE'S GF FOODS
all vegetables
all fruits
all (unprocessed) meat & fish
all beans & legumes
oats (check to be GF), rice, quinoa, corn, buckwheat, sorghum, tapioca, arrowroot, cassava
olives & coconut (and oils)
nuts & seeds
coffee & tea (not chicory)
dairy products
whole food herbs, spices, vinegars
ketchup, mustard, salsa
Are you a health educator that wants to use this content with your clients? Customize the handout template in less time than it would take to even think about hiring a graphic designer.
References
Jones, D. S., Bland, J. S., & Quinn, S. (2010). Textbook of Functional Medicine. Institute for Functional Medicine.
Haas, E. M; Levin, B. (2006). Staying Healthy with Nutrition: The Complete Guide to Diet and Nutritional Medicine. Celestial Arts.Gluten-Free Diet.