Well, the fact is, there are many different grains that are naturally gluten free and can easily replace your normal gluten based foods.

Yes it will take time, patience and effort but once you have gone gluten free you will feel a million times better and your gluten free diet will become second nature before you know it.

Feeling like the odd one out?

Even though you may feel like an odd ball, gluten intolerance also known as Celiac disease is actually becoming very prevalent in Australia.

Now Celiac disease is being diagnosed in 1 of every 50 adults and it’s still on the rise! Gluten intolerance is most prevalent in western countries, because of the amount of wheat based products that we consume.

You can find gluten in all sorts of foods that you would least expect, like tomato sauce or canned soups. In Japan and China, Celiac disease is almost non existent because their diet is based so heavily on rice.

Do I really need to eat gluten free all the time?

Even though Celiac disease won’t kill you, it can greatly impact your health later down the track if you decide against a gluten free diet.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease which means your immune system will start to attack your own tissue and destroy it, in this case, it is your small intestine that is destroyed.

As a result of this immune attack, inflammation will occur which will begin to produce some characteristic symptoms of Celiac disease such as bloating, stomach cramping, diarrhea and vomiting.

If you continue to eat gluten rich foods, the little projections that stick out from your small intestine called villi begin to get destroyed.

Instead of the villi standing nice and tall they end up small and flat, which means you don’t absorb vitamins and minerals from your food as easily as you should. Your body then doesn’t get the nutrients it needs to work at its very best causing you to feel very tired and sick!

Gluten free grains

Discover 6 gluten free grains that are great to use in gluten free diets.

1. Rice

This is a gluten free grain which is really affordable, tastes great and is easy to cook! Rice is a great staple in a gluten free diet. It can come in white rice, basmati or jasmine rice as well as brown rice.

Brown or basmati rice are the healthier options as they are naturally higher in fibre and are not as refined therefore containing more minerals than just white rice.

2. Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa)

This grain is a complete protein as it contains the eight essentials amino acids that the body needs to receive from the diet. It is also high in Calcium, Iron, and is a good source of vitamin E and B vitamins.

If using the grain, it can be cooked like rice in boiling water or a rice cooker. It is great as a replacement of cous cous, it can be eaten in salads, casseroles or in soups. Quinoa flakes are also available which can be cooked similar to oats to make a porridge for breakfast.

3. Amaranth

This is a highly nutritious grain, it is a great source of fibre, essential amino acids and minerals. You can buy it puffed which is ideal for cereals or the whole grain that can be cooked like rice. It tends to have a sticky texture compared to other grains when cooked.

4. Corn

This grain has a multitude of uses and is a definite staple in a gluten free diet. You can use cornmeal for making cornbread, and tortillas or you can use cornflour to thicken soups, sauces and stews. Corn makes up the majority of Mexican dishes such as burritos, tacos and enchiladas which is wonderful for gluten avoiders!

5. Buckwheat

Even though its name may suggest it contain wheat, its actually gluten free. Buckwheat is a fruit derived from the same family as rhubarb.

You can use buckwheat flour to make buckwheat pancakes, puffed buckwheat in cereals or the whole grain. It is high in fibre, protein, B vitamins and it is great for keeping your blood sugar levels balanced.

6. Millet

Millet is a gluten free grain, rich in B vitamins, Magnesium, Potassium, lecithin, methionine, Phosphorous and vitamin E. You can use puffed millet in cereals similar to buckwheat and amaranth. The flour can also be used in combination with other flours to make bread.

Be Careful! Gluten could be playing hide and seek

When purchasing the above grains, even though they are naturally gluten free, the products you purchase may have been processed on the same machinery used for gluten foods.

So keep on the look out for cross contamination! To be on the safe side stick to only foods that say on the label ‘gluten free’ even if it’s a gluten free grain.

Thanks to the prevalence of gluten food intolerances there are now numerous wheat and gluten replacements found in your local supermarket or health food store ranging from bread, cereal and cookies to spaghetti in a can!

These are great if you have little time to cook your own meals, but don’t get into the habit of basing your whole diet on these quick gluten free foods, as they are still processed and are often high in sugar.

To have a balanced nutritious diet, try and eat a variety of the gluten free grains particularly quinoa, millet, buckwheat and amaranth that are very high in fibre, protein, minerals and vitamins.

Gluten free recipe books are perfect to begin enjoying these 6 gluten free grains. You can purchase them from any good book store or online.

Related posts:

1. Gluten Free Bread – Simply Wize Crusty Bread Review
2. The Simply Wize Gluten Free Food Hamper Giveaway

We understand avoiding dairy rich foods all the time can sometimes feel impossible, particularly on those very special occasions where that yummy birthday cake and icecream is staring you right in the face. Chocolate cake just doesn’t taste the same without icecream does it? That’s why we’ve also put together a back up plan so you can still enjoy that creamy goodness on those very special occasions.

Lactose Free Diet

The lactose free diet is fairly simple. All it involves it replacing your dairy food with a dairy free alternative. For each dairy free alternative we have also suggested brands of food that we know tastes good and will help make the transition a bit easier for you!

Dairy Alternatives

Here are a few options.

Milk

• Vitasoy Rice Milk – This tastes great in smoothies or on cereal, it is a light watery consistency with a mild rice taste making it a great one to start on.
  Note: If you are worried about not getting enough Calcium, you can purchase the Vitasoy Rice milk with added Calcium.
• Pure Harvest Soy Milk- Soy milk is a thicker consistency compared to rice milk and is great in porridge. It also tastes great with chai tea, and not bad in coffee. Make sure you are not also allergic to Soy before swapping over, it sometimes can cause people to feel upset in the stomach if there is a food sensitivity.
• Zymil Lactose free milk- This is the closest tasting milk to regular cow’s milk without the lactose! The lactose has been previously digested by adding the enzyme lactase needed to breakdown lactose. If you are only lactose intolerance then this is a great alternative, but often people can be lactose intolerance and be sensitive to the casein found in milk. So give it a go and see how you feel.

Cheese

Since cheese is one of the lowest lactose containing foods out of all the dairy products, you may be able to tolerate it small amounts. If you are extremely sensitive then you can replace it with Tofutti Cream Cheese.

Ice Cream

• Mototo Ice cream
• Fruccio Dairy free ice cream
• So Good Soy Ice cream
• Fruit Sorbets – We know fruit sorbet isn’t the same as ice cream but it can be deliciously refreshing during summer

Yoghurt

• UHT lactose free yoghurt
• Vaalia lactose free yoghurt

Protein powder

• Vital Greens Phyto-Pea Protein: This protein is naturally derived from golden peas, and uses natural vanilla bean flavour or cocoa flavour for chocolate. Pea protein is the only alkalising protein on the market compared to normal protein which is acidic, so it’s a very healthy alternative.
• Max’s WPI: This protein is derived from whey but is lactose free.
• Balance WPI: This protein is the same as Max’s and is lactose free.
• Ladybird Rice Protein: This protein comes in chocolate or vanilla, is naturally lactose free and is one of the better tasting rice proteins on the market.

Miscellaneous

• Kingland Mayonnaise

The back up plan

We know you can’t be perfect all the time, and there are going to be situations where eating dairy free could be completely out of the question. So for those sorts of situations, investing in an emergency blottle of lacteeze could very well save you from turning a nice night out into another embarrassing situation.

Lacteeze – Is a lactase enzyme supplement that you take prior to eating dairy foods. It supplies you with the enzymes needed to digest the lactose, preventing those unpleasant symptoms that usually follows after eating dairy. It’s extremely handy for those dinner parties or restaurant outings where you are tempted to have that ice cream!

In the following section we’ll take a look at why you have food allergies, helping to shed some light on the topic and the path to freedom.

Related posts:

1. Raw Ice Cream – A Dairy Free Alternative – My First Attempt
2. Common Food Allergy Symptoms
3. 6 Gluten Free Grains You Can’t Live Without

How are allergic symptoms produced?

Allergic symptoms are produced when your immune system identifies a food as harmful. This is an abnormal response to food, once your immune system has identified it as a foregin invader a number of weapons are produced to destroy the food allergen.

Such ‘weapons’ that your immune system releases includes a substance called histamine. This substance along with others initiates a variety of frustrating body reactions such as stomach cramps, itchy skin, fatigue or in other words – allergy symptoms. Sometimes these symptoms can occur straight away, or they may happen 24 hours later or even a couple of days later. The length of time it takes for your body to produce symptoms is all determined by the type of immune response.

Food allergies can be placed into two categories:

• Hypersensitivity Food Allergy
• Food Sensitivity

Food can also make you feel really sick if you have a food intolerance, which means you lack the enzymes needed to digest that particular food. There are a few different food intolerances that can occur, so take a look at the characteristic symptoms that may happen with each food so you can narrow down what food is making you ill.

Hypersensitivity Food Allergy (Anaphylaxis)

The hypersensitivity food allergy or ‘Anaphylaxis’ can be life threatening as the following symptoms begin to occur:

• Sudden itching of the eyes and face
• Face swelling
• Throat tightness, swallowing discomfort and breathing difficulty
• Chest tightness and or wheezing
• Hives
• Drowsiness
• Mental confusion and dizziness
• Diarrhoea
• Vomiting

If you have this type of immmune reaction to a food allergy your immune system will react immediately, creating these symptoms soon after you eat the food culprit. Another name for this reaction is called Anaphylaxis (an-uh-fuh-LAK-sis) which involves an antibody called IgE and is what is measured and tested in blood tests to find out the exact food allergy you are reacting to.

The main foods that have been found to commonly cause this type of food allergy in adults include:

• Peanuts
• Shellfish
• Eggs
• Fish
• Tree nuts (hazelnut, almonds, brazil, macadamia, cashews etc)

The most common food triggers of anaphylaxis in children are:

• Milk
• Eggs
• Soy
• Sesame
• Peanuts
• Tree nuts

Even though these foods are considered the most common, hypersensitivity food allergy reactions can still occur in almost any food even foods such as strawberries, tomatoes, and coconut.

So if you ever experience these symptoms after any food please phone for emergency immediately.

Food Sensitivity

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td><img src="http://www.liveallergyfree.com.au/images/0749917008/" /><td></tr><tr><td><td></tr></table>

This type of food allergy can be very hard to pin point as the symptoms can be delayed for up to a few days later.

Some people may be more sensitive to a food than others and may get a reaction a few hours later.

So even if this can be almost an immediate reaction it still varies from a hypersensitive allergy reaction as a different antibody is involved called an IgG antibody and the symptoms differ greatly.

Common symptoms that occur in response to food sensitivities include but are not limited to:

• Sinus congestion
• Stomach cramping
• Bloating
• IBS
• Skin rashes such as eczema or hives
• Itchy Skin
• Fatigue
• Foggy head
• Asthma
• Joint pain

Common food sensitivities are egg, dairy products, wheat products, seafood, corn, soy and nuts.

Food Intolerance

Food intolerance is not like a food allergy or food sensitivity that is caused from an immune reaction. Instead it is when your body is not capable of digesting a food that is considered nutritious for your body. This occurs because your body does not have the right tools (enzymes) to break down that particular food.

The two main food intolerances are:

• Lactose Intolerance (Carbohydrate)
• Gluten Intolerance (Protein)
• Fat Intolerance

Lactose Intolerance

Lactose is a sugar molecule found solely in dairy products. It is caused from the inability to digest lactose in the small intestine due to poor lactase (enzyme) production needed to do so. Lactose intolerance occurs very highly in Asian, Middle Eastern, Southern European, African and Aboriginal groups. Those with European backgrounds tend to have a less likely occurrence of lactose intolerance.

The lactose content of each dairy food varies widely, however the main foods to have the greatest amount are:

Food	Serve	Lactose	Calcium (mg)
Milk – Regular	1 cup/250ml	12	285
Milk – Reduced Fat	1 cup/250ml	13	340
Yoghurt – Regular	200gm	9	340
Yoghurt – Low Fat	200gm	12	420
Cheese – Cheddar	30gm	.02	260
Cheese – Creamed Cottage	30gm	.01	22
Butter	1 tsp	.03	1
Ice Cream	2 scoops	3	55

By looking at the above table, you can see that milk and yoghurt contain the highest amounts of lactose per serve. Depending on the severity of your lactose intolerance will determine how much lactose you can have without causing any unpleasant symptoms. Many lactose intolerance individuals are able to eat cheese without any adverse effects.

Common symptoms associated with lactose intolerance include:

• Bloating
• Diarrhoea
• Stomach pain and discomfort
• Alternating constipation and diarrhoea
• IBS like symptoms

If you would like to learn how to avoid dairy without avoiding the taste, please click here.

Carbohydrate Intolerances

Other rare carbohydrate intolerances that may occur are; Glucose intolerance, starch intolerance, fructose intolerance, and sucrose intolerance. These are all different types of sugars and carbohydrates that occur because your body is not producing the right enzymes to digest them.

The symptoms produced by these different carbohydrate intolerances can be very similar to lactose intolerance. Bloating and gas production are usually the most outstanding symptoms associated with a carbohydrate intolerance, occuring within an hour after the ingestion of the offending food.

Gluten Intolerance

Gluten intolerance also known as Celiacs disease is caused from your body being sensitive to the protein, gluten found in wheat, rye, oats and barley.. The immune system of a Celiac person will see gluten as harmful, overtime leading to inflammation and damage in the small intestine. This damage in the small intestine can greatly reduce your ability to absorb nutrients as the immune system damages the structure of the small intestine needed to do so.

Symptoms may not always be present in gluten intolerance, but damage to the small intestine may still continue. If symptoms are present in gluten intolerance the following symptoms could be experienced:

• Weight loss or weight gain
• Nutritional deficiencies e.g. low iron levels
• Gastro-intestinal problems (gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea)
• Fat in the stools (poor digestion)
• Eczema
• Exhaustion
• Headaches
• Irritability
• Arthritis
• Eczema

To learn more about gluten free grains feel free to visit our article on 6 Gluten Free Grains You Can’t Live Without.

Fat Intolerance

Fat intolerance occurs when your body can not digest the fats in food properly, causing poor absorption of fats resulting in the following symptoms:

• Diarrhoea
• Wind
• Bowel movements called Steatorrhoea (stee-at-OR-rea) that are frothy and smell foul

Fat intolerance usually presents in people who have diseases such as Celiac disease, cystic fibrosis, liver and gall bladder disease, diabetes and pancreas problems.

The symptoms can be very broad and can often get confused with other food allergy symptoms. Diagnosing yourself solely on these symptoms should be avoided. If Celiacs disease runs in your family or you feel very sick from eating gluten containing foods, then it may be a good idea to go to the Doctor to get tested.

Now that you know more about your symptoms let’s take a look at ways to relieve them quickly, or how to treat them. Please visit the Natural Allergy Relief section or Treat Allergies Yourself.

Related posts:

1. Common Animal Allergy Symptoms
2. Common Environmental Allergy Symptoms
3. Wheat Allergy Symptoms – A Dummies Guide to Wheat Allergy and How to Treat It
]]> http://www.liveallergyfree.com.au/2009/10/31/common-food-allergy-symptoms/feed/ 3