| Gluten free..... | | | | (also known as dasheen or arrowroot), tapioca |
| I think gluten is a fun topic because it is | | | | starch, or corn starch? And if you ever need help, |
| multifarious so to speak and you can base many | | | | pull up a chair and jump online! Although she does |
| conversations off of it. I read from a few | | | | not provide vegan recipes, one of my favorite |
| websites that the wheat we eat today has been | | | | blogs are posted by Gluten Free Girl. I love her |
| bioengineered to contain more than 90 percent | | | | commentary and the ingredients are easily |
| gluten than wheat from 100 years ago. And the | | | | veganized. So if you have a chance, peruse |
| interesting part about this claim is that wheat is a | | | | peruse!! |
| relatively new inclusion to the human diet | | | | After reading all this, you may wonder why is this |
| (depending on ancestry) which may be the reason | | | | subject important. Well, not only am I trying to |
| why some people have a difficult time digesting | | | | focus on 5 ingredients or less, as I have a poor |
| wheat and gluten products. So coupling the time | | | | memory when stress is involved, but I have also |
| frame wheat was domesticated with the | | | | decided to go gluten and wheat free. Like my |
| increased amount of gluten and wheat currently | | | | mother, I'm lactose intolerant and I've had a |
| created for mass consumption, I can't resist | | | | variety of digestive problems for most of my life. |
| wondering how our digestive tract is evolving to | | | | But I never questioned them and somehow |
| fit history and commercialism. | | | | tolerated my ailments by saying, "oops, I've had |
| However, others have different views. This | | | | too much of something today." When I was 28, |
| morning I read an article about going gluten and | | | | right before going vegan again, I was thinking |
| wheat free, which posed a question to its readers: | | | | about being tested for IBS, celiac's disease, and |
| why would anyone decide to adopt this diet if | | | | gluten & wheat sensitivities because my digestive |
| medically unneeded. It also noted going on a gluten | | | | problems were escalating to the point of |
| and wheat free diet can be dangerous because | | | | intolerable. I started experiencing daily nausea and |
| wheat is an important source of vitamins, | | | | GERD and I had a difficult time concentrating as I |
| minerals, and protein. Hence, eliminating food with | | | | constantly felt like my head was a balloon |
| gluten also cleaves a vital section of the nutrient | | | | attached to my body via a long thin string. But |
| pyramid. | | | | my symptoms disappeared after going vegan |
| Here are my two pennies, which parallel veganism: | | | | again and as the saying goes, out of sight means |
| Although the science behind most facts are | | | | out of mind. |
| concrete, I feel it's the interpolation made from | | | | It wasn't until a few weeks ago, when the familiar |
| them that is flawed. For example, take this article. | | | | ailments began again. I was unsure as to the |
| I think going from eliminating rich in fiber foods to | | | | reason why so I started dissecting my eating |
| concluding that a gluten free diet lacks enough | | | | habits. Upon examining my routine trying to find |
| fiber is invalid. Not that I'm professing it can't be | | | | the difference between the meals I've been |
| true because it can, but so can any type of diet if | | | | eating for the past three years and the meals I |
| not careful. Even a gluten full diet can yield a low | | | | recently started concocting, I found I was relying |
| fiber intake as the average American consumes | | | | on already prepared vegan food whose |
| 14 grams a day when 35 is the recommended | | | | ingredients comprised of wheat and gluten as well |
| value. It's all about the type of food choices you | | | | as derivatives. So instead of making a fresh |
| make, doesn't it? | | | | quinoa dish as I normally did using quinoa, |
| As with any major modification, you shouldn't just | | | | vegetables, some olive oil, basil, and dried red |
| jump in without evaluating the health aspect of | | | | crushed chili peppers, I started eating frozen |
| such an alteration. I know most things in life is | | | | already made quinoa meals. Granted this dish is |
| learn as you go, but making this kind of a | | | | very nutritious when reviewing the fat, fiber, and |
| transition without researching the nutritional | | | | sugar count, but it also comes with soy sauce |
| components of different types of food would be | | | | (which has wheat flour). Or instead of preparing a |
| just as unwise as drinking alcohol without checking | | | | fresh batch of tofu scramblers or making my |
| first if it were ethanol or isopropanol (rubbing or | | | | version of caprese with fresh cold tofu, I've been |
| booze). Perhaps I am wrong, but I think well | | | | turning to meatless vegan meatballs made of |
| planned decisions are pertinent when replacing | | | | wheat gluten and bread crumbs containing wheat |
| foods with others. So just as turning vegetarian | | | | flour. So unknowingly, by becoming a vegan I |
| doesn't mean eating pizzas for every meal or a | | | | started eliminating foods with gluten and wheat by |
| vegan pizza for the veganites, eating gluten free | | | | constantly cooking fresh homemade meals and |
| doesn't solely entail relying on products that are | | | | replacing these gluten containing foods with |
| nutritiously limited. | | | | different grains which was done because these |
| I suggest, instead of relying on processed gluten | | | | alternative grains are documented to possess |
| free foods that sometimes use low in fiber and | | | | higher amounts of protein and B vitamins. |
| less nutritional replacements, why not select items | | | | Not to say this will work for everyone who has |
| naturally gluten free and high in both of what the | | | | problems digesting certain foods as it is always |
| commercial alternatives lack? There are many | | | | questionable what foods you are reacting to and |
| grains to choose from that are high in B vitamins, | | | | if your symptoms are really concrete problems or |
| protein, minerals, and fiber (ahem, my fabulous | | | | just an underlining disorder mimicking a food |
| favorites from yesterday's post). And when | | | | sensitivity. But from a personal level to include |
| worrying about what type of flours or thickeners | | | | only me in this equation, until I have insurance and |
| to use when cooking or baking, why not turn to | | | | until opting out of wheat and gluten based foods |
| one of the following for assistance: chestnuts, | | | | becomes problematic, I will stick with what I feel |
| acorns, millet, sorghum, bean flours, almond, | | | | comfortable with. |
| quinoa, amaranth, teff, montina, cassava, taro | | | | |