hi,

1. your list does not include millet, which I unerstand is gluten free. Can you please confirm.

2. There is also some debate re spelt, which many sources say does not cause a problem to those intolerant to gluten. Can you pls shed some light on this?

3. re a good mixture of flour for baking, can you come up with a mix of flours that may be easier to find. Where do corn flour and carob flour fit into this, and what can they be used for?

tks for your attention.

A gluten free diet excludes the protein gluten, which is found in grains such as wheat, barley or rye. If you or your child has celiac disease, a gluten free diet is essential, because gluten causes a problematic immune reaction in the small intestine. This reaction results in damage to the inner surface of the small intestine and an inability to absorb certain nutrients from food.

Hi excalibur,
Spelt contains gluten so should not be part of a gluten free diet.

http://nutrition.about.com/od/grainsandcereals/p/spelt.htm


Millet does not contain gluten, I have no idea what was written earlier or what your reference to a list means, but if you have such a list it should not be hard to come up with a flour mix that is gluten free.


Cheers

Wheat takes time to get digested but what about grains like Rice. Does this exclude in a gluten free diet.

Hi Livehealthy - have you had a chance to listen(and/or read) the most recent podcast: 'Is a Gluten-Free Diet Right For You?'

http://healthcastle.com/podcast-035.shtml#

You may find it interesting and spot on this forum topic . . .

Tracey

Hi excalibur,

Tracey has certainly pointed you in the right direction and all I want to do here is clear up a possible misunderstanding that I may have created when I said millet was gluten free, millet contains a protein called gliadin which is a toxic protein of gluten, but it doesn't contain gluten as such. I have included proof of what I am trying to say here and they probably explain it better than I have.

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*Wheat *Rye *Barley & *Oats?


Which foods contain gluten and which foods don't?

If you have just been diagnosed with celiac disease or a gluten intolerance, you might be thinking it's the end of the world. I remember stamping my feet and pouting my lip when I was advised to remove gluten and dairy from my diet. I wanted to refuse, but the only reason I insisted on trying it for a month was to prove to the naturopath that this wasn't the cause of my health issues.

Didn't I eat my words (and less gluten) after just 2 weeks!

So you want to find out what foods do and don't contain gluten? The most simple answer to this often over-complicated question is this ... wheat, rye, barley. Avoid these 3 things and you are on the right track.

These raw ingredients DO contain gluten:

* Wheat
* Rye
* Barley

These raw ingredients DON'T contain gluten:

* Rice
* Corn
* Beans (chickpeas, lentils, red kidney beans, lima beans, soy beans etc)
* Vegetables (potato, sweet potato, broccoli, zucchini, carrot, tomato, corn, snow peas, peas, beans, green leafy vegetables, pumpkin, onion, beetroot, capsicum, chilli, herbs, ginger, garlic)
* Unprocessed Meat
* Arrowroot
* Carob
* Quinoa
* Tapioca
* Amaranth

These raw ingredients have special conditions:

* Oats - they have long been one of the 4 grains which were confirmed to contain gluten, but it now seems it was only by association. They have always been processed together with wheat products so there were always traces of gluten present in oats. Improvements in processing have reduced this and many nutritionists now consider oats to be gluten free.

HOWEVER: we recommend seeking personal advice on oats and looking for organic, individually processed oats which are certified gluten free. This information is always changing so keep up with the latest news from your local health food shop ... or us of course. We still consider oats to be one of the 4 grains containing gluten, but believe this will not be the case much longer.
* Buckwheat - it may have the word 'wheat' in it, but it is actually a grass with pinkish white flowers - and it's the cousin of the rhubarb plant - meaning buckwheat is in no way related to wheat. It is however and excellent substitute for wheat flour in cooking - many people already use it as an alternative in pancakes and muffins and it has been used in Asian noodles for centuries.
* Millet - Another interesting one. While it doesn't contain gluten as such, it does contain gliadin which is a protein that is a principal toxic component of wheat gluten. This means that many celiac sufferers get a significant negative reaction to Millet. This should be approached with advice, and included or excluded in your diet based on your own digestive sensitivities.
* Sprouted Wheat/Rye/Barley - In sprouted form foods are at their most nutritious but the 3 glutenous grains have what is sometimes referred to as 'predigested gluten'. I always thought this was a silly term - it gives the image that someone else is chewing and digesting the gluten for us! I have been advised that, not being a celiac, I am able to eat sprouted versions of these grains but some severe celiacs shouldn't. As always, we recommend checking with your naturopath or dietician about what is best for you.

Traces of gluten have been found in some foods which are grown near wheat farms. This is yet to be researched with any depth, but some extremely sensitive celiac diets require that you shop for certified gluten free products. Your naturopath, nutritionist or dietician will be able to point you in the right direction for YOUR health.

The 4 grains (wheat, rye, barley and some oats) contain the indigestible protein, gluten. Flour is made from wheat. Cereals are generally made from a combination of these 4 grains. Foods containing gluten include muesli bars, pasta, bread, gravy, rissoles, chicken stuffing, BBQ sauce - they all contain the 3 main grains, or flour which is made from these grains.

The good news is that every one of the 3 grains with gluten can be replaced with one of the many gluten free variations. This website features a number of articles about gluten free cooking including a range of popular recipes and their gluten free variations.

Cheers