Gluten: Friend or Foe?

This month we'll be taking a close look at gluten. While gluten intolerance is not new (it was mentioned by Greek physicians nearly 2000 years ago), more and more people appear to be sensitive to gluten, making gluten-free diets more common.

What is this Gluten?

Gluten is a water-soluble , complex protein fraction, present in some cereal grains, mainly wheat and rye and to a lesser degree, barley and oats. The protein in gluten makes it very difficult to digest. The grains we eat today are processed much differently than those consumed by our ancestors. We find that hybridization, as well as chemical processing, have altered the nutritional content of grains -resulting in much higher levels of protein. This may be why so many folks today seem sensitive to gluten. Celiac disease is also on the rise.

Gluten-Free Flours and Grains

Amaranth, buckwheat, millet, quinoa, soy. Not technically grains, these plants' seeds are ground into flours for baking. They contain all eight essential amino acids- making each a complete protein-plus they offer high amounts of fiber, B vitamins, and minerals.

Brown rice, chickpeas, cornmeal, nutmeal (almond meal), sorghum, teff. Although incomplete as proteins, most have a high protein content compared with wheat and contain ample fiber and nutrients.

Gluten Sensitivity/Intolerance

So many people living in the western world today have appalling eating habits. This leads to digestive issues and gluten and other proteins not being properly digested. As time goes by, poor digestion results to damage in the little finger-like protrusions in the small intestines called the villi. The villi is where the nutrients from food are digested and absorbed. If many of these villi are damaged from eating gluten, the nutrients cannot be absorbed. This can cause malnourishment.

Leaky gut syndrome can also arise with gluten sensitivity. This happens when particles of food actually begin to leak into the blood stream, causing the immune system to overreact.

Gluten Intolerance can appear at any age with all or some of the following signs:

· chronic stomach upsets

· poor appetite

· muscle cramps

· Join pains

· headaches

· nausea

· anemia

· bloating

· flatulence

A few conditions that may be linked to gluten intolerance are Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Autism, Adhd, Eczema, Psoriasis, Crohn's Disease and Irritable bowel. There are many more.

I am not implying that gluten has caused these illnesses, but I do think it wise for people with any of these illnesses to be checked for gluten sensitivity.

Foods to eat on a gluten-free diet

Processed foods are made with gluten and that makes avoiding them somewhat challenging. The key is to read labels! Also, watch out for pharmaceuticals and gluten in body products as gluten is absorbed into the body through the skin.

Gluten-Free Foods

Meat, chicken, fish, legumes, fruits and vegetables, most dairy foods, fats and oils.

Some foods containing gluten (there are more):

Bagels
Barley grain
Pretzels
Graham crackers
Kamut
Wheat flour
Biscuits
Muesli
Muffins
Waffles
Spaghetti
Couscous

Additives that may contain gluten:

Textured plant or vegetable protein (TPP or TVP)
Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
Dextrin
Hydrolyzed plant or vegetable protein (HPP or HVP)
Flavoring
Stabilizers
Bouillon
Starch
Coloring
Seasoning and flavoring products
Fillers
Caramel coloring
Soy sauce
Maltose

Gluten-free Snacks

Rice crackers and hummus, nut butters
Fresh vegetables sticks with hummus
Fresh fruit
Fresh fruit Smoothies with coconut milk
Olives
Popcorn with coconut oil
Kefir fruit dip (plain kefir, fresh strawberries and agave syrup blended together)
Nuts and nut mixes
Deviled eggs
Corn chips and avocado dip
Green smoothies
Celery and apples with almond butter

QUINOA WITH TOASTED ALMONDS AND CRANBERRIES

1 cup quinoa (Red or white - or a mixture of the two)

½ cup sliced almonds

1 ½ cups vegetable broth/stock

½ tsp salt

1 cinnamon stick

1 bay leaf

½ cups dried cranberries

Soak quinoa for 30 minutes. Rinse with cold water. Over medium heat toast sliced almonds. Add quinoa and thereafter add the nuts and cranberries to the quinoa. Add the veggie broth to the mixture with salt, bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Bring to boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving.

POLENTA/CORN MUFFINS

1 can sweetcorn

200ml Polenta/yellow cornmeal

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

2 eggs

50ml coconut oil

1. Beat together the eggs, add melted coconut oil.

2. Mix together the yellow cornmeal, salt and baking powder.

3. Add the egg mixture and canned sweet corn to the dry mixture. Spoon into muffin pans.

4. Bake at 350 C/180C for 15 - 20 minutes or until done.

RECOMMENDED SUPPLEMENTS

AIM Florafood® - a powerful combination of three friendly bacteria - Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum, and Bifidobacterium Longum. Florafood helps maintain the healthy balance integral to good health.

AIM Prepzymes - a combination of digestive enzymes to help your body break down foods so you get more nutrients from each meal. It also helps eliminate auto toxicity, a result of undigested food remaining in the body.

SPIRITUAL HEALTH

One of my passions in life is tennis. We were playing a league match two weeks ago and the wind was pumping real hard. Every time it was my turn to serve, the breeze turned into a gale. I was about to get annoyed when suddenly I found myself singing a line from a song I heard a long time ago, "But I have a friend who watches over me, when the breeze turns into a gale." May you be blessed as you listen to this beautiful song and may you know the master of the wind! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j10Sy-KRUUE&feature=related

SPRING CLEANING!

Spring is in the air (at least for those of us here in the USA) so that means it's time for spring cleaning! In our next newsletter we will be looking at fun, creative ways to change up winter's heavy comfort foods and exchange them for fresh and delicious God-given foods that will put a spring in our steps. Be sure not to miss it.

Yours in healthy living,

Lere Robinson