The fashion for gluten free, i.e. eating gluten-free products, has been going on in Poland for some time. It is associated with both the desire to lose weight and a much more serious motivation, which is celiac disease and wheat allergy. Most people on this type of diet often eat small amounts of gluten unknowingly. For people with celiac disease, such mistakes can have unpleasant consequences. So what not to eat to eliminate gluten from your diet completely?
It is worth starting with the fact that this type of diet is not as simple and pleasant as it might seem. Eliminating sweets, pasta and bread is not everything. A gluten-free diet requires incurring considerable costs, excluding many products, giving up some pleasures and a rigorous approach to the matter.
Living with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity
Gluten (after milk) is one of the most common allergens. Up to 10 to 25% of people with food allergies are allergic to gluten. The allergic reaction can be immediate or late, i.e. it can occur within minutes of ingestion or only after a few hours or even a few days.
Allergy manifests itself in different ways, e.g. through:
- Anaphylactic shock,
- runny nose,
- diarrhea,
- Vomiting,
- skin changes,
- bronchospasm,
- Cutaneous urticaria.
The basis of celiac disease and allergy treatment is a gluten-free diet.
Prohibited products. What to avoid?
Gluten is present in cereal grains, so rye, barley, wheat and its varieties – kamut, spelt, emmer, triticale, durum wheat, must be excluded from the diet. In some people, symptoms may also occur after eating oats (even those with the symbol of the crossed ear on the package). In summary, the list of prohibited products includes:
- Bread crumbs,
- Groats – barley, couscous, bulgur, semolina,
- wheat germ,
- Flour – rye, barley, oat, spelled, wheat,
- Bread – any kind except gluten-free,
- Beer,
- communion wafer,
- Bran and flakes – barley, rye, wheat, oat without gluten free symbol,
- pastries and cookies,
- Oat drinks, i.e. milk and cocoa,
- Wheat sprouts and sprout mixes,
- Pasta – rye, wheat, oat, spelled,
- … and products not related to cereals, because gluten is a frequently used additive in many products: chewing gums, sweets, processed meats, ice cream, ketchups, mayonnaise, baking powders, minced meat, crisps, etc. Read the labels!