Interestingly, people with Celiac Disease are not the only ones buying gluten-free products. More and more individuals with chronic pain, migraines, multiple sclerosis and irritable bowel syndrome have gone gluten-free. While true wheat allergies are extremely rare, wheat or gluten sensitivity is more common. Gluten may be affecting your health if you suffer from itchy skin, bloating, poor digestion, constipation, diarrhea, chronic congestion, arthritic pain and /or headaches.

If you suspect gluten may be affecting your health, your doctor can give you a blood test for Celiac Disease. If you think you may be sensitive to gluten you can do a trial elimination diet. Avoid all food products and grains which contain gluten for at least seven to 10 days to see if you feel better, then resume your previous diet and see if symptoms worsen. You may experience relief from your symptoms by moderating your consumption of gluten in your diet. For example, just having gluten once every few days, or once a week might even help you feel better.

Getting Started

Focus on foods without gluten: Fresh fruits and vegetables are naturally gluten free. Fresh fish, meat, poultry and eggs are also gluten free. Legumes such as dried beans and lentils contain no gluten. Dairy typically lacks gluten, except for some yogurts and cheeses. Gluten free grains include:

buckwheat	brown rice
amaranth	teff
millet	quinoa

Watch oats, as they can contain gluten, unless purchasing gluten free varieties. Be aware of grains, such as spelt and kamut, as they are ancient wheats and do contain gluten.

Explore gluten free flours: There are excellent gluten free alternatives that can be used to replace wheat. These include rice flours (white, brown) which are especially easy to find, amaranth, arrowroot, buckwheat, corn bran, corn flour, corn meal, cornstarch, flax, legume flours (chickpea, pea, bean and lentil) , millet, potato flour and starch, rice bran, quinoa, and sorghum, tapioca, sweet potato flour and teff.

Explore gluten free flours: There are excellent gluten free alternatives that can be used to replace wheat. These include rice flours (white, brown) which are especially easy to find, amaranth, arrowroot, buckwheat, corn bran, corn flour, corn meal, cornstarch, flax, legume flours (chickpea, pea, bean and lentil) , millet, potato flour and starch, rice bran, quinoa, and sorghum, tapioca, sweet potato flour and teff.

Read food labels carefully. Prepared and packaged foods may have grains or starches that contain gluten. They are added to thicken or stabilize products. Baked goods made with wheat flour contain gluten and are easy to avoid, but hidden sources of gluten can be more difficult to determine. Sources of gluten can be found in malt, soy sauce, ketchup, mustard, protein powder, thickeners, soup base, colouring, vegetable gums, hydrolyzed vegetable proteins, seasonings, flavouring, and modified food starches. Do not assume a product is gluten free unless labeled as such.

Consider working with a dietitian since a gluten free diet can provide less than optimal amounts of fibre, calcium, iron, zinc and folate if it is not well planned. Look for gluten free products that are enriched with vitamins and minerals, like ryza.