How to Enjoy Your Gluten-Free Life

Tips for the Celiac or Person that is New to Gluten-Free

Suppose you’ve recently been diagnosed with Celiac disease, or you need to eat gluten-free because you have an auto-immune disease. In that case, you may feel overwhelmed and not sure what to do! I felt like the world caved in when I found out I needed to be gluten-free. However, when you’re Celiac or eating gluten-free for medical reasons, you’ll see a significant improvement and upgrade your health when you cut out gluten.
Look at the types of foods that can benefit your digestion and health when you need to eat a special diet. People experiencing sensitivities or immune reactions to foods with gluten, such as gluten intolerance, are on the rise. Not everybody needs to live a gluten-free lifestyle, but if you need to be gluten-free and don’t know where to begin, here are tips for enjoying a gluten-free life.

Substitutes Your Favorite Foods for Gluten-Free Foods
 
If you love your morning pancakes or toast, you can switch to gluten-free alternatives of your past and present food favorites. For example, if you are a stickler for savory bacon pancakes on a Saturday morning, and you would like the gluten-free variety of pancakes, there are many different types of gluten-free flour, including almond flour, coconut flour, and traditional flour with the gluten removed that you can use. You can also grab a box of gluten-free pancake mix. 

Know Which Drinking Alcohols Contain Gluten

Suppose you like to have a beer or spirits to enjoy with your gluten-free dinner. In that case, it's important to remember that many beers contain gluten and are not suitable for a gluten-free diet. You can purchase gluten-free beers in some restaurants and stores, but make sure that you only drink those labeled gluten-free. It's important to remember that for a drink to be classed as gluten-free, it only has to have below 20ppm gluten. Remember, if you're Celiac, don't drink any gluten-reduced type of beer because it still has gluten. 

Even though you can't drink many types of beer unless they are entirely free of gluten, other drinks are naturally gluten-free. For example, certain types of hard liqueurs, spirits, wine, and some ciders are gluten-free, such as Angry Orchard Hard Apple Cider. However, remember that because one product in a brand line is gluten-free, that doesn't mean that all their products are gluten-free. So always read the label to ensure you aren't putting gluten into your digestive system.

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The Importance of Reading Food Labels When You’re Gluten-Free

Reading labels is a big necessity when you’re gluten-free for medical reasons. Always check the label to see if the product contains gluten. For example, many breakfast cereals contain wheat or gluten and barley or malt and malt flavoring (which is made from barley). These are ingredients that you don’t want to eat. 

Don’t take for granted that the rice cereal you purchased is gluten-free. Many brands of rice cereal are coated with malt sweetener, made from barley, a grain that contains gluten. Since the liquid form of gluten is used as a thickener in many recipes, make sure to read the ingredients on each product, even if it’s labeled gluten-free.

When you’re in a restaurant, you need to ask for gluten-free options, even if they aren’t listed on the menu. Some restaurants provide gluten-free options; even traditionally gluten meals like pizza are now in gluten-free form. Grab my book, The Guide to Traveling Gluten Free, if you’d like to read my tips and advice on finding a Celiac-safe restaurant.

Be Aware of Cross-Contamination When You’re Celiac

Many restaurants cannot guarantee their food will be exclusively gluten-free because of cross-contamination. When you’re Celiac, cross-contamination is a real issue. Cross-contamination can happen when a chef uses a utensil on gluten food and then uses it without washing it on your food. 

If you have gluten intolerance, you won’t be as sensitive to cross-contamination. At home, you can minimize cross-contamination if you live with others who eat gluten by washing down kitchen surfaces before you use them, using separate spoons and knives when getting butter and jams to reduce being exposed to crumbs, as well as keeping your gluten-free bread different from the traditional bread.



Using Naturally Gluten-Free Cereals and Grains

If you are a big fan of oats and cereals, you can use many naturally gluten-free alternatives. You can purchase gluten-free oats to make oatmeal, but there are a growing number of naturally gluten-free meals that use quinoa as the base. Other grains and cereals such as amaranth, buckwheat, and millet can be included in your diet. Be careful with oats; they can have traces of gluten unless they are certified gluten-free oats because oats are farmed with wheat, which contains gluten.


Many Foods Are Naturally Gluten-Free

Some think they want to go towards a gluten-free way of life; they have to cut out most things. In fact, this is not the case. You have to remember there are so many naturally gluten-free foods. Fruit and vegetables, meat, cheese, eggs, and potatoes are all naturally gluten-free. These should be the basis for most healthy meals anyway, so there is no reason why you cannot create naturally gluten-free meals. 


Suppose you have a sensitivity or an allergy to wheat, or you are diagnosed as celiac. In that case, you want your gluten-free meals to be as delicious and healthy as their wheat-containing counterparts. You can find lots of great gluten-free recipes on influencer blogs and websites. You can also find great resources for gluten-free brands on my podcast, Travel Gluten Free, so subscribe today!

Links and Resources
Grab the Guide to Traveling Gluten Free
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