Signs and Symptoms of a Gluten Allergy

You may be wondering what it feels like to be gluten free. How can you tell if you have developed the allergy? Or what if you have had it your whole life? Gluten free is a disease that’s known to go undetected, until now.

Celiac disease can have variety of symptoms. It can affect your digestive system, mental, behaviour as well as malnutrition. On the main symptoms is discomfort. Our body is not built to digest all the wheat products we eat, therefore can cause discomfort after consuming a lot of it.

How was my sister diagnosed? Hers actually linked back to a skin disease that was on her scalp. She has been dealing with it for years using specialty creams and shampoos. One day my mom stumbled upon an article that linked this skin disease to Celiac disease. My sister decided to try the diet and within 2 weeks the skin disease was completely gone. Since then she has not been able to include gluten back in her diet. Her body will completely reject it and it is very uncomfortable for her.

This poses the thought, once you go gluten free…are you completely gluten free forever? (This is the next topic for my blog)

Common Signs and Symptoms

-Lactose intolerance

-Ulcers in the mouth

-Poor appetite

- Bloating, discomfort, or pain in the abdominal area

-Anemia

- Chronic Fatigue

- Weight loss

- Anxiety

- Depression

A Gluten Free Valentines Day Treat

Here is an example of a simple treat you can make yourself, even when you don't have a lot of time. This is a recipe my Mother stumbled upon and likes to make it when we are all craving a treat. We call it the minute mug cake. First of all, it only takes a couple minutes to prepare and cook and second of all, it is made in a mug.

• 1 oz unsweetened chocolate
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon butter/oil
• 1 tablespoon almond butter
• 1 egg

1. Melt chocolate, honey and butter in a mug for 30 seconds.
2. Stir in almond butter.
3. Whisk in egg until smooth.
4. Microwave for 1 minute.

Top 3 GF Brands

Like I said earlier, brands are recognizing the trends in the gluten free market and coming up with new products and alternatives to gluten products. In saying this, it doesn’t mean they are all tasteful. Gluten alternatives are rice based most of the time; this makes the products crumble and taste very dry. I have tried a lot of these products and different brands. To make it easier when deciding what to purchase, I came up with the top 3 brands (in my opinion).

1. Bob’s Red Mill

2. Glutino

3. General Mills

All of these products can be found at local grocery stores in the gluten free section or in specialty food stores. The reason why Bob’s Red Mill was my number one choice is because they offer a large selection of products and alternatives. I suggest looking at this line of products if you are interested in baking. They offer every single alternative to gluten for baking purposes. My favorite product is the pizza crust mix. It taste a lot like gluten pizza would, but it doesn’t have the dryness of a rice-based product.

Baking & Gluten

Baking is very hard when you have a gluten allergy. You can find substitutions for flour and oats, or you can find recipes that do not include gluten (this can be very tricky). Here is a recipe that is easy and gluten free. It is also a lot healthier than other cookies.

Ingredients:

1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix first 6 ingredients in a bowl. Mix in chocolate chips. Using moistened hands, form generous 1 tablespoon dough for each cookie into ball. Press down with a fork so they can cooky evenly. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

ENJOY :)

Gluten - A New Market?

So you may be wondering why I chose to blog about my gluten free lifestyle? How does this relate to my school/career life? Well, I believe I can relate this topic to every aspect of my life including marketing and advertising.

Like I stated in my previous blog, gluten free has not only just become a more commonly diagnosed disease, it is becoming a “fad diet” and new lifestyle choice for many people. This opens a whole new market for brands. A year ago, when you walked into a grocery store there was a very limited amount of alternatives for gluten intolerant people. Nowadays when you walk into the grocery store there is a whole section dedicated to wheat allergies. They are offering many alternatives to gluten products, like potato and rice based foods. Many companies have jumped on this bandwagon and are coming out with new and innovative products everyday.

Its not only food companies producing products, restaurants and bakeries are now recognizing these new trends. Bakeries are now becoming gluten conscious and providing their consumers with alternative products. Restaurants are now including a gluten free section on their menus, making it a lot easier for people with allergies to dine out.

Why Gluten-Free?

The Gluten-Free Lifestyle

The gluten-free diet has recently become a very popular lifestyle choice. As first it seemed that more and more people were being diagnosed with “Celiac” disease and were advised to go on the gluten-free diet. Now is seems like everyone is jumping on the gluten-free diet as a lifestyle choice.

So what is Gluten-Free?

Gluten-Free is a diet that excludes any foods containing gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and malts. People choose to eat gluten free for many different reasons, some because they have to, like Celiac Disease. Celiac Disease is a disorder that causes damage to the small intestine. Cutting gluten can relieve many symptoms, including bloating, cramps, nausea, anemia, irritability and depression. Others go gluten free as a way to lose weight and eat healthier.

So why I am gluten-free? My sister was diagnosed with celiac disease 3 years ago. To make it easier on her we started eating gluten-free as a family. This way my mom didn’t have to cook separate meals for my sister and we could all help her cope with being Celiac. It was very tricky at first, but we all learned about substitutions to gluten and adapted the diet to our lifestyle. Not only did my sister get better, we all felt healthier and learned to love the gluten-free lifestyle.