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.