How to follow a Gluten-free diet

What is Gluten?

Gluten is a type of protein found in wheat, certain grains, barley, and rye. Gluten when

mixed with water or heat, which is the case for many gluten-based products (bread, pasta,

baked goods, etc), a sticky dough is formed. This ‘sticky’ dough gives gluten-based

products elasticity, allowing baked goods to rise and give the final product a soft, chewy,

and desirable texture.

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Do I need to go Gluten-free?

Short answer is No. Unless recommended or prescribed by an allied health professional

to go gluten-free the majority of people can safely consume a gluten containing diet. A

very small portion of the population do require a gluten-free diet and are often formally

diagnosed as celiac.

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Celiac disease is a autoimmune disorder that causes an abnormal

immune response to gluten, resulting in damage to the lining of the small intestine

inhibiting absorption of essential nutrients. Another small portion of people experience

digestive discomfort when consuming gluten in their diet and often diagnosed with non-

celiac gluten intolerance and too prescribed to avoid gluten.

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Marketing has promoted GF diets as a ‘healthy’ lifestyle choice, but this is not the case.

Many GF products are highly processed and contain more sugar, salt, fat, and

preservatives then their gluten containing counterparts.

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So, unless you are celiac or have gluten intolerance you DO NOT need to follow a gluten-

free diet.

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Gluten cotaining Foods

• Wheat and its derivatives (durum,
• semolina, spelt, farro, graham)
• Barley
• Rye
• Malt - Including malt syrup, malt extract, malt vinegar and malted milk.
• Brewer’s yeast
• Oats (unless specifically labelled gluten-free)

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Gluten Free Foods

• Rice
• Quinoa
• Corn
• Buckwheat
• Sorghum
• Amaranth and arrowroot
• Potatoe and tapioca flour
• Millet
• Cassava
• Gluten Free Bread

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Tips for Gluten Free Label Reading

1.   If a product is labelled “gluten-free” it is most likely safe to consume due to

regulations for product claims on food labels. However, a ‘wheat-free” label DOES

NOT necessarily mean gluten-free.

2.   Check the allergen listing under the ingredients list to help quickly distinguish

whether gluten is found in that product/food.

3.   Check for common gluten containing products: Wheat, Barley, Rye, Malt, Brewer’s

yeast, Oats (unless specifically labeled gluten-free).

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Products labelled as ‘Gluten-Free’

By law, a product can only be labelled as 'gluten free' when it contains no

detectable gluten and thus safe for consumption for those requiring a gluten-free

diet.

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Products labelled with ‘contains gluten’ or ‘contains traces of gluten’.

When sources of gluten are not written on an ingredient list, you’ll often find these

statements. It is recommended that these products be avoided by people on a

gluten free diet.

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Products labelled with ‘may contain traces of gluten’

It is advised to contact the manufacturing company for more information as

avoiding all foods with this label may not be required.

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