It’s day 2 of the 10 Days of Gluten Free blog hop! I am covering topics related to getting started on the gluten free diet. Be sure to visit the other participating blogs listed at the end of this post. Each one is covering a different gluten-free topic and has a great giveaway you can enter.
What is Gluten Free?
Before you can rid yourself of gluten, you have to understand what gluten is. Gluten is a general name for specific proteins found in wheat, rye, and barley. A small percentage of people with celiac disease also react to a protein found in oats.
Oats are tricky because most commercial oats are contaminated with gluten. We’ll talk about contamination on another day, but you need to know that you should not eat oats unless they are certified gluten free.
Wheat, Rye and Barley
So you need to avoid wheat, rye, barley, and most oats. That means that almost all bread, cookies, cereal, and pasta found at a regular grocery store are off limits. But you also have to watch out for foods that are not as obvious.
Most soy sauce contains wheat, but you can find gluten free brands, especially at a health food store. Items like chili seasoning packets often contain gluten too.
Barley frequently shows up in foods in the form of malt. If you see malt listed as an ingredient in a food assume it is off limits unless it specifically says that it is malt made from a safe ingredient. The exception to that is maltodextrin which is gluten free.
Don’t Get Discouraged
When you first get started, it seems like there is so much food you can’t eat. It seems that way because you are not aware of all the foods you can eat. There are gluten-free substitutes for many of the things you are omitting, but right now the focus is on getting rid of what is hurting your body.
Tomorrow I will talk about what you can eat. Gluten-Free Eating is a helpful pdf from Dieticians of Canada which discusses in more detail what you can and cannot eat on a gluten-free diet.
Giveaway
Shelley Case is giving away a copy of her book Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide. The title is an appropriate description. This book would be useful to anyone on a gluten-free diet.
Giveaway Guidelines
- This giveaway is limited to U.S. residents 18 and older.
- You are allowed one entry per “10 Days of Gluten Free” blog post for a total of 10 entries on this blog.
- Enter by leaving a comment on this post (and other 10 Days of GF posts)
- The giveaway begins May 7, 2012 and ends at 11:59 pm eastern time on May 18, 2012.
No purchase is necessary. Odds of winning are based on the number of entries. The winner will be randomly chosen and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond, a new winner will be randomly chosen.
10 Days of Gluten Free Continues:
These bloggers have great tips and ideas to share with you. Please stop by and remember to enter the giveaways.
- Resources – Wendy @ Celiacs in the House
- Traveling – Karen @ Gluten-Free Travel Blog
- Eating Out – Heather @ Gluten-Free Cat
- Frugal Tips – Janelle @ Gluten Freely Frugal
- Cooking – Carrie @ Ginger Lemon Girl
- Baking – Jules @ Jules Gluten Free
- Kids – Lynn @ Lynn’s Recipe Adventures
- Lunch Boxes – Tessa @ Tessa the Domestic Diva
- Shopping – Laura @ Gluten Free Pantry
Thanks for all the great info about gluten-free.
Even though I’ve been eating gluten-free for a while now, I think I’m missing some ingredients because sometimes I will still get sick. This book would be an awesome help!
Thanks for taking the time to put these tips together.
Great post Linda! I think when I first started GF I was glutened by a chili seasoning packet and didn’t realize it!!
Thanks for this blog hop. I was diagnosed with celiac disease at the beginning of March this year and still haven’t gotten my symptoms under control even though I am strictly gluten free. I have also given up dairy for the time being. I already don’t eat soy much. I am at a loss as to how to proceed. Thanks for including me in the giveaway.
I’m looking forward to other posts. Your book looks like a wonderful resource to have as I continue on this new journey to provide gf foods for my two daughters.
Thanks for the work and the info you put out on your blog. It is very helpful.
I would like to be entered for a chance to win the book.
Thanks again!
I am so happy that you share your knowledge! The recipes I’ve tried are great. Thank you!
My teen-age son and I are the gluten-free eaters in our family, and enjoy better health because of it. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and links with us so we can be as informed as possible. Please enter me in the book give-away.
THANKS for all the great info!!!
I have come accross so many people that are Gluten Free that STILL have no idea what they should and shouldn’t be eatting. I appreciate all your information and hope that we can someday get all packages labeled GF or NOT GF!!!
Thanks,
Rachel
I would love to read the book, and if I win it, even better.
I am sure there are things I do not know about gluten free diet and Celiac, as I still suffer from symptoms even eating gluten-free.
Thank you for the tips! I am hoping the oats I found at Trader Joe’s live up to their label and my two celiacs can enjoy some yummy oatmeal cookies soon!
I know that I am gluten intolerant and I feel GREAT when I stick to eating gluten free. When I do eat gluten, I notice it immediately but then get stupid and keep eating it. I need to be more consistent! Great giveaway!
When my doctor told me I had to avoid gluten for the rest of my life, I went into a numb state. Then I recovered and learned to read labels. And when you have celiac disease or gluten intolerance, you learn to read, read, and read again to make sure you haven’t missed some ingredient containing gluten in the list. It’s a double or triple whammy, when you find you have a problem with another of the 8 top allergens, as I do. I have to for two allergens on the labels.
My last sentence should have read “I have to look out for two allergens on the labels”. Linda – this is not an attempt to get another entry for the book drawing – I’m correcting an error in my post!
I’ve just entered the gluten free world with myself and my youngest son. He is not celiac… but showing signs of sensitivity. I would really appreciate this resource. Thank you!
My friend referred me to this website. I have recently been told by a nutritionist friend that going Gluten Free would probably help my bloating and over all diet. In just two days I can really feel a little difference. This will be an overall change for my family. Thank you so much. I love everything I have seen on this site!
You’re welcome, Amanda. And you came at just the right time with this “getting started” series going on.
Thank you so much for sharing all of this wonderful information! I always say you can never know too much.
I believe I would give this book to my mom, if I were to win it. She shows all the signs of gluten intolerance, but is dragging her feet on trying life gf. 🙁
~T.
thank you. another post with new to me info!
I agree that reading labels is so important and your link to the Gluten-Free Eating PDF can be so helpful to new people who are just starting the diet. Since I suffer from 4 of the top 8 allergens I really have to double check every product I buy from the store. My frustration comes when so many GF products contain soy or sesame!!
Thank you! I just started the elimination diet and this blog hop will be very helpful!
Please enter me for the book. I read anything and everything that comes along about CD and gluten intolerance, just so I know what I’m up against. I’ve been GF for 20 months, but you never know when things might change.
I CERTAINLY WOULD LOVE TO WIN THIS BOOK. FOUR YEARS HAVE GONE BY AND I STILL AM SUFFERING GREATLY WITH MY CELIAC. I AM NOW SEEING A NUTRIONIST FOR HELP.
What a great giveaway, a book that would be a great addition to anyone’s library!
Thanks for the time, effort, great info and recipes you share with each of us.
People sensitive to msg (me!) should also avoid foods containing barley malt. Thank you for taking the time to do these articles! melisa (at) toadinaboat (dot) com
THis book would really help. I went gluten free 36 hours ago! I am doing so after my mom went gluten free 2 weeks ago & already feels better. We share some of the same mystery stomach issues. Hope it helps me & hope I get the hang of this new lifestyle.
Thanks for the link to what is GF article. Printing this out for my daughters teacher 🙂
Thanks for posting Gluten-Free Eating from Dieticians of Canada. It is really helpful. The book will be very helpful as well. Thank for all your insight and help
I was just diagnosed yesterday with Celiac Disease. I’m devestated but know that I will get the hang of this shortly. I just can’t wait to feel better. Thanks!
Emily, be sure to go back and read my first two posts in this series, Emotions and Attitude and What is Gluten Free?
I was sad when I was told I can’t have oats any longer. I even tried the GF oats, I still got sick. So why do they call it maltdextrin. Weird name I think. Until 2 years ago I was told it was not safe. That’s whats so funny with this disease, what is and not safe!
i’ve been eating gluten-free since March 2011. It’s made a world of difference to me. Sometimes I wish there were a secret-decoder ring for figuring it all out. Ah…that’s the book! Hope to add it to my bookshelf 🙂
The more I read the more I realize how much I need to learn. Thank you for posting your experience and useful links!
Just found out TODAY after suffering with “IBS” for 10 years! Looking forward to the GF life and a better quality of Life!! Hope to be a winner and learn how to get started on this journey. I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to live this way, so many things I love with Gluten. This is not going to be easy. Thankful for bloggers that share recipes and life experiences living GF!!
–Josette
Thanks for sharing your knowledge with the GF community. So much to learn!