Gluten Free Food

Get Fresh baked Gluten Free Bread on Saturdays!!

Health Street specializes in gluten free food ...

In fact, all of our food is GLUTEN FREE!

Gluten is the tough elastic protein in wheat, rye and barley. The presence of gluten is what allows bread to expand and become bread; this is due to its very high content of the sulphur containing amino acid cystine, which gives gluten its elastic and expandable qualities. It is, however, this exact trait that also makes gluten very difficult to digest because gluten is not easy to breakdown. If a person's digestive system is the least bit compromised, it is very likely that the gluten will not be fully digested and be allowed to pass through to the intestines, where undigested proteins are the perfect nourishment for bad, putrefying bacteria. Because of the physical nature of gluten, it is an especially unfavorable substance to have in the intestines. It has a tendency to stick to the walls and combine with another hard to digest protein, casein. The two proteins can form an adherent mass on the intestinal walls that makes absorption of essential nutrients problematic, if not impossible. It can also make the passage of waste material extremely difficult (constipation) contributing to overall body and bowel toxicity. This intestinal build-up can put an enormous toxic burden on the body, making it vulnerable to an infinite amount of chronic conditions.

Celiac Disease

Definition

Celiac disease is a medical condition in which the absorptive surface of the small intestine is damaged by a substance called gluten. This results in an inability of the body to absorb nutrients: protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, which are necessary for good health.

Although statistics are not readily available, it is estimated that 1 in 133 persons in Canada are affected by celiac disease.

A wide range of symptoms may be present. Symptoms may appear together or singularly in children or adults. In general, the symptoms of untreated celiac disease indicate the presence of malabsorption due to the damaged small intestine.

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, triticale, barley. In the case of wheat, gliadin has been isolated as the toxic fraction. It is the gluten in the flour that helps bread and other baked goods bind and prevents crumbling. This feature has made gluten widely used in the production of many processed and packaged foods.

At present there is no cure, but celiac disease is readily treated by following the gluten-free diet.

Recent studies have shown that pure uncontaminated oats may be used in the gluten-free diet with care. Please see the Professional Advisory Board statement re oats.

Symptoms

Common symptoms are anemia, chronic diarrhea, weight loss, fatigue, cramps and bloating, irritability.

Although some or all of these symptoms occur in celiac disease, some can also occur in many other diseases more common than celiac disease.

In other cases, sufferers from gluten-intolerance develop an intense burning and itching rash called dermatitis herpetiformis. The intestinal symptoms of celiac disease may or may not appear in dermatitis herpetiformis.

Diagnosis

a) Screening
Until recently physicians had to rely on clinical signs to suggest the diagnosis and to select which patients should have further investigation to prove the diagnosis. Since these signs may be vague or of varying severity this may be difficult. Now simple blood screening tests are becoming available to help this process.

b) Biopsy
A definitive diagnosis can only be made by a small bowel biopsy. The biopsy is performed by a specialist in the gastrointestinal field. The biopsy must be done before treatment is started.
Recommendations by International Celiac Societies and Associations regarding diagnosis of celiac disease as researched by Dr. Mohsin Rashid, Professional Advisory Board of CCA.

Treatment

Celiac disease as yet has no known cure, but can usually be effectively treated and controlled. The treatment of celiac disease is strict adherence to a GLUTEN FREE DIET FOR LIFE. This requires knowledgeable dietetic counselling and frequent "up-dates" as commercial food contents change.

Celiacs must be alert to hidden sources of gluten such as HVP/HPP (hydrolyzed vegetable/plant protein); malt; spelt; kamut; and certain drug products.

Today's processed and packaged foods have many hidden sources of gluten which can be unintentionally ingested. Particular care should be taken in the selection of soups, luncheon meats and sausages.

The person with celiac disease MUST READ THE LIST OF INGREDIENTS ON ALL LABELS, EVERY TIME.

There is a great variation in sensitivity to gluten among those with celiac disease, and although one may have no obvious symptoms, damage to the intestinal lining may still occur.

Supplementing a Gluten Free Diet

For someone who suffers from a gluten sensitivity, keeping their nutritional status at optimum will be challenging as result of the issues it creates with digestion and absorption. Some practitioners suggest the use of high quality vitamin and mineral supplement powders or liquids to maximize the potential for absorption and hopefully help give the body the nutrients it needs to manage flare-ups and heal.

Having a sensitivity to gluten does not mean an end to your culinary world and well-being. It merely requires a habit adjustment and attention to detail that my have been overlooked before. Gluten free can be glorious and give you a whole new handle on your life.

 Canadian Celiac Association  http://www.celiac.ca/

*Freshly baked bread is available most saturdays, but not all.