Gluten and Gluten Free Cooking
Gluten is a combination of the proteins glutenin and gliadin, and these proteins make up over 75% of the protein in wheat. They are also found in rye, barley, and possibly in oats. Gluten is a very important source of protein throughout the globe. It is used as an additive for foods that have low protein content as well as being naturally present in many foods.
Unfortunately, some people have a condition called celiac disease, in which the lining of the small intestine becomes damaged. Common symptoms of this quite serious disease include constipation, abdominal pain, diarrhea, lactose intolerance, hair loss, hypoglycemia, and muscle cramps. People afflicted with this disease must make sure there is no gluten in their diet. Fortunately, gluten free cooking is easy and there are many delicious gluten free meals you can prepare.
When you first switch to gluten free cooking you need to spend a lot of time reading food labels. But once you have assembled a collection of cookbooks devoted to gluten free recipes you will find that your new diet is easy to maintain.
You start with eliminating wheat, rye and barley, but it is usually safe to eat foods that contain potatoes, soybeans, rice, or corn, to name just a few of many vegetables that are without gluten. Some foods are clearly labeled as gluten free, but eliminating the gluten is not that simple, because most processed foods contain wheat or some of the other forbidden grains, but without saying so clearly on the label. You need to look on the label for terms such as emulsifier, stabilizer, and hydrolyzed plant protein, which all mean the food has gluten.
Gluten can be found even in deli meats, dairy products and candy. But don’t be discouraged; you only have to do this detective work at the beginning!
Looking for a recipe that uses corn starch in flour tortillas? Check out Gluten Free Cooking School for this information and more.
