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A
gluten free diet excludes all types
of grains that contain gluten. Your local health food store is one of the best
places to seek out gluten free alternatives to common grain based products.
Here
is a gluten free shopping list which shows gluten free alternatives to some
common foods:
·
Breads: rice, buckwheat + ‘wheat free’
varieties.
·
Breakfast cereals: organic corn
flakes, rice bubbles, Amaranth, puffed buckwheat + gluten free muesli.
·
Flours: 100% buckwheat, rice, Besan
(chickpea), Lupin, coconut.
·
Noodles: rice + 100% buckwheat.
·
Pasta: vegetable + rice varieties.
·
Porridge: Quinoa, rice + Polenta porridge.
·
Rice: brown rice + white rice varieties.
It
is important to read food labels carefully as gluten is often a hidden
ingredient in packaged foods. This includes; baking powder, flavourings and
hydrolysed vegetable protein. Beer may contain varying amounts of gluten as it
is produced by the alcoholic fermentation of germinated cereals, usually
barley.
Cross
contamination of gluten free foods can occur during the manufacturing process
when these foods come into contact with foods that contain gluten.
For
example, if the same equipment is used to make a variety of snack foods some
gluten free items may become contaminated. Food labels often include a ‘may
contain gluten’ statement if this is the case.
If a
food is labelled ‘gluten free’ is does not necessarily mean it is healthy
‘Gluten
free’ foods are not always healthy and can in fact be harmful to the thyroid.
Food manufacturers regard corn (maize) and soy ingredients as cost effective
substitutes for gluten containing grains.
Corn
and soy ingredients should be strictly avoided when you have an under active
thyroid problem. Further, corn and soy are common food allergens and in turn
can also initiate symptoms of food intolerance.
When
you are checking labels also look for soy and Canola oil. These cheap oils are
popular with food manufacturers and are routinely labelled as ‘vegetable oil’.
This makes them sound healthy but they are actually damaging to the thyroid
gland. If you are not sure be a label detective, look closely under the
ingredient list to see if it states the product contains soy.
Activating
your gluten free grains
All
grains including gluten free varieties have naturally occurring enzyme
inhibitors that make them difficult to digest and also lower absorption of
important minerals.
Eating
large quantities of grains and using flours that have not been soaked, sprouted
or fermented can lead to mineral deficiencies and long term bone loss. This
means all gluten free flours and wholegrains should be activated with these
traditional methods to release their full nutritional potential.
Read
the following related articles:
Author Bio:
Louise O’ Connor,
the author of The Natural Thyroid Diet –The 4-Week Plan to Living Well, Living Vibrantly, who
is a specialist in Thyroid Health. She is a highly regarded Australian
Naturopath and founder of Wellnesswork.
The Natural Thyroid
Diet goes beyond diet advice and offers practical and effective ways to achieve
healthy thyroid levels within just a short period of time. For more details,
Click on
The-Natural-Thyroid-Diet.com