I just pulled a package of Fisherman’s Friends out of my desk drawer, and suddenly had a moment of doubt.  What if they contain wheat in some shape or form?

There is no ingredients on the package, because it comes in a paper and foil package, originally housed in a larger box with many other packs.  No doubt, the ingredients are one the larger box, but that box is in the store, and I am at my desk, far far away.

Most types of beer are made from barley, and many others are made with wheat.

It is these two gluten-containing ingredients that put most beer off limits for celiacs and those with a gluten allergy (the two main reasons people go on a gluten-free diet).

And what if you are allergic to wheat?

If wheat, rather than gluten is your main problem, then you have more choices.  You can probably buy your beer in at your local shop, being careful to read the ingredients to make sure the beer contains no wheat.

Talking about a bread allergy is not really accurate. Bread is made of a variety of ingredients. If you are "allergic to bread" then you are surely allergic to other foods made up of some of the same ingredients.

Also, consider that bread is made of flour (ignoring the type of flour for now) and realize that by grinding the grain into tiny particles, the food oxidizes, making it rather toxic to your body.

Many on a gluten-free diet wonder if they are safe to eat oats or oatmeal.  Some sources say that oats are safe for celiacs, others say stay away.  So which one is it?  Are oats safe or not?

There are two problems with oatmeal.  Even if the first problem can be solved, the second one makes solving the first pretty much irrelevant.

The first problem with oats is that they can be contaminated with wheat, and wheat contains gluten.

Rice

Rice is a member of the grass family, and is therefore a grain.

Rice is an ideal food for most people with a gluten allergy or are on a gluten-free diet

It is one of the world's most important staple foods, providing approximately one fifth the total calories consumed world wide. It is the second most highly cultivated grain after maize, but not all maize is directly consumed as food by humans, rice is the top the calorie provider in the world.

This gluten free list will help you with your gluten-free diet.  Following this diet can seem challenging at first.  The list you first see is everything you can’t eat.

Yes, it is important to know what foods contain gluten, otherwise you will poison yourself.  The problem is that most people focus on everything they can’t eat at first, leading to depression.  In many cases, eating gluten also leads to depression.

Pseudocereals Ideal for a Gluten Free Diet

Pseudocereals, or pseudograins, are ideal for the gluten-free diet. Pseudograins look like grain, and in many ways you can cook with them as you would with grains.

The difference is that they are not members of the grass family. They are also completely gluten-free. This makes them an excellent choice if you have a gluten allergy or are celiac.

The gluten-free diet is becoming ever more popular, and with good reason.  As more and more people discover they have a gluten allergy or are celiac, the idea of completely eliminating gluten from the diet is gaining ground.

Should everyone go gluten-free?  This is debatable. 

Certainly, anyone with celiac must avoid all gluten, in all forms, at all times.

Gluten allergy, wheat allergy and wheat lectin intolerance can easily be confused.

A gluten allergy is the body's immune response to proteins in gluten. Gluten should be harmless to the body, or so one would think. This is not always the case, as I will explain later in this article.

Some people's bodies decide that gluten proteins are a foreign invader and this triggers an immune response, leading to an allergic reaction.

An intolerance to wheat lectin is a different matter, and it is far more common than you might think.

Gluten Allergy And Grain Damage

By following a gluten-free diet, those with a gluten allergy or celiac are reducing the intake of grains that may in fact be harmful to the general population.

According to the book The Gluten Connection the shift in diet when our ancestors switched from hunter-gatherer to farmer did not have a positive effect on our health, even as it boosted the population.