"Gluten-free" and
"dairy-free" seem to be buzzwords these days. Many people eliminate
gluten and dairy from their diets to help manage chronic disease, food
sensitivities, and inflammation.
Gluten and dairy are both common allergens (An allergen is a type of antigen that causes an abnormally vigorous immune response in which the immune system fights off a perceived threat that is otherwise harmless to the body.) Such reactions are known as allergies) and can cause problems in a wide range of people. What are the best ways to begin a gluten-free and dairy-free diet?
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What exactly is gluten?
To begin, let's define gluten and how it can cause problems for some people. Gluten is a prolamin protein (Prolamins are a group of plant storage proteins with a high proline amino acid content.) Plants contain them, primarily in the seeds of cereal grains like wheat, barley, rye, corn, sorghum, and oats. They have a high glutamine and proline content and are water insoluble) Endosperm can be found in wheat, barley, and rye grains. Gluten is a "glue" that holds baked goods together and is known for its stretchiness.
What exactly is dairy?
Milk produced by mammals, such as cow's milk, goat's milk, sheep's milk, and even camel's milk, is referred to as dairy. Cow's milk is the least allergenic and most widely consumed type of milk in the United States and Canada. Milk, cream, yoghurt, kefir, cheese, and butter are just a few examples of dairy products. Eggs are not dairy foods, despite the fact that they are frequently found in the dairy section of the grocery store.
Inflammation and gluten
Gluten can cause inflammation in the body in a variety of ways, and a gluten-free diet can help people with a variety of conditions.
Anti-Nutrients
Gluten is an inflammatory food for a variety of reasons. For starters, gluten is high in anti-nutrients, which are proteins found in plants. These anti-nutrients can bind to nutrients in your gut and prevent them from being absorbed and digested, causing inflammation.
Zonulin Extraction
Furthermore, gluten consumption and
digestion causes the release of zonulin in the body. Zonulin is a protein that
modulates the permeability of tight junctions between cells in the digestive
tract's wall; it is the only protein known to do so. Our guts are designed to
have selective permeability through those junctions, allowing good things to
enter the bloodstream while keeping bad things in the gut for removal.
Gluten consumption is a personal choice,
and there is no medical reason to abstain from it. You can, however, follow a
gluten-free diet to help manage the following conditions:
1. Dairy & Inflammation
2. Lactose Intolerance
3. Acne
4. Chronic sinusitis
5. Blood sugar issues
6. PCOS and other hormonal imbalances
Naturally gluten and dairy-free whole
foods:
1. Vegetables and fruits
2. Meat, poultry, and seafood
3. Legumes and grains (stay away from
barley, rye, and wheat, and be careful of cross-contamination)
4. Nuts and seeds
How to Avoid Gluten and Dairy
1. The first step toward eliminating gluten
and dairy is to educate yourself on their effects and common locations. When
you know where gluten and dairy may be hiding in food, you can make better
choices at the store and in restaurants.
2. Adhere to a dairy-free and gluten-free
whole foods diet. Dairy products are naturally gluten-free. If you choose to
buy processed foods, read ingredient labels and contamination warnings
carefully. Even if a product is gluten-free or dairy-free, it is frequently processed
on the same equipment as gluten- and dairy-containing products.
3. If you're eating out, let your waiter
know you're allergic to dairy or gluten. To make dishes more attractive,
restaurants may cook them in butter, prepare them on a floured surface, or even
add flour to delicacies like omelettes. You should always inquire whether a
meal appears to be gluten-free or dairy-free.
4. Ensure you're aware of gluten and dairy alternatives. It's now pretty simple to discover gluten-free and dairy-free recipes and replacements.
Replacements for milk:
Nut milk (Almond milk/cashew milk/hemp
milk)
Oat milk (again, make sure they’re
gluten-free oats)
Coconut milk
Soy milk
Replacements for wheat flour:
Almond flour
Rice flour
Coconut flour
Oat flour (be sure they are certified
gluten free oats)
Cassava flour
Sweet potato flour
Gluten-free all-purpose flour
Quinoa flour