Certain grains such as durum, spelt, semolina, rye, barley and wheat contain a protein called gluten. There are individuals who suffer from an inherited autoimmune condition called celiac, which is when gluten damages the small intestine by causing a toxic reaction. This prevents nutrients from being absorbed properly and can damage the individual's health, according to the Celiac Disease Foundation. If you suffer from celiac disease or simply want to eliminate gluten from your diet, you can begin by choosing only foods that contain no grains---such as veggies and fruit and look for gluten-free breads and other products available at your local health food store.
Step 1
Make a shopping list that includes all the food available without gluten. Although many processed foods are eliminated on a gluten-free diet, you can still have a perfectly balanced and healthy diet without gluten. Foods that you can include in your list are vegetables, fruits, leafy greens, beans, rice, ice cream, cheese, eggs, fish and other forms of meat. Choose organic produce, dairy and meat whenever possible to avoid harmful pesticides present in conventionally grown fruits and vegetables and hormones present in animal products coming from factory farms.
Step 2
Research what brands make gluten-free products before your head to the store so you can save time and you don't have to read each label. Glutenfree.com and glutenfreeinfo.com have lists of manufacturers of gluten-free products. Remember that gluten-free is not equivalent to healthy and many processed products can contain high amounts of added sugar and trans fats.
Step 3
Visit mainly health foods stores that are more likely to carry gluten-free products and food---and may even have an entire section or isle dedicated specifically to gluten-free food. If you have read about a certain product that you are interested in and you can't find it in the store, ask the store manager if they take special orders or if you can submit a request for your store to carry the product you are looking for.
Tips and Warnings
- According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, common symptoms of celiac disease include intestinal gas, steatorrhea or fatty stools, anemia and chronic constipation or diarrhea. Consult your doctor if you think you may have celiac disease, because when left untreated, celiac disease can result in iron deficiency, early onset osteoporosis, mineral and vitamin deficiency, gallbladder malfunction and gastrointestinal cancers.
- Although oats don't contain gluten, they are many times processed along with grains that do contain gluten and should therefore be avoided unless they are specifically labeled as gluten-free.
Things You'll Need
- Shopping list
