Gluten-free Living – All You Need to Know
Once upon a time, when you heard certain food products were ‘gluten-free’, you might have thought, “You mean taste-free right?”
Not in today’s world!
Gluten-free has brand-new meaning, multiple food options, and is now a lifestyle adopted by many. That’s why Miski Organics strives for delicious gluten-free options for everyone. Why are we so focused on gluten-free products? What exactly does gluten-free mean? Read on to learn more!
A quick look at Gluten
The word ‘Gluten’ originates from its glue-like consistency in your gut. It’s a family of proteins that allows bread to rise when heated and provides that chewy, satisfying texture you keep craving for! If your diet includes wheat, spelt, rye, and barley- gluten is a part of your gut. Wheat is the most consumed grain among these.
There may be some advantages to gluten-free diets- Improved gut health, better stamina and overall well-being (Healthline Source). However, people choose to be gluten-free for 2 main reasons – gluten sensitivity and more seriously, gluten intolerance.
Gluten sensitivity
In recent years, gluten sensitivity has received significant attention. People with gluten sensitivity do not have severe symptoms after consuming gluten, like those with celiac disease or wheat allergy. They do however, experience mild symptoms and respond positively to a gluten-free diet. Consuming gluten can cause a range of symptoms, including abdominal pain, bloating, and diarrhea.
Gluten intolerance
People with gluten intolerance usually have damaged gut lining, which is a key feature of celiac disease (12Trusted Source). Celiac disease is the most severe gluten-related disorder. This autoimmune disease affects about 1% of the world’s population with a higher number of women affected. (2Trusted Source). For people with celiac disease, gluten can cause a severe immune reaction that damages the small intestine and can lead to serious health problems.
Avoid These Foods
In principle, some kind of gluten can be found in any type of grain, not just wheat, barely, and rye. However, these are the ‘Big Three’ types of grains that are responsible for most gluten-related health issues and should be avoided at all costs.
This includes forms of wheat like spelt, semolina or triticale which is a hybrid of wheat and rye. Any products derived from wheat, barley and rye also include gluten including barley malt in its many forms (malt vinegar, malt syrup, malt flavoring, etc.). A surprising food that contains wheat? Traditional soy sauces. Gluten-free Tamari (often labeled Japanese soy Sauce) could work as a favorable alternative instead.
All your baking gets trickier when you realize that conventional flours including all-purpose, cake, pastry, bread and semolina flours contain gluten. Any breads (including bread crumbs and breaded products), cakes, pies, cookies, crackers, sauces, gravies and conventional pasta are thus off the table, when you’re pursuing a gluten-free diet.
Unless they’re labeled “certified gluten-free”, breakfast cereals like corn flakes and rice krispies can contain gluten due to the barley malt extract or flavoring used. General Mills has made all Chex Cereals (except Wheat Chex) gluten-free by using a dedicated gluten-free facility.
Some grains, like oats, are often processed near gluten-containing grains and can become contaminated with gluten. However, there are gluten-free oats available that are specifically labeled as such by the manufacturer.
Conclusion
Some of our favorite celebrities live and breathe the gluten-free lifestyle. For instance, the powerhouse singer Miley Cyrus has followed a gluten-free lifestyle for years because she has a gluten and lactose allergy. Another great example is Lady Gaga herself – she joined the gluten-free advocates to help lose weight and have more energy.
And speaking of family, our very own Miski family has members who are gluten-free. Owing to a history of heart disease and cancer among family members, we introduced our own family to organic, plant-forward and health-focused foods to enable them to lead healthier lifestyles. This is why we then pursued a business with the mission to provide organic, non-GMO, gluten-free products to support our customers’ well-being too. Gluten-free does not mean taste free, it means living a healthy lifestyle.
Don’t know where to start? Miski Organics has everything you could need for recipes and more. Our organic superfood options provide multiple food alternatives that will certainly make your cooking, baking and meal-prep choices more wholesome.
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