What is gluten and what can I do about it?

So what is gluten?

Gluten is a protein found in barley, wheat, rye and oats.

So what can I do about it?

If you have been diagnosed with Celiacs disease, you will need to go on a gluten free diet, and stick with it for the rest of your life. This may seem daunting at first, but as you get used to it, it will become second nature. Strip your pantry and fridge bare of all items with gluten in them- give it away to friends, and stock up on all the gluten free versions of the foods you gave away. Supermarkets these days have gluten free options and often have a health food aisle. Otherwise try and find a gluten free store. BIG note…… gluten is in many things you would never dream of, such as lipstick and toothpaste. So make sure you read the labels properly. If in doubt you can always email the manufactures this has worked for me, and they are most of the time happy to help you out. Inafew months time, I will write a comprehensive resource about this.

I highly recommend joining the Celiac Society of Australia. It costs around $100 to join, but it is well worth it, they send an introduction kit with food samples, a great ingredient book to help identify gluten items in the supermarket and information on the disease. The best $100 you will spend.

There are also many great books and websites out there as well.

Please look at my links on the home age for books, blogsites and websites that I recommend..