Several months ago I learned from Gluten Free Society (Dr. Osborne), that all grains have glutinous proteins -- not just wheat, barley and rye, but all grains. Sorghum, millet, rice, corn, quinoa, oats, wild rice, all have glutinous proteins. All these foods that people with gluten sensitivity have been told are safe to eat, really are not safe. This leads to chronic inflammation and disease that we, as a society, could be avoiding just by changing our dietary habits. It makes me sad to think of all the extra money I alone spent on "gluten free" products that were really only contributing to my inflammation, pain and dis-ease.
I thought that being "gluten free" by the standard definition was hard, being completely grain free is eye opening. Grains and grain products are in nearly everything from envelopes to supplements to hidden ingredients in packaged foods. I once had a pretty severe reaction to licking the glue on an envelope! I've yet to find an acetaminophen product that doesn't have a grain derivative in it. Supplements are another issue. Here I'm spending all this money on vitamins and such to help me feel better, only to discover they are part of my problem! Yikes!
Here's a helpful article on how to find hidden gluten sources.
So, once I eliminated the grains from my diet, what am I supposed to eat?
Condiments. There are not any commercially prepared salad dressings, ketchup or mayonnaise that I can eat because of my interstitial cystitis (IC), besides that many of them contain white vinegar and grain based oils. Thankfully, I've come up with some recipes to satisfy that need. Look to the side bar for recipes.
What about bread? I haven't had regular bread for a long time, so that's not a big issue for me. However, I do miss things like tortillas and buns. I used to use sorghum and corn flours extensively when I was "gluten free" the traditional way. Now that I'm completely grain free, those are eliminated from my diet -- what am I supposed to use? I did some reading online and discovered that many people on grain free (paleo) diets use legume flours, like garbanzo bean (chickpea, lentil, besan, gram) flour, nut flours, like almond, and potato flour and starch. Coconut is, also, a valuable staple on grain free eating plans.
After doing some searching, I've found some pretty reasonable sources for garbanzo bean (aka, chickpea, lentil, besan, gram) flour, nut flours, like almond, potato flour and starch, and coconut products. I live near a large city that has an Indian Asian market where I can get besan flour very reasonably. When I'm not able to go there, I order products online. My local grocery store carries almond flour and unsweetened shredded coconut. I just put the shredded coconut into my food processor and grind it finer if that's what I need. Potato flour and starch are a bit more difficult to find, but I can get them at my local health food store or online. I have a large chest freezer, and I buy these products in bulk when I can; so I can get a better discount and free shipping in a lot of cases with my online purchases.
I've been experimenting with some bread product recipes. Breads on a completely grain free diet aren't the same as the normal fluffy white bread I grew up on. No, sirree! However, if the goal is to have something to put jam on that is pretty tasty, or something to keep my hands from getting messy when having a burger, then I've come up with some very useful recipes. I've got a biscuit recipe that I enjoy, as well as a bun recipe that I like. Check the side bar for the recipes. I'm continuing to experiment, and I'll continue posting as I come up with them.
Dairy products are often problematic for folks with grain sensitivities. The grains that the cows eat, cross into the milk. I've not found any dairy products that don't cause me inflammation, specifically in my joints. I'm experimenting with small amounts of Pecorino Romano made from sheep milk. I'm not sure if it works for me or not. I've eliminated all other dairy, including butter. When I really need "milk" for something, I use my Homemade Almond Milk recipe. I'm toying with the idea of using it as a base for some dairy-free yogurt or kefir. (By the way, I do have kefir grains if anyone needs them in exchange for postage cost.) I might even try my hand at some cheese if the yogurt or kefir works out.
Butter and oils are another issue. I don't know if it's the case for everyone with grain sensitivities, but I can tolerate very few of the liquid oils. A lot of them are grain based. What I've found that I tolerate are peanut oil, olive oil and coconut oil. I would use lard, but I can't find any brands that are not filled with preservatives. I often reclaim usable fat from my cooking when I prepare a roast or such. In cooking, if the recipe calls for a solid fat, like butter, I use coconut oil. Coconut oil is solid below 70F. For liquid oils in a recipe, I use peanut or olive oil. I use olive oil or coconut oil when preparing things like cooked vegetables and potatoes. Walnut oil is another delicious oil that I've recently discovered. It is fantastic on salad and baked potatoes! For frying, I use reclaimed fat or peanut oil. Olive oil is not heat stable and will break down if not combined with another oil when heated to frying temperatures.
I hope this information is helpful.
Blessings,
Sharron
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