What is Gluten?
Gluten is the protein found in grains such as wheat, spelt, rye and barely. As it is with most of the grain-based products we eat, gluten is found in common food staples like cereals, breads. Gluten is in the protein family. The two main proteins found in gluten are gliadin and glutenin. Most people tolerate gluten just fine. However, gluten can cause problems for people with celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, wheat allergies, and other auto-immune conditions.
Why Go Gluten Free?
Some people cannot digest “gluten”. People may be born with gluten intolerance and sensitivities or may develop the inability to digest gluten later in life. As we get older our digestive system also ages. As our digestive system ages, it changes. Digestive changes are also bought on by trauma and stress in their lives such as; an infection, pregnancy, post surgery, physical injury, emotional trauma such as lost of a loved one or loss of a job.
Gluten sensitivities/intolerance tend to vary and will exhibit itself much like other food allergies. While some may have anaphylactic reactions toward gluten others may suffer from symptoms such as weight loss, bloating, diarrhea, bone and joint pain, short in statue, dermatitis herpetiformis , migraine headaches, gas, constipation, tingling and numbness in legs, depression, moodiness, menstrual cycle interruptions, the list goes on.
What is Celiac Disease?
Celiac Disease is the most serve case of gluten intolerance. It is a chronic digestive disease. It can lead to villous atrophy which could result in malnutrition. Celiac disease is considered an autoimmune disease. When the villi in the small intestine are damaged nutrients pass through the small intestine rather than absorbed. Many people may have gluten sensitivities and or intolerances, however, to develop celiac disease one must possess an inherent gene.
The Gluten Free Diet
A gluten-free diet means completely avoiding foods that contain wheat (duram, triticale, kamut, and couscous), oats (that may be cross contaminated), rye, spelt, and barley. Foods and products made from these grains are not allowed in the diet. Other dietary options include potato, rice, soy, amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat, or bean flour instead of wheat flour.
Gluten is everywhere. Wheat and its by-products could be in almost anything; bread, pasta, couscous, bran, crackers, and foods made with flour, ice cream and drink mixes. It is important to recognize that gluten may also appear in food as thickeners such as; hydrolyzed proteins, natural flavorings, some soy products, sauces and salad dressings.
Although all people would benefit from a gluten-free diet, it is especially beneficial to those who exhibit sensitivities and intolerance to gluten.
What is in our Products ?
Let’s get this straight. We specialize in two lines of products. The first is the traditional baked good made 100% gluten free. The second is the baked good made for special diets such as sugar free, dairy free, etc. Our list of ingredients varies from item to item. A basic list of gluten free ingredients are: rice flour, tapioca flour, potato starch, sorghum flour, garbanzo bean flour, black beans, corn starch, almond flour, cornflour, teff, amaranth, flax, xanthan gum, agave, salt, sugar, milk, eggs, butter, olive oil, applesauce, tofu, and sour cream, vegan sticks (replaces butter) and leavening powder.
