National Gluten Free Day, January 13

Wednesday, January 13 2016, is National Gluten Free Day . One day of dedicated gluten-free living. How are you celebrating?

Gluten (from Latin gluten, “glue”) is a mixture of proteins found in wheat and related grains, including barley and rye. Gluten gives elasticity to dough, helping it rise and keep its shape and often gives the final product a chewy texture. Wikipedia

Gluten-related disorders is the umbrella term for all diseases triggered by gluten. Gluten-related disorders include celiac disease (CD), non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), gluten ataxia, dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) and wheat allergy. The term “gluten intolerance” should not be used, because it is non specific and carries inherent contradictions and weaknesses. Furthermore, it is not recommended to use the term “gluten sensitivity”, and “non-coeliac gluten sensitivity” is to be used instead.

Currently, their incidence is increasing in most geographic areas of the world. It can be explained possibly by the growing westernization of diet, increasing use of wheat-based foods included in the Mediterranean diet, the progressive replacement of rice by wheat in many countries in Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa, the development in recent years of new types of wheat with a higher amount of cytotoxic gluten peptides, and the higher content of gluten in bread and bakery products, due to the reduction of dough fermentation time.

Gluten can be found in bread products, imitation meats, beer and soy sauce, and can be used as a stabilizing agent in more unexpected food products, such as ice cream and ketchup.

When planning a gluten free day, remember that in addition to corn and rice, gluten-free grains and pseudo grains include amaranth, buckwheat, millet, quinoa, sorghum, teff, and montina (Indian Rice Grass).

Our gluten free day is going to include eggs and fruit for breakfast, white bean soup for lunch, no flour for thickening, and a big green salad with a roasted chicken quarters for dinner. Maybe some hummus on the side.

Tell us how you are going to celebrate your gluten free day!