ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS IS GLUTEN FREE FOR ME? Kathy Egan, RDN/LDN National Nutrition Month March...
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Transcript of ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS IS GLUTEN FREE FOR ME? Kathy Egan, RDN/LDN National Nutrition Month March...
A N S W E R S T O YO U R Q U E S T I O N S
IS GLUTEN FREE FOR ME?
Kathy Egan, RDN/LDN
National Nutrition
Month
March 2014
GLUTEN FREE IS EVERYWHERE!
• What’s all the fuss?• It’s confusing • Trendy – does that
make it wrong?
I’M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU WHAT TO DO
• There are enough people trying to do that already.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Describe & define gluten
• Understand gluten vs. food allergy
• Become more comfortable making diet choices
WHAT IS GLUTEN?
• A Protein found in:• Wheat• Barley• Rye
• Oats, by contact
GLUTEN RELATED DISORDERS
• Celiac Disease (Celiac Sprue) • Auto immune response• The body attacks itself
• Mass General Hospital - What is celiac disease?
• Gluten Sensitive Enteropathy (GSE) • (a.k.a. non celiac gluten sensitivity) • Damages intestines, but in a different way
• Gluten Intolerance • causes discomfort, but doesn’t do damage
GLUTEN IS NOT AN ALLERGEN
• Food allergy - immune response
• Food is as an invader
• Histamine reaction is typical
• To learn more about food allergies: • FARE - Food Allergy Research & E
ducation
“GLUTEN FREE” DEFINED BY FDA
• Manufactured foods - less than 20ppm
• 20 parts per million = 20/1,000,000 or .002%
• Example - ½ teaspoon flour in 220 pounds sugar
TOP FOOD ALLERGENS
• 90% of all food allergy reactions- • Peanuts, tree nuts, milk, egg, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish
(sesame seed)
• FALCPA • Food Allergy Consumer Protection Act of 2004 • Allergens must listed be in plain language
• About Food Allergies
IS GLUTEN BAD?
YES, if you have:
• Celiac disease
• Gluten Intolerance
• Gluten Sensitive
Enterapathy (GSE)
Otherwise…. NO
• Gluten is just one of many proteins found in common foods.
• (It is possible to have a wheat allergy, but that’s different.)
FEELING BETTER WITHOUT GLUTEN?
By avoiding gluten, you may consume:
• GREATER VARIETY
• HEALTHIER CARB FOODS
• FEWER PROCESSED FOODS
• LESS SUGAR, SALT & FAT
• MORE FRUITS & VEGETABLES
• ALL OF THESE HABITS WILL MAKE YOU
FEEL BETTER
OTHER CAUSES?
• Out of balance gut flora
• Stress, emotional issues
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Crohn’s Disease
• Colitis
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Lyme disease
• Fibromyalgia
• Poor diet
• Poor sleep
DIET CONCERNS
• Regular flour is enriched with vitamins
• Whole wheat is a good source of fiber
• Glutenous grains contain protein, iron & calcium
• GF flour is primarily white rice flour
• Low in fiber, vitamins, minerals & protein
• Higher calorie foods
• Short article in New York Times - "Before Going Gluten- Free - Make Sure It's Necessary"
JUST GO GLUTEN FREE?
• It’s expensive
• Uncertainty about real issue
• Can mask other physical or
emotional issues
• Rise in orthorexia – preoccupation
with “healthy” foods
• Interferes with social life &
enjoyment of food
IS GLUTEN FREE HEALTHIER?
YES
• Brown rice, quinoa, sweet
potato, butternut squash
• Plain fruits and vegetables
• Meats, fish & poultry that
are not breaded or fried
• Simple nuts & seeds
NO
• GF cookies, cakes, breads,
crackers, pretzels
• Made with rice flour – less
fiber and nutrients
• Often higher in sugar and
fat to improve flavor &
texture
• Usually higher in calories
STOMACH ENZYMES ADAPT
• If you stop eating a food for a long time, you body will make less of the enzymes needed to digest that food.
• Gives a “false positive” for intolerance when you start eating that food again.
• nih.gov/ PubMed
WHAT IF …………?
• If you suspect you may have celiac disease or be gluten intolerant….
• It is very important that you KEEP EATING gluten containing foods.
• A simple blood test can give your doctor important information, but only if you are still consuming gluten.
TALK TO YOUR DOCTORIT ’S THE BEST PLACE TO START