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Natural nutrition 101

Gluten is part of the elastic, rubbery protein found in wheat, rye, barley and oats. It binds the dough in baking and prevents crumbling. Gluten can be found in breads, cakes, pastries, cookies, biscuits, crackers, battered foods, cereals, snack foods, pastas and pizza. Because gluten is also used as a thickener and filler it is found in soups, gravies, sauces, processed meats, pickles, sweets, instant pudding and chocolate. Excess gluten can damage the villi (the absorptive surface) of the small intestine. Excessive gluten in your diet may lead to poor nutrient absorption.

• Gluten-Containing Grains
  
  Some of the more common gluten-containing grains are:
  
  

  Barley Bulgur Couscous Durum Kamut Rye Spelt

  Graham Flour (used in graham crackers) Malt, malt extract, malt syrup, malt flavoring Oats, Oat bran, oat syrup Semolina (Pronounced “seh-mo-lina”) Triticale (Pronounced "tri-ti-cay-lee") Wheat, wheat bran, wheat germ, wheat starch

  
  
  
• Gluten-Free Foods
  
  There are many foods you can ingest if you’re gluten-intolerant. Some of them include:
  
  

  Amaranth Dal Flax Millet Buckwheat, kasha Soya flour Cream of tartar Teff

  Arrowroot flour Bean flours (such as chickpea or soya flour) Potato flour, potato starch Cornmeal, cornstarch or polenta Tapioca flour, tapioca starch Quinoa (Pronounced "kee-no-a") Rice, rice bran, rice flour, rice starch

Be sure to include a variety of whole grains in your diet as each grain provides its own unique nutritional make-up.