GLUTEN FREE DIET: the good food for celiacs

EAT WELL, FEEL GOOD

Many people think that being celiacs means to finally give up the pleasures of food. Fortunately this is not true.

Eating is not just a biological necessity, but a real pleasure for the senses.
Also the celiac patients can sit at the table with a smile, enjoying delicious food, absolutely gluten free.

The gluten free diet should not be considered a diet "for patients", but an alternative diet. The elimination of gluten from the diet does not deprive the celiac of a protein important from a nutritional standpoint.

Remember that the immoderate use of gluten is a common phenomenon in recent decades, in which our eating habits have been influenced by the choice of food companies.
In fact, our ancestors have been eating natural foods free of gluten for centuries, and even today in some parts of the world, as the entire East, the preferred grain is rice, much more digestible and nutritious.
Those who are intolerant to gluten should focus their attention on what they are allowed to eat,
instead of prohibited food, seeing in the gluten-free diet an opportunity to lead
a healthy and natural diet.

Gluten is not a substance essential in our diet,  eliminating  it doesn’t cause nutritional imbalances. Celiacs should rather eat fruits and vegetables to compensate for the lack of fibers, present in many cereals that are not allowed in their diet.

Gluten is found naturally in some grains: Wheat, Spelt, Kamut, Rye, Barley, Sorghum, and then in flour, starch, meal, cereals, pasta, filled pasta (ravioli, tortellini), ordinary and special bread , breadcrumbs, bread sticks, crackers, biscuits, loaf bread, buns, pizza, potato dumplings, bran, barley malt, muesli, cereal mixes, malt, corn flakes, biscuits, cakes.

But gluten is not present in as many good cereal  such as corn, chestnuts, chickpeas, beans, millet, potatoes, rice, soy, tapioca and other vegetables.

All of these are naturally gluten-free foods, which are part of the Mediterranean diet and can be a valuable starting point for simple or sophisticated recipes for everyone, celiac or not.

Of course, the exclusion in the diet of foods such as wheat, barley, rye, barleyetc.. inevitably affects the food choices, even thug the bigger discomfort is having to pay more attention in performing daily activities such as shopping or eating out.

Fortunately things are improving in this respect: in recent years the awareness about celiac disease has increate and you can find on the market a wide choice of products gluten free certified, like all the products Molino di Ferro, as well as restaurants and local facilities for celiacs.
On the Italian Celiacs Association website you can find an updated list with all the businesses that participate in this valuable initiative.