feeling.
eyes
Watery, itchy, red, swollen, tired, sore, blurred vision, heavy feeling in eyelids.
nose
Runny nose, sneezing, itching, burning, excessive mucus, blocked nose, sinusitis.
ears
Ringing in the ears, soreness, loss of hearing, earache, burning sensations, itching.
throat and mouth
Soreness, sore gums, swollen tongue, mouth ulcers, loss of taste, hoarseness, cough, choking fits, itching of the roof of the mouth, bad breath.
heart and lungs
Chest pains, palpitations, rapid heartbeat, asthma, chest congestion, tightness across chest, shallow breathing, excessive sighing, breathlessness, catarrh.
gastro-intestinal
Nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhoea, constipation, swollen stomach, bloated feeling after eating, flatulence, feeling ‘full up’ long after meals, stomach pains, poor appetite, cravings for foods, dyspepsia.
skin
Rashes, hives, inexplicable bruises, easily marked skin, eczema, excessively pale colour, dermatitis, itching, soreness, redness, sores, acne.
other physical symptoms
Weakness, cramp, cold hands and feet, flushing, shivering fits, trembling, aches and pains in the joints, swelling of the limbs, aches and pains in the muscles, swelling of the face, hands, feet, ankles, constant feeling of hunger, gorging with food, oedema, obesity.
behavioural and psychological symptoms
Nervousness, anxiety, panic attacks, depression, apathy, irritability, day-dreaming, confusion, restlessness, poor concentration, mood swings, aggression, unreasonable giggling or weeping, speech difficulties, couldn’t-care-less attitude, general feeling of misery, excessive sleeping, hyperactivity, insomnia.
attitude to a gluten-free diet
The attitudes of both the gluten-free dieter and the rest of the population are crucial concerning the diet. The gluten-free dieter is in a very small minority. The rest of the population forms a huge majority and only a tiny percentage of it has even heard of a gluten-free diet.
getting it wrong
When people feel sorry for a gluten-free dieter it is usually because they perceive the special food to be second-rate in some way and an apology for the real thing. The dieter then feels at a disadvantage and takes on the role of victim, beset with eating problems, always causing a fuss at mealtimes, a burden to the family cook, school meal cooks, family and friends. Food equals a problem, day in, day out. This is a badly managed situation. ‘Poor so-and-so, on that dreadful diet.’ Disaster!
getting it right
If the special dieter’s food looks attractive and tastes good, is interesting and varied, the attitude of people around is quite different. They are curious, envious, want to taste the food, enjoy it and be on the side of the dieter. This makes the dieter feel special. Problems involving food preparation can be ironed out and so they fade into the background. The dieter is seen to be enjoying food and life. This is a well-managed situation. ‘Lucky so-and-so. I wouldn’t mind being on your diet.’ Success!
cooking skills
Children and adults should be encouraged to take an interest in gluten-free food preparation and be allowed to help in the kitchen. The skill involved is a valuable one for life. It should not be a mystery.
chapter two cooking for a gluten-free diet
The sudden introduction of a special diet into the running of a household can be a traumatic experience. Often there is very little help available at the crucial beginning of the diet, especially if there is no dietitian to give advice. If the situation is badly handled the special dieter can unintentionally be made to feel abnormal and a nuisance. A child on a strict diet can instinctively feel he or she is a source of worry as the mealtime routine is suddenly changed.
My advice is don’t get into a panic and don’t despair. Instead, direct your energy into getting reorganized in the kitchen in order to cope with the new and challenging situation on your domestic front. Millions of people all over the world are in the same predicament, so don’t feel you are alone and that the problem is gigantic. It isn’t anything that cannot be sorted out easily.
some questions answered
what exactly is gluten?
If you take a teaspoonful of wheat flour and mix it with a little water, the result will be an elastic sort of paste, firmly bound together. The ingredient that makes it bind like this is the gluten in the wheat – the ‘elastic’. The gluten is actually protein and in a normal diet is a valuable addition. A similar effect is obtained when mixing rye, barley, and to a lesser extent, oat flour with water. Items such as bread can have extra gluten added, as in the so-called ‘strong’ flours. However, it does not hurt anyone to live without it and millions of people all over the world go the whole of their lives without ever having eaten it, with no ill effects. Gluten is not essential for life!
where is gluten found?
It is found mainly in wheat, but also in rye, barley and oats. It is only found in grains which can be ground into flour. Note: There is no gluten in rice although it is an important grain product. There is sometimes confusion about rice which is glutinous (different spelling) meaning ‘sticky’.
what are wheat, rye, barley and oats used for?
These are mainly used for making bread, cakes, biscuits, pastry and breakfast cereals. Wheat is the most widely used of the four. They are also added to products to thicken them and make them smooth and to help bind them together. For example, they can be put into the sauce that goes with baked beans and into instant puddings.
The flour you buy in the shops for baking is wheat flour, whether plain or self-raising, and the same flour is used in commercial baking for shop bread, cakes, pastries, buns, biscuits etc. Wheat flour is mixed with other grains to give a base for special breads such as rye bread.
are any gluten-free items readily available?
Yes, lots! All fruit and vegetables, meat, fish, pulses, eggs, cheese, milk, yoghurt, butter, most
