Everything you Need to Know about Gluten Free Diet
Health is important, healthy eating will help you to maintain healthy living. Today’s world is very health conscious and is looking for ways to help them live better, live healthier and stay fit. With the trend catching up we find all kinds of fad diets and lifestyle changes, we have also heard of a gluten free diet. The question here is ‘Is a gluten free diet good or bad for you?’ Let’s find out first a little more about gluten.
What is Gluten?
Gluten is a general name for the proteins found in wheat, semolina, rye, barley– a cross between wheat and rye. Gluten helps foods maintain their shape, acting as a glue that holds food together. We find them mostly in cereals, breads and pastas. But many people have an intolerance to Gluten which in turn gives rise to Celiac disease- an autoimmune disease in which gluten damages the small intestine, and leads to discomfort after eating gluten.
What is a Gluten free Diet?
Many healthy foods are naturally gluten-free, including fruits, vegetables, legumes, certain whole grains, dairy products, and oils, as well as fresh meat, fish, and poultry. Wheat, rye, and barley are the major foods that need to be avoided while following a gluten-free diet. Following a gluten-free diet requires paying careful attention to food selections, the ingredients found in foods, and their nutritional content.
A typical gluten free diet can consist of many naturally gluten-free foods like fruits and vegetables, beans, legumes and nuts, eggs, lean meats, fish, poultry and low-fat dairy products. Grains, starches or flours that can be part of a gluten-free diet include Buckwheat, corn, flax, rice, soy, quinoa etc.
There are a whole lot of products that are loaded with gluten and it is very important to delete these food items from your diet plan. Some of the common ones are seasoned, soup mixes, salad dressings, processed meat, sauces, seasoned snack food, beer, breads, cereals and many more.
Benefits of Gluten Free Diet:
A gluten free diet has its own limitations and benefits. A gluten-free diet is one that excludes most grains, and it is recommended for people who have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. Gluten free foods have been rising in popularity and many people seem to think, ‘It’s gluten free so it must be healthy.’ This is not necessarily the case and it may not be advisable for all. It’s always better to consult your doctor and find out the need for a gluten free diet before following unless you have a gluten intolerance. Some of the benefits are
- Improves energy level
- Reduces bloating effect
- Relief against joint pain
- Helps to reduce depression
- Improves bone health and skin health
- Reduces chronic inflammation
- Promotes weight loss
Gluten free flour/ Atta:
There are quite a few gluten free flour which are used for baking and cooking. This flour can be a substitute for making your cookies, pastas, noodles and other desserts. Some of the gluten free flour which you get are coconut flour, oat flour, tapioca flour, sorghum flour, cornflour, buckwheat flour, chickpea flour etc. Each flour is rich in fibre, protein, nutrients and vitamins. Some of this flour can be mixed with other flours like the multigrain attas.
What about making some exciting gluten free atta recipe we can indulge without feeling guilty. After all, it’s all about healthy eating, healthy you and healthy living.
Gluten free flour Tortillas:
Tortillas are the best snack one can have any time of the day easy to make, shape and size do not matter, fill in with any stuffing veg(corn, cheese, bell peppers) or non-veg (meat mince, chicken). It can even be served like burritos, tacos, wraps or the humble roti to be had with your curries or gravies.
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Ingredients: As mentioned earlier, variation and blend of flour mix depend on your choice, but in case you buy a ready mix lookout for gluten free flour for tortillas, as the texture and mix all matters. In this recipe we have used
- 1 ½ cups (210 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend
- ⅝ cup (75 g) tapioca starch/flour for for sprinkling
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt(kosher)
- 4 tablespoons (48 g) virgin coconut oil
- ¾ cup (6 ounces) very warm water (about 90°F) add more if necessary
How to make:
- Take a large bowl and add the all-purpose gluten free flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, salt and mix it well. Whisk it so that all the flour blends well.
- Add the coconut oil to the dry flour and mix. Now add the water (as required ) and knead into a nice dough. Remember the dough should be thick and not dry and crumbly so add water if required. It’s best to use your hands for kneading the dough.
- Knead the dough together and press it into a ball, cover with a moist tea towel or plastic cling wrap, and allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes. The dough will stiffen a bit as it absorbs more of the water.
- Now divide the dough into four to five equal size pieces. Keep the other dough covered with a moist towel to prevent drying.
- Sprinkle the tapioca powder on a flat surface, place the dough over it and with the rolling pin roll out around ¼ inch thick base.
- Using a cake cutter or freehand make a round the size you desire. cut out a round the size you’d like.Gather the scraps and set them aside with the other pieces of remaining dough.
- Meanwhile take a cast iron skillet and heat it over medium flame. Ensure the heat is not too much for a check just drop some water on it to see if it sizzles.
- As the skillet has already heated up, place the round cuts on it and cook on one side till bubbles appear on the top surface and the tortillas darken.
- Flip the tortilla with spatula and in the same way cook the other side as well. Press down on the top of the tortilla to help it sear a bit. Remove the tortilla from the pan, place on a large tea towel, and cover gently.
- Your tortillas can be used later for use. Once it completely cools at room temperature, stack and wrap them and place it in your deep freezer unit next.
- Repeat the process with the remaining pieces of dough and the scraps if any. You can make around 5-6 tortillas with the dough. Serve your tortilla as a wrap or a taco the way you like it.
Source: glutenfreeonashoestring.com
What can Aryan Herbals offer?
Aryan Gluten free multigrain flour is an ideal choice and a must-have for your kitchen shelf. The grains are grounded in the most traditional stone-milled technique. The flour is rich in dietary fibres, proteins, natural minerals and vitamins. When we talk of quality it is lab-tested in the UK for gluten content, safety etc. For more details please visit the product page.
Endnote:
You call it awareness or you call it trending, some may think it is a myth or a belief. The argument will still continue. People with Celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity need to keep a strict gluten-free diet which may be lifelong. For some people with non-celiac gluten sensitivity, the condition may not be lifelong. The only way to know if you would personally benefit from a gluten-free diet after ruling out celiac disease and wheat allergy is to avoid gluten and monitor your symptoms. In either way, it’s always advised to talk to your doctor or dietitian about foods that would provide healthy, nutrient-rich alternatives. Think about it. Ditch the gluten and improve your health.
Also read about our other traditional foods at Aryan Herbals
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