Together with lactose, gluten is the protagonist of the diet of a good portion of the Italian population, and gluten-free nutrition is a topic that interests more and more people. Gluten intolerance is a problem that affects more and more people. Don’t worry: dealing with this problem is much less complicated and scary than you might think.
A gluten-free food life is made up of few sacrifices and possibilities, capable of bringing you to know numerous alternatives that are not only completely safe for your health but are just as tasty and satisfying as those that include the presence of gluten. In this article, we will therefore try to discover better the world of gluten, the causes, and effects that lead to intolerance, and some advice to live a better diet if you are forced to give up products made with gluten.
Knowing About Gluten: Causes And Effects Of Intolerance
Gluten is a protein complex found in some of the main cereals, namely wheat, barley, spelled, rye, and Kamut. Individuals with high sensitivity to gluten cannot ingest foods containing it, such as pasta and the more common baked goods (bread, pizza, biscuits, and cakes, typically made with flour containing gluten).
Non-celiac gluten sensitivity, commonly called gluten intolerance, is a less severe form of gluten-related pathology, as the consequences it entails for the intestine are not particularly important and because it is usually characterized by being temporary: it does not last for a lifetime with the help of a gluten-free diet recommended by a specialist, those suffering from intolerance can go back to being gluten-free in a relatively short period, usually around a year or two.
In the case of celiac disease, when the immune system comes into contact with gliadin, one of the two most important proteins that make up gluten, inflammation occurs in the intestine, which causes atrophy of the villi, the agents of the small intestine, which serves to proper digestion of every nutrient we ingest.
Vary Without Giving Up
Often the gluten-free diet enjoys the unjust reputation of a diet made up of deprivations and, therefore, limiting. It’s not like that at all. On closer inspection, foods containing gluten are the smallest part and can be replaced with alternative ingredients. Celiacs and intolerants can eat fish, meat, vegetables, legumes, dried and fresh fruit, milk and derivatives, and eggs without risk. Not only that: cereals also appear
Among gluten-free foods. Not all cereals in the category cause problems and are precious allies. Rice, corn, quinoa, millet, buckwheat, oats, amaranth, and sorghum can be included in any diet. This must, of course, be understood if the assimilation takes place in pure form: there must be no traces of contamination with the cereals above. For example, if you find packages with cereal mixes that contain both oats and barley, the mixture cannot be said to be gluten-free.
This is why it is essential to pay the utmost attention to the ingredients of each dish that we put on the table. Fortunately, more and more products on the market meet the needs of celiac and intolerant people and are gluten-free. Levoni is among the leading companies of this attention and interest in the proposal of gluten-free products: strict control of all stages of production of its cured meats (salami, ham, mortadella, lard, bacon, specialties) guarantees perfect safety for the health of people suffering from pathologies related to gluten.
Check Product Labels
Industrial products are increasingly attentive to the needs of celiac consumers, and the consumption of gluten-free foods, both sweet and savory, is increasingly guaranteed. However, the risk is not entirely eradicable, given that the possibility of contamination is always around the corner.
Commercially available foods are often treated with additives, thickeners, and other elements that contain gluten, making these products to be discarded for a gluten-free diet. The cured meats themselves, while not containing gluten per se, may have been treated with additives and flavorings, which essentially prevent it from being an option for celiac and intolerant people. Levoni frees you from any problem of this type, allowing you to offer its products at the table in complete freedom.
The ideal solution for those suffering from gluten sensitivity is to take care of their nutrition. Therefore, if you can make nutritious and safe dishes with your own hands, the benefits for your body will be evident. Many recipes can be made with Levoni products, which are all gourmet.
A delicious proposal is a cotechino and crunchy spinach, with a tasty dressing made with balsamic vinegar, raisins, hazelnuts, and pine nuts; another solution full of flavor, perfect for summer evenings in the company of family and friends, is raw ham, figs and an orange scent which combines an olfactory explosion and a complexity of flavors; equally tasty are the green beans in poached ham, wrapped in slices of scarmorze cheese.
Gluten-Free Diet: Some Points To Remember
Leading a healthy life is essential for the well-being of our bodies. Playing sports and eating right is crucial. The gluten-free diet has now spread among people suffering from gluten sensitivity disorders and those who watch their figures. However, the nutritional advice that points towards a gluten-free diet due to its alleged slimming properties is based on a false myth.
The slimming effect of the gluten-free diet has been denied: it is not the lack of gluten that counts but a balanced intake of fats, carbohydrates, fibers, proteins, and calories. There is, therefore, no traceable shortcut in the gluten-free diet. There are no apparent benefits. The cliché, for example, which says that gluten-free products guarantee a lower caloric intake than counterparts containing gluten, is also false.
So, here are some tips to follow a gluten-free and safe diet for those who are intolerant to this element. Beware of snacks: as already mentioned, the risk of contamination with gluten and derivatives is high in packaged products; it is always a must to check labels and ingredient lists to ensure that products are gluten-free. At breakfast, provide food with variety.
Then green light to milk, whole or skimmed, or drinks of vegetable origin. Abundant with fresh fruit, both in pure form and in the form of juices and centrifuges. The ingredients you bring to the breakfast table, like that of the snack, will be safer if not packaged or processed. Even oats are naturally gluten-free, especially if they are of organic and controlled origin.
Also Read: Natural And Healthy Products To Include In Your Diet
