taking a gluten-free specialty product break

The world looks very different today for a gluten-intolerant person than it did in 1972. I have watched the food options soar in the last 10 years to a point where I barely notice that I have a "special" diet anymore. I kept thinking that this fad was going to pass the way of the Atkins diet… but it seems that my people are everywhere now - and so is our food.

I am grateful, but I also think that there is a bit of a downside for an old-school celiac like me. Access to goodies at every turn and gf products that mimic foods I'd never even missed have entered my diet. Many are delicious. Many are also superfluous. I don't need a cinnamon bun. 

I've just realized that I  probably eat at least one "special gluten-free" cracker, bread, pasta or cookie every day. Not a big deal for some… but I used to live very well without these items.

I've been battling some health issues of late - as I get older I'm adding more autoimmune conditions to my list (I'm now at 4). Genetics and environment are key factors in autoimmune disease. I can't control the former - but I think it's time to put some controls on the latter. 

As part of my self care protocol, I've decided not to do anything rash like a cleanse… but I am going to take a break from all foods "produced" as gluten free. I'm going to lay off the specialty gluten-free bread, crackers, cookies, snacks… and try to go back to the diet I thrived on 10 years ago. 

Back to simple grains (millet, quinoa, brown rice, buckwheat), organic protein, and tons of veggies… I won't be a saint - just the simple omission of packaged goods. Back to basics for awhile to see how the deletion of excess starches, xanthum and guar gums, etc., etc., has me feeling. (I already know the answer). If you are wondering what I'm talking about - take a look at a past post HERE. 

We buy very little in way of processed products at home - but somehow the gluten-free goodies have crept into the house as I've had a little entitlement to get over after years of having gone without. It might be easier to go without now, knowing that products will be on the shelf to enjoy in moderation when I'm feeling better. 


With the arrival of a new year, I figure the rest of the planet will be on a diet of sorts too. Whatever you're eating - may the new year bring you good health!

gluten in alcohol

detail from print by claudine crangle

The misinformation out there on alcohol can make you dizzier than downing a mickey of rum. To start, I'll share that that said rum would be gluten free. Actually, anything purely "distilled" is a safe bet. Yep - even if that vodka was made from wheat. Distilled alcohol does not contain particles large enough to carry the gluten protein. Drink up Johnny. 

There are two different processes for making alcohol: fermentation and distillation. very simply put, fermentation is the addition of yeast to sugar (like grapes). Yeast acts on sugar, creating carbon dioxide and alcohol. Beer and wine are both made this way.

Distillation is the addition of an enzyme to starch, which creates sugar. Yeast is then added, and the result is fermented alcohol. The liquid containing this alcohol is then heated. The alcohol, which contains very small molecules, evaporates faster than the other liquid in the vat. The actual grains used to make this product are protein molecules too large to evaporate with the alcohol. So the grain remains in the "mash" or mush left at the bottom of the vat. The result is pure alcohol with none of the characteristics of the product from which in originated. To this end, a distiller of vodka could use corn one year and wheat the next and his product will not change. Gin is made in the same manner, but what makes it different from vodka is an infusion of herbs and flavorings. 

The reason it's important to note the difference between these two processes is because in fermentation, the ingredients all go into the bottle. In distillation, only the vapors from the ingredients go into the bottle. These molecules are not carrying any of the grains made to use the by-product. It's been suggested that the quantity of gluten left after the distillation process is so minute you'd have to drink a barrel of it to experience any side effects. I suspect you'd have bigger problems than a gluten reaction!

All this said, I'm a wine drinker. Not a fussy one. I just like wine. Oh, and Campari. big fan. That Campari is a "fortified" wine beverage - meaning it has distilled alcohol in it too.

I get it if you still aren't sure. Check with the distributor of your favorite booze if you want a second opinion - I got mine from a meeting with an expert from the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. I interviewed him for my book (much of what I've posted here is an excerpt of Living Well with Celiac Disease). 

Oh, and I'd be remiss not to mention all of the new gluten-free beers on the market... no need to go without anymore! Isn't it shocking that alcohol can be so widely distributed without an ingredients listing? It's no wonder everyone is so confused.

"may contain wheat" - where do you draw the line?

Whether you pick up a box of rice crackers, a bag of jujubes, or a package of raw almonds for that matter... what do you think when you see that little disclaimer at the end of the ingredients list? 

Ingredients: Almonds. May contain traces of dairy, wheat and nuts. Nope, I'm not making this up - actually seen on a bag of raw almonds. MAY contain nuts. 

I get that manufacturers are being cautious - I love it in fact. Their facilities likely make or package a large range of food items that may have made contact with said almonds. I would love it even more if I had a kid with a peanut allergy that went into anaphylactic shock from contact. 

Part of me wonders however if this is the new "dry clean only" label that is put on everything to ensure that no one is culpable. I've hand washed a lot of dry clean only items in my lifetime. In a few years every package containing items smaller than an egg may read "may be choking hazard". Am I taking this thought process too far?

Contamination for someone with celiac can mean a nasty reaction and internal damage (even without symptoms). I'm curious about where you  draw the line when you read this "may contain" statement on packaging.

www.claudinecrangle.com