Gluten is composed of two different proteins and is generally found in wheat, barley and rye. What most people don't know is that gluten is accountable for various diseases and health problems.

Some people might even suffer for many years from various health conditions without even realizing that gluten is the cause of these health problems. Celiac disease is probably the most well known disease that's directly linked with gluten intolerance. However, there are also other health issues that are related to a gluten-rich diet:

• Gluten can cause skin disorders such as psoriasis.

• Gluten is responsible for various allergies.

• In the long run, a high carbohydrate / gluten rich diet (consisting mainly of pizza, bread, biscuits, cakes...), can lead to health issues, such as: polycystic ovary syndrome, insulin resistance and diabetes.

• Gluten intake is often associated with leaky gut syndrome. This is an inflammatory response which can affect the whole body and produce symptoms such as fatigue, pain, allergies and skin problems.

• Gluten is known to slow down thyroid function and therefore must be avoided by people suffering from hypothyroidism.

So, what can you do to prevent the various problems that arise from a high gluten intake? The simple answer is to increase the amount of gluten free foods in you diet while decreasing the amount of foods that contain gluten.

But what foods are actually gluten free - what foods are safe? Below is a list of the main categories of gluten free foods:

Vegetables:

All vegetables are naturally gluten free: artichokes, asparagus, avocado, beans, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, corn, cucumber, eggplant, green beans, lettuce, mushrooms, onions, parsley, peas, peppers, potatoes, pumpkin, spinach…

Fruits:

Fruits are also gluten free: apples, apricot, bananas, blackberries, cherry, cranberries, currants, dates, figs, grapes, kiwis, lemons, limes, mandarin, mangoes, oranges, papaya, passion fruits, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums, raspberries, strawberries, watermelons...

Meat & Poultry:

Meat and poultry don't contain any gluten: beef, chicken, duck, lamb, pork, rabbit, turkey, veal...

Dairy & Eggs:

Butter, cheese (except blue cheese), eggs, milk and yoghurt are all gluten free.

Grains & Flour:

Only use breads, pasta, flour... that are made from gluten free grains, such as: Almond flour, amaranth, brown rice flour, corn flour, corn meal, cornstarch, cottonseed, flaxseed, manioc, pea flour, polenta, potato flour, quinoa, rice flour, soy flour, yucca...

Alcoholic Beverages:

Spirits, such as brandy, wine, cider, sherry, champagne, whisky, port, rum, tequila... are free of gluten.

People often think that it's almost impossible to completely remove gluten from their diet. But in reality it's easier than most people might think. First of all, there are hundreds of foods and products that are naturally gluten free and on top of that, there are more and more companies nowadays that specialize in the production of gluten free foods and products.