It has been challenging learning to eat gluten-free. It is not avoiding wheat, oats, rye, or barley which is the hard part. That is bad enough, but food manufacturers make it harder by adding hidden gluten to nearly everything, listed on the ingredient label under misleading names.
For the past month, I have had a low grade stuffy, runny nose. Every day. I knew I was getting some gluten in my diet from somewhere, but couldn’t figure out where. I had a list I had gotten from the gluten-free forums, warning of hidden gluten, which I kept in my purse, that I checked against the ingredient labels at the store. Here is that list:
wheat
rye
oats
barley
flour
enriched flour
farina – a type of wheat
semolina – a type of wheat
durum – a type of wheat
triticale – a type of wheat
caramel coloring
cereal
malt flavoring – made from barley
malt extracts – made from barley
modified food starch
distilled vinegar – usually made from gluten-containing grains
emulsifiers
stabilizers
monosodium glutamate (MSG)
Then I was doing research for the why not sugar? post I am working on, and on going through back issues of the Blaylock Wellness Report (subscription only link, I am sorry, but well worth the subscription price in savings on medical bills, in my opinion!) I discovered that MSG itself, which contains gluten, is hidden under different names on the ingredient labels. These ingredients always contain MSG, according to Dr. Blaylock:
hydrolyzed vegetable protein
hydrolyzed protein
hydrolyzed soy protein
hydrolyzed oat flour
soy protein concentrate
soy protein isolate
soy sauce
textured protein (tofu)
whey protein concentrate
plant protein concentrate
sodium caseinate
calcium caseinate
yeast extract
autolyzed yeast
And these ingredients frequently contain MSG:
malt extract
bouillon
broth
stock
natural flavoring
seasoning
spices
carrageenan
enzymes
MSG is a flavor enhancer, which is why it can be present in something under the name “natural flavoring” or “spices.”
Well, I have gone through our cupboards, and everything in there has something from this list on it. Everything commercially prepared: barbeque sauce (a staple in the West, boo hoo!) worcestershire sauce, vinegar is in almost every condiment. (Apple cider and wine vinegars are okay.) So that explains the chronic stuffy nose. I have no clue how to make my own worcestershire sauce or mustard, but I am going to have to learn! I am sure this is a blessing in disguise, being forced to make everything myself instead of being lazy and buying from the store. Well, praise God! As I learn, I will post the recipes here. But if anyone has any to share: salad dressings, ketchup, etc., I am all ears!
These comments were left on the original post in 2006. Since I could not transfer them before the original post was deleted, I am reposting them below.
1.
I hate to tell you this, but if you are trying to avoid gluten, spelt has gluten. You are right that some of the ingredients you are ferreting out do have gluten — even though MSG made in the US no longer has gluten in it — but if you are eating spelt on a regular basis, that would be the source of your runny nose and feeling run down.
2.
Here is a place that advertises worcestershire sauce with no msg.
http://texasgrassfedbeef.com/id79.htm#robbie_s_worcestershire_sauce (product no longer available)
Thank you so much for posting that list. I have that horrible metal mouth reaction myself with the migraine that follows, it is nice to know what to avoid.
Christy
3.
Dear Christine, I found a great article about sourdough bread. There are many informative articles at the Weston A. Price website. I thought you might want to read this one: http://www.westonaprice.org/foodfeatures/ourdailybread.html
and this one: http://www.westonaprice.org/foodfeatures/be_kind.html
I had never heard of soaking grains/flours until I purchased Nourishing Traditions. These articles will be very helpful to you and others with gluten intolerance. I soak our grains and flours, we use organic whole grain spelt that we grind ourselves. Tropical Traditions sells the grains and a nice grinder too. I soak our organic rolled oats and organic brown rice, pancakes, muffins, etc. I need to make a sourdough starter and bake our own bread. Right now we are purchasing French Meadow Bakery organic sourdough bread. For instance the ingredients are Stoneground organic spelt, filtered water, and unrefined sea salt. The package states that spelt is easily digested and many wheat sensitive individuals can tolerate spelt in their diets. Also, Spelt is an ancient grain dating back 9,000 years and is mentioned in Ezekiel 4:9 in the Bible. The bread is yeast free containing no phytic acids because it has been prepared properly. We do not eat a great deal of bread and grains, but it is nice to have some without the worry of getting sick from consuming it. Please let me know if the articles are helpful to you. It is interesting how we prepare our food can make a big difference in how we can digest it. I am always learning! You still may not be able to consume grains, but it may be worth it to try them prepared properly if you would like to have those things on occasion. One more thing, we recently ordered some bread from http://www.serenityfarmbread.com/
They sell wonderful sourdough bread made in their brick oven. You call call in your order and they will ship it and send an invoice, then you send a check when you receive it. They make it fresh, then ship it out. We are going to purchase this over the French Meadow which is sold frozen. It is a good bread, but we like that this bread is just made and you can order extra and freeze it. There is a page on their web site that explains how they make their bread. Sorry to go on for so long! Love, Paula
4.
After many years of chronic illness of various types, I am convinced that the only really ‘safe’ food is the food that God gives us directly. I like to remember that if it’s been interfered with by man when I buy my food, it may not be ‘safe’ to eat. My family’s diet is now predominantly made up of fresh meat, fruit, vegetables, grains, etc that I can create wonderful meals with. Eating this way, I don’t need to decipher a lot of labels to work out what we are ingesting. It’s so much easier. Not so long ago, we (humans) did not have any pre-packaged or processed foods available to us. If we take the knowledge we have now and step back in time a little, we can easily create very tasty, very nutricous meals for those we love.
Of course, I still have some processed foods in my house. Some cereal products, cheese and others but not a lot. Because I am the ill one in the family, I avoid these things (well, mostly……..smile). I still have work to do but I feel a lot better when I stay pure (ie, God’s food) with my diet. Thank you for all the effort you are putting into sharing your findings with many others. I know it is blessing many.
~Dot
5.
Ketchup makes 1 quart
3 cups canned tomato paste (Tropical Traditions sells a wonderful organic tomato paste from Bionaturae, it comes in a glass jar, you can find this at the health food stores also)
1/4 cup whey (see mustard recipe)
1 Tablespoon sea salt
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed
1/2 cup homemade or commercial fish sauce (see note at bottom)
Mix all ingredients until well blended. Place in a quart-sized, wide-mouth mason jar. The top of the ketchup should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar. Leave at room temperature for about 2 days before transferring to refrigerator.
Fermented fish sauce:
1 1/2 pounds small fish, including heads, cut up
3 tablespoons sea salt
2 cups filtered water
2 cloves, garlic, mashed
2 bay leaves, crumbled
1 teaspoon peppercorns
several pieces lemon rind
1 tablespoon tamaind past, optional
2 tablespoons whey
Toss fish pieces in salt and place in a wide-mouth, quart-sized mason jar. Press down with a wooden pounder or meat hammer. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over fish. Add additional water to cover fish thoroughly. The top of the liquid should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar. Cover tightly and leave at room temperature for about 3 days. Transfer to refrigerator for several weeks. Drain liquid through a strainer and store fish sauce in the refrigerator.
I must say this is why I have not made my own ketchup! I do not know if you can make it without the fish sauce, though purchasing the fish sauce is an option. The Weston Price Foundation puts out a yearly shopping guide for members listing products that are safe to purchase. They recommend: Thai Kitchen Fish Sauce and you can also purchase Seeds of Change Ketchup, Tree of Life Ketchup and Muir Glen Ketchup. These are all organic. I hope this is helpful. Love, Paula
6.
Mustard makes 2 cups
1 1/2 cup (4 ounces) ground mustard
1/2 cup filtered water
2 tablespoons whey (see note at bottom)
2 teaspoons sea salt
juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, mashed (optional)
2 tablespoons whole mustard seeds (optional)
Mix all ingredients together until well blended adding more water if necessary to obtain desired consistency. Place in a pint-sized jar or two 8-ounce jars. The top of the mustard should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 3 days before transferring to cold storage.
Making home made whey: You may use good quality commercial plain yogurt. I use Stonyfield Farm organic whole milk yogurt. Line a large strainer set over a bowl with a clean dish towel (I use a thin white bread cloth). Pour in the yogurt, cover and let stand at room temperature for several hours. The whey will run into the bowl and the milk solids will stay in the strainer. Tie up the towel with the milk solids inside, being careful not to squeeze. Tie this little sack to a wooden spoon placed across the top of a container so that more whey can drip out. When the bag stops dripping, the cheese is ready. Store whey in a mason jar and cream cheese in a covered glass container. Refrigerated, the cream cheese keeps for about 1 month and the whey for about 6 months. The cream cheese is so good though it is much softer than commercial cream cheese. The whey can also be used in fermented sauerkraut.
7.
We have been aggressively avoiding msg for some years now, and I’ve known that it’s hidden in other names (but sure didn’t suspect this many!), and haven’t seen a nice list like this before. This is JUST what I’ve needed, and I’m printing it out now.:^)
thanks again & blessings~
8.
Dear Christine, I highly recommend Sally Fallon’s cookbook, Nourishing Traditions. She is the president of the Weston Price Foundation. Her book is very informative and has a lot of recipes for preparing food from scratch. She has a recipe for fermented mustard and fermented ketchup and many for homemade salad dressings. I have not made the mustard or ketchup yet, but I always make my own salad dressing. I use Maranatha Organic creamy & raw sesame tahini no salt added, this makes the dressing creamy. I scoop out a forkful and put into a glass jar, then I had about a tablespoon of Bragg raw unfiltered organic Apple Cider Vinegar and to that a one half cup or more of Bariani Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The olive oil is not certified organic but they do not use chemicals or pesticides on their crops, they are a family owned business. You can order directly from them (they have the best prices) and they will ship it to you with an invoice and you just send them a check when you receive it. Isn’t that nice? Well, I mix all that together and add Celtic sea salt to taste. Celtic is a whole sea salt with vital minerals and wonderful flavor, it is real salt! You can also add garlic, basil, thyme, or any other herbs you like. There are so many variations, you could use mustard or lemon juice instead of tahini and cider vinegar and add a touch of raw honey. It is so easy to make your own and you know exactly what is going in to your food. That is the wonderful thing about us all making things from scratch, no hidden ingredients to make you ill! I will leave another comment with the mustard and ketchup recipes.
9.
Hi Christine!
Thank you for this eye opener! A few days ago I had actually researched on how to make your own mustard and had an entry on it. Here is the link to the source that I recommended. I have not actually made the mustard yet, but thought it could be helpful to those who wanted to try it.
Here is the link:
http://www.apinchof.com/makingmustard1078.html
HTH…glad you were able to identify the source of your problem.
10.
Thanks so much for all the help, recipes, links, and great advice, everyone! I can’t wait to try these! But I draw the line at having fermenting fish heads in the house, LOL! – Christine