Chia Flour

Archive for the ‘Gluten Free’ Category

Ten Reasons to Add Chia Seed Products to Your Diet

Sunday, September 20th, 2009


You Have To Get Your Chia

No Natural Grain is Healthier

 

 

1.   THE RICHEST SOURCE OF OMEGA-3

Chia seed and its oil are naturally comprised of more than 63% Omega-3 fatty acid per 100 grams. This is the highest percentage of Omega-3 of any available food source, and of any known food grain. It is 10% higher than Flax; compared to Flax seed, at 54.6%, or Hemp’s 19.9%.

 

2.   HIGH QUALITY PROTEIN Chia is superior in protein quality to, wheat, corn, and rice, the most popular and abundant grains in the world. However, Chia also surpasses flax and soy, as well as oat, barley and amaranth in protein quality. Chia seeds provide the highest source of protein, between 19% and 23% by weight, when compared to other grains. Studies have shown that diets high in lean protein can promote weight loss.

 

3.   Low-Fat Flour

Chia Seed Flour is low-fat. One 14 gram serving contains just 35 calories, and 1.4 grams of fat, compared to oatmeal which has 105 calories and 2 grams of fat.

 

4.   EXCELLENT SOURCE OF FIBER

Chia contains twice as much fiber as Flax. In fact, two tablespoons of Chia can provide 30% of the daily fiber intake recommended by the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA). High fiber diets have also been shown to promote weight loss, and improve other gastrointestinal functions.

 

5.   CHIA AND DIABETES

Chia Seed tends to slow digestion and helps maintain blood sugar levels, which can be helpful in preventing or controlling diabetes.*

 

6.   ANTIOXIDANTS, VITAMINS AND MINERALS

Chia (Salvia Hispanica L) offers a disease-fighting arsenal of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. These include: Chlorogenic acid, Caffeic acid, and flavonols, Myricetin and Quercetin. Each 2 tablespoon serving delivers 73% of the Biotin, 63% of the Chromium, 43% of the Molybdenum, and 21% of the Selenium recommended daily.

 

7.   FLUID BALANCE IN THE BODY Chia seeds absorb more than nine times their volume in water, or any other liquid. This prolongs hydration and retains electrolytes in body fluids; especially helpful during exertion or exercise. Normal fluid retention in the body ensures electrolyte dispersion across cell membranes, and aids normal cellular function.

 

8.   Supports Strength and Endurance

Supports sustained energy. It has been used as an energy supplement for over 500 years. Although it was first cultivated by the Aztecs, the Mayans and other Native American peoples had long discovered the wondrous qualities of Chia. Its history as a food dates back to 3500 BC, as Chia is the ultimate nutritional storage device. The Aztecs gave it to their warriors, knowing that 2 tablespoons of Chia Seeds was enough to sustain a person of an entire day. It was also thought to an advantage on the battle field.

 

9.   NATURAL SATIATIVE PROPERTIES

When introduced to water, Chia produces a thick mucilage, or gel. This is also occurs in stomach, leading to a feeling of fullness and warding off intense feelings of hunger.

 

10.               No Grinding Required 

The body can digest whole Chia Seed as well as Chia Seed Flour. They can be eaten whole. No graining necessary. They also have a long shelf-life, up to 9 years when stored dry.

 

 


Gluten Free: How to find Hidden Gluten in Gluten Free Food: Healing Your Gut

Monday, April 13th, 2009

 

Quick Steps to Managing A Gluten Free Life Style

HEALING THE GUT

Source: University of Chicago, Disease Center. 

In this post you will find a list of food ingredients that have hidden gluten, foods to avoid, a list of things you can eat, and information on eating oaks. As well as information on creating a gluten free Cooking environment.

Below you will find a list of ingredients to avoid as they contain wheat, rye, barley, or derivatives of these grains. It is important to look for words such as these on all food ingredient labels. Check for words like these every time you shop.Step one in managing the gluten-free diet is to understand which foods contains wheat, rye, and barley so they can be eliminated from the diet, and intestinal healing can begin.   It may seem overwhelming at first as wheat, rye and barley are common food ingredients, however there are variety of foods that are naturally gluten-free. Fresh foods, without any processing or additives, from the fruit, vegetables, dairy products, and meat/meat alternatives food groups are all NATURALLY GLUTEN-FREE. That is five out of the six food groups.

Ingredients to AVOID (CONTAIN GLUTEN)

  • Abyssinian Hard (Wheat Triticum duran)
  • Avena (wild oat)
  • Barley (Hordeum Vulgare)
  • Barley malt, barley extract
  • Beer, ale, porter, stout, other fermented beverages
  • Blue Cheese**
  • Bran
  • Bread flour
  • Broth**
  • Bulgur (bulgur wheat, bulgur nuts)
  • Bouillon
  • Cereal (cereal extract, cereal binding)
  • Cracker meal
  • Croutons
  • Couscous
  • Dinkle***
  • Durum***
  • Einkorn, wild einkorn***
  • Emmer, wild emmer***
  • Edible starch
  • Farina
  • Farro***
  • Filler
  • Fu
  • Flour (Including but not limited to: all-purpose, barley, bleached, , bread, brown, durum, enriched, gluten, graham, granary, high protein, high gluten, oat, wheat, white)
  • Germ
  • Gluten, Glutenin
  • Graham Flour
  • Hordeum, Horderum vulgare
  • Hydrolyzed oat starch, hydrolyzed wheat gluten, hydrolyzed wheat protein
  • Kamut ***
  • Malt, malt beverages, malt extract, malted milk, malt flavoring, malt syrup, malt vinegar
  • Matzo (Matzah)
  • MIR (wheat, rye)
  • Miso (may contain barley)
  • Mustard powder**
  • Oats, oat bran, oat fiber, oat gum, oat syrup*
  • Oriental wheat
  • Rice malt, rice syrup, brown rice syrup**
  • Rye
  • Scotch
  • Soy Sauce**
  • Seitan
  • Semolina
  • Spelt***
  • Sprouted wheat
  • Tabbuleah
  • Triticale
  • Udon
  • Vital gluten
  • Wheat, wheat berry, wheat bran, wheat germ, wheat germ oil, wheat grass, wheat gluten, wheat starch, whole wheat berries

* Historically, oats were not recommended because it was thought that avenin (the storage protein found in oats) was also toxic to gluten-intolerant individuals. However, recent research in Europe and the US has described that oats are well-tolerated by most children and adults when consumed in moderation and do not contribute to abdominal symptoms, nor prevent intestinal healing. PLEASE NOTE: regular, commercially available oats are frequently contaminated with wheat or barley. However, “pure, uncontaminated” oats have recently become available from several companies in the US and Canada. These companies’ process oats in dedicated facilities and their oats are tested for purity. Pure, uncontaminated oats can be consumed safely in quantities < 1 cup per day.  It is important that you talk to your physician and your registered dietitian prior to starting oats.

** May be made with wheat   *** Types of wheat

Creating a ”safe” cooking environment

In order to become completely gluten-free, it is important to “de-gluten” your kitchen.

1) If you plan to have both gluten containing and gluten-free food in your household, it is important to determine which foods are “SAFE” for the family members who have celiac disease. Use a laundry marker and label “GF” (gluten-free) on all safe foods and condiments.

2) Start by taking out everything in the pantry, refrigerator, and freezer (not all at once!) and reading labels.

3) In addition to the previous gluten containing grains, there are also many ingredients to question. These ingredients MAY contain of wheat, rye, or barley. If you have any questions about an ingredient, then contact the manufacturing company to learn about where these products are derived. (Does this product contain: wheat, rye, barley?)

  • Seasonings and spice mixes - pure spices do not contain wheat, rye or barley. Spice mixes, when two or more spices are blended together, do not commonly use wheat. Alternatively, seasonings are a blend of spices, herbs or proteins that are combined with a carrier including: salt, sugar, milk powder, cereal flours (wheat) and starches
  • Dextrin - May be derived from corn, waxy maize, waxy milo, potato, arrowroot, WHEAT, rice, tapioca, or sago; however two large U.S. manufacturers use cornstarch in their production
  • Flavorings - Gluten containing grains are rarely used. Flavorings are mostly derived from corn; exceptions include barley malt flavoring, or flavorings in meat products. However, natural flavor may be made from a variety of plant materials and should be confirmed with the manufacturer
  • Modified Food Starch - The FDA requires manufacturers to state if starch comes from wheat using parenthetical statement, IE: (wheat) or will state: “Contains wheat” or “made on equipment that processes wheat”
  • Starch - The FDA regulations state “starch” implies cornstarch, and if alternative starch is used it will be identified as such (ie: wheat starch)
  • Mono and diglycerides - An emulsifier made from specific fats or oils heated at high temperatures. Previously in question because wheat can be added as a carrier with this food ingredient; the label will state if wheat is present

GLUTEN-FREE IngredientS (SAFE TO CONSUME)

  • Acorn
  • Almond
  • Amaranth
  • Arborio rice
  • Aromatic rice
  • Arrowroot
  • Basmati rice
  • Brown rice, Brown rice flour
  • Buckwheat
  • Calrose
  • Canola
  • Cassava
  • Channa
  • Chestnut
  • Chickpea
  • Corn, corn flour, corn gluten, corn malt, cornmeal, cornstarch
  • Cottonseed
  • Dal
  • Dasheen flour
  • Enriched rice
  • Fava bean
  • Flax, flax seeds
  • Garbanzo
  • Glutinous rice
  • Hominy
  • Instant rice
  • Job’s tears
  • Millet
  • Modified corn starch
  • Modified tapioca starch
  • MontinaTM
  • Peanut flour
  • Potato flour, potato starch
  • Quinoa
  • Red rice
  • Rice, rice bran, rice flour
  • Risotto
  • Sago
  • Sesame
  • Sorghum
  • Soy, soybean, tofu (soya)
  • Starch (made from safe grains)
  • Sunflower Seed
  • Sweet rice flour
  • Tapioca
  • Taro flour
  • Teff
  • Wild rice

Gluten-free Additives (SAFE TO CONSUME)

  • Acacia Gum (gum Arabic)
  • Adipic Acid
  • Algin
  • Annatto
  • Aspartame
  • Baking Yeast
  • Benzoic Acid
  • Beta Carotene
  • BHA
  • BHT
  • Brewers Yeast
  • Brown Sugar
  • Calcium Disodium EDTA
  • Carrageenan
  • Caramel Color1
  • Carboxymethyl
  • Cellulose
  • Carob Bean Gum
  • Cellulose
  • Corn Syrup
  • Corn Syrup Solids
  • Cream of Tartar
  • Dextrose
  • Ethyl Maltol
  • Fructose
  • Fumaric Acid
  • Gelatin
  • Glucose
  • Guar Gum
  • Invert Sugar
  • Karaya Gum
  • Lactic Acid
  • Lactose
  • Lecithin
  • Malic Acid
  • Maltodextrin2
  • Maltol
  • Mannitol
  • Methylcellulose
  • MSG - monosodium glutamate
  • Papain
  • Pectin
  • Polysorbate 60; 80
  • Propylene Glycol
  • Psyllium
  • Sodium Benzoate
  • Sodium Metabisulphite
  • Sodium Nitrate; Nitrite
  • Sodium Sulphite
  • Sorbitol
  • Stearic Acid
  • Sucralose
  • Sucrose
  • Sugar
  • Tartaric Acid
  • Tartrazine
  • Titanium Dioxide
  • Tragacanth
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Vanillan
  • White Vinegar3
  • Xanthan Gum
  • Xylitol
  • Yam
  • Yeast

1Caramel color is manufactured by heating carbohydrates and is produced from sweeteners.  Although gluten-containing ingredients can be used, they are not used in North America; corn is most often used, however it is important to check with food manufacturers.

2 Maltodextrin is made from cornstarch, potato starch, or rice starch.

3 Distilled white vinegar is safe to consume on the gluten-free diet.  Vinegar is a solution made of acetic acid and flavoring materials such as apples, grapes, grain, and molasses.  For example, cider vinegar is made from apple juice; malt vinegar is made from barley malt, Balsamic vinegar is made from grapes.  Distilled vinegars are gluten-free because the distillation process filters out the large gluten proteins so that they do not pass through to the end product.  Therefore, the finished liquid is gluten-free. Patients with celiac disease should not be concerned about distilled white vinegar or foods such as pickles, which may contain it.  The exception to this rule is MALT VINEGAR, which is not distilled, and therefore is not safe to consume.

A note about oats:  Historically, oats were not recommended because it was thought that avenin (the storage protein found in oats) was also toxic to gluten-intolerant individuals. However, recent research in Europe and the US has described that oats are well-tolerated by most children and adults when consumed in moderation and do not contribute to abdominal symptoms, nor prevent intestinal healing.

PLEASE NOTE: regular, commercially available oats are frequently contaminated with wheat or barley. However, “pure, uncontaminated” oats have recently become available from several companies in the US and Canada. These companies’ process oats in dedicated facilities and their oats are tested for purity. Pure, uncontaminated oats can be consumed safely in quantities < 1 cup per day.  It is important that you talk to your physician and your registered dietitian prior to starting oats.

It is recommended that people with celiac disease meet with a registered dietitian who is educated in the disease and the gluten free diet.  Long-term, it is critical to monitor the diet not only to ensure that gluten is completely out of the diet, but also to ensure that critical nutrients are being absorbed.