How to Start a GFCF Diet

GFCF diets are becoming more and more common as people become more and more aware of food sensitivities and how they affect their health. GFCF means gluten free and casein free. Gluten is a protein found in some grains, mainly wheat. It can also be found in barely and rye. Oats contain gluten unless it specifically says that it doesn’t on the package. Most oats contain gluten because of cross-contamination with other grains. Casein is the protein found in milk. It is contained in cow’s milk and goat’s milk. It is hard for some people to digest and can cause problems in their systems. Starting a GFCF diet can be tricky. With all the ingredients found in foods today it’s hard to know what’s what. Sometimes wheat and milk products sneak their way into the most unlikely foods. It can be tricky, but it is possible.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Make a plan. An eating change as extreme as this one must be well planned and well thought out.

2. Go through all the food in your kitchen and read the ingredients. Determine what hidden sources or gluten and casein you eat on a regular basis. Look for these ingredients: artificial butter flavor, calcium caseinate, caramel color, casein, caseinates, cereal extract, cereal Binding, celactosed whey, demineralized whey, filler, gelatinized starch, natural flavoring, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, modified food starch, and modified starch.

3. Educate yourself about what products contain gluten and casein.

4. Learn about alternatives to these products. You can get soy milk, rice milk or almond milk to replace the milk you use in cereals. You can buy rice based cereals to replace the normal cereal you eat for breakfast. A GFCF diet doesn’t have to mean an end to eating baked goods. There are plenty of substitute flours you can buy like rice flour, potato starch, and chickpea flour. You can usually find rice flour and potato starch at a good Asian market. You also may be able to find these products at a local health food store. There are mixtures of these flours that you can substitute for wheat flour in any recipe.

5. Find a good supplier of GFCF products. There are many online.

6. Find a support group. There are forums and online communities where people discuss being gluten and casein free. These are good places to find out about new food ideas and get help adjusting to this new diet. It can be difficult if you seem like you’re the only one following this strict diet. It’s good to know people who are doing the same thing.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't make any change in eating habits this extreme without consulting with a doctor.

Resources

• Hidden sources of gluten and casein
• Flour substitutions

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