Gluten Free Wheat Free Restaurants – Are There Really Such Things?

Are there really gluten free wheat free restaurants you can trust as one hundred percent gluten and wheat free? – Probably there are NONE, and here’s why.

When we say gluten free or wheat free, the main focus of our minds are breads, pastries, and other baked goodies. Restaurants who claim to be gluten free or wheat free are probably just gluten or wheat free only in their baked goods section. On the other hand, the ideal gluten and wheat free diet should exclude all baked items with wheat and gluten, as well as all other foods that have wheat flour in them.

Thus, you have to make sure that the custards, soups, sauces, gravies, and breading foods that you eat from restaurants are not made with the regular flour but instead with gluten free wheat free flour alternatives. Beware most especially because the foods that you eat from restaurants can be easily cross-contaminated by wheat ingredients and this in not good at all if you are gluten intolerant, have wheat allergy, or cannot eat wheat because you are yeast intolerant.

Wheat Free Flour Alternatives for the Yeast Intolerant

Do you know where regular flours come from? – Flours like all purpose flour, cake flour, etc. come from cereal grains, specifically from barley and rye. Barley and rye though have wheat in them; so if you’re allergic to wheat or avoiding high-carbohydrate wheat because you’re intolerant to yeast, then these common flours are not for you. Good to know though that there are many wheat free flour alternatives you can turn to.

Among the popular wheat-less flours are the following: rice flour, quinoa flour, corn flour, corn meal, flax seed meal, chia seed flour, oat flour, and buckwheat, millet, and potato flour. There are also tapioca flours and bean flours as well as pea flours you can buy from the market.

If you love eating baked goodies or just need to use flour in your cooking, then there’s no need to risk your health using wheat-based flours if you’re particularly intolerant to yeast, or wheat.

Yeast Free Bread - Would You Really Eat It?

Most people are the kinds who really love to eat bread – the softness and sweetness of bread keeps you satisfied for long. White bread is the best source of the carbohydrate you’re yearning for comfort. But what if one day you suddenly learn that you cannot eat the same bread you’re used to. If you’re yeast intolerant, you cannot eat the same bread with yeast and wheat in it. Would you replace it with yeast free bread whose texture isn’t quite the same?

Breads that are made with no yeast lack the softness and airiness of the regular white bread. But still it’s a healthier alternative; and it could still taste the way you want it.

Most yeast-less bread also use wheat-less flour hence they have lesser carbohydrates (thus lesser sugar). They are also not usually made with sugar since too much sweets is also bad for yeast intolerance. Still, yeast free pastries and breads can be made with Stevia natural sweetener; and of course you can always put in it your favorite fillings or spreads suitable to your palate.

How to Make Yeast Free Bread

It is a common misconception that yeast free breads aren’t delicious. However the presence of yeast in bread doesn’t add or take away from its taste, only to texture. Without using yeast as a leavening agent, the bread won’t “rise” and it won’t be soft or spongy after baking. Here’s how to make yeast free bread:

Yeast Free Whole-meal Bread (recipe from Food.com):

-    Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Combine 3 cups whole wheat flour, ¼ cup rolled oats, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. baking powder, ½ tsp salt, and powdered Stevia sweetener. Mix in 1 ½ tbsp softened butter [or unrefined vegetable oil]. Add 2 cups of rice milk [or other non-dairy milk]. Mix well. Place mixture in a greased loaf tin, then bake for 50 minutes. Remove the bread from tin and leave to cool on a rack before slicing. [*Note 1 tbsp. sugar is replaced by Stevia sweetener because sugar is not good for people who are yeast intolerant.]

Wheat and Yeast Free Diet

Although wheat allergy and Candida disease are distinct from each other, those who are yeast intolerant usually go both on a wheat and yeast free diet (though not especially allergic to wheat) . The reason is because yeast sufferers can benefit from a wheat free diet as well. Here’s how:

Wheat products like white bread, white rice or other dough or pastries made with refined white flour are all bad for those suffering from yeast intolerance. Candida intolerant individuals don’t just need to stay away from foods with yeast; they also have to avoid foods that encourage yeast, and this includes high-carbohydrate wheat products. Sweets and sugary foods are what yeasts feed on, and high-carbohydrate foods mean they are also high in sugar. Thus, both sugars and carbohydrate rich foods (like wheat) are a major no-no.

To satisfy your craving for carbohydrates, you can substitute whole-wheat or whole-meal or whole-grain versions to your regular bread or rice.

Yeast Free Diets – How Important Are They?

Sometimes diseases just happen without you even getting the chance to prevent them in the first place. One case for instance is yeast intolerance. You will just wake up one morning finding out you’re intolerant to yeast because you suddenly have the symptoms. The only way out is to change your lifestyle. Adapt healthy yeast free diets to improve your condition.

Some people who are yeast intolerant may turn to medical treatments right away, but that is not the only option. There are simpler alternatives that are just as effective, and sometimes even more effective.

Following a Candida free diet will not just eliminate the growth of yeasts in your system, but will also make your body much healthier in general.

And unlike drug treatments, treating your Candida through a yeast free diet plan will give you more chances of living yeast free for the rest of your life. This is because anti-yeast medicines can only be taken safely in a short span of time and the results are often not lasting.

Choosing Yeast Free Products

Almost all of the foods we eat, we get from the grocery. Sad to say because most store-bought items are not just high in sugar or cholesterol; they are also laden with preservatives, artificial flavors, and even yeast. Choosing yeast free products have become more and more difficult for the yeast intolerant person. However it’s not at all hopeless. There are still healthier foods out in the market, and you just have to have the patience to find them.

You can instantly determine if a product has yeast or has ingredients that promote yeast in one’s body. First is to stay away from processed meats, fermented foods, dairy products, and those that are high in sugar or carbohydrates. You can make it a habit to read food labels to see to it that the ingredients don’t have leavening or yeast, or high sugar or carbohydrate content. You can check with a nutritionist and you’ll find out that foods that are high in carbohydrates mean they are also high in sugar, which the yeasts feed on. 

Yeast Free Cooking – A Healthier Alternative

Going through a candida “diet” doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to restrict your eating sternly. You just have to make better choices. This means going for healthier food alternatives, as well as observing a complete yeast free cooking. Number one is to prefer fresh foods especially meat. Processed meat and pre-packaged food have yeast content. And not only that, they are also loaded with preservatives.

Your food also doesn’t have to taste bland just because you’re on a diet. You don’t have to remove the delicious tastes in your food just because you can’t use vinegar and soy sauce because they have yeast or are fermented. You can use lime juice instead or just plain salt. When it comes to sweets, you can’t have sugar but there’s always the option of using a little bit of natural sweetener.

If you’re yeast intolerant, going to the restaurant to eat is probably not a good idea since you’re not sure if their foods are totally yeast-free. The best bet is to cook your own food at home and follow a yeast free style of cooking.

Yeast Free Diet Plan – How to Start

Here are some easy ways on how you can start your yeast free diet plan:

1.      Consult your doctor. It’s highly recommended to consult your doctor first to get a formal diagnosis that you are indeed yeast intolerant. Your doctor could also give you advice on the best yeast intolerance treatment for you. The fact is, not all types of yeast free diets are safe, depending on the health condition of a person.

2.      Observe your eating habits. You should start tracking whatever you are eating because you may be eating too many foods that have yeast, or foods that encourage yeast. Know which foods to avoid and which healthy foods to include in your new diet.

3.      Do your research. You can find and download some candida free diet menu over the internet. See which ones are most appealing to your taste, or which is most convenient to your lifestyle. Lastly,

4.      Have the right attitude in following your new diet plan. Have the determination and discipline to stick with your new diet. Any great diet plan would be useless if you don’t have the right attitude in applying it.

Yeast Intolerance Testing – Why Should You Get One?

For no reasons, a lot of people are afraid to go to the doctor. They should rather be afraid of making their conditions worse. Right away you should schedule for a yeast intolerance testing the moment you see the signs of yeast intolerance.

If your tummy is aching and you’re feeling bloated and dizzy, there is a possibility that it’s not just constipation or diarrhea. You could be yeast intolerant, or something worse.

You can research all about the symptoms of Candida infestation in one’s body, but don’t just rely on it. More often than not, the symptoms of Candida over-growth in the body are similar to the symptoms of other common illnesses. This is what makes candidiasis among those diseases that are difficult to diagnose. Still, you have to make sure that it is indeed yeast intolerance you’re having. You better get tested for yeast to confirm your real condition.

Yeast Free Wine?

If you’re a woman or person who is yeast intolerant but loves drinking wine, then you may be asking, “Is there such a thing as yeast free wine?”

Answer: Wine is made by fermenting juice from fruit. The fermentation process requires the use of yeast in order to convert the sugars of the fruit juice into alcohol. Without fermentation through yeast, a wine would not have any alcoholic content, hence cannot be called “wine” at all. With this said, all wine essentially have some yeast in them.

A lot of commercial wines though have been “sterile filtered” before bottling to remove most of the yeast cells in them so the wine won’t look cloudy and so the wine won’t re-ferment. Still, there are lots of “unfiltered” wines in the market, specifically sparkling wines or wines that have a final fizz upon opening because it actually contains yeast. Stay away from these and also stay away from homemade wines as these are usually not sterile-filtered at all.

At the same time, if you’re still reluctant towards sterile-filtered commercial wines, you can always try them in small amounts to see if it causes any unpleasant yeast intolerance reactions in your body.