no wheat pls

A wheat allergy and celiac disease are not the same thing. When a person has a wheat allergy, his or her immune system has an abnormal reaction to the proteins in wheat. Other major food allergens include eggs, corn, fish and shellfish, milk, peanuts, soy, and tree nuts. When someone with celiac disease eats food containing gluten, part of the protein found in wheat, barley, and rye, it triggers an immune- system attack on the lining of the small intestine. The resultant damage, which prevents the body from absorbing nutrients properly, can lead to diarrhea, fatigue, nausea and weight loss, and of course, malnutrition.

Many health professionals believe that untreated celiac disease—which often has no symptoms—can lead to osteoporosis, anemia, infertility, and cancer. A related condition, dermatitis herpetiformis, causes a distinctive weepy, itchy rash that frequently appears on the hands, behind the knees, and inside the elbows. Unfortunately, a dermatologist will rarely suggest that it might be caused by something you ate.

Celiac disease is hereditary, though not all children of a parent with the disease will test positive. As with a food allergy, there is no cure other than avoiding the offending substance, at least so far. Still, this beats taking drugs with unknown long- term side effects. Although those of us with a wheat allergy or celiac disease must be vigilant about what we buy and eat, we don’t have to forgo favorites like pasta, bread, and cake. We can still eat well and entertain family and friends at the table, perhaps even better and more healthfully than ever before.

SOURCE : The Wheat-Free Cook: Gluten-Free Recipes for Everyone