Gluten-free couscous: an alternative for people who suffer from celiac disease

If you have celiac, you know that keeping a balanced diet and staying gluten-free may prove to be a challenge. There are so many foods that get cross-contaminated and can upset your stomach. How do you know what is safe to eat?

What is gluten intolerance and celiac disease?

First, let’s talk about what celiac disease is and what it isn’t. There is a common misconception that gluten sensitivity is the same as celiac disease but there are some differences. Celiac disease is a chronic autoimmune disease in which exposure to gluten, a protein in wheat, rye or barley causes damage to the lining of the small intestine. People with celiac have a permanent gluten intolerance and have to avoid it for life. Any amount of gluten can cause both short- and long-term side effects.

Gluten sensitivity, on the other hand, is a more mild condition. It can cause similar symptoms as celiac, but they subside quicker or are not  as serious or debilitating. 

Still, both people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity must avoid gluten in their diet if they want to stay healthy.

How a gluten-free diet can help?

One of the best ways to manage celiac disease is by watching what you eat. Avoiding gluten can have significant effects on your well-being and managing your celiac disease. While maintaining a gluten-free diet is not that hard, it is cross-contamination that most people need to watch for. Many products are manufactured in facilities that handle gluten-containing products as well and this may have an adverse effect on people with the condition.

Checking the labelling and packaging is important as it gives information about the ingredients of the product. 

But a gluten-free diet has benefits for people who don’t have gluten-intolerance or celiac disease as well. Because gluten is harder to digest it leaves a lot of people feeling bloated and sleepy after consuming it. Adopting a gluten-free diet is one way to have more energy.

Is couscous gluten-free?

Couscous is not gluten-free. It is made from semolina, which is a granule of durum wheat. However, there are ways to make gluten-free couscous using modern methods of production.

Martino carries a selection of couscous made from gluten free ingredients including rice, corn, chickpeas, lentils, peas and quinoa, which are very popular as substitutes for wheat and barley-based products.

All of the couscous products from Martino’s gluten free range are all natural, and use many organic ingredients. There are no chemicals, preservatives, or anything artificial, and there are also no genetically modified organisms. The preparation process is slow, which preserves much of the vitamins and minerals in the products. All the gluten free products from Martino are made without any dairy, casein, or egg products.