Coeliac Disease

Coeliac disease affects approximately 1 in 100 Australians. However 75% currently remain undiagnosed. This means that approximately 160,000 Australians have coeliac disease but don’t yet know it.

In people with coeliac disease the immune system reacts abnormally to gluten (a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and oats), causing small bowel damage. The tiny, finger-like projections which line the bowel (villi) become inflamed and flattened. This is referred to as villous atrophy. The surface area of the bowel available for nutrient absorption is markedly reduced which can lead to various gastrointestinal and malabsorptive symptoms.

A number of serious health consequences can result if the condition is not diagnosed and treated properly. However, the good news is you can create your own gluten free recipes to match your diet in your very own Vitamix machine.

Gluten Free Savings in the Vitamix 

Whole food meals made in the Vitamix machine use fruits and vegetables in their entirety, so nothing is thrown away and the cost-savings on produce alone is substantial. Pre-packaged gluten-free flours, cereals, breads and cookies can be very expensive—if and when you can find them—so you’re saving time as well as money making your own freshly-ground mixes. A variety of grains, beans, and nuts take only a minute to grind and are easy to incorporate into all your favourite recipes. For even more savings, you can buy in bulk and grind large quantities of any fresh, gluten-free ingredients and store them in the refrigerator or freezer for future use.

Gluten Free Vitamix Convenience

When you buy gluten-free grains and grind your own flour, you get exactly what you need while capturing all the goodness of the grain at its nutritional peak. You can even crack grains for a nutritious whole grain, high fibre cereal. Freshly ground mixtures take only a minute to make in the Vitamix, which includes an extra container with blades that are specially designed for grinding dry ingredients. The standard “wet blade” container is used for making whole food juice, fruit smoothies, instant ice cream and fresh, hot soup. The most important benefit of preparing your meals in the Vitamix machine is that you can avoid the hidden gluten found in so many processed foods—and you’ll also avoid the added fat, sugar and preservatives. Why waste time reading labels when you can prepare nutritious meals from fresh whole foods in minutes with the Vitamix.

www.coeliac.org.au