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You can only claim your medical expenses if you itemize deductions on your federal tax return. Amounts paid with funds from those plans are usually tax-free. You may deduct the cost of gluten-free GF food that is in excess of the cost of the gluten containing food that you are replacing. The full cost of special items needed for a GF diet may be deducted. An example is the cost of xanthan gum used in gluten-free home baked items, which is never used in a gluten containing recipe.
If you make a special trip to a store to purchase GF foods, the cost of your transportation to and from the store is deductible.
If you used your vehicle for the trip during the year , you may deduct For , you may deduct 23 cents per mile. You may also include tolls and parking fees.
In that case Begun recommends speaking with a registered dietitian, who may recommend supplements or other necessary dietary changes. Dark Chocolate Trail Mix. If you don't plan out this new way of eating, it's easy to default to gluten-free packaged foods. You know—the gluten-free muffins or brownies or cereals or pizza.
These are often made with refined grains and heavy in sugar and often contain more calories than their traditional counterparts. So think of these as "on occasion" foods. It's just like with any diet. A candy bar is just a candy bar—gluten-free or not. So you're going to get used to playing food detective. While food companies are required to list allergens on the label e.
So while you can look for "gluten-free" on the front of the package, you should also flip it over and read the ingredients label. It's also not enough if a food says "wheat-free. Here's what you're looking for, according to the Celiac Disease Foundation: Oats are often contaminated with gluten, so they have to specifically be certified gluten-free oats. Gluten-free flours, such as millet or amaranth, should also be bought certified gluten-free, says Begun. If the label lists an ingredient you're not familiar with, "wait to eat it until you can confirm that it's safe," she says.
You probably know that a whole-wheat bagel is not gluten-free, but you might be surprised that some of your other favorite foods aren't either.
It will also explain why this matters. This is important information for members of the food service industry, health care providers, family members and friends of people on a gluten-free diet as well as the lay public. Celiac disease is a serious autoimmune disease that requires strict, lifelong adherence to a gluten-free diet. Small amounts of gluten even less than a crumb may cause illness. Symptoms range from mild to severe, and typically occur several hours after a meal or the next day most people will appear fine in the restaurant.
Regardless of outward symptoms, accidental gluten exposures cause internal damage, with long term health effects if incidents occur repeatedly. Gluten sensitivity is not an autoimmune disease, but it is a real condition that is currently the focus of much research. There is no clear evidence that gluten causes weight gain and a gluten-free diet may actually promote weight gain if consumption of refined carbohydrates or processed foods increases.
People hoping to lose weight on a gluten-free diet do not tend to worry about cross contamination, and their time on the diet may be limited because it is difficult to follow long term if there is no medical reason to do so. Inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and autoimmune conditions such as thyroid disease have been anecdotally improved in many people by adherence to a gluten-free diet. While controversial in some arenas, this is a common reason for people to adhere to a gluten-free diet.
These gluten-free dieters do not typically have life threatening symptoms related to gluten consumption, nor do they usually worry about cross-contamination.
This may of course vary from one individual to the next. Research in this arena is being actively pursued. Some people avoid gluten because they heard it was the cause of any number of ailments and they are trying to improve their health.
If the diet is an impetus to cook more fresh food, limit refined carbohydrates and eat more fruits and vegetables, then it can indeed lead to improved health. However, many people who follow a gluten-free diet begin to miss gluten-containing favorites and start to rely on gluten-free processed foods with high sugar and fat and insufficient fiber and nutrients. Some gluten-free diet proponents state that gluten is universally harmful. However, there is no evidence that all humans should avoid gluten.
People who chose a gluten-free diet to improve their general health do not tend to maintain the diet for any duration or to a strict level.
They tend not to worry about cross contamination and do not have any obvious symptoms from eating gluten. Always test for celiac disease prior to initiating a gluten-free diet. It is important to find the cause for a reaction to gluten prior to removing it from the diet, as the level of dietary caution varies depending on the health condition. Gluten Causes Keratosis Pilaris a. Cold Sores, Canker Sores and Gluten. Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity Research: Celiac and Gluten Sensitivity Research: Arsenic in the Gluten-Free Diet: The Microbiome and Celiac Disease: Celiac disease and gluten sensitivity: Triggers for celiac disease:
The flours in gluten-free grain-based products are not required to be enriched with iron A life-long strict gluten-free diet is medically necessary. Gluten-free diet: A comprehensive resource guide (revised and expanded ed.). Lately it's become hip to go gluten free, but for people without a gluten at the Celiac Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. .. There is no down side to living gluten-free for the many people who do so every day. to improve stability and prevent falls · A Guide to Cognitive Fitness.