More Gluten-Free Mainstream Options (NAPSA)—Here’s news you mayfind easy to swallow: If eating wheat, barley or rye causes havoc in your tummy, you don’t havetofeel frustrated by the lack of affordable gluten-free options any- more. Change is coming sooner than you maythink. More and more people are following a gluten-freelifestyle for a variety of reasons—especially the increasing number of Americans diagnosed with celiac disease. Removing gluten from your diet meanseliminating wheat, barley and rye, which are found in many foods andingredients. An estimated one out of 133 Americans haveceliac disease, which is a chronic inherited digestive disorderthat can cause damage to the small intestine. When people with celiac disease eat gluten,it triggers their immunesystem to attack the small intestine. This results in damageto the villi, which makeup the lining of the small intestine and are necessary in help- ing the body to absorb nutrients. Overtime, this damagecanlead to malnutrition. While celiac disease hasno cure, it can be managed by following a gluten-free diet. “Living with celiac disease presents daily challenges for millions of Americans whocarefully screen the foods they eat by reading food labels, asking questions and deciphering ingredient information,” explained Elaine Monarch, Celiac Disease Foundation executive director. If you have chosen to avoid gluten in yourdiet, be sure to consult a doctor or nutritionist. To start, there are a few simple steps to take to ensure yourdiet remainsgluten-free. Read ingredientlistings. Along with avoiding wheat, grain and barley, those following a gluten-free diet should also look outfor other commonfood ingredi- ents that contain gluten. These include bulgur, graham flour, semolina flour and brewer's yeast. Speak to a doctor or registered dietitian to learn more about how to read product labels to determine whetherglutenis present. Use caution when dining out. Many restaurants will gladly modify their menu to includesuit- able dishes for customers follow- ing a gluten-freelifestyle. Ask to speak with the chef or manager prior to ordering to ensure your meal is gluten-free. Lookfor “gluten-free” packaging. Some mainstream food manufacturers are now reformu- lating their products to be made free of gluten. One such is Chex cereals. In addition to Rice Chex, General Mills recently announced that five additional Chex cereals are now gluten-free (labeled on the front of the box information panel, which includes nutrition and ingredient information), including Chocolate Chex and Honey Nut Chex. Chex also fea- tures gluten-free recipes at www.Chex.com/glutentree. For more about gluten-free products and celiac disease, con- tact the Celiac Disease Foundation (www.celiac.org) and Celiac Sprue Association (www.csaceliacs.org). aoe an een noe - 2+ About Gluten. Free Chex General Mills led the way in 2008 with the introduction of Rice Chen as the first mainstream, gluten-free cereal. Recently, Corn Chex, Honey Nut Chen, Chocolate Chen, Cinnamon Cher and Strawherry Chex were reformulated to be gluten-free and are now widely available across the country. To verify that the cereal is the gluten-free formula, consumers should look far "Gluten Free” on Chen cereat! packaging:
