Gluten Free Foods
  
Avoiding foods with gluten and sugar is essential if you have a wheat intolerance or a hypoglycemic condition. But people who are sensitive to gluten and sugar are not the only ones who can benefit from a diet that eliminates these elements. Health and vigor is important for everyone and most people will benefit from staying away from foods loaded with gluten products and sugars. A strong immune system is one that does not have to struggle with foods that ask our digestive systems to work overtime, which sugar, for example, can do.
 
Vegetables
Vegetables are naturally free of gluten and processed sugar, as corroborated by the both the Vegetarian Society and the Celiac Society. Cooking them can often compromise their purity. Frying veggies in flour that contains gluten or adding sauces that contain wheat or barley as a filler or thickener should be avoided. Steam, sauté or lightly boil vegetables, and if you want to get the very most out of them, eat them raw. Some excellent examples of healthy veggies are artichokes, arugula, avocado, broccoli, carrots, cabbage, beans, cucumber, lettuce, mushrooms, sweet potato, squash, and spinach.
 
Fruit
Natural uncooked fruits are gluten free. Choices such as acai, apples, bananas, cantaloupe, cherries, figs, dates, apricots, grapes, lemons, lime, oranges, mangoes, papaya, peaches, pears, watermelon are packed with essential vitamins. Dried fruits are also good choices and add extra energy when nibbled on as snacks. If you are attempting keep your sugar intake low, choose small portions and spread them out throughout the day...avoid fruit juices or dried fruits as their sugar (fructose) content is concentrated.
 
Grains and Flour
According to Celiac.com, anything made from wheat, barley, rye is off limits if you are gluten sensitive. Use only gluten-free oats (eg. Bob's Red Mill Gluten free oats or www.glutenfreeoats.com ) as many oats (eg. Quaker) are processed in same facilities with wheat and are contaminated with gluten. You can also choose almond flour, amaranth, arrowroot, besan, bean flour, brown rice, buckwheat, cassava, corn meal- flour - starch, cottonseed, flaxseed, manioc, millet, polenta, potato flour, quinoa, rice and rice flour, soy flour, tapioca, taro, tef, and yucca.

Dairy and Eggs
Dairy is naturally gluten-free. Butter, cheese (except for blue cheese), milk, plain yoghurt are fine. Eggs are also free of gluten and sugar.
 
Poultry and Meat
As long as you do not fry or bread poultry or meat using flour that contains gluten, you can eat these foods easily. Make sure when you are preparing them, however, that you do not use a surface that has been exposed to gluten products. Grilling, broiling, roasting, and stir frying are the best ways to prepare poultry and meats.
 
Other Foods Ideal for Gluten and Low Sugar Diets
Nuts and seeds, soy products such as tofu, vinegar, herbs, and spices are all gluten and sugar free. Pure water is ideal as a beverage, as is unsweetened teas and coffees along with natural fruit and vegetable juices. If you need to use a sweetener, use Stevia, which is a plant that tastes exceptionally sweet and is completely alkaline, rather than acidic as is sugar. All legumes are excellent choices, such as pinto beans, split peas, lentils, black eyed peas kidney beans, black beans, cannellini beans, and white beans. Oils such as olive, canola, and grape seed are also free of gluten and sugar.
 
Deserts
There are plenty of gluten-free deserts on the market...look for them at your local food co-op or natural health food stores. Also look for rice milk, almond milk, or coconut milk alternatives to dairy.
 
Prepared Foods
Many food companies are becoming aware of the need to produce gluten and sugar free products. View thousands of products online at www.GlutenFree.com. Here is a partial list of some that cater to customers with gluten and sugar intolerances:
 
• 1-2-3 Gluten-Free
• Authentic Food
• Barkat

• Bob's Red Mill
• Cause You're Special
• Chebe
• Cravings Place
• Deboles
• Don Pancho
• Dr. Schar
• Ener-G
• Glutano
• Gluten-Free Pantry
• La Tortilla Factory
• Pamela's
• Perky's Natural Foods
• Rustic Crust
• Yummy Earth

A Word to the Wise
Before you buy anything, make sure to check all labels. Never take any packaged food for granted, even those that you find in health food stores or in special sections in your local grocery.