Lucinda O'Sullivan's Ireland

Wednesday 10 September 2014

Almost three years ago I wrote an article about how cutting wheat out of my diet saw me lose four stone in as many months.

I am not coeliac (that I know of), but cutting out all those gluten-filled white carbs certainly proved that wheat did not agree with me. My wrists went down, my ankles went down and, all in all, I felt an awful lot better.

There is nothing very new in this, considering the American diet gurus of the 1980s - Robert Atkins and Dr Herman Tarnower (who came up with the Scarsdale Diet) - made their fortunes by advocating a high-protein no-carb regime. In more recent times the banner was taken up in France - by Michel Montignac and, more recently, by Dr Pierre Dukan - both propounding the same message.

While looking at the effects of white carbohydrates, I came across a book called Wheat Belly, by cardiologist Dr William Davis. According to Davis, two slices of whole-wheat bread can increase blood sugar by more than two tablespoons of pure sugar.

He maintains that since the introduction of dietary guidelines in the 1970s calling for reduced fat intake, a strange phenomenon has occurred. Americans have steadily become heavier, less healthy and more prone to diabetes than ever before.

After putting 2,000 of his 'at-risk' patients on a wheat-free regimen and seeing extraordinary results, Dr Davis came to the disturbing conclusion that it is not fat nor our sedentary lifestyle that is causing the obesity epidemic - it is wheat. In Wheat Belly, Davis maintains that modern wheat is no longer the sturdy staple our forebears ground into their daily bread. Today's wheat has been genetically altered to provide processed-food manufacturers the greatest yield at the lowest cost.

Consequently this once benign grain has been transformed into a nutritionally-bankrupt yet ubiquitous ingredient that causes blood sugar to spike more rapidly than eating pure sugar and has addictive properties that cause us to ride a roller-coaster of hunger, overeating and fatigue.

He also attributed the alleviation of metabolic syndrome, Type 2 diabetes, reduction of inflammation and rheumatoid arthritis pain, and various skin problems, to cutting out wheat.

I stuck to the plan for quite a while, but fell off the wagon - to which I must return!

In the short period since I wrote that first article on wheat-free living, the whole concept seems to have exploded. At that point, it could be quite difficult to find gluten-free products that weren't boring or dry, but manufacturers have seen the light and there is a whole new world of gluten-free products available.

Another point is that gluten-free products have tended to be expensive, with small loaves of bread being almost €5 each. That has to change. No longer will the "lesser demand" excuse suffice - there is now an enormous demand and people will look for value as with anything else.

This has been taken on board by Scally's SuperValu in Clonakilty, West Cork, which has launched an in-store €500,000 gluten-free bakery and food-production facility. It is the first supermarket in Ireland to take this step. The Clonakilty Gluten Free Cuisine range - which consists of a selection of almost 30 gluten-free products, certified for coeliacs - will be available in Clonakilty, but also at Scally's SuperValu Blackrock in Cork city, with future expansion plans expected.

"One in 100 people in Ireland are thought to have coeliac disease, with many as yet undiagnosed," said owner Eugene Scally. "The decision to develop this range was made after market research highlighted the lack of choice for coeliacs and the high cost of gluten-free products; research showed that a coeliac's basket of goods was 87pc more expensive than a non-coeliac basket. We wanted to offer customers a diverse gluten-free range that was keenly priced and of exceptional quality."

The launch of Clonakilty Gluten Free Cuisine follows the launch last year of SuperValu's FreeFrom range, which consists of over 300 gluten and dairy-free products.

Mary Twohig, chairwoman of the Coeliac Society of Ireland, said: "We are delighted that Scally's have developed this facility. It is important to coeliacs that they can access a range of products that are affordable and good quality.

"It is fantastic to see local businesses, and a national retailer, rising to meet the needs of people whose only medicine is a gluten-free diet."

I have tried their 450g brown soda bread, which was excellent and very good value at €2, when compared with the almost €5 I have been paying in Dublin. I also had their delicious seafood chowder at €4 for a 500ml tub; they do a lovely home-style 450g shepherd's pie, at €3.25. I found their scones (four at €2.50) a tad sweet, but that's me. However, their lemon polenta cake at €3.99 is just divine - and we pigged out on it watching X-Factor on TV! Hopefully the range will soon come be nationwide. See supervaluclon.ie for more details.

Marks & Spencer have a range of gluten-free products - you can download the list from their website. I hadn't realized there were so many, as I was missing out on the somewhat discreet wheat-free symbol on their packaging.

I would love to see the entire range more clearly emblazoned or colour-coded, but the staff in my local Blackrock store are very helpful and were delighted to show me the gluten-free products I might not otherwise have noticed.

There is an enormous range of sweet treats, but their bakery section includes almond frangipane, crumpets, Victoria sandwich, rich fruitcake and triple chocolate cookies. Straightforward cuts of meat are obviously gluten-free, but you do have to check carefully when buying chilled or ready-to-cook dishes.

Here again, they have an extensive list of gluten-free chilled or ready-to-cook products from chicken with chorizo and Manchego cheese; lamb with parsnip-and-rosemary crust and chicken breast topped with an Indian-style bhaji topping with fragrant Balti sauce, sausages, crisps, and so on. I would love to see them add a full range of wheat-free sandwiches to their take out selection.

Other supermarkets, of course, have gluten-free products and there are numerous small bakeries around the country now switching to the gluten-free concept, with restaurants and cafes also responding to the demand.

Roly's in Ballsbridge in Dublin city have been selling their own gluten-free bread for years and years. Michael Kelleher and Geraldine O'Shea of Douglas & Kaldi Terrace Cafe and Restaurant in Dundrum in Dublin responded to the demand of customers in their restaurant for coeliac-friendly food and set up Goodness Grains Bakery 18 months ago in Longford.

Again in West Cork, Wildberry Bakery in Ballineen added a gluten-free range to their repertoire and recently won the inaugural Food Sensory Experience Award, sponsored by Sensory Research, at the Cork and Kerry Food Forum. You will find them on Facebook.

In Donegal, Gallagher's Bakery in Ardara, who have been in business for over 40 years, introduced a PureBred gluten-free range.

In Dublin, Antoinette's Bakery on Kevin Street do gluten-free breads and cakes as well as products free from common allergens such as dairy, eggs, sugar and soy.

Remember, gluten is in bread, biscuits, cakes, pasta, beer, pizza and in processed foods in the ingredients - examples might include soups, sauces, gravy, salad dressings, chocolate and ready-meals.

What also has to be remembered is that this is not the magic formula for just losing weight if you don't have wheat intolerance. If you eat five slices of gluten-free bread or half a cake - it's still five slices of bread and half a cake in calorific terms!

Sunday Independent