Tag Archive for: Gluten Free Diet Origin

Celiac Disease May Require Gluten Free Diet

Some food grain antigens found in wheat, rye, and barley are thought to create a toxic reaction in those who suffer from celiac disease, gluten intolerance, wheat allergy, and other health problems. Studies have been inconclusive but the gluten intolerance seems based in genetic makeup, especially in people of Northern European descent.

For someone with gluten intolerance, eating foods made with those grains containing gluten, especially wheat, may cause severe gastrointestinal discomfort. Celiac disease commonly requires a gluten-free diet. Read more

How Gluten Free Diet is Crucial in Weight Loss

Gluten is a found mainly found in cereals like wheat, barley, and oats among others food products and majorly help to bind food together. A gluten-free meal is crucial for people with coeliac disease which is a digestive condition whereby the small intestines becomes inflamed rendering them incapable of absorbing nutrients.

However, in the recent past, many people are buying gluten free food not because they have gluten intolerance or suffer from coeliac disease, but because they consider gluten free diet as a sure way of leading a healthy life and also in aiding weight loss. Therefore then, how do gluten free foods help in weight reduction?

gluten

Gluten is found in many types of food since it adds texture and flavor to theses food and going gluten-free is not just achieved by cutting out pasta and bread. Sources have it that ditching gluten and wheat does help one to lose weight quickly than just dieting. According to dietitians, reducing gluten intake in your meals means that you eat less.

Therefore, you consume fewer calories which eventually leads to weight loss. Despite the fact that gluten free diets are mainly bought by people with coeliac most of the research conducted on these products show they are increasingly being purchased by far more people than those with gluten intolerance than those with the disease.

There are several ways one can maximize weight loss. Besides taking gluten free meals, outlined below are other strategies that may help you drop a few pounds.

1. Avoid Processed Gluten Free Foods

A few grain-based food like cookies, pizza, snacks, bread though they may be gluten-free contain high calories and provoke vigorous insulin response than wheat based food. Caution should be taken when taking meals labeled gluten free as eating more calories just because they are found in food labeled gluten free may not help you cut weight.

2. Exercise Regularly

This could be the most important part in weight loss. Reducing wheat and gluten intake may help you lose weight quickly, but to accelerate your efforts, it is important to exercise as exercising helps you lose more fat and build muscle thus burning more calories, and eventually helping you lose more fat. A gluten-free diet should not be viewed as a replacement for going to the gym.

If weight loss is truly your goal, it is important to watch your portion size. For your lunch and dinner, about half of your plate should comprise of salad and vegetables and the other half should be carbohydrates and proteins both divided into equal portions. All this with a gluten free meal is a sure way of leading a healthy life and losing a few pounds

The Myths of a Gluten-Free Diet

Before we start with the myths (and some facts) about a gluten-free diet, we would need to stress out that such a diet is a must for celiac diagnosed people and people with non-celiac gluten sensitivity.

The first is a condition where gluten causes an adverse reaction damaging cells and can lead to a serious situation. The second is if your body cannot tolerate gluten but the end effect is not as severe as the celiac disease. In both cases though, a gluten-free diet is the solution.

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Weight loss and a healthier lifestyle

Most modern health related magazines will urge you to be gluten-free as you will be losing weight and you will be in better physical shape. Those kind of statements are not proven to anyone who is not sensitive to gluten. If your current diet is revolving around pasta, bread and cookies and you switch to naturally gluten-free foods like vegetables, fruits, eggs and milk – of course you will get healthier and you will lose weight but the reason is not the gluten itself.

Less gluten equals better stomach

Another myth that has been blown out of proportion. According to some studies, if you remove gluten from your diet, your digestive system will improve significantly which will result in a healthier lifestyle. Well yes, but only if you are sensitive to gluten. If you are not, there is absolutely no evidence proving that you and your stomach will be in better shape if you cut down on gluten.

Gluten-free foods are healthier than the rest

The same magazines that are trying to insert the gluten-free fashion in our lives will be putting this information in our brains – gluten-free foods are healthier than their counterparts. Since manufacturers cannot use gluten-containing grains like wheat when producing some foods, they need to substitute them. A great way to make such a substitution is to add fats and sugars – more than they were before. It is a great way to market the products with a “gluten-free” label but that does not mean that all of us have to purchase that food.

No alcohol

If you are gluten sensitive, you would need to cut down on some of the beverages in your life. Beer is probably the biggest enemy of a gluten-free diet and you need to remove it. On the other hand, you can become a bigger wine person, as wine does not contain gluten.