Is gluten just not working with your body anymore? Are you constantly bloated and drained of energy? Learn how changing your diet to be gluten-free can help…
Gluten doesn’t work well with everyone, and it may actually be healthier to restrict your gluten consumption. However, accepting your new gluten-free diet and executing it fully are different challenges.
Learn how to change your diet successfully:
What Is A Typical Gluten-Free Diet?
We will give you a hint: It is closely related to a traditional diet.
Try filling your home with wholesome gluten-free foods such as fruits, beans, vegetables, fish, seeds, and lean meat.
The next question is – what exactly are you trying to avoid?
The following are the main sources of gluten in a diet:
- Wheat-based foods like wheat bran, wheat flour, spelt, durum, kamut, and semolina.
- Barley
- Rice
- Triticale
- Malt
- Brewer’s Yeast
Foods that may contain gluten:
- Bread
- Pasta
- Baked Goods (cookies, cakes, muffins, pizza)
- Snack Foods (candy, crackers, roasted nuts, flavored chips/popcorn, pretzels)
- Sauces (soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, marinades, salad dressings)
- Beverages (beer, flavored alcoholic beverages)
You might find yourself to be hungrier more often by completely removing gluten from your diet. The abdominal area will become less bloated leading to a decrease in how full you feel.
Grains & Gluten
Gluten is found wheat and barley products, but that doesn’t mean all other grain options are lost. Rice, buckwheat, quinoa, and millet are the most common substitutes in a gluten-free diet.
If you have are craving for pasta or pizza, try finding gluten-free alternative made from beans, corns, quinoa, or another gluten substitute.
Is Gluten-Free Diet Going To Be Right For You?
It’s a long debate, but there is a short answer.
Cutting out most gluten-free foods like cookies, cakes, candy, white bread, & etc. makes you less likely to develop any nutritional deficiencies.
The main reason why people become gluten-free is that they suffer from celiac disease.
However, choosing foods that the body can’t absorb can quickly lead to deficiencies in iron, calcium, fiber, protein, and vitamin D.
In any case, it is good to consult a registered dietician before opting for a change of diet.
“This Gluten-Free Diet Is Boring”
A lot of people get flavor-bored with their gluten-free diets and they look for gluten-free packaged foods.
In the market, you will find gluten-free pizza, muffins, and brownies to cure your sweet tooth and “unhealthy” cravings.
However, you should be careful with prepackaged gluten-free foods. They are often packed with heavy sugar and other bloat-inducing chemicals instead of grains.
Increasing your calorie intake with or without gluten can lead to weight gain.
Spotting Gluten On Product Packaging
Think of yourself as a food detective, who needs to solve the secret case of product packaging in order to spot gluten.
Keep one thing in mind: The food companies are required to explicitly list allergens on the label (eggs, nuts, etc.), however, they will not write this same about gluten.
Thoroughly read the ingredients for gluten-free verification. Even if a product says ‘wheat free’, you should still be cautious because checking for cross-contamination is necessary for people having celiac disease.
What To Expect In Restaurants
Surely, you can prepare the food you want in your home, but what about eating out?
Some restaurants will often offer a gluten-free menu which will make your life much easier. But if they don’t, you’ll need to be expressive and comfortable asking a lot of questions about the menu items.
- Ask if the available dressing is bottled or made in house. If it is bottled, chances are it has gluten in it. If it is homemade, ask for the ingredients.
- Ask if eggs are cooked on top of the same griddle/stovetop as the pancakes.
- Ask if the chicken wings were fried inside the same oil as the french fries.
If you want to be sure to avoid gluten, you’ll have to take the necessary precautions, and you’ll get the answers you need if you ask politely.
