Major Mistakes You’re Making On A Gluten
Many people need to follow a gluten-free diet for serious health reasons, like those diagnosed with celiac disease . But some go gluten-free seeking weight loss or to test whether they have a gluten intolerance or sensitivity. In fact, the number of people without celiac disease who tried a gluten-free diet increased from 44 to 72 percent between 2009 and 2014.
Gluten is a naturally-occurring protein found in wheat, barley, spelt, and rye. Not all carb-rich foods contain glutenfor example, rice and potatoes are naturally gluten-free. The gluten-free diet is simple enough: avoid any gluten-containing foods, which are now widely marked with a Gluten-Free food label.
While the gluten-free diet has numerous benefits, if not done properly, you may also suffer from some serious side effects.
Whether you’re considering going gluten-free or are already following the restrictive diet, you should be aware of these major mistakes you can make on the diet.
Risks And Who Should Avoid A Gluten
Phipps adds that your body can have trouble readjusting if you swear off gluten and suddenly reintroduce it back into your diet.
If youve gone gluten-free and fit into one of the following categories, you may want to consider gradually welcoming the protein back into your diet.
Many People Confuse Diet With Dietary Restrictions
Yes, it’s called a “gluten-free diet,” but more accurately, it is a dietary restriction. Because of the prevalence of gluten-free food in the news and celebrities who talk up their “gluten-free diets,” many individuals mistakenly think that it’s a new weight loss diet when it’s not.
“Gluten-free became so popular in the news,” Dr. Taux-Dix explained, “and when something is in the headlines especially for people that haven’t been successful on other diets they just want to be the hummingbird of diets and jump on this one too.”
Dr. Taub-Dix also added that people often mistakenly conflate “gluten-free diet” with “weight loss diet” because people falsely equate the word “free” with “low calories” and “diet” with “weight loss.”
In actuality, the only people who need a gluten-free diet are those with gluten intolerances or those with a sensitivity to it .
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What If You Dont Have Celiac
Studies showing the gluten-free diet can lead to weight loss in some people with celiac disease dont apply to people without the condition, of course.
However, Dr. Davis believes that eliminating wheat from your diet will lead to weight loss even if you dont have celiac diseasehe says hes seen it happen in several thousand patients whom he has treated for cardiovascular disease.
He claims that many protein and starch compounds in wheatnot just the gluten proteinare harmful, and he routinely counsels his patients to drop all wheat products from their diets .
Youre Eating More Packaged Foods
Another reason you may be packing on the pounds is that youre eating more packaged foods. Packaged foods are often loaded with sugar and refined grains, and theyre deliciously addictive too.
I definitely fell into the junk food trap.
I felt gluten-deprived, and quickly found myself overcompensating for my loss by stocking up on calorically-dense packaged foods at the grocery store along with delicious cakes and cookies at my local gluten-free bakery.
I finally realized that I was eating more cookies, cakes and donuts than I ever ate before, mainly because I was excited that I could eat them again.
I had to remind myself that just because I could eat them doesnt mean I should eat them, and that the sugar and refined carbohydrates were doing nothing to keep me healthy nor help me maintain a healthy weight.
Every newly diagnosed person with celiac disease should know that just because something is gluten free does not mean its sugar-free or calorie-free. Sugar is naturally gluten free, after all.
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Gluten Free Diet Benefits
Embarking on a gluten-free diet has its own risks and benefits. We will be surveying gluten-free diet benefits in this section. Besides the fact that consuming gluten is harmful to people with gluten sensitivity and other health conditions, studies confirm that a gluten-free diet benefits people with irritable bowel syndrome as well. However, one doesnt need to suffer from any of these health issues to benefit from a gluten-free diet.
A gluten-free diet benefits all. How? Here are a couple of ways in which a gluten-free diet benefits people without gluten intolerance
- It encourages people on a diet, to increase their intake of fruits and vegetables, as all fruits and vegetables are gluten-free.
- It eliminates processed unhealthy food products from your diet. You eat less junk food on this diet.
- You are also less prone to germ and viral diseases as you consume more minerals, vitamins and antioxidants on this diet.
- According to the Gluten Intolerance Group, a gluten-free diet also reduces the chances of heart diseases, cancer and diabetes
What Is A Gluten
Following a gluten-free diet requires avoiding all forms of gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. Gluten is a staple in bread, pasta, cereals, and various packaged foods. Less obviously, it’s also found in medication and might be added into foods via flavorings or thickening agents.
People with celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten and must follow a lifelong gluten-free diet to manage symptoms and avoid damage to their small intestines. Other people follow a gluten-free diet because they’re sensitive to gluten. In other cases, people might go gluten-free because they find that avoiding gluten helps ease symptoms related to a wide range of other disorders from irritable bowel syndrome to eczema.
However, there’s little proof that a gluten-free diet benefits anyone other than those with specific gluten-related diseases.
Also Check: What Does A Gluten Allergy Look Like
Choose Whole Foods Over Processed Gluten
You may reach for the processed gluten-free foods for convenience and the security that comes with a gluten-free label. It’s not hard to find gluten-free chips, crackers, baked goods, and candies. However, relying on these products can increase the risk of weight gain while providing fewer nutrients. To maximize your choices and improve diet quality, focus on naturally gluten-free whole foods, like quinoa, beans, chicken, fish, fruits, and vegetables.
Favorite App For Following A Gluten
This app from the Celiac Disease Foundation provides a database of gluten-free products and recipes. Simply use the search function to check if your favorite foods are available in gluten-free varieties. You can also search gluten-free foods by location and see whats new and available in your area. Eat! Gluten Free is available for free on the App Store and Google Play Store.
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You Could Feel Lonely
Restrictive diets can lead to people feeling socially isolated, says Rumsey. They may be worried about finding food they can or cant eat, and get so preoccupied that they dont like the thought of someone else preparing their meals. That can cause you to cut back on social occasions where food is involved. Find out the 21 health secrets your gut is trying to tell you.
A Dietitian Explains Why Going Gluten
Going gluten-free is trendy, feels healthy, and is definitely something to consider for those of us with intolerances and sensitivities. It involves cutting products with wheat, rye, barley, and other gluten-filled ingredients out of your diet, and people whove done it tout benefits such as weight loss, higher energy, and just feeling better. Its persuasive, but maybe worth a second look.
Gluten has been completely vilified in the past decade, registered dietitian Kristin Kirkpatrick of the Cleveland Clinics Wellness Institute told POPSUGAR. Shows, books, blogs, and celebrities including Gwenyth Paltrow and Miley Cyrus have hopped on the trend, for intolerance reasons and more, and spread it far and wide. But Kristin told us that for someone not sensitive to gluten that is, if you dont have celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity its probably just fine.
This is especially true when it comes to weight loss. People transitioning to a gluten-free diet may well lose some weight, Kristin noted, but research has shown that this usually has nothing to do with the gluten content. Most gluten-free weight loss actually comes from separate dietary improvements, like higher intake of fruits, veggies, and fiber that come along as positive side-effects.
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Why Would Someone Want To Live Gluten Free
The major reason many people cut gluten out of their diet is Celiac Disease. This autoimmune disease triggers an immune reaction to gluten that damages the intestinal lining, which over time, can prevent the absorption of nutrients.
Others can experience gluten sensitivity, which causes gastro-intestinal distress after consuming gluten. If you believe you experience either of these conditions, please consult your physician!
How To Practice Mindful Eating
Practicing mindful eating may sound great, but where do you begin? A good place to start is setting aside time to truly focus on the meal experience. If it’s possible for you, try setting aside 30 minutes for your meal. This may sound like a lot, but it can help you relax knowing you’ve dedicated this time to this practice. Notice the texture, flavor and temperature of the food. Notice how your body feels while eating the food. Soto says, “I would recommend trying to be as present as possible in the meal. If you are with family and friends, no phones or distractions. Focus on enjoying the moment. If alone, focus on tasting the foods, feeling the textures and savoring it. This doesn’t have to be at every meal, but the more present you can be, the more enjoyable the meal and the more you can understand your body’s cues.” If starting with food feels too challenging, you might start by practicing mindfulness meditations and then apply those skills to your eating experience.
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Will Eliminating Gluten From My Diet Help Me Lose Weight
The short answer is no. According to the Cleveland Clinic, There is absolutely no evidence that simply getting rid of gluten will result in weight loss.
However, eliminating unhealthy choices containing glutenlike French fries, cakes and cerealsmay make you more aware of food labels, resulting in a diet consisting of more whole foods and healthier choices.
Personal Trainer Food And Gluten Free Diets
The bottom line: gluten free or not, everyone benefits from eating a menu of real foods designed to keep blood sugars low so you can lose weight.
Its the most powerful way to reduce inflammation and Leaky Gut Syndrome too.
If you are someone without allergies or intolerances, reducing gluten will help your body recover from the ravages of a high-sugar diet which will further allow your gut to heal.
Thats why 84% of our menu is naturally gluten-free. And of the 16% of our foods that contain gluten, the quantity is so small that it is of little concern to healthy individuals.
With Personal Trainer Food, youre already eating a very low gluten diet, and chances are your diet is healthier than many people who claim to be gluten-free. If you are losing weight, feeling better, and have more energy, there is probably no need to go 100% gluten free.
But you can if you want to*.
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Health Benefits Of Mindful Eating
Mindful eating can have numerous benefits on mental and physical health. It can help improve digestive health, as found in a 2019 review in Integrative Medicine, since stress and gut health are very interconnected. It can also promote self-trust, as you are making food decisions that feel good for you rather than relying on a diet’s external rules and restrictions. In short, it can help you grow in your connection to your body. Mindful eating is also a promising component of treatment for eating disorders, chronic dieting and binge eating, but more research is needed to clarify the existing findings.
Gluten Free Does Not = Healthy
So yeah, those foods are all gluten-free, but they can also cause Leaky Gut Syndrome and worse.
Why? Because they are made with rice, potatoes, tapioca, corn and sugar. All gluten-free, yes, BUT ALL will spike blood sugar levels.
Now a completely different intolerance is going on here to glucose. You must understand that a blood glucose level above normal is TOXIC to every single human being on this planet, celiac, gluten intolerant, or not.
The higher your blood glucose soars, the more your body is damaged. And the higher the glucose spike, the more fat you pack on.
What our gluten-free friend unwittingly did was follow a low-carb, low-sugar diet for the first couple of weeks when they eliminated gluten.
But after their trip to the natural foods store, they loaded up on high-GI foods that drive up blood sugars like crazy.
And the gut inflammation and leaky gut syndrome and weight gain started all over again.
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What Is Mindful Eating
The concept of mindfulness originates from Zen Buddhism. Jon Kabat-Zinn defines mindfulness as “paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.” When applying this to food, it means being intentionally present with your eating experience without judgment. With food judgments being so common in our diet-culture-steeped society, inviting in a spirit of non-judgment can take practice. Practicing mindful eating may require reflection on your own food rules and deeply ingrained food beliefs. Many of us grew up with harsh food rules that are only deepened by the polarized way in which food is discussed in our society. When we are conditioned to categorize foods as “good” or “bad,” it can be difficult to approach food nonjudgmentally. However, doing so has the potential to greatly improve your relationship with food.
Why And How Can Gluten
To inform you right at the start, there isnt a study supporting the relation between weight loss and a gluten-free diet. But many claim to have seen this work for non-gluten-intolerant patients as well. The gluten-free diet is not so much about eliminating gluten from your diet, but about making healthier life choices.
What these dietary restrictions accomplish is basically make you look for healthy alternatives and commit to losing weight. It takes time, patience, and practice, but after a certain period, you will make it.
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Level Of Effort: Medium To High
It’s a commitment to go gluten-free, but it’s becoming more common — there are many gluten-free products available.
Limitations: Itâs restrictive, in that you have to remove all gluten from your diet.
Cooking and shopping: You’ll need to shop, cook, and eat out in a gluten-free way. While Hasselbeck does a good job showing how to live life to the fullest without gluten, her book doesn’t include weekly meal plans or more than a few recipes.
Packaged foods or meals? None required.
In-person meetings? No.
Exercise: Hasselbeck recommends exercise to stay fit and healthy and control stress, but she doesn’t go into detail.
You Misattribute Your Weight Loss To Avoiding Gluten
Some who try a gluten-free diet may find out that they have a gluten intolerance or sensitivity, but others who try it may not have issues with gluten at all. And if you don’t have issues with gluten, but you still lose weight on the diet, you may be misled into thinking there is a connection between the two.
“Not everyone will lose weight simply by eliminating gluten,” Foroutan says. She explains that the weight-loss link can be attributed to inflammation in the digestive tract that gluten causes for some people. So, when some people cut out gluten, it reduces that inflammation and leads to weight loss.
All diets, including ones that restrict gluten, should be individualized. Besides celiac disease, there’s a wide spectrum of gluten sensitivity, and for anyone on a gluten-free diet, “you really need to dig in to see what they’re choosing instead.” There may be other factors in your switch to a gluten-free diet that are actually helping you lose weight rather than avoiding gluten. Seeing a registered dietitian may help elucidate these beneficial changes.
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Will I Go Through Gluten Withdrawal If I Start Eating Gluten
Theres no scientific evidence to suggest that people actually go through withdrawal when they stop eating gluten. Some people report feeling dizziness, nausea, extreme hunger and even anxiety and depression when they suddenly go from eating a lot of gluten to being gluten-free. These symptoms usually go away after a few weeks on a gluten-free diet, but talk to your health care provider if they persist.
How Do I Get Started With A Gluten
If youre interested in trying a gluten-free diet, talk to a physician or a registered dietitian. They can guide you toward a balanced eating plan that meets your unique nutritional needs.
Tips for making dietary changes if you have celiac disease include:
- Check for warnings on packages. Many products that dont contain gluten may have been processed in a facility where there are gluten products.
- Keep kitchen utensils, dishes and other food prep items that are used for gluten-containing foods separate from your utensils.
- Read ingredient labels carefully to check for any traces of wheat. Some artificial colors and seasonings also contain gluten.
- Substitute oat, buckwheat, quinoa or other gluten-free or alternative grain flours for wheat flour in cooking and baking.
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