Considering Gluten-free...Here’s what you need to know!

Why Is Going Only Gluten-Free Better Than The Gluten-Free Diet?

Because starches such as rice, potato, tapioca flours are quite widely used as a wheat substitute in gluten-free diet programs, if used on a regular basis, these tend to raise your blood sugar. Instead opt in for almond flour, hazelnuts, and fresh fruits and vegetables instead of going on a “gluten-free” diet.

Gluten is one of the major components  found in cereals such as wheat, rye, and barley. The elimination of wheat gluten removes the offensive agent that destroys the intestinal lining.  Once the intestinal lining regenerates, better absorption of vitamins, minerals, and calories becomes possible.

There is a growing increase in gluten intolerance in the United Staand abroad.  Gluten intolerance results in diarrhea, constipation, and bloating. Many people, therefore, resort to a gluten-free diet to help address these issues. Having said that, recent research has shown that the mainstream gluten-free diet can raise blood sugar!

It’s not a stretch to say that the mainstream gluten-free diet as we know it is deeply flawed.  Nutritionist established that wheat increases blood sugar more profoundly than table sugar decades ago. The glycemic index (GI) is the measure of how much blood sugar levels rise in the 90 to 120 minutes after food consumed.  Interestingly enough and whole wheat has a  GI of 72 and table sugar has a GI of 59!  Other foods that have a high GI  other than wheat are starches such as tapioca starch, rice starch, potato starch, and cornstarch.

Foods like walnuts, salmon essentially have a zero glycemic index and have no effect on the body’s blood sugar. What’s so concerning is that these starches are central to the “gluten-free” diet!

So How Can You Go Gluten-Free Responsibly?

Here are some foods that you must compulsorily avoid if going gluten-free is your choice:

• Wheat, barley, and rye in their original form, their variations, and their flours and derivatives
• Any bread, cake, or a cookie that doesn’t claim to be gluten-free
• Breakfast cereals like Kellogg’s and Cheerios, unless you use their specific gluten-free product
• Cakes, pies, biscuits, bread, cookies, pizza bread, sauces, dough, all-purpose flour, gravies, and conventional pasta
• Formulated and fortified pastry flour, cake flour, icing sugars, and other wheat-based snacks

Even when you are avoiding these items, nourish your body with raw nuts,  proteins, healthy fats like olive oil, avocado, and coconut milk.

Gluten is only present in abundance in a handful of naturally occurring foods. It is, therefore, a better idea to steer clear of individual food items.