Having trouble comprehending the term gluten-free diet? Well, you’re at the right place here. Today, we’ll shed light on Gluten-free diet, foods, desserts and other recipes in a detailed way. You might have heard from different people that gluten free diet is the best way to reduce extra weight. But this isn’t true. The gluten free diet is consumed to ward off celiac disease and people suffering from this disease are advised to incorporate gluten free foods into their diet plan to speed up the recovering process.
Since there’re no therapies or pills available battle celiac disease, the only way one could get some relief is through a very strict gluten free diet. Before going further into this, we would like to gluten free diet in a more detailed way.
What is Gluten Free diet?
Gluten is a kind of protein largely found in barley, rye, wheat and other byproducts of these grains, including Brewer’s yeast and malt.
When it comes to gluten-free diet, all these above-mentioned products are avoided because they are all high in gluten. If you want to consume gluten free diet, you should consider eating fresh vegetables, fruits, beans, fish, poultry, meats, legumes, beans and other dairy products. These products are naturally gluten free and an ideal choice for those wanting to enjoy a healthy, gluten-free diet. But you would need to consult with your physician if you have any food allergy prior to consuming gluten free foods.
Alternatives for Gluten-Free Diet
There’s a huge range of flour, starch and flour alternatives available naturally that don’t combine any gluten element, and therefore can be used by those wanting to consume Gluten-Free Diet. Below are some important gluten-free foods;
Almond meal flour
Buckwheat
Amaranth
Brown, white & wild rice
Coconut flour
Cornstarch
Corn
Millet
Guar gum
Teff
Soy flour
Sorghum
It is said that all the grains are considered high-risk for cross-contamination as they’re usually processed, grown, manufactured and milled near other grains containing gluten. Cross-contact occurs when gluten-free food touches a gluten-containing product or food. Consuming gluten even in the small amount could lead to damage in small intestine and can also stop nutrients from being mixed or absorbed into the main bloodstream. So, always prefer natural gluten free flours, grains and starches, which are labeled 100% gluten free.
One should also be careful while consuming oats. Though, natural oats don’t contain any gluten, but some proteins in oats trigger the same response similar to gluten. Furthermore, many manufacturers processing oats and other gluten-containing grains pose a high risk for the cross contact.
This best thing one with celiac disease can do is to make sure he/she is consuming 100% gluten free oats. You may also consult with your physician to come up with the best gluten-free diet plan. Make sure you’re producing uncontaminated, pure gluten-free, certified oats. It is believed that 50g dry, gluten-free oats are supposed to be safe for use. You shouldn’t skip checking nutrition labels to confirm you’re buying the right product with right portion size. If you’re feeling something weird after incorporating gluten free oats into their diet plan, you should immediately talk to your doctor or dietitian.
Health Benefits of Gluten-Free Diet
A very strict gluten-free diet plan can do wonders if you stick to it. There’re heaps of health benefits one could get by consuming 100% pure, gluten free foods. Below are one of the main health benefits of consuming gluten free diet.
Gluten free foods can help battle
Fatique
Dermatitis Herpetiformis, a kind of skin rash
Headaches
Migraines
Gastrointestinal distress, including constipation gas, diarrhea, bloating, gas and abdominal pain
Joint & muscle pain
Iron deficiency anemia
Osteopenia & osteoporosis
Peripheral neuropathy that causes itching in feet and hands
Mood disorders such as anxiety, depression and brain fog
Reproductive health problems and other unexplained infertility
Weight gain
You would be lucky if you don’t have any of the aforementioned health problems and it would be no wrong saying that nearly every second person must be having one of these heath conditions. But unfortunately, most of the people remain undiagnosed and live unaware. So, it’s better that you should avoid cookies, pretzels, pasta, bagels, bread and crackers in order to make yourself less likely to catch these health illnesses.
Gluten Free Desserts
If you’re thinking you can’t enjoy the delicious desserts, here are some recipes that you can enjoy freely without any problem.
Chocolate Pots
This yummy, creamy pudding combines both cocoa powder and bittersweet chocolate to bring you the real taste.
Flourless Cake
This is rich and dense and can satisfy all your desserts-eating needs. The ingredients you’ll need to make this delicious flourless chocolate cake include – chopped bittersweet chocolate, heavy cream, unsweetened cocoa powder, unsalted butter, eggs, granulated sugar, sour cream and confectioners’ sugar.
Gluten Free Vegetables
The vegetables that are safe to be confused and gluten free include but are not limited to – Spinach, Cabbage, Lettuce, Collard Greens, Bok Choy, Kale, Watercress, Chard, Endive, Rocket, Carrots, Potatoes, Swedes, Radishes, Turnips, Jerusalem artichokes, Parsnips, Sweet potatoes, Beets (beetroot)
When it comes to peas and beans, the gluten free list combines garden peas, fava (broad beans), mange tout, lentils, green (runner) beans and French beans.
You may incorporate these aforementioned vegetables into your gluten-free diet plan as they all are safe to be used. You should make a healthy diet plan to get the most out of gluten free foods. You may also consult with your dietitian to get the best advice regarding your gluten free diet plan.
If you’re suffering from celiac disease, eating gluten-free foods is the best thing you can do. But one thing you would need to consider while consuming gluten free foods is to keep a close eye on how much you consume. The saying goes that excess of everything is bad. So, be careful as eating too much could lead to other serious problems.
Have something to add to this story? Please feel free to let us know your valuable thoughts using the comment section below.
