Gluten Free Diet Tips That Can boost your health

Those who have Celiac disease aren’t the only ones on a gluten free diet. In fact, more people are getting into it because of all the health benefits. Even the parents who have autistic kids claimed that a gluten free diet improved their children.

So what is it about this diet that makes people want to switch?

As you go along this article, you’ll learn everything about gluten free diet. Who knows? This may be the perfect diet for you.

What is gluten?

Gluten is a kind of protein found commonly in wheat, rye and barley. Majority of cereals and bread contain gluten but not all members of the grain family contain gluten. Even the soy sauce, barbeque sauce, salad dressing and pasta found in your cupboard have gluten. Corn, rice, millet and buckwheat don’t contain gluten. That’s why a gluten free diet exists. Oats, on the other hand, continue to be arguable when it comes to gluten free content.

This protein plays a major role in making bread. It’s what makes the dough rise. It also keeps the bread more firm as well as gives it a chewy texture. Furthermore, gluten is what makes the pasta suck the sauce in. The reason why your gravy is thick is because of gluten.

While it’s not alarming for others, gluten can cause health threats to some. Gluten intolerance or known as Celiac disease is the inability to digest gluten. This is where your small intestine feels intolerable pain and can even become fatal.

What is a gluten free diet?

A gluten free diet obviously takes out any gluten-containing food in your system. Gluten is found in almost every kind of food around. You will need to be fully committed to changing your food choices and eating habits.

A gluten free diet is a way of life. A key to this diet is going fresh. Since most processed foods have gluten in them, fresh fruits and vegetables are perfect alternatives. Unprocessed meat like beef, poultry and seafood can also be consumed.

In a gluten free diet, this is the time where you forget about pizzas, pastas, soups, cakes, breads, bacon and all your favorites. So if you’re doing this as a personal choice, then make sure you are 100% ready.

 

Avoid those that contain:

• Wheat
• Kamut
• Matzo meal
• Semolina
• Barley
• Rye
• Graham flour
• Durham
• Bulgur

 

Avoid (unless branded as “gluten free”)

• Beer
• Cookies
• Bread
• Cakes
• Pies
• Soups
• sauces
• Pastas

Breakfast

Egg Recipes

Your gluten free diet starts off with the first meal of the day: breakfast. Say goodbye to bacon and sausages but not to eggs. Since many cereals contain gluten as well as bread, you can eat egg-based meals.  Make sure to keep your egg-based breakfast diverse so you won’t get tired of it. Make poached, scrambled or even omelet with fresh vegetables. You can also add some fresh fruits to your plate

Protein Bars

If you like starting your day with protein bars, you have to switch to gluten free bars. Visit the nearest grocery so you can look for the ones labeled ‘gluten free’.

Cereals and Milk

You still can drink milk even if you’re in a gluten free diet. If you’re always eating cereals for breakfast, you need to substitute it with gluten free cereals.

Lunch

Don’t be scared of eating out. There are restaurants that serve gluten free dishes or can even make it gluten free for you. If you prefer packing lunch or staying home, make sure you have unprocessed meat and fresh fruits and vegetables. You can steam some chicken and make your own garlic sauce. Put pepper and salt to your beef and grill it. Just make sure you always have vegetables and fruits to match with your lunch so you have a balanced meal. Click here to read more.

Leftover meals can be good if you’re on the go. If you have some left over from last night’s gluten free dinner, warm it so you can save time and effort. This will also save you from wasting food.

Dinner

Just like your lunch, you can still treat yourself to a good meat and vegetable meal. Simply season your meat with pepper and salt to grill, fry or steam them. You can even add herbs for flavor and aroma. If you find it hard to reinvent your meals, search some gluten free recipes. This way, you won’t end up eating the same thing over and over.

Note: One thing you need to keep in mind when you’re in gluten free diet is to keep track of what you eat. Make a simple chart of what you eat everyday and small reminders. Since you’re preventing yourself from eating what you used to eat, it will help if you have small notes of motivation. Read more here.

Some tips for a successful gluten free diet

1. Be creative. Being on the diet doesn’t mean eating the same food over and over. Think of it as having the opportunity to tweak your food. Once you know the ingredients of gluten free food, you can play with your meals every now and then. If you’re still not confident enough, you can attend cooking lessons or groups.
2. Don’t be afraid to eat out. There are a lot of restaurants now that serve gluten free recipes. It can be scary though. Some of the sauces may still contain gluten. One thing you can do is to ask experts who can help you with restaurant coordination.
3. Remember to read labels. Not because you went inside an organic store, it already means everything’s gluten free. You have to be way of the labels found behind the products. It may be quite frustrating at first but once you get used to it, it will be a lot easier,

When you’re on a gluten free diet, don’t think that you are constricted or limiting yourself. It’s a different way of being healthy. When in doubt, ask for your doctor’s opinion. They can also help you know if food is gluten free or not.