6 Things to Know If You are on a Gluten Free Diet
Gluten-free diets are generally recommended for people diagnosed with Celiac disease or those who have minor gluten sensitivity. If you are already on a gluten-free diet, here are a few things you need to keep in mind.
1. Foods that you should and shouldn’t eat
The foods that you should eat if you are on a gluten-free diet include eggs, fruits, vegetables, fresh meats, unprocessed beans and fish. You can also consume unprocessed or unmixed grains including cornmeal, buckwheat, millet, sorghum, soy and flax to name a few. Foods that you should completely avoid include barley, wheat, rye, triticale, semolina, durum flour, spelt and graham flour to name a few. Also steer clear of processes breads, pasta, salad dressings, soups, baking products, croutons, cookies, beer and candies unless they are labeled as gluten-free.
2. Gluten-free diets won’t guarantee weight loss
You may have been inspired to go on a gluten-free diet by reading about celebrities and fitness experts who claim to have lost weight because of it. But this may not necessarily be true. Although it is a popular notion, medical science has not yet proved that going on a gluten-free diet can help in shedding weight. In fact, many experts believe that gluten-free products available in the market may actually contain extra sugar.
3. Learn how to read food labels
According to food industry standards, manufacturers are not required to add labels on food products to inform consumers if they are gluten-free or not. But you should be careful about gluten even in those products which have the label For example, you may avoid products like pastas, bread and pizzas, knowing that they are full of gluten but you may unknowingly consume products with barley, rye and semolina. In addition to looking for a gluten-free label, you should also learn how to read the ingredient list.
