Gluten-Free Food

by Earlene
(Avon Park, FL)

Visitor Question:

Gluten is said to be a gluey substance found in flour. There is so much talk about refraining from eating gluten products. My questions are:

What are the gluten-free foods?

What type of flour should we use to be healthy?

Lifetime Fat Loss Answers:

Great questions. There are so many people sensitive or even allergic to gluten these days no wonder people are wondering whether to eat it at all! I even saw a book that it's main premise implied that gluten started the obesity epidemic. I don't believe that it's that simple but my son IS sensitive to gluten (and to dairy) and is on a gluten free diet. I am more familiar with gluten free foods than I would like to be!

It's easier to tell you what gluten is in. Gluten is a component of wheat (including spelt, durum and semolina), rye, oats, barley and related grain hybrids like triticale and kamut. In short, it is in most grains used to make bread and pasta products. In fact, it is the gluten in wheat that gives it the lightness and helps it to rise. It's not easy to make a gluten free product (cookies, pancakes, breads, pasta etc.) that tastes good. However, there are a lot of good ones on the market now. If you want to try some gluten free foods that taste great, look for the "Pamela's" label.

That said I definitely would NOT recommend trying to be gluten free unless you have celiac disease (which means you're allergic) or other gastrointestinal issues (as my son does.) It's too tough to do and not necessary. Flours with gluten can be hard to digest for some people but certainly not for everyone. You will know if you're one of them if eating wholewheat bread, for example, gives you some digestive discomfort. People with autism, like my son, can have other symptoms.

If you suspect someone in your family is having a problem with gluten you can eliminate the foods above and observe their response over time.

If you just want to be healthy and thin reduce or eliminate the high glycemic carbohydrates. You are better off to eat sprouted grains to manage your weight. They are the least refined and have the most nutrients and do not raise your blood sugar. Sprouted grains are low glycemic and are ideal for good health and weight management.

When you are allergic to gluten as in celiac disease, your body responds to gluten as if it were an antigen and it arouses an immune system attack on it when it is in your intestine. This causes the lining of the small intestine to swell and as a result the hairlike projections in the intestine called villi are damaged and your body will not be able to absorb vital nutrients. Malabsorption becomes a serious problem and can result in malnutrition.

Unless you have celiac disease or a true intolerance to gluten do not worry about it. Instead get rid of all foods made with white refined flours! These have been processed to the extent there are no nutrients left (except what are added back in synthetically) and they raise your blood sugar and cause you to store fat.

The best flours for your health and weight are whole grain flours. See my page on low glycemic whole grains. Look for whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour. To be more adventurous than this you will need some good recipes but stick to whole grains and you will be fine.

Click here to post comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Your Questions for Lifetime Fat Loss.

Share this page:
Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.
Protected by Copyscape Web Plagiarism Scanner

Like Lifetime Fat Loss? Please tell a friend!

Subscribe to our Free monthly newsletter, "Nothing to Lose But Fat!"

  Learn the latest tips for losing fat, get recipes to balance your blood sugar and find out how so many others are losing weight permanently!

Enter Your E-mail Address
Enter Your First Name (optional)
Then

Don't worry — your e-mail address is totally secure.
I promise to use it only to send you Nothing To Lose But Fat!.

Archived Newsletters

April 17, 2014  "At Last...Healthy Snack Foods" - issue 029

December 22, 2013 "Lose Weight During the Holidays?" - Issue 028

November 5, 2013 "Biggest Barrier to Losing Weight?" - Issue 027

September 2, 2013 "Fresh Peach Smoothie Recipe" - Issue 026

August 5, 2013 "Cold Gazpacho soup - A Perfect Summer Recipe!" - Issue 025

July 18, 2013 "Drinking Water to Lose Weight" - Issue 024

June 5, 2013 "Thai Coconut Chicken Soup, Are Saturated Fats Ok Now?" - Issue 023

May 9, 2013 "When Are Foods With a High Glycemic Index Ok?" - Issue 022

April 17, 2013 "Do Calories Count?" - Issue 021

March 28, 2013 "A Tabouli Recipe" - Issue 020

February 3, 2013 "Low Fat Fish Soup Recipe" - Issue 019

January 6, 2013 "Get Skinny With Detoxing!" - Issue #018

December 17, 2012 "What's For Christmas Dinner? - Issue #017

November 19, 2012 "Low Glycemic Breakfast Burrito" - Issue #016

October 26, 2012 "Juicing For Weight Loss" - Issue #015

September 30, 2012 "Healthy Munchies for the Low Glycemic Plan" - Issue #014