Everything you should know about the Gluten-free diet for weight loss
To know about the gluten-free diet for weight loss lets first understand how gluten is defined and what are the effects it may cause to our body if we follow a gluten-free diet plan.
What is Gluten
Gluten is a type of protein found in wheat, barley. Rye and spelt. Gluten protein has the ability to give wheat or barley its stickiness. Because of the stickiness nature of the dough made of wheat, barley or rye, the dough rises as when baked or cooked.
Many people have been developing these days, something called Gluten resistance. Which is when you consume any of these, your body resists good digestion.
Gluten resistance is also associated with celiac disease. It is an autoimmune disease that affects the intestine and affects about 1% of the population.
Gluten related problems are 2 types: Celiac disease and other is Gluten Resistance
Celiac Disease:
This is a medical condition and can be detected on blood test.
People with celiac disease often experience sharp stomach pain, diarrhea, constipation, skin rashes, stomach discomfort, bloating, weight loss, anemia, tiredness, and depression.
Non celiac sensitivity or Gluten Resistance:
This condition is prevalent in about 0.5-13% people. They also experience similar symptoms like Celiac disease. However, this condition is not detected in blodd test.
Here are the list of Items which are safe to consume of you are an Asian/ Indian with Gluten resistance:
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Grains: Rice (all varieties and color), millet – both bajra and ragi
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Amaranth
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Buckwheat – kuttu atta
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Corn wheat – makai
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Quinoa
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Fresh vegetables and fresh fruits
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Plain meat and fish
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Milk and milk products
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Daals and pulses
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Plain nuts and seeds
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Egg
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Whole spices
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Salt, sugar, tea, coffee and green tea
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Honey & vebetable oil
Food to avoid absolutely:
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Processed food
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Dressings
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Soy sauce
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Wheat
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Refined flour
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Bread crumbs
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Benefits of following Gluten-free diet:
I have always been a firm believer in the fact that most of the prevailing lifestyles related conditions are not just common because of the changing lifestyles but because of a single culprit which is carbohydrates in our diet that too processed food.
So, here are the listed benefits of following a Gluten-free diet:
- Improves digestion: As the major issues and symptoms faced are all related to gut and digestion, therefore, avoiding gluten-rich food will help ease out these symptoms.
- No constipation: Gluten rich food have association constipation. As we make our diet gluten free and increase our daily fiber intake, we are bound to see results in reduced constipation and a further improvement in health.
- Improved immunity/ Reduced inflammation: While we stick to a gluten-free diet, our body really responds well to it and in case if any internal inflammation can be benefitted by it.
Disadvantages of following Gluten-free diet:
Since we are moving away from our own natural ways and customary dietary practices. We are bound to feel bogged by the cooking and grocery shopping that we may have to indulge in.
This leads to many problems faced on a daily basis:
- Keep cooking & keep Baking: If you are a bread lover. If your staple food id chapati. You may have to keep keeping forward to either buy those expensive gluten-free bread loafs or keep baking your own bread every week.
- If it tastes good, probably it is gluten: Pizza, Pasta, cookies, bakery items. Everything will have gluten added to it. While you are going to be leaving them all. You have to find alternatives to cook either your way or absolutely stay away from them at all.
- Lose weight and a lot: So if your BMI is ideal and you are not over-weight. You probably will be shedding some weight. The reason being your body is going to respond to a gluten-free diet for sure. The solution is to actually make sure to have good fat and sufficient proteins in your diet.
- Restaurants are no hope: Attending a marriage or a birthday party or even a weekend out with family means looking for special food for you. Which at times can look awkward too.
Gluten-free diet for weight loss:
Can I follow a gluten-free program even if I don’t have gluten resistance? The answer to this will be an absolute Yes. This diet has many benefits apart from weight loss that it will deliver.
Our intestines and our gut need cleaning every now and then from the deposit and leftovers from our diet. The stickiness of gluten in the diet actually also shows stickiness inside our body.
If we do not detox, we end up giving resources for many bacterias and harmful viruses to grow within our body. As we still to a gluten-free diet, we end up refreshing our body as clean, fresh and new from our gut inside.
Weight loss benefits:
- Kicks the fat loss cycle: Our body stores fat as an energy reserve. While we get to this diet, our body understands the cycle of burning calories through the stored fat reserve.
- Optimum carbs: While we stick to a gluten-free diet. We generally are keeping our total carb in check as well. All carbs with very high glycemix index are all eliminated from our diet so therefore it helps us lose weight.
- Quality carbs: As we move away from pizzas, pasta and much food which can help us to pile on the extra pounds. A gluten-free diet helps us to stick to a pattern of healthy and quality carb eating like fruits, vegetables etc.
- Good nutrition: In gluten-free diet, we also emphasize other micro nutrients and other macronutrients like fiber, proteins and good fat which further helps us to maintain our weight to optimum and also kicks the stored fat from our body.
Here is a sample gluten-free diet plan for weight loss:
Morning breakfast: Fried egg or half fry with sauteed vegetables and mashed potato
Mid meal: coconut berry smoothie
Lunch: Grilled chicken or grilled fish with gluten-free breadstick and grilled tomatoes
Evening: 1 cup of coffee in cream + roasted chickpeas
Dinner: Hummus fruit platter with pretzels.
“Sneha is a passionate entrepreneur, who believes in frugality and minimalism. She holds her roots in spirituality. She is a fitness enthusiast, a marathon runner, holds a physiotherapy degree & nutrition is her second love after fitness. She is on a mission to help 1,00,000 people live longer, be healthier & lose weight using the ketogenic diet. She is a ketogenic diet expert and a health educator. She would like to help you in your journey of achieving great success, longevity & prosperity by improving both your internal game (mental wellness) as well as your external game (methods to achieve your weight loss goal.”
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