Good morning all!!
Happy Monday!!
Who’s ready for another lovely week?? I know I am!
Soooo, do any of these things sound familiar to you?
“Everything makes you fat!”
“Gluten-free food is the key to eternal youth!”
“You need to poop ten times a day or you’ll die!”
“If you don’t eat meat you won’t get enough protein!”
Yeah, those are all something I call MYTHS, because it’s MYTHBUSTER MONDAY!😉
*As always, please view my disclaimer at the bottom of my post before making any changes to your lifestyle.*
Now I’ve researched the g-free diet a bit and found that 30 percent of Americans claim they follow a gluten-free or reduced-gluten diet. Lately, it seems gluten-free eating is more than a fad. While eliminating gluten is essential for the people who have celiac disease, why are so many others nixing the protein and other stuff found in wheat, barley, and rye?
You’ve probably heard about the gluten-free diet benefits. Or maybe you’ve eliminated gluten yourself and noted improvements such as better sleep, a flatter tummy, clearer skin, a sharper mind, and more energy.
But are the benefits you experience actually due to the absence of gluten, or is it because of something else?
Here’s the truth:
That depends on what your specific body needs. Just because some people need to eat gluten-free doesn’t mean it will work for you.
The absence of gluten in a food does not automatically make it healthier (ex: soda is gluten-free). A lot of gluten-free breads are made with refined starches, which are not healthful. While I think many people can tolerate gluten just fine, I don’t think you should be concerned if someone says they feel better when they don’t eat it. Eliminating gluten from your diet doesn’t put you at any sort of nutritional risk.
Gluten-free foods are only healthier for you if you are allergic to gluten. If you aren’t, eating a gluten-free diet restricts the amount of fiber, vitamins, and minerals you are able to consume. A lot of foods that are high in whole grains also contain gluten, and these foods are an essential part of a healthy diet. I’m sure people get frustrated when they meet celiacs whose lives improved greatly by cutting out gluten. Naturally, since they can’t process the stuff, that would happen.
Few of us suffer from celiacs disease, fortunately, so we can handle products with gluten. Like with everything else, just eat it with balance in mind! You can reintroduce it through healthy-portioned servings of foods such as whole-grain bread, crackers, and pasta and see how you feel.
*If eliminating gluten is causing you to not go out to eat with friends or you obsess about it when you do, then that may be a red flag that you should seek help from a dietitian or therapist*.
Don’t believe me? Ask a pro!
BE WELL.❤