What is a Gluten-Free Diet?
A gluten-free diet can be tried from different numbers of people and it is a must for some as well. If you are diagnosed with Coeliac or if you are gluten sensitive, you would have to change your dieting completely. But what is a gluten-free diet? is it as strange and scary as most people would like to think? We will take a look for more gluten information.
Best gluten-free foods
If you are sensitive to gluten or you just want to try to live without it, there are plenty of options on how you can be healthier and still enjoy a delicious meal. There are a number of gluten-free (naturally!) foods in our markets – fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, eggs. Gluten is a protein in our body but if your body is unable to process it efficiently – you must focus on those foods. Soups and sauces are probably the biggest enemies of the gluten-free diet as they contain the special protein in hidden forms – many companies are using gluten as a thickener. There is a common conception that cereals are to be avoided as well and usually that is true. Most of them contain gluten but if you are looking long enough you will spot the “gluten-free” labels on some of them.
Can I eat grains?
While you should be avoiding wheat, rye, there are still ways you can have certain grains in your diet. Some of them can be easily found in the local supermarket and for some, you would need to look in specialized healthy stores. Naturally, gluten-free grains are – rice, soy, corn, chia, quinoa, beans, gluten-free oats. Tip – avoid purchasing those grains in bulk as they might have been in contact with gluten-containing foods.
What can I drink?
Juices, sodas, sports drink – all good for the gluten-free diet. Wine, cider, liqueurs can be included in your lifestyle as well. On the other side, beer, lagers have to be avoided as most of them are containing gluten.
Probably the best advice you can get if you are on gluten-free dieting is label reading and then education. You must be reading each label when purchasing your food – at least in the beginning when you get used to it. There is nothing scary in this endeavor and it can lead to many benefits but you must be careful. Base your diet on naturally gluten-free foods and you will be as happy as you were.
