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Loading...9 Dangers of Gluten-Free Products
- Diana Herrington
- November 7, 2012
- 8:23 am
- 89 comments
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9 Dangers of Mainstream Gluten-Free Products and Recipes:
1. Too little fiber:
Many highly processed gluten-free products and recipes are lower in fiber, and can leave you feeling hungry. Fiber is also essential for healthy bowel movements.
2. Too many carbs:
GF products generally add starch to make up for the gluten in the wheat flour. A sensitive digestive system is unable to digest the large load of carbs thus creating a digestive problem.
3. It is expensive:
I used to buy a very small loaf of bread for $8.50! On average, gluten-free products are 242% more expensive than regular products. US Nationa lLibrary of Medicine
4. Many Bad carbs:
The gluten-free ‘flours’ like tapioca starch, corn starch, rice starch, potato starch etc. also cause health issues in the gut and with their high Glycemic index. Also, they are often devoid of nutrients! They are certainly not a ‘smart carb‘.
5. Too many calories:
Processed gluten-free foods contain almost twice the calories as their counterparts and are more then double the price.
6. Low in whole grains:
The benefits of good carbs like brown rice, fruits or beans are often sacrificed for other ‘bad’ carbs. You need good carbs to regulate blood sugar and bowel movements.
7. Lacks important nutrients:
Avoiding grains means that you will be getting less iron, calcium, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and folate.
8. Often contains Xanthan Gum:
Some of the side effects from consuming x-gum are similar to the negative effects of gluten-sensitivity. Flu-like symptoms can occur, and since it used for a laxative, sometimes even a small amount might aggravate your guts according to WebMD.
9. Often full of unhealthy sugars:
Sugar is not an ingredient we want lots of if we have gut problems, as it is what will feed the unhealthy bacteria in our gut.
The Solution:
1. First you need to eliminate all the gluten proteins. They are found in ALL forms of wheat (including durum, semolina, spelt, kamut, einkorn and faro) and related grains rye, barley and triticale.
2. Substitute with whole real food; food that is rich in whole and unprocessed foods, vegetables and fruits and beans.
3. Don’t believe that because a product label or recipe says it IS gluten free that it is healthy. Read the ingredient list to find out if it is truly healthy; if there are unhealthy starches, sugars, and Xanthan Gum then it is not a healthy choice.
4. Include these 11 gluten-free whole grains in your diet: Millet, Quinoa, Brown Rice, Amaranth and Buckwheat, Cornmeal whole grain (not corn starch), Buckwheat, Oats (make sure they are pure and uncontaminated), Sorghum (whole grain), Teff, Amaranth, popcorn, and Montina (Indian Rice Grass). Read their benefits at 11 Gluten Free Whole Grains.
5. I have been working on helping gluten intolerant people for years now. All my recipes at Real Food For Life are gluten-free and healthy. It is still a work in progress. I have taken out all the unhealthy starches, sugars, and Xanthan Gum.
6. Try out my Healthy Baking Weekend Web BootCamp where I teach people to how to do baking for the holidays that is gluten-free, sugar-free, and super healthy with whole foods!
If you want to be healthy,
If you want to grow stronger,
If you want to be slim not fat,
If you want to feel trim, not bloated,
…..Then you need to eat real, whole food ….no starch, no white sugar and no refined carbs.
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Read more: Diet & Nutrition, Food, Health, celiac, gluten free, gluten free flour, gluten intolerance, gluten sensitivity
Diana Herrington
Diana Herrington turned a debilitating health crisis into a passion for helping others with healthy, sugar-free, gluten-free, eating and cooking. After testing and researching every possible healthy therapy on her delicate system she has developed simple, powerful principles which she shares in her recent book Eating Green and Lean, and as host to Care2 groups: Healthy Living Network and Healthy Cooking. She is the head chef at Real Food for Life, where she shares recipes and tips. Sign up for the Real Food for Life weekly newsletter or catch her on Facebook or Twitter (@DancinginLife).
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.
people are talking
Thanks for sharing.
Would make a really neat lakeside retreat.
thanks
Thanks.
That is adorable! My cat Rocky used to say "I go!" whenever he was in the car. I miss him.
89 comments
+ add your ownI lost 20 lbs after giving it up, but I already eat vegan, no refined sugars/oils/additives (coloring, falvoring, etc)
Thanks for sharing, thank goodness for nuts, fruit and vegies. Well some of them anyway.
interesting. as always, it comes down to reading the packaging though. and about making the right lifestyle choices by doing research in the first place!
Thanks for more good info.
I'm worried now... My mum always said that being a coeliac, i'd be healthier :/ Oh dear...
If you buy package Gluten free items, its like anything else, you have to read the labels.
Many contain corn, and other high GMO altered products, if you use those you are defeating the purpose. I have used great substitutes for sugars, fats, and fiber. Its not difficult, just has to become a habit. Coconut oil works great in pie crust, using bean and rice flower--fillings can also use coconut instead of milk-It is actually creamer and sweeter in a pumpkin or sweet potato pie-so less sugar. Use Zylitol or Stevia when no fruit is present, and cut the amount used. They both work great in baking healthy cookies-made with alternate flours. Rice flour alone is too heavy and too dry, a mixture of flours is always better. Haven't made a good cracker yet..but substitute vegie sticks and fruit slices instead. Topping any of these with a good finely ground nut mixture-gives them great flavor-and nuttie nutrition. I HAVE LOST WEIGHT.substituting a good fat, that is good for your gut, its still a matter of quantity, and eating smaller amounts more often.
interesting to hear both sides to the coin, finding good alternatives that are safe will really help to lead healthier lives.
Shanon O - I don't know of any bakeries that use lard in their pie crust. They sometimes use hydrogenated oils but many use butter.
Our food supply has been tampered with in so many ways - and we are so often railroaded into buying things we don't want (ie - GMO's!!!!). So we all need to be vigilant as to what we buy and consume, especially so for those of us who don't always have time to cook.
Well, interesting info but I wonder how much baking this woman has done -- any pie crust has some sort of fat in it and the primary source of that fat for many years, in fact still utilized by many fine pie bakers, is ... guess what? ... lard. The information in the comment section is much better than what this Diane Herrington has to say.
thanks for sharing
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