Every now and then there are diets that spike a trend in the way we as Americans look at eating. Some of the diets are “fad” type diets while others are truly good diets to follow. The next two posts I will explore these topics. This week we will talk about the gluten free diet, a diet that’s probably here to stay and next post I will talk about so called “trendy” diets that seem to come and go with time.
The diet for this week is the gluten free diet.
It seems like a less than a year ago we started seeing “gluten free” in the media and on the grocery shelves. Not truly knowing what it meant, I was admittedly one of those who fell victim of purchasing more products labeled “gluten free” since I figured it would be healthier. In some instances I was right but in some I was not right.
Let’s first talk about what gluten is and why you should be gluten free. Gluten is a protein that’s found in a lot of types of food. More specifically it’s found in breads, wheat, rye, barley etc. People with a disease called Celiac disease actually have an allergy to gluten and therefore have to eat “gluten free”.
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease where, if those with the allergy eat gluten, their body will start killing off their small intestine lining (this is where you absorb most of your nutrients). Because of this, people with Celiac disease who eat gluten free tend to be malnourished and have other complicating issues. This is why they need to eat “gluten free”.
Because of severity of this “allergy” information is on packages that state if the product has gluten in it or not. So, if you have Celiac disease, DO eat gluten free!
If you want to avoid gluten but do not have Celiac disease, that’s still OK! One aspect to watch out for, though, is that SO many things have become “gluten free” and while they do not in fact contain gluten, many times they contain other ingredients to compensate such as butter, oil, sugar and other preservatives.
The best rule of thumb in eating gluten free is to eat lots of real foods such a fruits, vegetables, beans, etc. Try to avoid anything processed and when possible, try to cook your meals at home where you know what you are putting in to things. Check labels for “gluten free”.
If you have any questions about eating gluten free or how to maintain a healthy diet, please contact our offices. We are happy to talk with you about this!
At Carlos and Parnell, M.D., P.A. our professional and caring staff makes the difference with patient care. – See more at: http://www.dev.carlosparnellmd.com/thermometers-and-babies/#sthash.MFvVROkI.dpuf
