Gluten-free meals have grown popular in the past few years. From celebrities to athletes, everyone seems to love gluten-free food. However, there needs to be a consensus among health specialists regarding the benefits and disadvantages of gluten.
Gluten free diet plans are a must-have for celiac disease patients or those who have gluten sensitivity. Gluten may be found in nearly every item, from cereal to bread, drinks, sauces, and chips.
Eliminating gluten-containing food is challenging but worth the effort. There are many benefits of the gluten-free diet.
Before we explore them, let’s learn what gluten is and how our body absorbs it.
What is Gluten?
Gluten is a type of protein found commonly in food. It is present in wheat, barley, rye, and other grains. It acts as glue. It allows food to keep its structure and bind to components. It is present in a variety of foods. As all forms of bread are made from wheat, bread has a good amount of gluten.
Unlike other synthetic food materials, gluten occurs naturally. It is found in complex forms such as isolated or concentrated. Many manufacturers add it to processed food to bind the food materials.
The salad dressing on your table and the cosmetics in your makeup bag also have gluten. Cheese, oats, deli meats, alcohol, and candy all contain gluten.
Gluten is common because it can stretch. It makes bread chewy and delicious. It is a critical component of whole-grain foods. But unfortunately, gluten can be harmful to some people.
When consuming gluten-containing foods, some people face issues and have difficulty digesting it. Gluten contains peptides resistant to stomach acids, making it difficult for certain people to digest. These peptides can induce various symptoms, ranging from moderate dyspepsia to more significant health problems.
What does gluten-free mean?
A gluten-free diet simply means no gluten in your diet. No bread, no pasta, no pizza from your favorite store. I know it is a sad feeling, but we have an alternative. No one hates pizza or freshly baked bread. But you must say goodbye to your favorite foods if you have celiac disease.
A gluten-free diet is essential because it helps control the disease’s symptoms. The gluten-free diet can also be beneficial for those with diabetes and other health-related problems. The diet’s advantages include better health, weight reduction, and more energy.
Common Foods with High Gluten Content
Some common foods made with natural ingredients are high in gluten.
- Bread
- Baked Goods; cookies, cakes
- Pasta
- Cereal
Gluten-Free Natural Foods
Gluten-Free foods are also quite common in our environment. Some of these are listed below.
- Eggs
- Fruits
- Zucchini
- Avacado
- Fish
- Legumes
- Beans
- Nuts
How is gluten processed in the body?
Our bodies have digestive enzymes. These enzymes help in the metabolism of food. One of these enzymes is a protease. Protease works to break down proteins specifically. But it cannot metabolize gluten.
Undigested gluten travels to our small intestine. Some people readily excrete it without any issue. But unfortunately, people with celiac disease cannot process the undigested gluten in the small intestine.
Celiac disease is an immunological reaction to gluten. Celiac disease can cause damage to the small intestine. Some people feel uncomfortable consuming gluten-free meals even if they do not have celiac disease. Skin rashes, diarrhea, headaches, and diarrhea are all diet results. This might respond to poorly digested carbs in general rather than simply gluten. These carbohydrates, known as FODMAPS, ferment in your stomach. People with sensitive intestines may suffer pain from fermentation rather than gluten.
Gluten-Free and Diabetes
Gluten is not always the enemy of diabetic patients. But most diabetics have to adopt a gluten-free diet. It can help them lose weight, increase metabolism and improve overall health. Celiac disease and type 1 diabetes are both autoimmune disorders. Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, is not related to gluten.
Gluten can be healthy for people with diabetes. But other categories of foods such as sugary snacks, pastries, sodas, and pasta are not healthy for diabetic patients. These foods cause an increase in blood sugar levels.
Benefits of Gluten-Free Meals
One of the many advantages of being gluten-free is that it makes it easy to eliminate harmful and processed items from your diet. You may explore healthier methods to fulfill your needs by avoiding gluten-containing meals such as bread, sweets, and fried foods.
1. Eliminates bloating
If you have diabetes or celiac disease, you may suffer increased gas and bloat after consuming gluten-containing meals. When you transition to a gluten-free diet, you will notice an instant improvement in your digestion, and your stomach will be flat after your meal.
2. Maintaining weight
Celiac disease causes various symptoms that might negatively influence your digestive system. Bloating, gas, and exhaustion are just a few of the many symptoms that gluten-sensitive people may encounter regularly. This lack of nutrients, energy, and decreased digestion can directly influence your metabolism’s performance. By consuming gluten-free meals, you reduce these stresses, allowing your body to function normally. Your body will have a healthy metabolism and gain the nutrients it requires to function correctly.
3. Helps with headaches
Your stomach and brain are inextricably linked. This is why some people who are gluten intolerant get a lot of headaches or migraines. So, removing gluten may lower the number of headaches you have.
4. Get rid of processed food
One of the many advantages of being gluten-free is that it makes it easy to eliminate harmful and processed items from your diet. You may explore healthier methods to fulfill your needs by eliminating several typical gluten-containing meals such as loaves of bread, sweets, and fried foods.
5. Increase Energy Levels
Gluten-allergic people frequently experience exhaustion after consuming gluten-containing foods. Gluten consumption causes inflammation, which affects the intestines. Many nutrients, including iron, are affected by these high inflammatory levels. Low iron and other nutritional levels might prevent your body from functioning correctly, making you tired. Adopting a gluten-free diet may give your body the time it needs to heal itself, absorb more nutrients, and increase energy levels.
6 Gluten Free recipes for Meal Plan
Gluten free diet plans can seem daunting. But don’t you worry. We have a few recipes to help you get started.
1. Pasta with Garlic
Choose gluten-free pasta from the supermarket. Now all you have to do is make the garlic sauce with a lot of garlic, cream, and herbs. Ta-da! Your gluten-free pasta is ready.
This gluten-free spaghetti dish is quick and simple to prepare, making it ideal for busy weeknights. You can make it less than 20 minutes to enjoy with your friends and family.
2. Cashew Chicken
If you want Chinese takeout, make gluten-free chicken with cashew nuts. It tastes just like the takeout favorite, is ready in 15 minutes, and is insanely simple to prepare. It’s also entirely gluten-free.
3. Fritters with corn and chickpeas
These dairy-free and vegan chickpea and sweetcorn fritters come together in no time. You can eat them cold the next day with a salad or stack them on a gluten-free burger bun.
4. Breakfast Egg Wraps
Egg wraps are a customizable vegetarian and gluten-free dish that serves as a high protein, low carb wrap and are ideal for meal prep. Fill them with your favorite toppings like a morning sausage, pico de gallo, avocado, and more.
5. Rice with Chicken Roast
Do you want to make good use of those Thanksgiving leftovers? Use the leftovers to make chicken roast rice. It takes less than 30 minutes and is very delicious.
6. Waffles with Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potato waffles are better than frozen ones since they are produced with whole food components for nutrient-rich waffles that can be sweet or savory to satisfy your cravings. Remember to use the gluten-free flour to make the waffles.