Monday, June 23, 2014

The Gluten Free Craze - Is it healthy?

Eat more veggies!

There have been lots of chatter about gluten-free "diets" and "lifestyles"and whether they are healthy or not; Reference Wall Street Journal article. Together, let's review the food basics to help clear the air and educate each other on why the gluten-free lifestyle (when done correctly) is your road to a healthy, smart and long life ahead.  To elaborate, the following foods were created on the planet Earth without gluten. Gluten-free lifestyle choices are the healthiest and most likely the only, truly sustainable "diet" on the planet Earth...


  • Vegetables: All
  • FruitsAll
  • MeatAll
  • Poultry: All
    • SeafoodAll
    • Beans, Seeds, NutsAll

    The obstacle that many Americans face in the world is convenience. People want everything in the now and quickly. They jump to low sugar, reduced fat and calorie count diets to fix laziness or struggles with food obsessions. Sure, those effect a lot of people, but if you don't learn facts then you're going to make mistakes and fail forever. Gluten-free is a lifestyle diet that was created for those with Celiac Disease, an auto-immune disease related to the "poisonous" effect that gluten proteins have on a person. The common side effects are diarrhea, villous atrophy, gut permeability, head fog, malnutrition and if not treated by avoiding "gluten containing foods and cross-contaminated gluten related foods" then you'll be a very ill person and possible die long term.


    Fact #1 Reduce food intake that is heavily processed.

     Choose foods with ingredients that you can easily pronounce and have few ingredients that are processed if any at all! Or you're eating the wrong foods.  Most gluten-free food brands have re-created what you've eaten before with alternative gluten-free ingredients with sugar/syrups, as the common additive. Most of these foods are delicious after previously 20 years ago being inedible. However, people who are undertaking the gluten-free diet either by choice or for specific illnesses were previously eating gluten containing foods, such as; pizza, crackers, chips, cake, pasta, sauces, dressings, donuts and are craving replacement foods. Hence, processed foods, made in a building with no windows, not directly from the earth or via little processing. Did you know that these foods were unhealthy previously and just because they're gluten-free won't miraculously zap them to be any healthier, unless you read the ingredients and check if they truly are!?



    Some gluten-free processed foods can be unhealthy! But there are gluten-free brands who try harder and use truly the best ingredients on earth to provide tasty, nutrient dense pastas, crackers and breads.

    In Summary, gluten-free consumer packaged goods (processed foods) found in a box, in a a tray, in a pack, in a sleeve or in a carton, (and not found directly from the earth) may be just as unhealthy as when you were eating gluten. Obtain a food education to avoid unhealthy foods, and find the gluten-free, organic and raw foods that are truly safe and healthier alternatives. You can do this if you truly try to make a difference in your life by supporting healthy gluten-free foods.


    Learn more about about the food supply, organic, non GMO, and healthy gluten-free foods from me and other knowledgeable bloggers.

    Note: Man made manufacturing facilities often contaminate these "naturally" gluten-free foods, such as nuts, and contaminate them in the facilities processing wheat or other ingredients. This means their facility equipment is "dirty" and they have lots of other stuff in their manufacturing facility that could get someone ill. That's the main issue in our world, other than restaurant contamination. Be sure to buy certified gluten-free products and/or those that verify contamination via other methods and can prove their claims < 10 ppm. The FDA guideline for all products as of August 2014 is <20 ppm, but it's recommended to shop smarter and make your own food, do not eat out. The testing mentioned is to verify if any gluten is indeed in a product and requires ongoing verification for each food batch created and shipped to stores. 


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