Why go gluten-free?

QUEZON City, Philippines (Eagle News Service, July 21) – Many consumers are unaware of what gluten is. Gluten is a kind of protein found in wheat, barley and rye. Generally, eating gluten is not a problem unless you have celiac disease – a type of autoimmune disease of the small intestine that occurs in genetically predisposed people. Eating gluten causes sufferers of celiac disease to be affected by symptoms which include digestive discomfort, constipation, diarrhea, anemia and fatigue.

 

Many celebrities started endorsing gluten-free diet, citing that it helped them lose weight and feel better. Miley Cyrus is one of the most well-known promoters of a gluten-free diet.

Of course, before you adopt a gluten-free diet, you must check if it really is for you. Going totally gluten-free makes you miss out on the nutrients that is found in whole wheat, barley and rye.

Going cold turkey on gluten can give rise to feeling of deprivation, especially if wheat is a regular part of your diet. To avoid this feeling of deprivation, one should focus on what one can eat.

Here are the list of food that one should eat if one wants to be gluten-free:

– Beans, seeds and nut. These should be unprocessed.

– Fresh eggs

– Fresh meat and poultry products. Again, these should not be marinated, batter-fried or breaded.

– Fruits and vegetables

– Dairy products

Several grains are also gluten-free like buckwheat, corn and cornmeal, flax, millet, rice, sorghum, soy and tapioca.

(ENS, written by Jay Paul Carlos, with additional research of Lovely Ann Cruz)