Going gluten-free can be a difficult challenge. Whatever led you to become gluten-free, I am sure you remember your first grocery store outing on this new regime. You probably felt a little (or a lot) overwhelmed, confused, lost, and frustrated. Where would you start and, what could you possibly eat?
Wandering through the aisles, wanting to eat everything you couldn’t, you spotted a “gluten-free” sign. You thought your days of breads, pastas and treats were long gone. But that changed when you found the section dedicated to your favourite foods in gluten-free versions… you knew you wouldn’t be left out. You were so excited, you filled your cart full of every kind of cookie, cracker, biscuit, and bread that you could find. You even noticed gluten-free cake, pancake & waffle mixes, and pre-mixed flours for breads and muffins!
Being overjoyed that these options were available, you quickly adopted the gluten-free versions of some of your favourite foods. You also realized that you could eat almost anything you wanted… you could even enjoy foods like doughnuts, pastries, and pizza!
When we feel deprived because something is forbidden or taken away, we feel the need to fill that void with a substitute. In today’s age, this is a common gluten-free transition. Whether someone adopts a gluten-free diet and lifestyle because of health or personal reasons, we often just swap or replace one food for another, in a different version.
But It’s Gluten Free, So It’s OK!
A common expectation of switching our morning bagel to a gluten-free bagel, or our lunchtime pizza to a gluten-free version, or our pasta dinner to a gluten-free rice pasta (you get the point…) is that we expect a better result. We tend to think that becoming gluten-free is our ticket to lose weight, or stay thin, gain energy, or simply become healthier. But, this is not always the case.
The danger in thinking that everything gluten-free is good for you, is the fact that everything gluten-free is NOT necessarily good for you!
Because we think it’s a healthier option, we easily fall into the trap of replacing all of our favorite snacks and foods with their gluten-free counterparts, and we often end up eating more of these foods than we did before!
Most gluten-free products are full of starchy, heavily processed ingredients and are packed with sugar and other food additives.
The flours and starches used in gluten-free baking and alternatives are typically and most often from rice, tapioca, corn, and potato.
So, What’s Wrong With That?
These flours and starches can rapidly turn into sugar in your body. They tend to be low in fibre, high in carbohydrates, and low in protein. Therefore, they are digested and absorbed quickly, which usually increases blood glucose levels quicker than traditional gluten-containing grains. High glucose levels means higher insulin levels, which could be a precursor to type II diabetes.
Also, specific bacteria, commonly known as the “bad bacteria” in our GI tract, feed off of sugar. The more we feed them, the more we can be led into a vicious cycle of craving and wanting more breads, more pastas, and more sugar. This could create the exact opposite of the health that we want for ourselves.
What Can We Do?
To begin with, consider reducing and moving away from gluten-free products that contain large amounts of the previously mentioned flours and starches. Thankfully, there are some healthier options to create delicious tasting gluten-free alternatives. The following are gaining in popularity and can be found in many products but, better yet, I encourage you to use these in your own gluten-free baking and cooking!
- Coconut flour
- Almond flour
- Quinoa flour
- Garbanzo (Chickpea) flour
- Teff flour
- Amaranth flour
The best thing to do is reduce our total consumption of baked goods and treats. A creative way to do this is by using non-processed whole foods. For instance, a large piece of lettuce can easily double as a tortilla shell for a wrap or fajita or, it can be used in place of a burger bun. Veggie slices make a great substitute for rice crackers and, zucchini can be made into pasta!
Making these choices will enable you to live a healthier and happier gluten-free lifestyle.
Have you gone gluten-free and overloaded yourself on starchy, sugary products? Have you overcome this and found healthier alternatives? Leave a comment below and let me know what your next steps are in achieving a healthier gluten-free lifestyle!
