New study draws some concern over gluten-free diets (Read more at: celiacdisease.about.com). My comment: I’m so glad and not surprised.
As discussed in detail in The G-Free Diet by Elisabeth Hasselbeck, following a gluten-free nutrition plan is about a lot more than just removing gluten from the diet. To heal the digestive system (and maintain a healthy digestive system), as well as to reduce risk of other chronic diseases and to maintain a healthy weight, it is critical to look at the following: a) quality, b) quantity, c) nutrient balance and d) frequency.
I was just discussing today with an organic dessert chef how surprised I often am by GF products seeking AKA that contain chemicals, artificial ingredients, and contain excessive amounts of sugar, and unhealthy fats. As if “gluten-free” automatically means “healthy” or “healthiest”. For everyone, especially someone who suffers from allergies, autoimmune disease, or any other indication that the body is challenged, we need quality food choices. This means organic wherever possible (look to companies like Nature’s Path to provide Gluten-Free AND Organic) because gluten-free + chemicals won’t go as far to heal a body’s digestive system. And choose food as close to its form in nature.
Since it’s GF, I can eat a cookie…everyday…or every hour, right? Wrong! Quantity is extremely important. I recommend one serving of carbohydrate per eating occasion for most – that’s 15 grams (Ok, Shaq might need 2 or 3…but remember an eating occasion is every 3 hours so space it out for optimal digestion and absorption).
We need a balance of nutrients per eating occasion – carbohydrate + protein + healthy fat – plus unlimited vegetables (see the AKA menu worksheet for categories. A proper GF diet will provide these nutrients – but we have to make extra certain to include all, in nutrient-rich forms, so that we can work to prevent deficiencies (See meal plans in The G-Free Diet).
A word about supplementation. First, the obvious, make sure they are gluten-free. Second, for anyone with a history of digestive issues, its beneficial to try a high quality, organic, food-based liquid vitamin (I recommend Organic Life Vitamins and Osteo Calm) to ensure bioavailability of nutrients and optimal absorption. Second, vitamin D is critical! Get your levels tested or test them yourself. And third, before supplementing iron, get tested for anemia (iron-deficiency anemia to be specific as there are other kinds of anemias), you don’t want excess iron in your system (especially men and post-menopausal women who don’t lose iron through blood loss regularly).
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