What Is Gluten And Who Must Avoid It? – Here Are The Best Gluten-free Diet Benefits!

Is your body intolerant to gluten? If you experience an abdominal pain, bloating and a swollen belly, it is high time you realize the major cause for this and know how a gluten-free diet benefits in reducing these symptoms and stabilizes your overall health!

Did you ever wonder why the wheat dough is so elastic in nature? Recipes made from wheat, of course, taste yummy, but these cereal grains contain a protein called gluten which brings a nice elastic texture to the wheat dough and unfortunately, this protein has a huge impact on our health.

Here is everything you need to know about gluten, gluten-free foods, what is a gluten-free diet plan and who needs to follow this diet plan!

Do You Know That The Foods You Love The Most Contain Gluten?

Do you love waffles, chocolate chip cookies or muffins? How about some tasty Indian breakfast dishes and snacks like Butter naan and Paneer rolls? Love them? Yes, I find them delicious too! We find them tasty and scrumptious because these dishes include whole wheat grains in their preparation.

But, what came to my utmost surprise was that the dishes made from wheat also contain a protein called gluten and that is when I decided to prepare a list of gluten-free foods and became much curious to know how a gluten-free diet benefits our health.

#Note – Other Cereal Grains Like Barley And Rye Also Contain A Protein Called Gluten In Them

Don’t worry! Gluten does not affect everyone but it is much recommended for you to follow a gluten-free diet plan and know how a gluten-free diet benefits you. You also need to find out whether you are gluten intolerant or not!

People who suffer from the below-mentioned conditions should avoid the consumption of foods containing gluten.

Who Needs A Gluten-free Diet Plan?

1. People Suffering From Celiac Disease:

A disorder in which one cannot digest gluten and a continuous consumption of foods containing gluten may lead to a damage of small intestine.

It is necessary that such people start emphasizing how gluten-free diet benefits their health and prevents their intestinal damage.

2. Non-Celiac Gluten Insensitivity: (Which You Could Be Suffering From)

People who are intolerant to gluten may observe the symptoms that are related to celiac disease(1) soon after consuming the foods containing gluten, but they are not prone to any serious damage to their intestine.

How To Identify Whether You Are Intolerant To Gluten?

Since gluten intolerance is a very common problem, here are some symptoms to make it easy for you to find our whether you are suffering from this condition.

You will experience these symptoms soon after consuming the foods which contain gluten!

• Bloating
• Pain in the abdominal area
• Constipation or diarrhea
• Anxiety and depression
• Fatigue
• Feces that smells bad
• A sudden weight loss

You Can Simply Relax And Put Your Mind At Ease!

There are some excellent gluten-free foods that can help you stay away from these symptoms and you can effortlessly cook some delicious recipes for yourself if you wish to stay away from the irritable symptoms caused due to gluten.

Before letting you know what foods are gluten-free, let me disclose to you some amazing facts on how a gluten-free diet benefits your overall health.

Some Amazing Facts On How A Gluten-free Diet Benefits Our Overall Health!

You will automatically go in search of some gluten-free foods and prepare a gluten-free diet plan after knowing these surprising benefits!

1. Reduces The Risk Of Cancer

People suffering from celiac disease are more susceptible to cancer because the consumption of foods containing gluten gives rise to the above-mentioned symptoms which eventually damages their small intestine.

When such people continue to consume cereal grains such as wheat, barley, and rye that are rich in gluten, it may gradually lead to cancer.

So the fact that gluten-free diet benefits in preventing cancer is hundred percent true, but it does not imply to the people who are non-celiac.

2. Gluten-free Foods Reduce The Cholesterol Levels

One interesting fact that you need to note is, a high cholesterol level is not only seen in people who are fat or obese. Sometimes, people who appear slim and fit also may contain higher cholesterol levels.

So, it is very essential for you to have a regular check up on your cholesterol levels. If your reports have shown that your body contains high cholesterol, don’t worry! This simple tip of replacing your regular rice with brown rice can help you in reducing your cholesterol levels.

To put in short, you need to consume more of the gluten-free whole grains such as Quinoa, millets or amaranth.

3. Gluten-free Diet For Weight Loss

There has been a lot of dilemma and confusion on whether there is a gluten-free diet for weight loss! Some say a gluten-free diet helps only those who are suffering from celiac disease, and other sources say a gluten-free diet benefits everyone irrespective of their health condition.

Well, to be much practical and honest, a gluten-free diet helps you in losing weight and here is a perfectly logical explanation for this.

As we have already discussed, waffles, chocolate cakes, muffins are all made of wheat and wheat is the most commonly used cereal grain that contains gluten.

To Know More: Major Foods To Avoid for Losing Weight

So, when you are trying to stay away from gluten by following a gluten-free diet plan, you are restricting yourself from consuming some of the unhealthy foods that are prepared out of wheat. Doesn’t this sound legitimate that, by doing so your weight loss becomes easy for you?

So, the next time you prepare a list of foods for weight loss, do not forget to include gluten-free foods.

4. Gluten-free Diet Benefits Constipation

A gluten-free diet is a much favorable diet plan for people who suffer from celiac disease and people who are intolerant to gluten.

When the consumption of foods containing gluten has been causing you the symptoms of constipation, staying away from such foods and consuming fiber-rich foods is the best option to keep your stomach healthy and happy!

You can consider consuming more fruits such as oranges, bananas, guavas, mangoes, strawberries as they are rich in fiber content and facilitate an easy digestion.

5. Gluten-Free Foods And Hypothyroidism

It is a myth to believe that gluten-free foods help in a complete cure of hypothyroidism because you can only reduce the symptoms of hypothyroidism by following some best remedies, but there is no complete cure for hypothyroidism.

But gluten-free foods can undoubtedly benefit people who suffer from both celiac disease and hypothyroidism. This is because people suffering from the disorders simultaneously face difficulty in absorbing thyroid medication because of the damage to the small intestine.

Since gluten-free foods can heal them from their intestinal damage, their body can very easily absorb the thyroid medication which may otherwise not show any result of thyroid medication.

6. How Does Gluten-free Diet Benefits Skin

Does your face appear reddish, swollen or flaky? You can for a change, try to stay away from the foods that contain gluten such as wheat, barley, rye and other foods that are made from wheat and observe the difference.

If the redness and inflammation(2) have reduced, you have been suffering from an allergy towards gluten because many studies have shown that gluten intolerance has been the most common reason for skin disorders.

In fact, most of the skin disorders like psoriasis, eczema and a persistent acne are said to worsen by consuming foods that contain gluten.

You can as an alternative to this consume zinc rich foods (other than whole grains) for acquiring a soft and glowing skin.

7. A Gluten-free Diet For PCOS

With many articles and health websites stating that a gluten-free diet helps in curing PCOS, it has been creating a lot of confusion whether or not gluten-free diet cure PCOS. But the truth is, gluten-free diet surely helps women suffering from PCOS, but it does not help in a complete cure of this disorder.

Since acne, skin inflammation, overweight(3) are the most common symptoms of PCOS, following a gluten-free diet can help you in staying away from some unhealthy foods which are either processed or canned.

If you are the one suffering from PCOS, I can very confidently say that by eliminating gluten foods from your diet, you can obtain a much healthier life by reducing the impact of PCOS symptoms.

8. Gluten-free Diet Benefits Children With Autism

Autism is a behavioral disorder that is characterized by the symptoms of abnormal social behavior such as the inability to communicate properly or facing difficulty in participating in social interactions.

The disorder can occur because of a fault in genes but there are other reasons such as an insufficient supply of oxygen during birth or failure to take proper care and nutrition during pregnancy.

Studies and experiments have successfully proven that children suffering from autism can be put under a gluten-free casein free diet (GFCF) to stabilize their mind and behavior.

But, one needs a proper consultation from a nutritionist as casein and gluten are the most important proteins that are essential for growth and development.

Since growing children need proteins in required amounts, there is every need for you to take a proper consultation about some healthy gluten-free casein-free foods before directly following the plan.

What Foods Are Gluten-free? – A Gluten-free Food List

Since you are missing on the most important cereals such as wheat, barely and ryes, you must be avoiding many foods that you have marked in your favorite food list. Don’t worry! Here is a list of a gluten-free food list to help you stay healthy and fit.

1. Gluten-free Whole Grains

Since whole grains contain a large amount of fiber, you could be missing on them which may cause stomach disorders like constipation and improper digestion. Therefore, you can compensate the fibers by consuming these healthy whole grains.

• Sorghum
• Quinoa
• Buckwheat
• Millets
• Oats
• Brown rice
• Amaranth
• Corn
• Rice

2. Which Type Of Fruits Should You Consume?

You should be choosy over the types of fruits that you pick because some fruits come as a collection with other fruits and they contain gluten.

So, it would be a wiser decision if you pick those fruits which are not mixed with the other varieties but those which are simply frozen and packed in a single variety (not mixed with other varieties)

Frozen and packed fruits are usually the ones which are packed immediately when they have reached a ripened stage which is why they are considered healthy.

List Of Frozen Fruits

• All kinds of berries (Blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, Raspberries)
• Peaches
• Sweet cherries
• Pomegranates
• Fruits that are rich in fiber
• Mangoes
• Guavas
• Bananas
• Oranges
• Apples
• Avocados
• Kiwis
• Tangerines
• Apricots
• Grapes
• Pineapples
• Cantaloupes
• Watermelon

3. Vegetables And Meat That Should Be Included In Your Diet

Basically, there are no such vegetables that are gluten-free until and unless you mix up your vegetables with wheat.

But, avoiding wheat may result in the loss of required proteins. So, here is the best list of vegetables that are rich in fibers and proteins to help you stay away from constipation which is the major symptom of celiac disease and gluten intolerance.

• Eggs
• Dairy products
• Kale
• Chicken breast
• Tuna
• Beans and lentils
• Turkey
• Peas
• Lentils
• Asparagus
• Cauliflower
• Soybeans
• Broccoli
• Sprouts (Brussel sprouts, Mung bean sprouts, Alfalfa sprouts, Buckwheat sprouts)

4. Nuts And Seeds

The best part of consuming nuts and seeds is that you get to acquire all kinds of minerals and abundant amounts of vitamin E. Moreover, nuts and seeds are free of cholesterol which makes them perfect foods for the maintenance of a healthy heart.

Some nuts and seeds are the richest sources of proteins which makes them the best substitute for grains and cereals that contain gluten.

Nuts

• Hazelnuts
• Brazil nuts
• Pistachios
• Almonds
• Cashew nuts
• Walnuts
• Peanuts
• Pecans

Seeds

• Pumpkin seeds
• Flax seeds
• Hemp seeds
• Sesame seeds
• Sunflower seeds
• Chia seeds
• Poppy seeds

What Is Gluten-free Diet Plan? (Sample)

If you have been wondering about the diet that has to be followed by avoiding the foods that contain gluten, the plan is simple! You just have to note down the foods that are made from wheat, ryes, and barley and eliminate all these foods from your diet.

Since you are eliminating the sources of gluten (which is a protein) you just have to prepare a healthy diet plan that is rich in proteins.

Here Is The Best Sample Gluten-free Diet Plan (Foods Without Gluten) Which You Can Follow.

Time	What to Eat
Early morning before breakfast	One glass of hot water mixed with lemon and honey
Breakfast	Two boiled eggs A cup of freshly cooked oats Whey protein milkshake
One hour before lunch	One glass of distilled water A bowl of fresh fruits that are rich in fibre
Lunch	One cup of properly cooked brown rice A plate of vegetable salads (You can choose from the list mentioned above) A cup of Greek Yogurt
Evening snacks	Any kinds of nuts and seeds of your choice (You can choose from the list mentioned above)
Dinner	Vegetable soup Any dish made from Quinoa Properly cooked salmon with lentils