Let me start off with this reality: I lost about 10 pounds in less than two months when I went off gluten. Not too surprising, except for the fact that I was already below average for a man of my height (5’10”)- I went from the low 150s to the low 140s, and later even below that. Fortunately, I’ve been able to add back some weight to achieve a happy medium, but the point is that this should come as intriguing information for anyone who tends to carry more weight than they’d like to.
I went off wheat/gluten because I noticed a mild intolerance whenever I had bread or other wheat-carb-heavy foods. I needed to at least give it a try to see if there would be a difference. Since my mom has Celiac’s Disease -- the official medical condition that is actually an autoimmune disease that includes food allergies that will remain for life – I knew that it may run in the family. But I determined it’s just a wheat/gluten intolerance; I do still have bread, pizza, or pancakes that are not gluten-free from time to time, and I do OK.
But if you have Celiac’s, or if you’re simply genuinely intolerant of foods with gluten, you need to adjust your diet accordingly. This is a perfect excuse to eat healthier, and, in turn, to feel better and very likely lose unnecessary weight in the process. And the great news is that you don’t even need to give up bread or pizza or pasta or pancakes—they all come in gluten-free versions- there are hundreds, if not thousands of recipes catering to those choosing to follow a gluten-free diet, including several on this site. I will grant you that bread and pizza can be tricky, at least to the extent that if you want to buy gluten-free breads or pizza doughs, they’re going to be significantly more expensive, and depending on where you live they may not be in great supply, but there are numerous online resources, and there very may well be a store selling gluten-free products coming to your town soon if there isn’t one already.
But the main thing I want you to realize if you’re going gluten-free is that the items you’ll giving up substantially, or altogether, aren’t foods that were doing you any favors. The majority of wheat products -- whether it’s a fresh loaf at Subway, bagels or toast with your morning coffee, or pasta at any restaurant – are made with bleached white flour, that incredibly versatile carb that also tends to leave you feeling heavy, tired, and possibly even a little bloated. When your goal, whether through healthy ambitions or out of necessity, is to go gluten-free, these kinds of post-carbo load moments will probably fade significantly from your life. Ideally – and I recommend this – it will push you into seeking healthier carb alternatives, such as brown rice and quinoa, which can be eaten on their own or in the form of healthier pastas, or lentils, which can take many forms, including veggie meat loaves or veggie burgers.
The most important result of your going gluten-free is that you’ll eat healthier and, in turn, you’ll feel better. And in addition to shedding some pounds, you’ll also feel diet-wise, as if you’ve gained another rung on the consciousness-seeking ladder. I wish you luck and success in your transition to gluten-free or something very close to it.
Michael Shaw is a freelance writer on health and lifestyle issues, with a focus on healthy eating in a mainstream context. His website, No Flour, No Sugar Diet is a resource on ways to replace refined sugar and flour consumption with far healthier alternatives.
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