May is Celiac Awareness Month. In the world of health and fitness, gluten is a hot topic. According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, gluten is a general name for the proteins found in wheat, rye, barley and triticale – a cross between wheat and rye.
While Celiac Disease has been around for a long time, gluten intolerance seems to be on the rise; as does the decision for many to avoid gluten all together.
According to Dr. William Davis’ world renown book, Wheat Belly, ‘Over 200 million Americans consume food products made of wheat every day.’ As a result, over 100 million experience some form of adverse health effect. These effects range from minor rashes to high blood sugar to unattractive stomach bulges that Davis calls “wheat bellies.” ‘Excess fat has nothing to do with gluttony, sloth, or too much butter: it’s due to the whole grain wraps we eat for lunch.’
Whether you consciously limit your gluten intake, are allergic to wheat, or have been diagnosed Celiac, our Bodylogix® products support a gluten-free (GF) lifestyle. This is especially important because going gluten free doesn’t mean you are without choice, it just means you need to be more selective about which foods and brands you choose.
Processed gluten-free foods can contain high amounts of unrefined carbohydrates as well as artificial sweeteners. The good news is that living a healthy and gluten-free life isn’t as difficult as you might think. In fact, ideally a gluten-free diet contains mostly whole, singular ingredient foods – including many varieties of rice and potatoes. One such site, Gluten-Free Living, offers many tips, articles and gluten free recipes including some from various chefs around the world. Here are a few teasers:
Tips on Going Gluten-free
- Tamari is a great substitute for soy sauce as it imparts the same great umami flavor, but is gluten free. Also, most tamaris are organic.
- Mexican and Mediterranean cuisines are two that lend themselves well to gluten free diets. Mexican tends to infuses many fresh flavours as well as rice and/or corn as a base. Mediterranean focuses on vegetables as well as meats, seafoods and different oils to add flavour.
- For a soft, rich bread, chickpea flour is perfect. It is a flavourful and soft flour.
A lot of restaurants now offer gluten-free options, and even have gluten-friendly menus. Be patient though, like anything, change can take some time to process. If you are interested in trying out a gluten-free life, think seeds, nuts, fresh produce and of course healthy proteins!