While gluten free diets are gaining popularity, there are some things that many of us don’t realize. Gluten free diets can sometimes be not so healthy. But there are ways that we can make sure we stay healthy on a gluten free diet. Many “Gluten Free” products are less nutritious because they contain less protein, less fiber, more calories, more fat and more sugar. Read labels! Many gluten free foods contain rice flour which is okay in moderation but try to get a good variety of flours. Oat flour, almond flour and garbanzo bean flour will provide the protein and fiber that we won’t be getting from wheat. We need to also keep in mind that gluten boosts immunity, wheat bran is a prebiotic and wheat not only contains protein and fiber but also B vitamins and other trace minerals. So we need to work a little harder to make sure we get adequate amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables which will provide us the prebiotics we need. We also need to take a really good probiotic as well as consume fermented foods such as sauerkraut and yogurt. And we need to be mindful about everything we put into our bodies to ensure that we are eating nutritious foods that will provide adequate nutrients including B vitamins and trace minerals. So when we think about it, a gluten free diet can be really healthy if we do it right because we are going to be more diligent about knowing what we are putting into our bodies!
