Going Gluten Conscious

by Susan Elle
(Frederick MD)

Susan Elle

By Susan Elle AFAA Certified Personal Trainer

I’ve been hearing a lot about the benefits of going gluten free. Many people are getting the habit of lower carb eating. I decided to give it a try and see what all the hoopla is about. Here are my tips if you want to try it out.

Gluten free regulates insulin levels

Wheat raises insulin levels the same way sugar does. So while you think that eating whole grains are better for you, it can act the same way that white flour does. So if you want to regulate blood sugar and not increase cortisol production.... get gluten conscious

High fiber foods speed up fat loss

When you are gluten conscious, your main source of carbs will be veggies, rice, potatoes and fruit. The emphasis should be veggies because they are the most nutritious and fibrous. They speed up digestion, speed up your metabolism and can replace the carbs in your diet.

Don’t get carried away with fruit

Fruit is ok in a gluten free diet, but the fructose can be bad for weight loss and thyroid. So limit it to 3 times a day

Don’t get discouraged

It will be difficult at first to follow this new diet. You will mess up at first and there will be times where you’ll cave and have wheat, sugar and flour. If you are not someone who has to be gluten free than you should not be so hard on yourself. It’s not a trend, for some people it’s a necessity.

Gluten conscious can prevent diabetes and regulate blood sugar

Cutting back on sugar, wheat, flour and fructose will help fight diabetes and maintain a healthy weight. It’s not about cutting them out completely, but being aware of the reasons we want them out of our diet.

From Cindy:
There are some good pointers here. Far too much of the average diet consists of wheat flour and sugar. These foods spike insulin release and fat storage so it only makes sense that cutting back will assist weight loss.

Thanks Susan!