BENEFITS OF CHIA SEEDS

 

 

CORNSTARCH FOR GLUTEN-FREE BAKING

 As those who have to eat gluten-free know, gluten-free baked goods can be heavy and dense. If you are a  baker who must eat gluten-free, try adding some cornstarch to your biscuits and scones if yours are too heavy. Adding cornstarch will lighten the texture of your baked goods.

cornstarch

GET ACQUAINTED WITH QUINOA

If quinoa (keen wah) is not a part of your diet, it probably should be.  Many are confused about what quinoa is and its benefits.  Here are some facts:

Click on the image for easier reading.

The high level of magnesium is known to reduce headaches and regulate blood sugar, additional benefits not listed above.

SHOULD YOU GO GLUTEN-FREE?

Should you go gluten-free?  The simple answer is no, unless you have celiac disease or a medically diagnosed gluten sensitivity.  A lot of people are jumping on the gluten-free bandwagon because it is popular right now.  But the experts warn you should keep eating gluten regularly if you have no medical reason to avoid it.  You could miss out on some vital nutrients by going on your own gluten-free kick.  

If you have celiac disease and need to eat gluten-free, shop carefully.  The situation is the same as it is for sugar-free, fat-free, etc.  When they take out a major ingredient, it is replaced by something else to keep the product tasty and palpable.  Read the labels, something you should always do anyway.  Don't assume that because a product is gluten-free it is a healthy product.  Many of these products contain extra fat and other processed ingredients.  When reading the labels on gluten-free products, choose the foods that don't have added sugar, are low in saturated fat, low in sodium (less than 5%), and are high in fiber, calcium, iron, vitamin A, and vitamin C.

GLUTEN-FREE DIETS

Are you aware that only 1% off the population has celiac disease? And only around 8% of the population have any medical reason for eating gluten-free. Here are some tips about whether or not to eat gluten-free (frankly only when told to do so by a doctor, in my opinion):

Do go gluten-free if you have biopsy-confirmed celiac disease. Eating gluten-free in this case will prevent intestinal damage and help manage your symptoms of the disease.

Do go gluten-free if you have medically documented gluten sensitivity.

Do go gluten-free if your doctor told you to do so.

Don't go gluten-free thinking gluten-free foods are lower in carbs. In fact gluten-free foods often contain more carbs as sugar and other high carb ingredients are used to replace the wheat or other gluten grains. (Diabetics beware of this one. You don't need that extra sugar!)

Don't go gluten-free as a way to lose weight. If you do lose weight under such circumstances it is probably because you gave up crackers, pastas, breads, etc.

Don't make the mistake of thinking gluten-free foods are more nutritious. Most gluten-free foods are not enriched with the B vitamins and/or iron.

Gluten-Free Foods (If You Don't Suffer From Celiac Disease or Gluten Allergy)

This is a repost of a 2014 article.

People are constantly trying to get me to go gluten-free. When I tell them no that my doctors have told me that would be dangerous for me they seem appalled. "WHAT?", they say. Now I am not writing this to knock gluten-free as it is important for those suffering from celiac disease. If you will notice in the title it says, "If you don't suffer from celiac disease." What I am saying is to talk to your doctor before going gluten-free if you don't suffer from celiac disease, gluten allergy, etc. Gluten-free is a fad thing right now and everyone seems to want to jump on the bandwagon, just like it was with fat-free diets a few years ago. If you are one of those people, have you discussed this with your doctor? That's all I am asking. If you and your doctor think it is the thing for you, go for it.

Don't take my word for it. Here is an excerpt from an article that originally appeared in Redbook magazine and there are many more similar articles out there:

"If you’re anything like the pedestrians Jimmy Kimmel recently interviewed, you may think that cutting out gluten is healthy—without knowing exactly what gluten is. “If you swap out foods for their gluten-free alternatives, you may actually be depriving yourself of key nutrients while adding on more calories and fat,” says registered dietitian and Healthy Habits author Laura Cipullo. Take frozen pizza: Half a gluten-free personal pizza, like Udi’s three-cheese pizza, has more saturated fat and cholesterol and significantly less fiber and protein than Kashi’s four-cheese pizza, its gluten-containing frozen pizza counterpart. The lesson: Unless you're actually gluten intolerant, be sure to read the labels carefully when it comes to gluten-free foods."

Note: I am not here to argue this point with you. I know what my doctors tell me. I am just giving the other side of this story. Talk to your doctor and know what you are doing before going on any diet, especially one that omits any one food