Experts sum up the statistics with horror: 18% of women in our country are overweight, and obesity is becoming more common among children and adolescents. Ignoring this problem will lead to irreparable consequences, because excess weight is the main cause of many serious diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, varicose veins, and pathologies of the cardiovascular system.
The problem of obesity needs to be addressed. Experts have developed special methods based on proper nutrition, exclusion of certain foods, physical activity, and medications. Some of them provide stable weight loss without harming health, while others, on the contrary, can cause exacerbation of chronic diseases, new health problems, and pathologies.
A relatively new approach to weight loss is the gluten and dairy free diet. What is this? How safe is it for the body? How does it affect him? Let's take a closer look in this article.
What is gluten?
Gluten or gluten (from Latin Gluten - glue) is a special protein found in seeds and grains. Especially abundant in wheat, rye, barley.
Gluten in its pure form is a dry white powder without taste, color or smell. But when water is added, it turns into a sticky jelly-like mass. Because of that, the dough rises during baking, becoming elastic. The more gluten in the composition of the flour, the better, the baking will be better.
Gluten is found in many foods. Let's take a closer look at the main foods that contain gluten:
| Contains gluten | Contains "hidden" gluten. |
|---|---|
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Hidden gluten is damaged, gluten molecules are altered due to processing.
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It is necessary to carefully study the composition of the product, but you cannot always trust the "gluten-free" label. It all depends on the honesty of the manufacturer.
What is dangerous and why gluten is necessary
A gluten-free diet has been developed specifically for patients with celiac disease - an autoimmune disease in which the natural function of the intestines and peristalsis is disrupted. This disease occurs in one in a hundred people. With such pathology, gluten is not recognized by the patient's immune system, and the body throws all its strength to fight it. But the problem is that the structure of the gluten protein is similar to the cells of the thyroid and pancreatic glands, some tissues. As a result, the body begins to destroy itself. This is the main disadvantage of a gluten-rich diet for both sick and healthy people.
But it should be understood that such symptoms are present in people who have celiac disease or suffer from individual gluten intolerance. In all other cases, the question of whether a special diet is needed or not should be decided individually with a weight loss specialist.
The essence of a gluten-free diet
A special diet based on the introduction of gluten-free products has its own principles, features, rules:
- Gluten-free products help improve digestion, peristalsis, and the function of the gastrointestinal tract. That is why they are the basis of nutrition. Now, you can find a large number of such products on the market, there are even gluten-free alcohols;
- diet meals are prepared with a minimum amount of oil, it is advisable to use a special grill or pan that does not require the addition of fat;
- Gluten-free foods should be the basis of the diet. Based on the list of permitted and prohibited foods, you can create your own menu or use ready-made ones. On the Internet you can find recipes for main dishes, snacks.
Such a diet will benefit patients with celiac disease, as well as people with individual allergy or intolerance symptoms. In all other cases, it can be, on the contrary, dangerous. Thoughtless exclusion of foods from the diet can lead to vitamin, mineral and nutrient deficiencies. Therefore, for weight loss, it is better to use time-tested techniques based on proper nutrition, changing eating habits, and psychotherapy. Only such an approach will protect the patient from damage, depression, other disturbances in the psycho-emotional state and health, and prevent negative consequences.
Who is the gluten-free diet for?
Special diets and gluten-free diets should be prescribed by a weight loss specialist. It is usually prescribed for the following diseases:
- celiac disease;
- autism;
- hyper excitement;
- nervous system disorders: schizophrenia, attention deficit disorder, etc. ;
- skin and dermatological diseases, especially psoriasis, vitiligo;
- frequent migraines;
- autoimmune hepatitis;
- diabetes;
- atherosclerosis;
- obesity.
If the patient does not have any of the diseases listed, then it is better to use other methods to lose weight. One option is to go to a good weight loss clinic. It uses a special integrated approach that combines the principles of proper nutrition and psychotherapy. Specialists teach patients to distinguish between "good and bad" products, to arrange the menu independently, to be able to cope with life's problems, not to seize stress, fatigue. They can pinpoint the cause of a set of extra pounds and get rid of them. This method is officially recognized by the world scientific community, considered the most optimal, safe for health.
Gluten-free diet rules
A gluten-free diet will bring certain results, but only with strict adherence to the rules. The main one is the complete rejection of products containing gluten, the list of which is given above. Nutrition will not be effective if you give yourself satisfaction, deviating from the intended scheme. And this is a strong psychological pressure, which is almost impossible to overcome on your own, as a result - damage, depression, stress.
The gluten-free diet has a special menu for the week. It should be prepared by experts, taking into account the body's needs for all the necessary nutrients, vitamins and minerals, including meat products, chicken eggs, vegetables, fruits, grains.
List of allowed products
A gluten-free diet includes the following foods in the diet:
- fresh and frozen vegetables, berries, some fruits;
- natural meat, chicken, fish;
- natural dairy products without sweeteners, stabilizers, starch;
- natural vinegar: apple, wine, rice;
- homemade sauce without the addition of flour, starch, gluten, grains;
- tea, coffee without flavoring additives;
- legumes;
- original soy sauce;
- egg.
The main thing is to carefully study the composition of the product bought in the store. This is especially true for dairy products, canned meat and fish. They most often contain hidden gluten, such as corn or wheat starch.
Menu for this week
The gluten-free diet has a special menu for the week. It is based on a list of permitted foods, with the need to reduce or completely eliminate "forbidden" foods. But such a diet is prescribed for gluten intolerance or an allergic reaction to it. For weight loss, it can be ineffective: it is usually difficult for a person to refuse favorite foods for no apparent reason, which leads to damage, psycho-emotional disorders. That is why weight loss experts recommend not to try your body, but to get help from a specialist. Leave the menu for this week for celiac patients.
Recommendations for children
Research shows that gluten-free and lactose-free first food formulas are ideal because they are light and do not burden the body and the gastrointestinal tract. It will help the baby adapt to new food, gradually switching to a different diet.
The list of products for children is slightly different from that of adults, it contains all the same elements: soups and broths on meat or fish, gluten-free cereals, lean meat, chicken eggs, fruits and vegetables, vegetable oils.
Gluten-free diet for celiac disease
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease characterized by disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and intestines. There is usually a genetic predisposition to it. The following symptoms may indicate the presence of this disease:
- bloated stomach;
- sick;
- diarrhea;
- foamy stools with an unpleasant odor;
- sudden weight loss or gain;
- the appearance of a rash on the skin;
- Headache;
- immune system weakness.
For such patients, a special diet has been developed. It has the following basic rules and principles:
- Gluten-free diet, complete exclusion of prohibited foods.
- The diet should consist of animal proteins, vegetables and fruits, gluten-free grains, herbs, spices, spices, nuts.
- Such a diet provides lifelong adherence. This is the only key to maintaining health, well-being.
- A gluten-free menu for a week should be balanced, taking into account the body's needs for vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Patients should undergo regular clinical examinations, observed by doctors.
Gluten-free dishes are best steamed, without added oil. It is also recommended to introduce the principle of fractional nutrition: reduce the number of portions, but increase the number of meals to 5-6 (breakfast, lunch, dinner and some snacks).
Weekly gluten-free diet menu
Eating on such a diet should be fractional, about 5-6 times a day: three main meals and two or three snacks. The standard "plate rule" also applies here: half should be filled with vegetables, the other half with meat and complex carbohydrates. Such a diet will supply the body with nutrients, vitamins and minerals.
Gluten-free food can be suitable for the whole family, and when prepared correctly, it will not differ from the usual in taste. The main thing is to use only approved products.
The menu below is an example. It can be adjusted according to individual preferences, allergies or intolerances.
Monday
- Breakfast: a portion of rice porridge cooked in milk, you can add some fresh berries.
- Lunch: sandwich on gluten-free bread with butter, unflavored fresh tea.
- Lunch: vegetable soup with broccoli and low-fat cheese, chicken with potatoes, vegetable salad.
- Afternoon snack: fruit salad with gluten-free yogurt.
- Dinner: wheat porridge with a side dish of beans or stewed vegetables.
Tuesday
- Breakfast: cottage cheese with honey or sugar, fruits.
- Lunch: rice or any grain bread, tea.
- Lunch: chicken soup with vegetables, salad.
- Afternoon snack: yogurt with diet gluten-free cookies.
- Dinner: cottage cheese casserole, plus any fruit.
Wednesday
- Breakfast: scrambled eggs or boiled eggs, cheese sandwich.
- Lunch: a handful of dried fruits, tea.
- Lunch: any soup with the addition of fresh herbs, chicken with buckwheat garnish.
- Snack: syrniki on rice flour with honey and berries.
- Dinner: chicken baked in foil with vegetables.
Thursday
- Breakfast: special cornflakes (they must be gluten-free) with added milk, kefir or yogurt.
- Lunch: two boiled eggs, tea.
- Lunch: borscht, chicken and vegetable salad.
- Afternoon snack: berry dish or fruit drink from it, diet cookies.
- Dinner: meatballs, buckwheat porridge.
Friday
- Breakfast: gluten-free fries with honey.
- Lunch: a glass of kefir or yogurt and cookies.
- Lunch: chicken cutlets with a side dish of rice, vegetable salad.
- Snack: a portion of any nut, any fruit.
- Dinner: boiled fish with vegetables, mushrooms.
Saturday
- Breakfast: cottage cheese with honey and fruit.
- Lunch: carrot salad topped with a slice of cheese and a handful of nuts.
- Lunch: vegetable soup with lentils, stewed chicken with vegetable salad.
- Afternoon snack: tea with gluten-free cookies, any fruit.
- Dinner: potato pancakes, but rice flour should be used instead of wheat flour.
Sunday
- Breakfast: scrambled eggs or scrambled eggs with any vegetable.
- Lunch: A sandwich made with gluten-free bread, lettuce, tomato, cheese or seasoned chicken fillet.
- Lunch: fish soup, chicken pieces with rice, any vegetables.
- Snack: a small portion of nuts (20-30 grams), any fruit
- Dinner: boiled fish with vegetables.
Gluten-free diet for weight loss
If you need to lose weight through this diet, it is also recommended to calculate the number of calories used and spent, the ratio of protein, fat, carbohydrates:
- it is necessary to calculate the daily calorie intake using one of the formulas below and subtract 10-15% from it - this is the amount needed to lose weight: formula for men: 66 + (13. 7 x weight in kg) + ( 5 xheight in cm) - ( 6. 8 x age); formula for women: 655 + (9. 6 x weight in kg) + (1. 8 x height in cm) - (4. 7 x age);
- the norm of protein is about 1. 5-2 grams per kilogram of body weight;
- fat - 0. 7-1 gram per kilogram;
- carbohydrates - 1-2 grams.
For calculations, you can use online calculators, smartphone applications or special tables.
Changing the diet in a healthy way without psychotherapy is almost impossible. After all, only something basic, stable can be considered a genuine change, and not a random temporary deviation. Well, more reliable than personal principles, beliefs, ideas - man has not yet produced anything.
Nutritionist's opinion
The gluten-free industry has grown exponentially in the past five years. More and more people are trying to follow a gluten-free diet to improve health conditions, including weight loss. Let's try to figure out what gluten is and what it is eaten with.
Gluten is a type of special plant protein that is also often referred to as gluten. It is found as a natural component of some grains in wheat, rye, and barley. Regarding oats, expert opinions differ, some highlight it as a possible source of gluten, others not. Gluten can also be artificially added to other products - bread, ice cream, sauces such as ketchup, kvass (a result of fermentation in grains or bread) as a natural thickener. By itself, it is safe for healthy people, but it plays an important negative role when someone has a disease like celiac disease.
Celiac disease is a congenital genetic disease of gluten intolerance. If the sick person's diet contains it, then the immune cells begin to attack the villi of his small intestine, where the so-called parietal digestion takes place. In this case, inflammation begins, the absorption of nutrients is disturbed and symptoms of the disease appear. Clinical symptoms are very diverse, can include up to 300 symptoms, the main ones are diarrhea, vomiting, mouth ulcers, weakness, iron deficiency anemia and others. The prevalence of celiac disease in different populations is 0. 5-1% of the population.
If a person has celiac disease, then eating food with gluten is accompanied by the development of the clinical picture of the disease. These products include mainly foods made based on or using wheat, rye and barley - cereals, baked goods and pasta from traditional flour; sweets - chocolate, sweets, cakes, waffles, regular cookies, ice cream, as well as alcoholic beverages made from cereals. In the absence of this product in the diet, patients with celiac disease feel normal.
At the same time, a gluten-free diet can often be seen among the recommendations for patients without celiac disease, but who are overweight. What will happen to someone with normal gluten tolerance who rejects foods that contain gluten?
Most likely, no bad catastrophe will happen. The amount of carbohydrates, simple and complex, will decrease dramatically in the diet. Due to this, the daily calorie content of the diet may decrease. If it ends up at a lower level than the daily energy consumption, weight may start to decrease. Again, the weight loss will not be due to the loss of gluten from the diet, but due to the possible reduction in calorie content. That is, if you reduce it in another way, leaving gluten-containing foods in the diet, weight will be lost at the same rate.
Therefore, weight loss on a gluten-free diet is possible, but as a side effect of eliminating excessive high-carbohydrate foods. At the same time, if you completely abandon carbohydrates, the body can reach a state of ketosis, which can be accompanied by discomfort and side effects. Therefore, it is not a gluten-free diet that is more suitable for weight loss, but a balanced diet with a balanced ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. And whether gluten will be in the composition of this product or not is not important for 99% of people without celiac disease.