Experts sum up the statistics with horror: 18% of women in our country suffer from overweight, and obesity is increasingly common in children and adolescents. Ignoring this problem will lead to irreparable consequences, since 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. Specialists have developed special methods based on proper nutrition, the exclusion of certain foods, physical activity, and medications. Some of them provide stable weight loss without harm to health, while others, on the contrary, can cause an exacerbation of chronic diseases, new health problems, and pathologies.
A relatively new approach to weight loss is the gluten- and dairy-free diet. What it is? 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 cereals. Especially a lot of it in wheat, rye, barley.
Gluten in its purest form is a dry white powder without taste, color, smell. But when water is added, it turns into a sticky mass resembling jelly. Due to it, the dough rises during baking, becomes elastic. The more gluten in the composition of the flour, the better, the baking will be more magnificent.
Gluten is found in many foods. Let's take a closer look at the main gluten-containing foods:
| Contains gluten | Have "hidden" gluten |
|---|---|
|
Hidden gluten are damaged, altered gluten molecules resulting from processing.
|
It is necessary to carefully study the composition of the products, but you can not always trust the label "no gluten". It all depends on the honesty of the manufacturer.
What is dangerous and why gluten is needed
Gluten-free nutrition was developed specifically for patients suffering from celiac disease - an autoimmune disease in which the natural functions of the intestines and peristalsis are disturbed. This disease occurs in one person out of a hundred. With such a pathology, gluten is not recognized by the patient's immune system, and the body throws all its strength into fighting 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 a sick person and a healthy one.
But it should be understood that such symptoms are inherent in people with celiac disease or suffering from individual gluten intolerance. In all other cases, the question of whether a special diet is needed or not should be decided on an individual basis 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 functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. That is why they are the basis of nutrition. By now, you can find a huge number of such products on the market, there are even gluten-free alcohol;
- diet meals are prepared with a minimum amount of oil, it is advisable to use a grill or a special frying pan that does not require the addition of fat;
- Gluten-free food should be the basis of the diet. Based on the list of allowed and prohibited foods, you can make a menu yourself or use a ready-made one. 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 symptoms of allergies or individual intolerance. In all other cases, it can, on the contrary, be harmful. The thoughtless exclusion of foods from the diet can cause a lack of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. Therefore, for weight loss, it is better to use a time-tested technique based on proper nutrition, changing eating habits, and psychotherapy. Only such an approach will protect the patient from breakdowns, depression, other disorders of the psycho-emotional state and health, and prevent negative consequences.
Who is a gluten-free diet for?
Special diets and a gluten-free diet should be prescribed by a weight loss specialist. It is usually prescribed for the following diseases:
- celiac disease;
- autism;
- hyper excitability;
- 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 for weight loss. 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 the patient to distinguish between "good and bad" products, to independently compose a menu, to be able to cope with life's problems, not to seize stress, fatigue. They are able to accurately determine the causes of a set of extra pounds and get rid of them. This method is officially recognized by the world scientific community, is 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 gluten-containing products, the list of which is given above. Nutrition will not be effective if you give yourself indulgence, deviate from the intended scheme. And this is a strong psychological pressure, which is almost impossible to cope with on your own, as a result - breakdowns, depression, stress.
The gluten-free diet has a special menu for the week. It should be compiled by a specialist, taking into account the body's needs for all the necessary nutrients, vitamins and minerals, include meat products, chicken eggs, vegetables, fruits, cereals.
List of allowed products
A gluten-free diet includes the following foods in the diet:
- fresh and frozen vegetables, berries, some fruits;
- natural meat, poultry, fish;
- natural dairy products without sweeteners, stabilizers, starch;
- natural vinegar: apple, wine, rice;
- homemade sauces without the addition of flour, starch, gluten, cereals;
- tea, coffee without flavoring additives;
- legumes;
- natural soy sauce;
- chicken eggs.
The main thing is to carefully study the composition of products purchased in stores. 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 the 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 "prohibited" foods. But such nutrition 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 without pronounced reasons, which leads to breakdowns, psycho-emotional disorders. That is why weight loss experts recommend not to experiment on your body, but to seek help from specialists. Leave the menu for the week for celiac patients.
Recommendations for children
Research shows that a gluten-free, lactose-free first meal formula is ideal because it's light and doesn't overwhelm the body and gastrointestinal tract. It will help the baby adapt to new foods, gradually switch to a different diet.
The list of products for children differs little from that of an adult, it contains all the same elements: soups and broths on meat or fish, gluten-free cereals, lean meats, chicken eggs, fruits and vegetables, vegetable oils.
Gluten free diet for celiac disease
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease characterized by disorders in the gastrointestinal tract and intestines. Usually there is a genetic predisposition to it. The following symptoms may indicate the presence of this disease:
- bloating;
- pain;
- diarrhea;
- frothy stools with an unpleasant odor;
- a sharp decrease or increase in weight;
- the appearance of a rash on the skin;
- headache;
- weakening of the immune system.
For such patients, a special diet has been developed. It has the following basic rules and principles:
- Gluten-free nutrition, the complete exclusion of prohibited foods.
- The diet should consist of animal proteins, vegetables and fruits, gluten-free cereals, herbs, spices, spices, nuts.
- Such a diet provides for lifelong observance. 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 regularly undergo a clinical examination, be observed by a doctor.
Gluten-free dishes are best steamed, without the addition of oil. It is also recommended to introduce the principles of fractional nutrition: reduce the volume of portions, but increase the number of meals to 5-6 (breakfast, lunch, dinner and a few snacks).
Weekly gluten free diet menu
Nutrition 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 in half with meat and complex carbohydrates. Such a diet will provide the body with nutrients, vitamins and minerals.
Gluten-free meals can be suitable for the whole family, and when prepared correctly, they will not differ from the usual ones in taste. The main thing is to use only approved products.
The menu below is an example. It can be adjusted to suit 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, fresh unflavored 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 nuts or stewed vegetables.
Tuesday
- Breakfast: cottage cheese with honey or sugar, fruits.
- Lunch: rice or any cereal bread, tea.
- Lunch: chicken soup with vegetables, salad.
- Afternoon snack: yogurt with dietary gluten-free cookies.
- Dinner: cottage cheese casserole, supplemented with any fruit.
Wednesday
- Breakfast: scrambled eggs or hard-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 corn flakes (they must be gluten-free) with the addition of milk, kefir or yogurt.
- Lunch: two boiled eggs, tea.
- Lunch: borscht, chicken meat and vegetable salad.
- Afternoon snack: a serving of berries or a fruit drink from them, diet cookies.
- Dinner: meatballs, buckwheat porridge.
Friday
- Breakfast: pancakes cooked on gluten-free flour 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 nuts, any fruit.
- Dinner: fish stew with vegetables, mushrooms.
Saturday
- Breakfast: cottage cheese with honey and fruits.
- Lunch: carrot salad topped with cheese slices and a handful of nuts.
- Lunch: vegetable soup with lentils, chicken stew with vegetable salad.
- Afternoon snack: tea with gluten-free biscuits, any fruit.
- Dinner: potato pancakes, but rice flour should be used instead of wheat flour.
Sunday
- Breakfast: scrambled eggs or scrambled eggs with any vegetables.
- Lunch: A sandwich made with gluten-free bread, lettuce, tomato, cheese, or a spiced chicken fillet.
- Lunch: fish soup, chicken cutlets with rice, any vegetables.
- Snack: a small portion of nuts (20-30 grams), any fruit
- Dinner: fish stew with vegetables.
Gluten free diet for weight loss
If you need to lose weight through this diet, then it is also recommended to count the number of calories consumed and spent, the ratio of proteins, fats, carbohydrates:
- it is necessary to calculate the daily calorie intake using one of the formulas below and subtract 10-15% from it - this is exactly how much is needed to lose weight: formula for men: 66 + (13. 7 x weight in kg) + (5 x height 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 protein norm is approximately 1. 5-2 grams per kilogram of body weight;
- fats - 0. 7-1 grams per kilogram;
- carbohydrates - 1-2 grams.
For calculation, you can use an online calculator, a smartphone application or special tables.
Changing the diet in a healthy way without psychotherapy is almost impossible. After all, only something fundamental, stable can be considered a genuine change, and not a random temporary deviation. Well, more reliable than personal principles, beliefs, ideas - mankind has not yet come up with anything.
The opinion of a nutritionist
The gluten-free industry has grown exponentially over the past five years. An increasing number of people are seeking 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 special type of plant protein that is also often referred to as gluten. It is found as a natural component of some cereals in wheat, rye, and barley. Regarding oats, the opinions of experts differ. Some highlight it as a possible source of gluten, others do not. Gluten can also be artificially added to other products - bread, ice cream, sauces such as ketchup, kvass (as a result of fermentation on grain or bread) as a natural thickener. By itself, it is safe for a healthy person, but it plays an important negative role when a person has such a disease as celiac disease.
Celiac disease is a congenital genetic disease of gluten intolerance. If the diet of a sick person contains it, then immune cells begin to attack the villi of his small intestine, on which the so-called parietal digestion occurs. In this case, inflammation begins, the absorption of nutrients is disturbed and symptoms of the disease appear. Clinical symptoms are extremely diverse, can include up to 300 symptoms, the main of which are diarrhea, vomiting, mouth ulcers, weakness, iron deficiency anemia and many others. The prevalence of celiac disease in different populations is 0. 5-1% of the population.
If a person has celiac disease, then eating foods with gluten is accompanied by the development of the clinical picture of the disease. These products include mainly food made on the basis of 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 drinks made from cereals. In the absence of these products 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 a person with normal gluten tolerance who refuses gluten-containing food?
Most likely, nothing catastrophically bad will happen. The amount of carbohydrates, both simple and complex, will sharply decrease in the diet. Due to this, the daily calorie content of the diet may be reduced. If it ends up at a level lower than the daily energy consumption, the weight may begin to decrease. Again, weight loss will not be due to the disappearance of gluten from the diet, but due to a possible reduction in calorie content. That is, if you reduce it in any other way, leaving gluten-containing foods in the diet, the weight will go away at the same pace.
Thus, weight loss on a gluten-free diet is possible, but as a side effect of eliminating excess 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, not a gluten-free diet is more suitable for weight loss, but a balanced diet with a balanced ratio of protein, fats and carbohydrates. And whether gluten will be in the composition of these products or not is not important for 99% of people without celiac disease.