Saturday, November 13, 2010

Eating Gluten Free- If you don't have Celiac but want the health benefits

My Husband started eating gluten free out of respect and understanding for me... mainly so his kisses would be safe. However, after taking a work health assessment test, the assessors asked him if he was on any cholesterol lowering medication, and commented on his ridiculously good blood pressure. His response, "Nope no meds, I just eat gluten free". 

I wrote this up for my Dad who is having some issues in the high cholesterol and blood pressure areas, and made him up a modified g-free food list after doing some research on dietary aid suggestions I found online. Not to alleviate medications, but in hopes to help ease the need of higher dosage. I figured I would share my information with others who wanted to try something natural as well.

Before you get shopping:

You don't have to be totally gluten free... but you need to rethink the way you eat and what you are putting into your body to make it run properly.

Manufacturers use fillers like wheat flours to make food production cheaper.  If you are filling your body up with foods that are over processed, odds are good your body is going to run like a car on cheap gas... with a check engine light always on!

“Everything is Bigger in Texas” does not need to apply to how much food you pack away at meals. Remember your stomach is only the size of your fist. Don't make your body work harder than it is made too by over filling it.

Eat smaller portions, but more frequently throughout the day. Eating around 6 times a day will keep your body properly fueled all day long, and is said to help rebuild your metabolism.

Stick to the perimeter of the the grocery store... The aisles are just full of fillers... the nutrient rich foods are around the edges. I suggest taking a "Running in the Rain" approach to the aisles. Go in for what you need, and retreat. The less time you spend there the less likely you are to make processed choices. 

Why the Gluten Free Diet works in our house:

  • For Starters, for us it isn't a diet but a lifestyle change. Remembering this will make all your choices more long term.
  • When you start to watch what ingredients you are putting in your body, you realize how much waste you are eating on a daily basis.
  • We rarely eat out... the benefits of eating in... what is cooked is made in my kitchen,  I can control the amount and types of oils used.
  • We KISS- Keep It Simple Stupid... the closer to the way God created it to look and taste, the safer it is for our bodies. Delicious and Simple meals don't have to come from a box, or the freezer section.

What Not to Buy:

Don't go crazy with the gluten free goods... a gluten free cookie is going to be just the same as a regular cookie for your body. The real difference comes from how you eat the cookie. 1 or 2 cookies a week as dessert is okay in my book... but 1 to 2 cookies a day or after every meal is maybe not the best choice for your body. Try a fruit for dessert instead.

For Me, finding a way to enjoy the process of eating fruit as much as eating ice cream was a dietary life savor. 

What you can get away with:

I don't see why eating whole grain breads or whole wheat is bad if you aren't Celiac (in which case it can have horrible side effects). If your body can digest it in a healthy way, don't cut out something that could be good for you... but like anything else, just watch how much of it is going into your body.

Wheat flours and fillers can be found in the ingredients of almost everything you buy from lunch meat to gummy bears. This is why buying less processed foods can be beneficial to how often you overload your body with one type of filler.

When you do buy something processed look for the “gluten free” stuff... by sticking with products that clearly label if they contain wheat.

Eating Gluten Free to help ease High Blood Pressure and High Cholesterol:


Top Foods to Stay Away From:
  • Soft Drinks, and Diet Sodas
  • Coffee
  • Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils
  • Bacon and other Processed Meats
  • Fried Food
  • Salt
  • Sugar and Artificial Sweeteners
Replace it with:
  • Water- Ugh I know it's boring...
  • Tea- Iced or Hot- Green Tea is Awesome for you!
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Turkey and Lean Meats (that are still shaped like the animal they came from)
  • Grilled Foods
  • Garlic and Spices (basil, black pepper, ginger)
  • Honey and/or Agave Nectar



Foods that Help Lower Blood Pressure:
  • Bananas
  • Mangoes
  • Oily Fish
  • Garlic
  • Grapes
  • Asparagus
  • Celery
  • Prunes
Foods that Help Lower Cholesterol:
  • Fruits- Apples, Citrus
  • Olives
  • Nuts- almond, soy, walnut, pecans, hazelnuts, peanuts, pine nuts, pistachios
  • Lean Meats- Turkey, Chicken
  • Beans
  • Salad (use nuts instead of croutons and cheese)
  • Fish High in Omega 3's- Salmon, Trout, Tuna
  • Olive Oil and Canola Oil
  • Peas, and Lentils
  • Vegetables- Leafy Greens (the darker the better), spinach, broccoli, leeks, onions, carrots, avocados, brussel sprouts, califlower

SuperFoods- that are good for everybody:
  • Pomegranate (Fruit, Juice or Tea) (I like the seeds on my salad and in my cereal)
  • Blueberries
  • Seeds- Flaxseed (high in Omega 3) and Pumpkin (an anti-inflammatory)
  • Nuts
  • Organic Eggs (not pumped full of hormones)
  • Wild Alaskan Salmon
  • Coconut Butter
  • Yogurt
  • Brown Rice
  • Steamed New Potatoes
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Cucumber
  • Fresh Garlic, ginger, black pepper, basil, tarragon (all good for hypertension)
  • Green Tea

Fish High In Omega 3's:

  • Mackerel
  • Lake Trout
  • Herring
  • Sardines
  • Albacore Tuna
  • Salmon
  • Halibut

How to rethink your Meals:

Go back to the basics of building a meal: a meat, a starch and two colors of vegetables... (this is how my mom taught me to prepare dinner, but it's good to apply to both lunch and dinner).

Rethink it now (with a simple word upgrade): a protein, a starch, and two colors of vegetables...

Protein can be:
  • Fish
  • Lean Meats
  • Beans
  • etc.
Starch can be:
  • Rice
  • Potatoes (regular, sweet, new)
  • Quinoa
  • etc.
Two colors can be:
  • Broccoli and Carrots
  • Spinach Salad with Tomatoes
  • Grilled Asparagus and Grilled Corn on the Cob

The biggest portions on your plate should be the vegetables; they will help fill you up and are mostly made up of water and fiber, which allow the body to digest. The starch and protein should be small portions, as these are heavy and filled with more fats. Yes, your body needs them, but not in large amounts... and these are good digestible fats, not valve clogging trans fats.



Think of your plate as a Peace Sign... and you are making peace with your body- The largest portion needs to be vegetables, the two smaller portions are your protein and starch.  

Remember- Moderation, Moderation, Moderation!

Please note: I am not a doctor, and have no medical background... nor proof that a gluten free diet made my Husband have super human results at his health assessment test (he had been on the diet a year prior to the assessment)... but we both have felt the amazing results from the power of making healthy food choices for our bodies to preform the way they were intended.  I encourage you to do your own research and explore the world of good food options. 

Share your experiences with me! I want to hear how food has changed your life as much as it has mine! 


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