Going Gluten-Free? Here's What You Should Know
You may have heard that going gluten-free can be beneficial for everyone — even for those of us who don't suffer from celiac disease. Here's how gluten-free food might help you:
©Thinkstock
The Gluten-Free Diet
The gluten-free diet may seem like a fad trend among those of us who don't have strict dietary restrictions. From pastas to pancake mixes, all kinds of gluten-free products seem to have taken over the supermarket. You might have asked yourself recently whether you should give the gluten-free diet a try. Here are just a few benefits to consider:
1. Diet smarter
Going gluten-free could fundamentally change the way you eat, steering you away from ready-to-eat meals that are high in artificial dyes and flavors. The gluten-free diet on the other hand incorporates plenty of fresh fruits and veggies, meat, fish, and naturally gluten-free grains. Just be careful because the "gluten-free" label on foods does not automatically mean that it's good for you. These products can be just as unhealthy as any other processed food product that contains gluten.
2. Eliminate unhealthy fat from you diet
So much of the bad fats we consume from the artificial trans fats found in baked goods, fried food, cookies, donuts, and processed snacks. Adhering to a gluten-free diet may make it easier for you to purge these fatty foods from the diet and replace them with healthy, natural fats such as omega-3.
3. Reduce health risk
A gluten-free diet can improve your immune function and, by extension, your overall health. So much of our health depends on the balance of bacteria in our gut. When the bacteria here gets out of whack, this can compromise your immune system. It's possible that avoiding gluten will help you get a healthy gut microbiome, especially if you are gluten intolerant but do not have celiac disease.
4. Facilitate digestion
Anyone who suffers from digestive problems (not limited to celiac disease) might benefit from a gluten-free diet. Eating gluten can actually cause inflammation in the small intestine, leading to cramping and bloating. Inflammation in the digestive track can also predispose you to a variety of autoimmune diseases. Some people who have eliminated gluten from their diet have seen improvement in their digestion and in their overall health.
Don't know where to start? Check out our guide to the gluten-free diet.
More steaming articles
What's the Deal with KALE?
This drink melts harmful belly fat in...
Three glasses of Champagne a day might...
Chef Tips and Tricks
This Gluten-Free Broccoli Pizza is original, healthy and super tasty!
ingredients
- 1 head broccoli
- 1 egg
- 1 ¾ cups of your favorite shredded cheese (we recommend two types- 1 cup of one, ¾ cup of the other)
- 1 cup tomato sauce (or canned crushed tomatoes)
- ¾ cup shredded cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan
- 9 slices coppa ham
METHOD
- Cut the broccoli and boil until soft.
- Place the broccoli in a blender.
- In a bowl, add an egg and ¾ cup of shredded cheese, mix until solid.
- Form a ball and roll it flat on an oven tray.
- Bake in the oven for 20 min at 350° F.
- Once out of the oven, spread the tomato sauce evenly on the broccoli crust.
- Layer 1 cup of shredded cheese.
- Place a layer of Coppa ham.
- Top off with of grated Parmesan cheese.
- Slide it back into the oven until the cheese melts.
- Serve!
Comment on this article