Gluten Free Diet & Weight Loss

Regardless of whether you are choosing to avoid gluten due to medical reasons or dieting preferences, adhering to a gluten-free diet can help you actively manage your weight while guarding you against a number of potential diseases, including diabetes. Understanding the effects of a gluten free diet on weight loss will help to mentally offset some of the difficulties in giving up this common dietary item, which is likely found in most of your favorite foods.

What is Gluten?

Gluten is nothing more than a type of protein that is found in grains. Wheat, rye, barley, and oats all contain gluten, so abstaining from gluten is the equivalent of placing yourself on a heavily carb-restricted diet. Allergies to gluten are actually fairly common in adults--almost one percent of adults have excessive sensitivity to gluten consumption.

Gluten and Diet

Abstaining from gluten can advance your weight loss efforts through manipulation of blood sugar levels. In general, grains tend to impact blood sugar levels more than other natural carb alternatives. Thus, removing gluten from your diet is a surefire way to keep your blood sugar low, which will result in sustainable weight loss.

Carbs on a Gluten-Free Diet

Going gluten-free is not a complete abstention from carbs, however. You should still consume carbs from fruits and vegetables throughout the day to provide your body with sufficient amounts of glycogen. If you are using your gluten free diet for weight loss purposes, you will want to keep fruit consumption relegated to the morning and vegetables to the evening, as vegetables generally have the lowest impact on blood sugar and keeping blood sugar under tight control before bed can optimize your weight loss results.

Benefits

Beyond strictly promoting weight loss, there are additional possible benefits to going on a gluten-free diet. Some individuals, such as Dr. Ben Balzer (the inventor of the Paleo Diet), believe that humans were never intended to consume grains, as grains are toxic in their natural form. Thus, removing gluten from your diet could be a more natural form of "detox" diet, allowing your body to function naturally in the manner in which it was intended.

Foods to Avoid

The following list of grains are to be avoided entirely while on a gluten-free diet: barley, rye, wheat, oats, farina, durham, semolina, graham flour, kamut, bulgur, matzo, triticale, kasha and spelt. Furthermore, avoid the following foods: beer, soup, gravy, candy, imitation meats, processed meats, pasta, cookies, cakes, pies, cereals, breads, crackers and salad dressing.