Gluten Free Diet: Benefits, Diet Chart and
Weight Loss
By now, we are all aware of the term “gluten”.
Products are now available in supermarkets which advertise themselves as being
gluten-free. So, what is “gluten” and what does one mean by a gluten free diet?
Let’s discuss this further. Read on below.
What is a Gluten Free Diet?
In order to understand what is a gluten free diet , we will
first attempt to acquaint ourselves with gluten. Gluten is a protein which is
found commonly in grains like rye, barley and wheat. Gluten consumption can be
harmful for people with diseases such as celiac disease. A gluten free diet is
recommended for these individuals and others who suffer from gluten-related
medical conditions. Gluten free diets claims to improve energy, health and
weight loss efforts. However, such a diet, changes your dietary nutritional
intake and for this reason, it is not advisable to start a gluten free diet
without consulting a health professional first.
Your doctor or dietitian may recommend you to begin a gluten free diet if you
have any of the following health complaints –
Gluten ataxia – Gluten ataxia is an autoimmune disorder which affects some
kinds of nerve tissues. It interferes with voluntary muscle movement and muscle
control.
Celiac disease – In celiac disease, immune system activity damaging to the lining of small intestine is triggered. It is an autoimmune disorder which gradually begins to prevent normal nutrient absorption.
Wheat allergy – When a person is subject to wheat allergy, their body
mistakenly perceives proteins found in wheat for disease causing agent. The
immune system gets triggered to action and forms an antibody which could result
in breathing difficulties, congestion and other unwanted symptoms.
Non-celiac gluten sensitivity – Even if a person does not have celiac disease, they can suffer from some of its symptoms such as bloating, abdominal pain, constipation, headache and so on. Such a person is considered to suffer from gluten sensitivity which inspires such unfavorable reactions in them.
Following a gluten free diet requires careful attention by the person
participating in such a diet. They have to be aware of the foods that they’re
consuming and its source. Individuals without any of the above discussed health
conditions may partake of such a diet as well, based on the claimed health
benefits of the same.
Gluten Free Diet India
Individuals with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity in India
need not look too far for gluten replacements to add to their diet. Most of the
subcontinent consumes rice as a staple. They can simply switch to rice instead
of roti. There are many kinds of rice available in our country and one can have
their pick. If they do not wish to consume rice, they can replace wheat
with millets. If they want to have roti, they can have roti made of jowar
instead of wheat.
Moreover, India offers a wide variety of gluten-free food. You
can start your day with dosa, poha, fruits or dhokla for breakfast, have curry
with rice for lunch and maybe end your day with a salad and grilled meat. Given
below is a 7 day gluten-free diet that can be followed:
Gluten Free Diet Chart
Find below our 7-day gluten free meal plan –
Day 1
Use Day 1 of your gluten free diet to plan the rest of the week.
It will help you stick to your diet plan better as the week progresses.
- Breakfast –
Ragi Dosa(1 dosa) , Skimmed Milk(1 cup), Sambar(1 katori)
- Mid-morning –
Pear(1 small) Almonds(4 almond)
- Lunch –
Steamed Brown Rice(1.5 katori), Moong dal 1 katori), Cucumber Lettuce
Salad(1 katori)
- Evening snack –
Buttermilk(1 glass) Pumpkin Seeds(2 tbsp)
- Dinner –
Grilled Chicken(75 grams) Tomato Soup(1.5 katori) Quinoa Pulao(1 katori)
Day 2
- Breakfast –
Millet vermicelli (1.5 katori), Boiled egg white (1 egg), Skimmed milk (1
cup)
- Mid-morning –
Apple (1 small) Walnut – 2 whole
- Lunch –
Jowar roti (2 roti/bhakri), Panner sabji (1 katori), Tomato Salad (1
katori)
- Evening snack –
Tea with less sugar( 1 cup) + sprouts bhel(1 cup)
- Dinner –
Brown rice pulao( 1 katori) + Sprouts Raita(1 katori)
Day 3
- Breakfast –
Vegetable poha (1 katori), skimmed milk (1 cup), Sambar (1 katori)
- Morning snack –
Pear(1 small) Almonds(4 almond)
- Lunch –
Besan Roti(1 roti) Chole Curry(1 katori) Vegetable Salad(1 katori) Curd(1
katori)
- Evening snack –
Green Tea(1 glass)+ Popcorn(1 cup)
- Dinner –
Palak Soup(1 katori)+ Millet Khichdi( 1.5 katori)
Day 4
- Breakfast –
Dal Idli (2 piece), Pudina Chutney(1 tablespoon), Skimmed Milk(1
cup)
- Morning snack –
Apple (1 small) Walnut – 2 whole
- Lunch –
Nachni Roti(1 roti/chapati) Tomato Onion Salad(1 katori) Kala Chana ki
Sabji(1 katori) Curd(1 katori)
- Evening snack –
Buttermilk(1 glass) Pumpkin Seeds(2 tbsp)
- Dinner –
Besan Methi ka Parantha(1 paratha)+ Paneer Onion Capsicum Sabji(1 katori)
Day 5
- Breakfast –
Any preparation of egg with fruit juice and a banana
- Morning snack –
Apple(1 small (2-3/4″ dia)) Walnut – 2 Whole
- Lunch –
Palak Paneer(2 katori) Multigrain Roti(1 piece) Beans Sprouts Salad(1
katori)
- Evening snack–
Buttermilk(1 Glass)
- Dinner –
Palak Brown Rice(1.5 katori) Grilled Pepper Chicken(50 grams) Low Fat Curd
Cucumber Raita(1katori)
Day 6
- Breakfast –
Mung Dal Chilla(1 piece), Boiled Egg(1 egg), Skimmed Milk(1 cup)
- Morning snack –
Pear(1 small) Almonds(4 almond)
- Lunch –
Jowar Roti(2 roti/bhakri) Paneer Sabji(1 katori) Tomato Salad(1 katori)
- Evening snack –
Green Tea(1 glass)+ Popcorn(1 cup)
- Dinner –
Brown rice pulao( 1 katori) + Sprouts Raita(1 katori)
Day 7
- Breakfast –
Mung Dal Chilla(1 piece), Boiled Egg(1 egg), Skimmed Milk(1 cup)
- Morning snack –
Apple(1 small (2-3/4″ dia)) Walnut – 2 Whole
- Lunch –
Nachni Roti(1 roti/chapati) Tomato Onion Salad(1 katori) Kala Chana ki
Sabji(1 katori) Curd(1 katori)
- Evening snack –
Buttermilk(1 glass) Pumpkin Seeds(2 tbsp)
- Dinner –
Besan Methi ka Parantha(1 paratha)+ Paneer Onion Capsicum Sabji(1 katori)
Our gluten free diet chart takes careful account of your
nutritional needs and tries to meet an adult human’s daily nutrient
requirement. If you find yourself hungry after following our serving size, increase
your portions gradually to satisfy your hunger.
Gluten Free Diet Benefits
Embarking on a gluten free diet has its risks and benefits. We
will be surveying gluten free diet benefits in this section. Besides the fact
that consuming gluten is harmful for people with gluten sensitivity and other
health conditions; gluten free diet benefits people with irritable bowel
syndrome as well. However, one doesn’t need to suffer from any of these health
issues to benefit from a gluten free diet. A gluten free diet benefits us,
common folk, too! How? Here are a couple ways in which a gluten free diet
benefits people without gluten intolerance –
- It
encourages people on the diet, to increase their intake of fruits and
vegetables, as all fruits and vegetables are gluten-free.
- It
eliminates processed unhealthy food products from your diet. You eat less
junk food on this diet.
- You
are also less prone to germ and viral diseases as you consume more
minerals, vitamins and antioxidants on this diet.
- A
gluten free diet also reduces chances of heart diseases, cancer and
diabetes
Gluten Free Diet for Weight Loss
The popularity of gluten-free diets for weight loss is
increasing around the world. It is believed that gluten free diet weight loss
is real and that a gluten free diet can promote weight loss in a healthy
manner. How much of this claim is true? We find out, in this section. When an
individual decides to go gluten-free, they have to forego any kind of food with
gluten as an ingredient. It could be sauces, food additives or food staples
such as wheat, rye and so on. In most cases, the person can no longer enjoy
their bread, most desserts and processed food. Initially, the person loses some
amount of weight for cutting these out from their diet, as these food products
also happen to be high in calories.
Besides this, when a person resolves to go gluten-free, they have to make a
practice of reading food labels before buying anything at the grocers or
supermarket. It’s a healthy habit to keep and promotes healthy dietary
practices. When a person makes an informed choice about what they put inside
their body, they are less prone to binge eating or consuming unhealthy food.
Moreover, one has to keep a tab on the portions that they eat. No matter what
diet you are on, if you cannot control your portions – you will gain weight.
There’s really no other alternative to portion control when trying to
lose/maintain your weight.
Summary
Gluten is an essential protein form and should not be removed
from your diet without having consulted an expert first. If you do not suffer
from gluten insensitivity or any gluten-related disease, then you should give
careful thought whether a gluten free diet would be right for you. But if you
are, you should consult your dietitian and ask them to provide you with gluten
alternatives to help supplement your nutritional needs.
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