With the gluten-free diet being a fad of late, it amazes me how many people will buy things like gluten-free donuts, pizza crusts, bagels, cookies and cakes and think that somehow they are getting something healthy. These are obviously not people who have been diagnosed with celiac disease and they are obviously people who have no clue about what a healthy diet really is.
It also amazes me how many people with celiac disease wonder why they are gaining so much weight after going gluten-free. If you dive in and eat everything that is labeled gluten-free (see above junk food list), you are going to gain weight. If you’re eating upwards of 3,000-4,000 calories a day, you are going to gain weight (unless of course, your are Michael Phelps and burning a cool 10,000 calories a day). Most labeled gluten-free food is filled with calories, filled with sugar and just overall, really unhealthy.
I’ll be the first to admit, that I regularly enjoy a gluten-free baguette or a gluten-free pizza (some of my favorites include Z Pizza, Pizza Fusion and Garlic Jim’s) but I do it within reason and think of it as an occasional treat.
If you are not worried about gaining weight, ignore this post and go on doing what you’re doing. If you are trying to manage your weight, try to eat things that are naturally gluten-free. Skip virtually anything that includes rice, corn or any grain for that matter. Stick to the lean meats (or not, if you’re a vegetarian), vegetables, and fruits and you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to maintain your weight. A modest amount of exercise always helps, but what you put into your body on a daily basis will effect you both physically and mentally and either impair you or empower you. So the next time you pick up something labeled gluten-free, take a long hard look at it and decide if it’s really the best thing for you to eat at that moment. Most likely, it won’t be.
Simply put, gluten-free doesn’t mean it’s healthy — it just means that it’s safe for a person with celiac disease to eat.
