Benefits of gluten free>?

treechic93

Unless you have celiac or gluten intollerance I would never recommend it. It's frustrating, expensive, and time consuming. If you want to eat healthier then ditch processed foods and follow the Eat Clean Diet. That plan will get you further nutritionally and over all healthier lifestyle than anything else you could do.

mikeyboy

I AM STARTING TO GO GLUTEN FREE IS THERE ANY BENEFITS?

One big benefit is that you get to know all the experts on MFP!

shinesunfish

This. I am not, nor ever will be completely gluten free, but when I find foods that have a low sodium content and are less processed, they are usually also gluten free (or say so on the label - many times things boast about being gluten free when they never had gluten to begin with). I am thankful that I do not have a sensitivity to gluten, because I'm sure that is a pain and a half, but as another poster pointed out, the more people who look for gluten free products, the more affordable and available they are, so it's even helping those who have to avoid gluten for that reason. On a side note, I bought Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Brownie Mix as a treat a few weeks ago becauseit was on sale, and they were SO GOOD! Way better than regular brownies What's the deal?

em9371

The biggest benefit is that you'll have jumped on the bandwagon and can brag to friends that you're gluten free.

Unless you have celiac disease or a sensitivity / allergy there's no point (except you pay more for gluten free foods)

^^^^
This!!!!!
My sister is coeliac and I have recently been diagnosed, I don't see why anyone would go GF unless its medically necessary, its an absolute pain in the *kitten*!!!!!!!!. Going GF does NOT make you lose weight, it may make you make healthier choices by eating less bread / pasta / processed foods, but the gluten itself does not affect your weight in any way.

If you end up eating more naturally GF foods from trying to eat less processed foods then that is understandable, but people that do GF as a 'diet' make me so mad, this gives the impression that its just a 'fad diet' and it won't hurt if a coeliac or someone with a genuine intolerance eats a bit of gluten, when in fact its a serious medical condition and even a crumb can make them very ill for days!

I think people who do it as a 'diet' mainly just cut out bread and pasta, rather than ACTUALLY going gluten free.......
Are you going to NEVER eat any food containing gluten for the rest of your life?
Do you ask the chef every time you eat out what you can eat that hasn't been contaminated, such as checking if something 'safe' like fries is cooked in the same oil as something 'unsafe' like battered onion rings?
Do you have seperate everything at home in case a crumb of normal bread gets in your butter for example?
Do you check EVERY label before eating anything to make sure it doesn't contain gluten in a less obvious form than wheat, such as barley malt?
I think not....

em9371

Man. I have been GF for almost 10 years and I have adapted and it's second nature now, but I continue to be baffled by people who, for no discernible reason, want to "give gluten free a whirl". What are they thinking! Maybe I will randomly try medical treatments for diseases I don't have, just to see what happens. Should I start with dialysis, chemo, or just start randomly shooting myself up with insulin? Surely all would have *some* effect on my weight... I'm so curious!

I'm not sure I agree that people who "jump on the gluten free bandwagon" are helpful to Celiacs. What I have noticed since that started is a preponderance of "gluten free" foods that are not GF *enough* for a Celiac. Like, pizzas at pizza places that use loose wheat flour in the same kitchen where the GF pizzas are prepared, etc. Most stuff at Trader Joe's, which has totally erratic manufacturing practices. Amy's frozen dinners (are they better now? I got glutened by them maybe five times consecutively before I quit, I freaking loved them). I think a lot of newly diagnosed Celiacs eat this stuff without realizing it's bad news, but I dunno.

love this post!
that is what I was trying to say but you did it better. I have nothing against people eating whatever the hell they like, but when it actually affects other people who have an actual condition then thats not on :-)

mom2tek

Less bloating, living longer and many more. I suggest googling paleo lifestyle.

Im gluten, dairy and mostly sugar free ( i splurg every now and than on chocolate thats it) i cant remember the last time i ate something processed.

I am also living a Paleo lifestyle and it has made a world of difference. I never had any allergy diagnosis but I have learned that I do have sensitivities. I am living gluten and dairy free and have never felt better. Eating whole organic foods and nothing processed is a natural way to eat. It is also not going to break your bank. Stop buying the processed stuff and only the healthy whole foods. You'll come out about the same budget wise. The whole foods will keep you fuller longer. Some have talked about the chemicals in foods and to check the labels. The manufacturers will NOT put their entire ingredient list on the package for all to read. There are lots of additives that we don't even know about and won't read on any label. Also claims that your depriving your body of certain nutrients is also not so. Your body will get exactly what it needs from whole foods. Our society has been so brain washed about certain foods and their labels and what we are supposed to be eating. Why do so many seem to be so sick now...highblood pressure....diabetes...alzheimers...high cholesterol....ect. It's from the processed foods and chemicals in food and products we use.

RatherBeInTheShire

I have Celiac and it's no fun. I would not advise going gluten free if you don't need too. It can be a very expensive diet because of all the "comfort foods" and the food tastes like crap anyway. Do yourself a favor and just go Paleo.

SoDamnHungry

A lot of people lose weight on it because they can't find anything to eat. Then they discover gluten free carbs (which still don't taste very good) and they gain it all back.

Otherwise, not really much of a difference unless you actually have gluten intolerance or celiac's disease.

jofjltncb6

...but if I did decide to eat crappy packaged gluten free products, I would only do it in moderation. (According to many on MFP, that makes everything totally fine.)

wandering1

The biggest benefit is that you'll have jumped on the bandwagon and can brag to friends that you're gluten free.

Unless you have celiac disease or a sensitivity / allergy there's no point (except you pay more for gluten free foods)

^^^^
This!!!!!
My sister is coeliac and I have recently been diagnosed, I don't see why anyone would go GF unless its medically necessary, its an absolute pain in the *kitten*!!!!!!!!. Going GF does NOT make you lose weight, it may make you make healthier choices by eating less bread / pasta / processed foods, but the gluten itself does not affect your weight in any way.

If you end up eating more naturally GF foods from trying to eat less processed foods then that is understandable, but people that do GF as a 'diet' make me so mad, this gives the impression that its just a 'fad diet' and it won't hurt if a coeliac or someone with a genuine intolerance eats a bit of gluten, when in fact its a serious medical condition and even a crumb can make them very ill for days!

I think people who do it as a 'diet' mainly just cut out bread and pasta, rather than ACTUALLY going gluten free.......
Are you going to NEVER eat any food containing gluten for the rest of your life?
Do you ask the chef every time you eat out what you can eat that hasn't been contaminated, such as checking if something 'safe' like fries is cooked in the same oil as something 'unsafe' like battered onion rings?
Do you have seperate everything at home in case a crumb of normal bread gets in your butter for example?
Do you check EVERY label before eating anything to make sure it doesn't contain gluten in a less obvious form than wheat, such as barley malt?
I think not....

Agreed. For those of us that HAVE to eat gluten free most would rather not! My wish is that people stop thinking this is something you want to try out, it is not a weight loss tool, and is not optional for us. Why don't you try instead, eating pure whole foods and cooking in your kitchen rather than eating out of a box? I can guarantee you would lose weight if you ate balanced and healthy real foods.

Cheers and good luck whatever you try!