According to the Mayo Clinic, Gluten is described as follows:
"Gluten is found in grains such as wheat, barley, rye, and a cross between wheat and rye called triticale."
First of all you should understand that a gluten free diet was invented to treat Celiacs disease. Only about 1 % of the population actually has celiacs disease and it can only truly be diagnosed with an intestinal biopsy.
Most people these days choose a Gluten Free lifestyle because they feel tired, bloated or depressed and find that removing gluten not only helps them lose weight but also alleviates the symptoms they were having. The truth may lay in the fact that removing gluten (ie, bread, pasta, anything with wheat or wheat flour, the list is extensive) from their diets also eliminates extra calories and so they lose some weight. But either way most people seem to feel better following this GF lifestyle.
The basics of living gluten free are to eat only:
- Beans, Seeds and Nuts in their natural form
- Fresh Eggs
- Fresh meat, poultry and fish, not battered, fried or coated
- Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
- Most Dairy Products
You can also eat the following:
- Corn in all forms
- Rice in all forms
- Flours made from gluten free grains such as nuts, beans and coconut.
There are also whole aisles dedicated to Gluten Free alternatives at your local grocer these days with premade boxes of cake mixes, baking goods, side dishes, and just about anything else you can think of.
I have found, although I am not completely gluten free, it does help keeping calories and sugar down and a lot of the premade stuff isn't really that bad tasting. Since having the WLS I do not really eat bread all the time, I do on occasion, but I try to stay away from it since it fills me up quickly and doesnt leave much room for anything else. So Gluten free is an option.
I would have to say that before you try any of this you should check in with your doctor first to make sure it's right for you.
