15 Sep Gluten Free?

It isn’t just the “Sprout” Market down the street or “Whole Foods” or even “Trader Joes” that are getting into the “Gluten Free” market. I was pretty surprised to see “Ralph’s” carrying so many “Gluten Free” options.

It seems like a “healthy” alternative. The packaging even seems cleaner. I wanted to understand why someone would adopt a “Gluten-Free” diet and would it be something that would fit my lifestyle.

Well, here’s the lowdown. “Gluten-free” products were specifically designed for people that have celiac disease or a sensitivity to wheat. So, what if you don’t have these things?

Gluten-free means ridding our diet of many nutritious foods. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye and can also show up in bulgur, kamut and spelt. These grains are rich with vitamins and minerals such as B Vitamins, Iron and Fiber. Whole grain foods that are included in a healthy diet may help lower the risk of type-2 diabetes and heart disease.

So, although I am happy that science has figured out a way to help those that truly suffer from wheat products or gluten, I’m not sure I’m personally ready to eliminate a whole category of food from my diet, not to mention that fact that gluten-free products have been known to be low in a wide range of important nutrients. It’s so hard trying to navigate through this low-fat, low-carb, no-carb Maze today. Just when I think I have them all down, something else is right around the corner ready to be marketed to all of us.