I can’t make any recommendations on carbs without talking about one of the most controversial and hot topics these days – gluten.Let’s start from the beginning, shall we?
What’s Gluten, anyway?
It’s a protein composite found in wheat and other related grain species, including barley and rye.
Will Gluten Make You Fat?
Not necessarily. Foods that contain gluten are not more fattening in their nature.But some recent research shows that gluten-free diets might reduce fat gain, inflammation and the dreaded insulin resistance. Don’t forget – whatever the studies ever say, eating for fat loss all comes down to this one thing – you need to test it. Try going gluten-free for a couple of weeks, and notice if your fat loss speeds up or if your health improves. That’s better than anything studies could ever prove.
Gluten and Digestion
Gluten is naturally hard to digest. Now, that doesn’t automatically make it unhealthy or dangerous. A lot of other foods considered healthy are hard to digest too (like most legumes).
I personally think most of us have a hard time digesting a lot of stuff, because our digestive systems are more damaged than they used to be. But that’s just my own hypothesis. Another problem might be the fact that we eat a lot more gluten than we used to – simply because farmers have been cross-breeding different wheat species for the last decades to increase the gluten content and accommodate the needs of the food industry.
The Real Problem… allergies and Intolerance
More and more people are found to be reactive to gluten in some way. Different experts argue it can be the case for anywhere between 10-60% of the population. The problem is – only one in 80 gluten-intolerant people will ever be diagnosed. In plain English, gluten might delay your recovery, create inflammation in your body and slow you down… even if you’re not aware of it. That’s why a lot of professional athletes like cyclists found that a gluten-free diet improved performance through better sleep and faster recovery times. In the end, it all comes down to finding how it affects YOUR body.
The King of Problems With Gluten – Celiac Disease
The celiac disease is much more than just a simple allergy to gluten – it’s a condition that makes your immune system actually attack your digestive system. These days, 1 in 100 people suffer from this very serious condition. That’s 4 times more people than 50 years ago. If you struggle with various health issues, you might want to get tested by your doc.
Why Gluten-Free often Fails
According to the American Journal of Gastroenterology, more than 30% of patients with celiac disease fail to recover and restore their digestive system after 5 years going gluten-free. That’s because (irresponsible) doctors and so-called “nutritionists” recommend these patients gluten-free foods like crackers, cookies and other processed crap that damage their gut flora as much as gluten. What a shame. The big takeaway is this – “gluten-free” does NOT equal “healthy” or even “fat-burning”. Don’t get fooled by the current hype.
Summary
--> Gluten-free foods are not healthier or more fat-burning than other foods. Gluten-free crap is still crap…
--> Gluten is naturally hard to digest. It might be a good reason to limit your consumption altogether.
--> A lot of people have a certain degree of intolerance to gluten, creating inflammation and slowing down fat loss.
--> Removing gluten from your diet for 2 to 4 weeks will give you a good idea if it is a problem for you.
