August 9, 2022
“I tried that for a while but I didn’t lose weight”
“Oh you are one of those gluten-free diet people”
“I tried eating gluten-free products but I don’t like them”
“It worked for me but then I stopped because I couldn’t stop craving bread”
“I need my bran cereal, otherwise I get constipated”
These are some of the things I get any time I bring up grains (that contain gluten and gliadin) being a source of inflammation and being associated with weight gain, eczema, ADHD, anxiety, depression, etc.
Here are the top 3 reasons why your gluten-free diet is not working for you.
REASON # 1: You don’t know what to eat!
Trouble with a gluten-free diet, like most ‘diets’ is that the focus is on what NOT to eat rather than the foods you NEED to eat.
Eliminating grains has a huge impact on health and physique but it is only one part of the equation. It is necessary to look at what nutrients the body is deficient in to begin with and what to REPLACE the grains with.
Almost every person we start working with is deficient in:
- Magnesium
- B vitamins
- Vitamin D3
- Omegas
- Zinc
- WATER – most people are dehydrated
- Quality lean proteins
- Fiber
- Healthy fats in their diet
Without these, people can experience issues such as headache / migraines, cravings, bloating, indigestion, constipation, nausea and even depression when they remove gluten and gliadin (gliadin actually delivers opiates to the brain which can cause a lot of the mental symptoms when it is eliminated)
Once you focus on the foods you NEED to eat, the process becomes less stressful as well. Not to mention, it forces you to explore new foods and nutrients that you have been missing out on.
A few simple rules to ensure you get the most out of eliminating grains :
- HYDRATE!! Increase your water intake to make sure your bowel movements stay regular. Most people report they bowel movements improving once they remove grains and drink more water
- PROTEIN PROTEIN PROTEIN!! Set a protein goal for the day and make sure you prioritise it in every meal. We recommend sticking to hormone-free lean animal proteins, Master Amino Pattern tablets, brown rice protein powders as the main sources to regulate insulin, maintain or increase muscle, help the body’s detoxification and immune system, reduce cravings and of course lose weight!
- SUPPLEMENT with the above mentioned nutrients. Supplements are the fastest way to give the body what it needs. Some times we get clients leaner and feeling better within a week by using supplements alone.
- Work with a professional nutritionist who can assess what your body needs and can handle. Email us at info@belite.ca to schedule your BIOSIGNATURE SCAN
REASON # 2: You eat gluten-free processed foods
Remember this – gluten-free junk food is still junk food! A lot of gluten-free processed products contain junk carbs like corn starch, tapioca starch, sugars (in different forms) and rice flour.
These carbs spike insulin and encourage your body to store fat, especially around the waist, love handles and upper back. So if you were wondering why your pants don’t fit any looser, or in fact if they got tighter, you need to cut the gluten-free processed foods and eat REAL WHOLE FOODS!!
REASON # 3: You are highly sensitive to other foods besides gluten
Besides gluten / grains, there a a lot of allergens that irritate the gut, cause inflammation and increase body fat. The most common ones are dairy, sugar, corn, soy, preservatives and food dyes.
As mentioned in our previous articles, it is absolutely critical to identify which foods work for you and which ones cause inflammation and weight gain.
We find the best way to do this is by taking the Food Sensitivity and Candida blood test offered by most Naturopaths. We also offer this test at our studio for people who don’t have insurance or benefits to cover them.
Replacing foods that test positive on the scan with foods that have zero-minimal reactivity is a guaranteed way to improve your health and get leaner faster, especially around the waist!!
