Gluten-Free! You may see that label popping up on items across the grocery store and on restaurant menus. Individuals with certain conditions such as celiac disease need to give up gluten for health reasons which means you may not be getting enough fiber.
Read on to learn more about what gluten is and how you can still hit your fiber goals. (Also spoiler alert, Bonny fiber supplements are gluten-free.)
What is Gluten?
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First, what is gluten? Gluten is a protein that has no essential nutrients. It is naturally occurring and can be extracted, concentrated, and added to food and other products for texture and flavor. Gluten works as a binding agent to hold processed foods together and give them shape.
It is found in many grains, including wheat, barley, rye, and many favorite comfort foods like bread, baked goods, pasta, pizza, and cereal.
Why Go Gluten-Free?
Removing gluten from the diet is necessary for people with certain health conditions:
Celiac disease is an immune reaction to eating gluten. When gluten is consumed, it triggers an immune response in the small intestine. Over time, this reaction damages the small intestine's lining and prevents it from absorbing some nutrients (called malabsorption). The intestinal damage then can cause diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, bloating, and anemia, and that can lead to serious complications. (That does not sound good at all.)
Dermatitis Herpetiformis.This relatively rare skin reaction is brought about by gluten sensitivity. Symptoms include lesions or blisters forming on the skin, especially in the areas of forearms, knees, and bum. People with this skin condition typically also have celiac disease as it is caused by the same antibodies.
Gluten intolerance, also called non-celiac gluten sensitivity, is when you get sick after eating gluten. Gluten intolerance makes you feel bloated, gassy, or tired.
Wheat Allergy. Gluten is found in wheat and other cereal grains and can cause allergic reactions in some people. Wheat allergy symptoms include itching or swelling of the mouth or throat, cough, shortness of breath, vomiting, skin rashes, and hives. (Whoa!)
What to Eat When on a Gluten-Free Diet
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Going gluten-free will make you very aware of what you eat, so you may find yourself analyzing food labels when shopping for food and or menus when dining out. The good news is that a lot of foods are actually naturally gluten-free but to help you with thefood list, here is the list of foods that you can add to your grocery cart:
- Meats and fish. All meats and fish, except breaded meats, or those drenched in flour.
- Eggs. All types of eggs are naturally gluten-free.
- Fruits and vegetables. All fruits and vegetables are naturally free of gluten.
- All nuts and seeds.
- All vegetable oils and butter.
- All herbs and spices.
- Starches and flours like potatoes, potato flour, corn, corn flour, chickpea flour, soy flour, almond flour, coconut flour, and tapioca flour. That’s a lot of flours!
There are other foods that are also gluten-free but must be consumed cautiously as some of them might be contaminated with gluten during production. It is recommended to always check the labels to see if they’re gluten-free. These are:
- Dairy. (Plain milk, plain yogurt, and cheeses)
- Grains. (Quinoa, rice, buckwheat, sorghum, corn, millet, amaranth, arrowroot, and oats.)
- Drinks. Most beverages, except for beer (unless labeled as gluten-free).
Foods to Avoid with Gluten
While you have the list of foods to add-to-cart, keep in mind thefoods to avoid when going gluten-free unless they are specifically labeled as gluten-free:
- All types of bread including bagels, buns, biscuits, and flour tortillas.
- Baked Goods like cake, cookies, doughnuts, muffins, and pies contain gluten, and even breakfast staples like pancakes and waffles.
- All wheat-based pasta.
- The majority of cereals as many contain wheat, so be sure to check the nutrition labels (See? You’ll be reading a lot of food labels).
- Crackers, our mindless snacking friend, unfortunately, have gluten. It is the same with pretzels and those tasty tortilla chips.
- Beer. Thinking of rewarding yourself with an ice-cold beer after a long day? You may want to look for another option as beer is made from malted barley, which has gluten. Take note that some liquors also have added wheat, so again, don’t forget to read the food labels.
- Gravy and soup. Gravies and even those powdered gravy mixes contain gluten and canned and boxed soups also use wheat flour as a thickening agent.
Don’t Forget Your Fiber!
It is important to note that a lot of these gluten-free foods on the list are low in fiber which is a shame because fiber is amazing.
Fiber is essential to regularity, boosting our immunity, aiding with weight management, regulating blood sugar, and more. It is recommended by the USDA that we hit the daily target of fiber intake of 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men. Sadly 95% of Americans don’t meet the recommended daily dietary intake.
What are some high-fiber foods that are gluten-free? Foods like apples, flax seeds, chia seeds, raspberries, avocado, pumpkin, and beans are gluten-free.
However, it can be hard to hit the daily dietary fiber requirement and a gluten-free fiber supplement like Bonny can help you meet the recommended daily dietary intake.
Bonny is Gluten-Free
Bonny is a prebiotic, custom blend, fiber powder supplement that helps you achieve your daily fiber needs. This custom blend of psyllium husk and inulin is vegan and gluten-free. It’s important to note that not all fiber supplements are gluten-free, another reason Bonny is at the head of the class.
Bonny comes in amazing flavor options like Apple Pie, Mixed Ripe Berries, and Super Strawberry. Just add a serving of Bonny powder to a glass of cool water, stir well until blended, and enjoy it as a regular drink.
As always, we wish you a healthy gut and pleasant poops.
