Embarking on a gluten-free journey can be both liberating and overwhelming. Whether due to medical necessity or personal choice, navigating the nuances of a gluten-free diet requires knowledge, guidance, and support.
That's where a nutritional therapist steps in, offering expertise, personalised recommendations, and invaluable assistance tailored to your unique needs. In this blog post, we'll explore the myriad benefits of partnering with a nutritional therapist on your gluten-free journey.
Here are my 10 top tips for having a happy, healthy, gluten free diet experience.
1. MAKE WISE SWAPS.
Ensure your major swaps such as breads, crackers, pasta and grains are replaced with good healthy options. Many gluten free products we fin in the supermarkets have many undesirable and additional ingredients making them poor choices and can often cause other gut irritations or health issues. Choose wisely!
2. FOCUS ON NATURALLY GLUTEN-FREE FOODS.
There are so many delicious naturally gluten-free foods! Fruits, vegetables, unprocessed meats, fish, eggs, potatoes, and other root vegetables are all delicious, fresh, and naturally gluten-free! Sticking to the fresh stuff is not only a wise choice nutritionally, it will also help you not to be overwhelmed by to many labels or ingredients to consider.
3. LEARN TO NAVIGATE THE GROCERY STORE.
The naturally gluten-free foods are kept along the outside of the grocery store (fresh produce, dairy and eggs, and meats and fish). Learn to shop here and you will generally be making wise choices. Fresh produce will deliver higher nutritional yields and also provide you with great flavour, diversity and choice.
4. FIND HIDDEN SOURCES OF GLUTEN.
Gluten can be found in all sorts of foods that you wouldn't necessarily consider. Foods such as Sauces, Gravy, Condiments, Alcohol, Salad dressings, Soups, Vinegars are common culprits.
5. UTILSE NATURAL GLUTEN FREE GRAINS & FLOURS
There is a huge amount of grains and flours that you can use instead of gluten grains such as wheat, barley and rye. Grains such as cassava, rice, buckwheat, quinoa, corn, millet, chickpea, for example. Flours such as rice, corn, potato, chickpea and other beans and legumes, and roots can be great options.
6. LEARN TO READ LABELS FOR GLUTEN.
Learning to read food labels to avoid hidden and non obvious gluten sources can be so beneficial.
7. LEARN WHICH ALCOHOLS CONTAIN GLUTEN.
Or better still, focus on what you can drink! Many alcoholic drinks contain gluten sources such as beer, ales and spirits so do be mindful of the choices you make.
8. LOOK OUT FOR CROSS CONTACT/CROSS CONTAMINATION.
Cross contact with gluten occurs when a gluten-free food is prepared on the same surface or with the same utensils as foods with gluten. Often making simple swaps that the whole family can eat and enjoy together can be really helpful and easier for a household rather than cooking separate meals.
9. WATCH OUT FOR CROSS CONTAMINATION
Gluten can be easily to cross contaminate so watch chopping boards, toasters and food preparation areas to ensure they are clean and gluten free. Sometimes separate items are necessary.
10. FIND EASY GLUTEN-FREE MEALS YOU ENJOY!
Ensuring you have a repertoire of foods and meals you know are safe and you enjoy will make meal times much less stressful and avoid making quick hasty choices.
ONE EXTRA TOP TIP!
BOOK AN APPOINTMENT WITH A NUTRITIONIST
Having some professional guidance maybe very beneficial to ensure you are making wise choices and also to ensure your diet is nutritionally optional and you are not excluding wide areas of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Learning to cook with nutritionally dense safe grains and ingredients you may not have come across can open up a whole new world!
Book a free discovery call with me today to find out how I can help you have a happy, healthy, gluten free experience. Let us focus on what nutrition can do for you, not what you are missing out on!
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