beneficial body bread Diet fake gluten free help pasta quinoa real weight loss wheat where whole

What is gluten?

Gluten is a type of complex protein. Unlike other common proteins, gluten mostly occurs in certain carbohydrates. Wheat, rye etc are rich in gluten. Gluten is an essential component of any bread. It is the reason why bread rises and gains a chewy texture. Gluten makes the bread stretchy.

What foods are rich in gluten?

Though gluten is most commonly found in wheat, there are many other foods which contain significant quantities of gluten. Some examples are as follows:

• Since gluten is one of the main ingredients in wheat, all products containing wheat are rich sources of wheat. These include all breads, cakes, pasta, cookies, doughnuts, flour, spaghetti, biscuits, waffles, bagels and many more.


• Apart from wheat, few other cereals also contain significant quantities of gluten. These include grains like barley and farina.


• In foods which do not naturally contain gluten, it is added for a number of purposes. Gluten is a thickening agent and used widely in sauces, ice creams, puddings and gravy.


• Almost all refined and processed foods contain gluten. Examples include pizza, salami, sausages, soups, chips, hamburger etc.

So, you can see that gluten is a very common component in many common foods. If you are thinking of adopting a gluten free diet, then you should know that you may have to do without some of your favorite foods.

Does a Gluten Free Diet Work for Weight Loss?

What gluten free foods can you include in your diet?

• The list of foods containing gluten is a long one. So, if you are considering a diet free of gluten, you need to know what foods you can include in your daily diet.


• Though gluten is commonly found in cereals, it is not present in every cereal. Rice, quinoa, amaranth, millets etc are excellent gluten free alternatives.


• Yams, potatoes, arrowroot, sorghum etc are good sources of starch free of gluten.


• Fresh fruits and vegetables do not contain gluten and so can be easily included in your diet.


• Lean animal proteins are also free of gluten. However, they should not be breaded which adds gluten to the preparation.


• Nuts and legumes can be eaten in a no gluten diet.


• Finally, in recent days, gluten free breads, biscuits, cereals and desserts have been introduced in the market. However, in many cases, though they are labeled free of gluten, they do contain a small quantity of gluten.

How can gluten free diet help in weight loss?

Though people from various walks of life say that gluten free diet is ideal for weight loss, it requires some in depth analysis before you switch to such a diet. Here are some points that you should consider:

• According to the American dietetic association, there is no proven gluten free diet for weight loss. Little research has been made in this connection. So, there are no statistical data to prove or disprove no gluten for weight loss.


• Some people suffer from gluten intolerance and gluten allergy. They have to eat a gluten free diet in order to stay fit and in good health. An extreme form of gluten related disorder is the celiac disease. This is a form of immune disorder where the intestine cannot absorb the nutrition which is present in the food that you eat. Celiac disease is aggravated by gluten intake.


• Apart from the people who are suffering from intolerance and other similar disorders, gluten probably plays an indirect role in weight loss. If you examine the list of gluten rich foods, you will see that they are also high in calories and sugar which lead to weight loss. So, if you avoid gluten rich foods, you are actually avoiding processed foods which add a lot of needless calories to your diet. As a result, you will obviously lose weight.


• A few studies have been conducted. They reveal that if you go on a no gluten diet, you are actually opting for healthier food choices. As a result, you may lose an average of 15 to twenty pounds of your body weight at the end of the first month of your gluten free diet.


• According to one research, no matter how tall you are, eating gluten rich foods continuously will make you heavier and bulkier.


• While scientific evidence of no gluten for weight loss is still being collected, there are a number of conclusive studies which show that overweight people who are suffering from celiac disease enjoy definite benefit from a diet free of gluten. A clear trend of weight loss can be seen in them.


• The fact is that gluten itself is not causing any significant increase in your weight. So, eliminating gluten is not likely to have a severe impact on your weight. However, the gluten rich foods also tend to be rich in salt, fats and calories. So, when you avoid them consistently, a noticeable difference is seen in your weight.


• You need to be careful about what foods you choose to replace the gluten rich food that you are eliminating from your diet. These free of gluten substitutes actually may contain higher calories. At the same time, replacing wheat cereals with refined cereals may affect your nutrition because these are often not enriched with added nutrition. In these cases, a diet free of gluten will not be helpful for you in losing weight.


• In fact, except in celiac, gluten free diet exercises little direct influence on weight. But, it does have a lot of indirect influence. So, if you can stick to gluten free healthy alternatives for long time, you are bound to notice a loss in weight.

By Trevor M Hall 

Diet Dipping Sauce Fried Zucchini Chips gluten free Lime-Mint recipes

The gluten-free combo of ground hazelnuts and brown rice flour gives these golden chips a subtle nutty flavor and delicate crunch. I used organic Canola oil to fry these, but you could also use grapeseed oil or any organic oil suitable for high heat cooking. Choose slender, smallish zucchini squash for these chips, not huge, fat zukes.

Ingredients:

Organic Expeller-Pressed Canola oil or other high-heat cooking oil
1 cup ground hazelnut meal
1 cup sorghum flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon organic garlic powder
4 slender, firm zucchini squash
1 large organic free-range egg, beaten

Instructions:

Heat about an inch and a half of Canola oil in a heavy bottomed skillet, over medium heat.

Meanwhile, in a shallow soup plate, whisk together the hazelnut meal, sorghum flour, sea salt and garlic powder. Set aside.

Wash and trim the zucchini squash. Evenly slice the squash on a slight diagonal to create 1/4-inch thick chips. Press and pat the slices with a paper towel and set aside.

Pour the beaten egg into a shallow bowl. Working in batches, dip each zucchini slice into the beaten egg, and allow excess to drip off. Dredge the coated slice in the gluten-free flour mixture, patting it to coat both sides.

When the oil is hot (about 325º to 350ºF), carefully place several zucchini slices into the hot oil and fry until they are golden brown on both sides. Don't overcrowd the pan- give the chips some space to sizzle and crisp up.

Use silicone-coated tongs to remove the chips, and place them on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

Note: Keep a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in a 300ºF oven (especially if you are making several batches), and keep the fried chips warm until serving.

Serve immediately with a creamy dipping sauce. See my easy dipping sauce recipe below.

Yield: Serves 4

Gluten-Free Fried Zucchini Chips with Lime-Mint Dipping Sauce 

Vegan and Dairy-Free Lime-Mint Dipping Sauce

This light and creamy lime-mint sauce brings out the fresh green taste of tender zucchini chips. And it's a snap to make, thanks to Grapeseed Oil Vegenaise. I love using Vegenaise as a super quick base for non-dairy dips and sauces. It has a lovely bright taste that is not too tangy or mustardy. And it's not too sweet. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Vegenaise
Juice from half a lime
1 packed tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Combine the the Vegenaise, lime juice, fresh mint, sea salt and pepper. Taste test. Add more lime or mint, as you prefer.

Makes about a half cup of dairy-free dip.

Diet gluten free recipes Vegan Guacamole

This guac is as easy as uno, dos, tres. So simple. No onions. No salsa. Nothing fancy. It is clean, creamy and fresh tasting- and laced with plenty of lime.

Ingredients:

2-3 ripe organic avocados

1 garlic clove, minced

10 sweet cherry  or grape tomatoes, quartered

Juice from 1 large juicy lime, more limes for garnish, if desired

Finely chopped fresh cilantro, if desired

Instructions:

Halve and pit the avocados. Using a soup spoon, scoop out each avocado into a bowl. Grab a potato masher and smash the avocado. Add the garlic and lime juice and mix until smooth (or leave it chunky, if you prefer). Stir in the tomatoes; reserve a few for garnish on the top.

Serve immediately with gluten-free organic corn tortilla chips.

Best served fresh.

Serves 4.

Easy Vegan Guacamole Recipe with Lime

Baked Grape Tomatoes Basil Cornbread Crumbs Diet gluten free recipes

Cherry and grape tomatoes are tasty year round. A big plus for those of us longing for the juicy robust tomatoes of summer. Consider this a sneak preview of some fabulous summer eating.

Ingredients:

3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
30-40 yellow and red grape or cherry tomatoes (depending on size)
1 cup gluten-free cornbread (or GF corn muffin) crumbs
2 teaspoons dried organic basil
Fine sea salt
Fresh black pepper
Fresh basil chiffonade and leaves, for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

Slice a garlic clove in half and rub the cut sides on the bottom of a 9-inch glass pie plate. Drizzle a little olive oil in the bottom.

Cut the tomatoes in half. I sliced the tomatoes both ways- lengthwise and widthwise- for variation.

In a food processor, process all the garlic till minced. Dump out onto a plate. Process the cornbread (or corn muffin) until you achieve an even crumb. Add in the dried basil, sea salt. Pulse to combine. Add in the minced garlic. Pulse. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil into the crumbs and pulse briefly to distribute.

Place half of the grape tomato halves into the pie plate, split side up. Snuggle them in.

Sprinkle with the seasoned cornbread crumbs. Top with the remaining tomato halves, cut sides down, rounded side up. Drizzle a little more olive oil over the tomatoes.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until tender.

These beauties can be served hot from the oven, warm, or at room temperature. Garnish with fresh basil chiffonade. (Chiffonade is a fancy word for rolling up several basil leaves like a cigar and slicing crosswise.)

Serves 4.

Baked Grape Tomatoes Recipe with Basil and Cornbread Crumbs

Notes:

We served these fabulous tomatoes with spring salad greens in vinaigrette on top of split baked potatoes drizzled with extra virgin olive, and sprinkled with sea salt and ground pepper. An easy and fabulous vegan supper

cookbook Diet food blog gluten free gluten-free healthy recipes

By Rebecca J Gray

Have you recently found yourself debating taking up a gluten-free lifestyle but are confused by the array of information available on its advantages? There is a large amount of material that points to eradicating gluten as a reasonable step in an individuals balanced diet. Gluten is found in any food item containing wheat.

Five Reasons Why You Should Remove Gluten From Your Diet

1. There is data to suggest that a gluten-free diet suits the human body's digestive system more than one containing wheat for several reasons. Firstly, people cannot completely break down wheat which leaves people (including those with no technical intolerance) feeling at the very least bloated and a little unwell. Secondly, wheat often produces a spike in insulin levels which one should try to avoid.

2. A gluten-free diet is currently the sole viable route once someone receives a diagnosis for celiac disease or gluten intolerance. One may read this and think this point does not, as a non-sufferer, apply to them but this may not actually be the case. 1% of the population to is deemed to have celiac disease but the reality is that far more are simply undiagnosed. Following a gluten-free diet ensures one is not unintentionally flaring up an allergy. With some medics concluding that up to 40% of the population may be at risk for gluten sensitivity the potential gains of a gluten-free diet are worth bearing in mind.

3. It may not be just your own well-being that is helped by a diet free from gluten. It has been proposed that children who are gluten intolerant are more likely to have ADHD, autism and problems with their immune system if no changes are made to their diet.

4. The nutritional benefits of refined wheat are almost non-existent and thus, serve little purpose in a healthy diet. There is no doubt that supermarkets make massive financial gains from selling such products. Incidentally, this is also the case with commercially produced gluten-free products but there is no need to actually use these products when one is avoiding gluten.

5. A gluten-free diet can be just as exciting and varied as a diet which includes gluten. The misconception that one is restricted is not really founded. For example, rather than a standard bag of pasta one could buy quinoa or buckwheat. One may even find their food becomes more diverse without the inclusion of gluten as they become more inventive with other options available to them!

Initially, a gluten-free diet can seem quite intimidating and one may be unsure of what is ok for them to eat. Total Diet Food is a food delivery service in London that can provide a complete set of meals and snacks that cater for this diet.

Gluten Free and Recipes That Include Gluten Free Adjustments:

Flourless chocolate cake recipe - an easy gluten-free recipe

Easy Coconut layer cake recipe - Gluten-Free

Chocolate truffle cake recipe - gluten-free

Best Turkey Meatloaf with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Pecan Crust ( Gluten-Free Recipe )

Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread Recipe (and tips on baking gluten-free)

Delicious Gluten-Free Vegan Bread Recipe - dairy-free and rice-free

Pasta with Homemade Ragu Sauce Recipes - Gluten-Free

Gluten-free: Frosted Carrot Cake Quinoa Bars Recipe

Sun Dried Tomato Focaccia Bread Recipe - Gluten-Free

Gluten-Free Zucchini Quinoa Breakfast Cake Recipe

Gluten-Free Peach Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Streusel Topping

Gluten-Free: How to make chocolate chip cookies

Italian baked stuffed shells recipe & Gluten-free

Healthy homemade gluten-free granola recipe

Easy gluten free baked macaroni and cheese recipe

Quinoa Salad with Roasted Beets, Chick Peas and Orange

Gluten free cornbread recipe with Green Chiles + Cinnamon

Maple Sweetened Almond Zucchini Mini-Muffins - gluten-free

Flourless Chocolate Cake - gluten free chocolate cake

Creamy Detox Soup Recipe with Coconut Milk

Best Gluten-Free Pancakes Recipe

The Gluten-Free Diet Cheat-Sheet: How to Go G-Free

Gluten-Free Chicken Soup for Body and Soul

Mulligatawny Soup Recipe with Jasmine Rice

Quinoa Salad with Pears, Baby Spinach and Chick Peas in a Maple Vinaigrette

best turkey meatloaf Diet gluten-free Gluten-Free Comfort Food ground turkey meatloaf healthy turkey meatloaf sun dried tomato sun dried tomatoes turkey meatloaf turkey meatloaf recipe

Healthy turkey meatloaf

Gluten-free turkey meatloaf with sun-dried tomatoes and pecan crust.

A Turn Toward the New

By Meet Karina

The morning was cool and bright. It was going to be one of those quintessential Cape Cod autumn days. A day tourists swoon over. Worthy of a post card with The weather is sublime- wish you were here scrawled in black gel cursive between sips of a Hot Chocolate Sparrow latte. The sky was a cake bowl of cobalt blue with that particular pink edge to it that only painters notice, the blush that softened the tree line at the north end of the West Barnstable marsh gentling the heavy greens of the pines and oaks into a bluish, almost violet gray.

She brushed her teeth with fennel toothpaste and spit into the low slung sink, pausing to breathe. A long inhale to slow her heart. The cottage was pin drop quiet. The boys had climbed the rubber lined steps into the school bus hours ago, peanut butter and honey sandwiches bagged, milk money in their pockets. She had waved from the street and watched them navigate the bus aisle in shadow, avoiding her maternal gaze, not turning to wave back. Too risky, she understood. 

The walk back up the curve of road to the rental she had found last spring felt different this morning. Not because of the air and its September clarity that sharpened the asters and the Queen Anne's Lace with impossible precision- though she felt a kinship with the acute focus the turning of the seasons always brings. That sense of realignment, a perennial return to purpose. Ironically, she always felt as if fall was the season of new beginnings. Not spring.

Fall was the season she woke up, as if from a dream. 

Today was the first day of a plein air painting workshop. A post-divorce return to premarital roots, when she painted for the love of it- not the pragmatic bill-paying need of it. Painting for an income (however necessary it may be) is dangerous business. Courting the marketplace changes your work. A self consciousness slithers in and infiltrates your choices. The observer becomes observed. Judged. Rewarded for meeting expectations.

She had always been more than willing to please. To notice the cues and needs of others. It was more than habit. It was ingrained in her bones. She had an uncanny knack for it. And she hated it about herself. She hated her automatic willingness to anticipate and acquiesce. Sometimes she would hear her own words hang in the air and for a quantum, split second wonder who had just spoken. There were entire days lost to living outside herself, hovering above her left shoulder, just beyond reach.

Stepping into the tiny sunlit kitchen she stood still for a moment, tempted by the cluttered breakfast table. The sticky bowls and spoons. The allure of distraction. The comfort of routine. But it didn't take. She snatched her car keys off a hook and grabbed a canvas bag of painting gear by the door, turned the knob with her free hand and opened it wide. Three minutes later she made a right at the empty bus stop, and accelerated east down Old King's Highway.

To be continued...

Turkey meatloaf recipe

This gluten-free turkey meatloaf is studded with sun-dried tomatoes and herbs.

Gluten-Free Turkey Meatloaf with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Pecan Crust

This simple turkey meatloaf is moist, flavorful and light. And you won't miss the gluten. Using fresh gluten-free bread crumbs (I used Udi's sandwich bread) gave this loaf a wonderful texture. The sun-dried tomatoes (I used Trader Joe's organic dry packed sun-dried tomatoes) and fresh herbs add a satisfying tang and depth. The pecan crust makes a crunchy top that adds a touch of fancy.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. ground organic turkey (not too lean- for best flavor)
1 large organic free-range egg
1/3 cup plain rice milk
3 pieces of gluten-free bread
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced 
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

For topping:
1/2 cup chopped salted pecans

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line a 9-inch ceramic or glass loaf pan with a piece of parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground turkey with the egg and rice milk.

Process the gluten-free bread into crumbs. Add them to the turkey mixture.

Add the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, herbs. Season to taste with sea salt and ground pepper. Mix to incorporate all your seasonings.

Scoop the turkey mixture into the loaf pan and use the back of a spoon to press it into a loaf shape.

Sprinkle with chopped pecans and press them into the top.

Bake in the center of the oven for 50-60 minutes, until done (internal temp. should be 165ºF).

Let the loaf rest for five minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes:

This is a gluten-free dairy-free soy-free recipe.

Leftover loaf makes fabulous sandwiches. 

If you prefer using regular milk, it will work in this recipe.

To be nut-free, skip the pecan crust. 

Makes one two-pound loaf.

#chicken Chicken Soup comfort food Diet Gluten-Free Chicken Recipes Gluten-Free Soup Recipes soup Soup for Body

By Meet Karina 

We've been living on soup since Sunday. No, not turkey leftovers soup. Jewish penicillin soup. You see, Steve- that ordinarily upbeat and tenacious husband of mine- has been feeling a tad under the weather these past few days. In truth, more than a tad. He's caught a nasty cold. The kind of cold where you ache all over and do nothing but lay in bed watching a marathon of Lost on your laptop because to even zombie-walk to the sofa loveseat too-small-to-lay-on requires functional navigation skills and balance beyond your sinus-throbbing capacity.

Poor guy.

Gluten-Free Soup Recipes

Gluten-Free Chicken Soup for Body and Soul

Free Chicken Soup for Body and Soul

Lucky for me, I've not succumbed to the zombie-walk inducing bug.  Yet. And just in case, I've been cranking out soups. An ounce of prevention and all that. And medicine. Because when I'm not in top gluten-free goddess form conserving energy means dragging out the Crock Pot for some easy slow-cooked comfort.

This is a simple healing soup with the goodness of cabbage (so beneficial to a celiac's tummy) and lots of garlic (an all-purpose fighter of evil and undead mayhem not to mention, a natural immune booster and cold-fighter). Green chiles.

I made this recipe like a peasant-style stew, starting with a layer of split chicken breasts on the bottom of the crock pot- drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, of course. Then I added eight cloves of fresh chopped garlic, lots of cut-up veggies, herbs, a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes, green chiles, and just enough organic chicken broth to cover the veggies. Good stuff.

But is my chicken soup powerful enough to stave off zombies?

Ah, that is the question. And here is another. I ask you (in honor of my zombie literate son who knows from zombies).

Running zombies?

Please. Do zombies run? Go.

Chicken Soup for Body and Soul Recipe

 Chicken Soup for Body and Soul

This isn't your Bubbe's chicken soup. And she might not approve of the liberties I've taken crankin' up the standard Jewish flavors more than a simple notch. But. Tradition is one thing. Great taste is another. I say, be flexible.

Ingredients:

Extra virgin olive oil, as needed

3-4 split chicken breasts (free-range organic, if possible), rinsed, patted dry

8 cloves fresh garlic, chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 heaping cups thinly shredded cabbage (bagged cole slaw mix is fast and easy)

1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, cut up

1 yellow summer squash, cut up

2 zucchini squash, cut up

6 to 8 baby Yukon Gold potatoes, cut up

1 4-oz. can chopped green chiles- mild or hot, to taste

1 teaspoon rubbed sage

1 teaspoon each of: dried basil, oregano and parsley

Hot red pepper flakes, shake to taste

1 14-oz. can Muir Glen organic fire roasted diced tomatoes

2 or more cups organic chicken broth, as needed

A dash or two of balsamic vinegar to taste

Instructions:

Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil into the bottom of a Crock Pot or slow cooker. Lay the chicken breasts in the bottom; top with half the chopped garlic. Season with sea salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, combine the shredded cabbage, bell pepper, yellow and zucchini squashes, potatoes, and green chiles; and toss them with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Season with sea salt, ground pepper, herbs and a shake or two of hot red pepper flakes. Toss to coat.

Pour the veggies into the crock in an even layer. Pour on the diced tomatoes. Add the chicken broth and a dash of balsamic vinegar, to taste. The liquid should just about cover the veggies. If you like more of a brothy soup than a stew, add more broth.

Cover and cook on high for 5 to 6 hours, until the chicken is tender and easily breaks apart into pieces with a large spoon (my chicken was very cold when it went into the pot, so adjust your cook time accordingly, if you need to).

Taste test for seasoning adjustments. I added a pinch of brown sugar to mine to balance the tomato-garlic and spice. Stir in any seasoning adjustments and serve.

Makes four hearty servings to soothe you- body and soul. This recipe is gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, corn-free

More Recipes From Fabulous Food Bloggers:

Recipe Falafel Burgers With garbanzo
free Recipe cranberry bread for the holidays.
Free Corn Muffins - A Spicy New Recipe With a Secret Ingredient
Paleo Breakfast Ideas for Weight Loss
Creamy Penne Pasta Bake with Zucchini
Free Chicken Chili with White Beans, Sweet Potato and Lime
Good Recipe - Turkey Meatballs with Asian Style Noodles
Slow Cooker Stew Recipe with Buffalo Sausage
Mulligatawny Soup Recipe with Jasmine Rice

Note: 

Like slow cooking gluten-free? Check out:

Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking