A gluten-free diet is a healthy food in which all gluten-containing foods are excluded from the ration. The diet is prescribed for diseases of the endocrine and nervous systems, as well as pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract.
Gluten (gluten) is a complex of plant proteins (prolamins, glutenins) found in grains such as wheat, oats, rye and others. Sh.
Who is the diet for?
The use of a gluten-free diet is a prerequisite for the treatment of conditions such as:
- Celiac disease;
- Gluten intolerance (in severe and atypical forms);
- Irritable bowel syndrome;
- Autism, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis;
- Anemia in children under 3 years of age.
The use of gluten-containing foods in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and neurological pathologies can lead to the following results:
- Causes chronic inflammation of the small intestine, causing pathogenic bacteria and toxins to enter the bloodstream.
- Disrupts the balance of intestinal microflora and causes an increase in the multiplication of pathogenic bacteria.
- It inhibits digestive processes by adhesion of chamomiles to the walls of the small intestine, which are designed to digest and assimilate proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
- Causes autoimmune diseases because the immune system releases antibodies to gluten molecules that attack not only the gastrointestinal tract but also gluten-like proteins in cells of the thyroid, heart, and nervous system. This is the case with autoimmune thyroiditis, type 1 diabetes, dermatitis, infertility and early menopause.
The presence of gluten-containing foods in the diet is manifested by persistent bowel movements (constipation, diarrhea), flatulence, frequent edema, caries, as well as ulcers on the mucous membranes of the mouth and persistent rashes on the skin.
In most cases, gluten intolerance leads to iron deficiency anemia, which is manifested by constant fatigue, brittle nails, hair loss and weight loss.
List of permitted and prohibited products
To maintain a gluten-free diet, two categories of foods are excluded from the diet: high in gluten (e. g. , wheat bread) and latent gluten (e. g. , mayonnaise, ketchup, etc. ).
The following foods are excluded from the gluten-free diet:
- Cereals, in particular wheat, rye, oats, barley;
- Flour products of this cereal, including bread, lava, cakes, pastries, cereal bread;
- Cereals (oatmeal, rolled oats, Bulgarian, pearl barley);
- Bran from this grain;
- Products with small amounts of wheat flour (broth cubes, soy sauce, buckwheat noodles, sausages and canned foods, crab sticks, mayonnaise, ketchup, tea bags, yogurts, ice cream);
- Chocolates, jam, caramel;
- Quasi, cereals and other alcoholic beverages made from cereals;
- Coffee with flavors and additives, decaffeinated coffee;
- Due to the production of products containing "traces of gluten", in particular, table vinegar, food starch, semolina, some types of cheese, dry spices and condiments, etc.
Due to the presence of latent gluten in the food, the diet will not be effective, since the inflammatory processes in the intestines are not stopped even with a small amount of gluten in the food. It is necessary to carefully study the composition of the product on the packaging. Some manufacturers refer to its label as "containing traces of gluten".
If you follow a gluten-free diet, you can include gluten-free foods in your diet, namely:
- Vegetables and fruits;
- Legumes, soybeans;
- Buckwheat, sorghum, quinoa, flax, rice;
- Domestic milk and dairy products;
- Meat and fish;
- sea Products;
- Vegetable and animal fats;
- Yeast, spices, soy sauce.
Weekly gluten-free diet menu
The sample menu for a week should consist of 4 or 5 meals every 2-3 hours. Diet A gluten-free diet can consist of dishes of grains, vegetables, meat and cottage cheese, while fruits and berries are used as snacks.
Monday
- Breakfast: cottage cheese with bananas and berries, tea;
- Lunch: buckwheat soup with meatballs, pilaf, tomato salad;
- Afternoon breakfast: apples, 25 grams of nuts;
- Dinner: Press with vegetable salad.
Tuesday
- Breakfast: rice porridge, coffee with soy milk;
- Lunch: broccoli puree soup, gluten-free pork dumpling;
- Afternoon breakfast: bananas, 5 pieces of almonds;
- Dinner: cottage cheese with berries.
Wednesday
- Breakfast: cottage cheese and banana cottage cheese pancakes in cocoa almond milk;
- Lunch: tomato soup, meatballs in broth, vegetable salad;
- Afternoon breakfast: 3 tangerines, pumpkin seeds;
- Dinner: Baked duck, fresh vegetable salad.
Thursday
- Breakfast: omelette with herbs and cheese, tea;
- Lunch: rice soup with meatballs, gluten-free bread, baked fish with broccoli;
- Afternoon breakfast: 150 grams of raspberries, walnuts;
- Dinner: cheese cakes with banana, sour cream.
Friday
- Breakfast: Corn tortillas with banana puree, compote;
- Lunch: fish soup, stewed vegetables, baked chicken with spices;
- Afternoon Breakfast: Fruit puree with homemade yogurt;
- Dinner: cottage cheese and berry sauce.
Saturday
- Breakfast: pumpkin porridge, coffee;
- Lunch: borscht, veal cabbage rolls, green salad;
- Afternoon Breakfast: Assorted Fruits;
- Dinner: cottage cheese with honey.
Sunday
- Breakfast: hummus with carrots and Bulgarian pepper, tea;
- Lunch: Okroshka homemade kefir, fish casserole, salad;
- Afternoon breakfast: strawberries, currants, raspberries;
- Dinner: French meat, pepper and tomato salad.
For a child
A gluten-free diet is essential for children with celiac disease, autism, and gastrointestinal disorders. For additional indications (e. g. , iron deficiency anemia and other nutrient absorption pathologies) a gluten-free diet is prescribed for children under 3 years of age.
Gluten-free foods for children can be not only healthy but also delicious because, despite the exclusion of a number of flour products and grains, many vegetables, fruits, meats and fish remain in a child’s diet.
Sample menu for children for 3 days:
Დroom 1
- Breakfast: omelet with rice porridge, banana;
- Lunch: cheese cakes with fruit on top, compote;
- Lunch: borscht with sour cream and gluten-free croutons, dried fruit sweets;
- Afternoon breakfast: chicken meatballs, fresh vegetable salad;
- Dinner: Homemade cakes with honey, milk.
Day 2
- Breakfast: sweet rice casserole with bananas and strawberries;
- Lunch: homemade noodles, compote;
- Lunch: buckwheat soup with meatballs, fruit jelly;
- Afternoon Breakfast: Fruit;
- Dinner: cottage cheese with nuts and honey.
Day 3
- Breakfast: millet porridge with pumpkin, compote;
- Lunch: berry jelly, gluten-free muffins;
- Lunch: soup with broccoli, zucchini and potatoes with herbs, stewed, apples;
- Afternoon snack: cottage cheese casserole orange, compote;
- Dinner: minced meat and rice meat, homemade tomato juice.
An important condition for the proper digestion of food through the gluten-free diet and movement through the gastrointestinal tract is the use of plant fibers of fruits, vegetables and grains.
Slimming
Weight loss will be followed by fatigue and constant tiredness. In this case it is necessary to take into account the caloric content of products.
Gluten-free diet for weight loss will help to lose weight by 2-3 kilograms per week, provided that the optimal daily caloric intake is optimal, there is no overeating and the following principles are followed:
- Eat food 4 times a day without food;
- Drink 1, 5-2 liters of water per day;
- There is a sufficient amount of fresh vegetables and dairy products;
- Limit grain intake to 200 grams (raw) and high-calorie nuts to 25 grams per day;
- Eliminate the use of sugar, pure fructose and any sugar substitute, as all these products increase appetite;
- Do not eat for 3 hours before bedtime.
After finishing the diet, limit the use of baked goods, sweets and carbonated drinks with sugar, because sugar and white flour cause rapid weight gain.
Delicious recipes
A gluten-free menu usually consists of meat, vegetable and dairy dishes. To expand your diet, you can use gluten-free recipes and baked goods using a variety of gluten-free flour.
Chicken breast with mashed potatoes
To prepare, you need 1-2 chicken breasts, salt, black pepper, oil to burn, 0, 5 kg of potatoes, 50 grams of sour cream to use.
Peel a squash, grate it and add water and salt until soft. At this time the breasts should be washed, cut into thin slices on the fibers, add each piece of salt and pepper on both sides.
Drain the water from the pot with the prepared potatoes, add sour cream and grind in a blender. Put the mashed potatoes on the plates, add the dill and start preparing the pies.
Stew the patties on a hot pan with butter, fry the meat on both sides for 2-4 minutes. It is important that the meat does not dry out as the patties will become dry and tough.
As soon as the chicken balls are ready, place them next to the dish and serve.
Rice flour cake in a slow cooker
To make the biscuit you will need 6 eggs, 180 grams of sugar, 150 grams of rice flour, vanillin, lemon zest, butter or vegetable oil.
First of all, it is necessary to separate the protein from the hearts and beat the hearts intensively with the sugar and vanilla for 4-5 minutes, until the sugar dissolves and the mass doubles in volume. Then, in a separate bowl, whisk the whites into a thick foam for 8-10 minutes. Then add the hearts of lemon zest and rice flour and mix well with a spoon. Gradually, the proteins are added to the dough until the mass becomes homogeneous.
Pour the multicooker bowl with oil, knead the dough and put it in the baking mode for 40-50 minutes, depending on the multicooker model. Check the readiness of the biscuit with a lighter.
Gluten-free corn flour muffins
To make muffins you need 170 grams of corn flour, 90 grams of corn starch, three eggs, 100 ml of milk, 100 grams of butter, 150 grams of sugar, a tablespoon of baking powder and vanilla.
First you need to mix the dry ingredients: flour, starch, baking powder. Then, in a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and vanilla until the sugar has dissolved and the foam appears, add the softened butter, warm milk and whisk again. Next, you need to mix all the ingredients until smooth and pour into molds.
The muffins are baked in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 20 minutes.
In order for a gluten-free diet to be effective, it is essential to completely eliminate forbidden foods and adhere to dietary principles throughout life.