Dr GF

Although a gluten-free diet is one of the many diets which require perseverance and many sacrifices, it really has many more benefits than you may think.

Whether we choose a gluten-free diet voluntarily, or we are forced into it through a diagnosis of Coeliac disease or gluten intolerance, a gluten-free diet gives an improved quality of life. Better not only in terms of good medical test results, but also in terms of our general well-being.

The advantages of a gluten-free diet undoubtedly include:

• A greater awareness of the products we buy - Paying more attention to the gluten-free products we buy, checking the ingredients and contents on the packet labels, and most often selecting homogeneous, lightly processed products, that do not contain a long list of preservatives.
• Ensuring high quality products - Gluten-free products are very safe to use on a gluten-free diet, due to their stringent and regular inspections in accredited laboratories. The ingredients used, come only from trustworthy and reliable suppliers.
• A more varied, healthier menu–It appears that thanks to a gluten-free diet, it can easily be noticed that the average diet of most people contains too many products that are harmful to health: such as highly processed food or refined flour.
  A person on a gluten-free diet can experiment with familiar ingredients: millet, buckwheat, quinoa and different types of gluten-free flours to create new healthier, delicious gluten-free vegetarian dishes.
  There are many possibilities and ideas for creating delicious gluten-free dishes. Try chick pea flour pizza or corn and rice flour dumplings, and for dessert: try beetroot chocolate cake. This could have been done earlier, but no one came up with the idea, because there was no such need.
• The benefit of a gluten-free diet- Each of us wants to be healthy and to maintain this condition for as long as possible. For people with an intolerance to gluten, maintaining this state of well-being while sticking to a gluten free diet is an important part of their lives. Gluten-free products usually come from organic plantations and crops, and from certified sources, that is why they are of better quality in terms of the amount of pollutants or pesticides found in them.
• Gluten-free flours, such as rice flour, corn flour, coconut flour, millet flour or amaranth flour, are richer in nutritional value than wheat flour. They are fibre rich and are the source of a diverse range of vitamins and minerals.
• Body fat control and reduction – A gluten-free diet helps to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight, this applies to either people who are overweight or underweight.
  Both of these groups of people may notice an increase of energy, an improvement in general wellbeing, the disappearance of flatulence, bloating, and other symptoms that are associated with the consumption of poor quality, highly processed food like: shop produced meats, frozen ready meals and fast food.
  A gluten-free diet ensures the improved functioning of the intestinal villi, which are responsible for the absorption of nutrients and for their more efficient disposal by the body.
• The reduction of symptoms resulting from gluten intolerance -The following are all symptoms that are associated with gluten intolerance: abdominal pain, diarrhoea, unpleasant bloating, weight loss, anaemia, feeling unwell, drowsiness, joint pain, pale complexion, signs of aggression and problems with the nervous system or neurological disorders.
• A healthy and happy life -The biggest advantage of a gluten-free diet is a safe, normal and healthy everyday life. This applies to people suffering from any form of Coeliac Disease or gluten-related disorders.