Gluten-free Sugar-free Dairy-free Diet

Some people eliminate gluten from their diets to alleviate symptoms of celiac disease or autism. People with dairy allergies give up milk. And diabetics eliminate or greatly reduce sugar from their diets. But is there reason to give up all three, to adopt a gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free diet? The actress Gwyneth Paltrow thinks so--and also recommends a seven-day detox diet that further excludes meat, shellfish, sugar, alcohol, condiments and some vegetables. But what may sound healthy--and may look good on the actress--comes with risks.

Gluten-free Products and Weight Gain

Unless you have a medical reason to do so, it makes no sense to stop eating gluten, says Shelley Case, a registered dietitian and member of the medical advisory board of the Canadian Celiac Association. Celiac sufferers don't tolerate gluten, a protein found in wheat and other flours, and most benefit greatly from switching to a gluten-free diet. But anyone else, Casey says, puts herself at risk for weight gain and nutrient deficiency. Gluten-free flours lack protein and vitamins found in flour made from wheat and most grains, and many contain unhealthy additives such as sugar and fat.

Become a Food Detective

But, if you want to give up gluten, dairy and sugar, you will need to become a careful reader of food labels, find nutritional replacements for the foods you give up and spend extra time in the kitchen preparing meals. If a product you find in the grocery store includes wheat or milk, these ingredients must be listed as a warning on the food label, according to the Food Allergens Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2006.

Hidden Ingredients

Warning labels won't help you detect other sources of gluten. Gluten is present in barley as well as wheat, but the labeling act doesn't require such warnings. Look for the word "gluten" on labels. Some starches and extracts, as well as dextrin, contain gluten. Casein, a protein found in milk, doesn't require a warning label. Casein can also be present in soy and almond cheese but, if you are eliminating dairy for general wellness and not because of allergies, the amount of casein in such products is unlikely to affect you. If you want to give up sugar, check food labels for cane and beet sugar, corn, maple syrup and dextrose.

Options

You can still eat grains on a gluten-free diet. Options include brown rice, buckwheat and millet, according to the website gluten-dairy-sugarfree.com. Rice milk, soy milk and almond milk may be used in place of cow's milk. You can enjoy the natural sweetness in fresh fruits and substitute agave nectar for maple syrup on pancakes, according to the site. Although bread, milk and sugar are part of typical American diets and many restaurant menus, you are not without options in adhering to a gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free diet. You may find solutions in recipes for Asian and Mediterranean cuisine, as well as in health food stores.

Fad or Lifestyle?

Wheat and dairy are among the eight most common food allergies, so many people will breathe better and avoid sinus infections by giving up bread, milk and similar products. And there is probably no one who would argue that a diet must include refined sugar. But, at the same time, there is no evidence that giving up gluten, dairy and sugar will make you healthier or look like a movie star.