If you're overweight or obese, you're not alone: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that between 25 and 30 percent of all adult Americans now call themselves obese. In considering a weight-loss diet, you may have heard of the no-flour, no-sugar diet plan. This plan, which is essentially a low-carbohydrate diet approach, may help you lose weight.
History
The vast majority of flour products found in the supermarket include wheat flour as a main ingredient, and many processed food products contain added sugar. In the past, the only people who sought to eliminate wheat flour from their diet were those diagnosed with celiac disease, an autoimmune condition in which wheat and certain other grains attack the small intestine. Diabetics, meanwhile, often reduced or eliminated sugar from their diets in an effort to control their disease.
Function
With the growing popularity of low-carb diets, however, people who don't have diabetes or celiac disease are seeking to follow no-flour, no-sugar diets, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Low-carb diets such as the South Beach Diet and the Atkins Diet program generally take this approach, but it's possible to implement a no-flour, no-sugar diet on your own.
Types
To determine what foods contain flour and sugar, you need to learn to read food labels, according to the Ohio State University Medical Center. Foods that contain wheat flour usually will be clearly labeled as "contains wheat," since the U.S. Department of Agriculture has named wheat as one of the eight major food allergens and requires such labeling. Most sugar-free foods also will be clearly labeled, according to Joslin Diabetes Center.
Benefits
It's actually not difficult to eat a no-flour, no-sugar diet if you shop around the perimeter of the supermarket, concentrating mainly on fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats and poultry, fish and low-fat dairy products. All plain fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables contain no flour and no sugar; just be aware of fruits that may have added sugar in the form of syrup.
Considerations
Low-carb diets such as the no-flour, no-sugar diet plan can help you lose weight, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. To make sure your diet also supports a healthy heart, however, you should avoid eating too much saturated fat in the form of fatty meats, and you also should make sure to include fiber in the form of beans and fresh vegetables. In addition, in order to actually lose weight, you still need to take in fewer calories than you burn, so be careful not to load up on no-flour, no-sugar junk food such as potato chips or corn chips.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: State-Sepcific Obesity Prevalence
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: Celiac Disease
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Low-Carb Diets - The Right Way to Go?
- Joslin Diabetes Center: Can I Eat As Many Sugar-Free Foods as I Want?
- Ohio State University Medical Center: Gluten-Free Diet
Member Comments