Lowering your carbohydrate intake can help you lose weight more effectively, in addition to helping you bring your triglycerides and HDL cholesterol levels within the desirable range, according to a study published in 2004 in "Annals of Internal Medicine." If you are not only concerned with your carb intake but also need to eliminate gluten from your diet, whether it is because you have celiac disease or are gluten intolerant, you can follow a low-carb, gluten-free diet.
Low-Carb Diet Principles
Carbohydrates abound in the standard American diet, and advocates of the low-carb eating approach claim that carbs are responsible for the raising obesity rates in the country. The principle behind low-carb diet is that carbohydrates elevate blood sugar levels, which then stimulates the release of insulin from the pancreas. The role of insulin is to help the sugar in your blood get into your cells, where your cells may either burn it for energy or store it as glycogen or body fat. If your diet is high in carbs, your insulin levels will be elevated, which will promote fat storage. According to the theory, lowering your carb intake can help reduce your circulating levels of insulin and help your body burn your own body fat. Carbohydrates are mainly found in grains, such as bread, rice, breakfast cereals, granola bars, pasta, legumes, starchy vegetables, such as potatoes and winter squash, fruits, milk, yogurt, soft drinks, desserts and anything containing sugar.
Gluten Identification
If you have been diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, or have discovered from your own personal experimentation that you do better without gluten, it is important to completely eliminate it from your diet to see improvements in your health. Gluten is a type of protein found in grain products, especially barley, wheat, rye and oats. Because these grains are used so widely by the food industry, many staple foods, such as bread, pasta, breakfast cereals and baked goods, contain gluten. Processed foods also constitute a large source of gluten, because it may be found in traces in ingredients such as seasonings, breading, stuffings, sauces and marinades.
Carbohydrate Content of Gluten-Free Foods
The growing population avoiding gluten has resulted in a growing market for gluten-free foods. It is now easier to find gluten-free alternatives to your favorite foods, such as gluten-free bread, pasta, crackers and breakfast cereals. In these gluten-free options, wheat flour is replaced with potato flour, rice flour or other combination of gluten-free flours. The problem with these gluten-free foods is that their carbohydrate content almost always exceeds that of the wheat-based version, which makes them unsuitable options for a low-carb, gluten-free diet.
Combining Low-Carb and Gluten-Free
The best way to combine a low-carb and gluten-free diet is to avoid processed gluten-free alternatives and base your diet on unrefined, whole foods that are naturally low in carbs and void of gluten. For example, nonstarchy vegetables should constitute the foundation of your diet. Protein sources, such as fish, seafood, chicken, turkey, pork, beef, eggs and cheese, are free of gluten if you avoid options that are breaded, in a sauce, marinated or contain seasonings. You can also add healthy fats to your diet, such as olive oil, avocado, raw nuts and natural nut butter. Depending on your personal carbohydrate target, you can include controlled servings of starchy vegetables, such as sweet potatoes and winter squash, fruits, especially berries or melons because of their lower carb content, and maybe limited servings of rice, quinoa or other gluten-free grains, depending on your weight loss goals.
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