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Weight Loss: Can gluten free diet help to lose extra pounds? Nutritionist Arpit Sharma reveals the truth
Weight watchers constantly Google about natural and easy ways to lose weight and one of the common answer that we all find is making changes in diet and how one should include healthy foodstuff only. Of late, avoiding gluten to shed extra pounds is the latest fad.
Weight watchers constantly Google about natural and easy ways to lose weight and one of the common answer that we all find is making changes in diet and how one should include healthy foodstuff only. Of late, avoiding gluten to shed extra pounds is the latest fad that many are following among many. You must have noticed that supermarket aisles have foodstuff labeled as “Gluten-free." This is not all, many restaurants nowadays offer gluten-free dishes too. But does it really work? In an exclusive chat with Pinkvilla, nutritionist Arpit Sharma gave us an insight into the topic.
He first explained what is Gluten is? He said that it is a type of protein found mainly in wheat, wheat germ, rye, barley, bulgur, couscous, graham flour, semolina and spelt among others. He revealed how the same doesn't get digested and also doesn't gets acknowledged by good bacterias in our gut and the same leads to inflammation in our intestinal pathways & intestinal areas. This condition is commonly known as irritable bowel syndrome.
He later explained that not gluten but the carbs presence in the gluten-rich foods are the real culprit.
He said, "70% of the world population consume carbohydrates in the form of grains mainly wheat, soya & corn. 80% of Indian diet consists of roti/chapati/paratha as the same are our staple diet. Now food rich in gluten are also 80% rich in carbohydrates. Carbohydrates get converted into glucose after digestion and to counterbalance blood glucose, beta cells of the pancreas secrete insulin hormones."
He added how insulin hormone manages glucose by acting as taxi and glucose being acting as a passenger. Insulin transport glucose to the vital body cells. He stated, "Once these cells get filled by glucose, cells restricts the overcoming glucose causing insulin resistance in the long run. This extra glucose gets converted into triglycerides and gets stored as body fat. Once we bring down the daily intake of carbohydrate to less than 50 grams a day, the insulin hormones get into its average range. Now, alpha cells of the pancreas secrete glucagon hormones and these hormones break this stored triglycerides." He opined that going all gluten-free can prevent IBS but actually going low-carb will help you to lose fats.
List of low-carb food items
lean meats- beef, lamb, chicken,
fish
eggs
leafy green vegetables
veggies such as cabbage, cauliflower, tomatoes, onions, eggplant, broccoli
mushrooms
Celery
Zucchini
Swiss chard
nuts and seeds
oils
Some fruits such as apples, blueberries, and strawberries
whole milk
Plain Greek yogurt
Avocados
dark chocolates
Bottom line
Going gluten-free diet is great for people who have celiac disease i.e. suffering from gluten intolerance and also for those who have IBS issues. Going low-carb can help you to lose inches. One should make sure that they have a healthy and balanced diet and must be supplemented with some form of physical activity to achieve desired weight loss results. Also, one should consult a doctor or nutritionist before they start off any diet or fitness regime.
