Gluten-Free is the new “low fat” craze that is filling supermarket shelves these days. Remember the “Fat Free” and “Low Fat” fad that swept the country in the ’90’s? Yeah, we all got on that train thinking fat free or low fat was a “get out of jail free” card. Surprise! Turns out that garbage that was pushed as “health food” and “healthy eating” was FULL OF SUGAR. And chemicals. And people got fatter! Ruh Roh.
Fast forward several years when the “Gluten-Free” message started picking up steam, food manufacturers jumped at the opportunity to flood the market with “healthy, gluten free” products. It was embraced as the solution to gluten intolerance for everyone suffering from food allergies to serious celiac disease.
Here’s the dirty little secret: all of these chips, crackers, snacks, etc. use ingredients that are worse for you than actual gluten! Common replacements for gluten are cornstarch, rice flour, tapioca starch, and potato flour. These ingredients raise blood sugar higher than if you ate a spoonful of sugar! Dr. Davis explains the horrors of gluten free foods here:
For truly restored health the only option is grain free as far as I’m concerned. Start by reading Dr. Davis’ books. I suggest the cookbook and here’s why: He does such a great job distilling the research about grains and why they should be avoided at all costs. What could have been written in Medical terminology and over most peoples’ heads is written in a way that is very easy to understand, with just enough facts to inform but not overwhelm.
It’s up to you to ignore the advertising gimmicks and educate yourself about the serious health issues eating “gluten free” foods really cause.